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MagyarMSI GE65 Raider 9SF Laptop Review: Huge Improvements Over the GE63
The upper mid-range MSI GE65 sits in between the cheaper MSI GL series and the pricier MSI GT series of gaming laptops. It directly supplants the GE63 with revised internal options and a brand new chassis design. More specifically, the newer model introduces narrow bezels for increased portability while dropping the GeForce RTX 2080 option in favor of the RTX 2060 or RTX 2070 only.
Two major SKUs are available as of this writing: the GE65 9SF and GE65 9SE with a Core i7-9750H or Core i9-9880H CPU, RTX 2060 or 2070 graphics, up to 64 GB of RAM, and the choice between a 144 Hz or 240 Hz 1080p IPS display. Direct competitors include other upper mid-range gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y740, HP Omen 15, Asus ROG Strix III or Hero III, Aorus 15, or the Dell Gaming G7 series.
More MSI reviews:
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 % | 12/2019 | MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile | 2.3 kg | 26.9 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | |
| 85 % | 10/2019 | Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q | 2.3 kg | 25 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83 % | 09/2019 | Alienware m15 R2 P87F i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q | 2.2 kg | 18.3 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81 % | 11/2019 | Maingear Vector 15 i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile | 1.9 kg | 19.8 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84 % | 08/2019 | Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile | 2.4 kg | 25.9 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 |
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Case
One of our main complaints about the older GE63 was its large size. The thick chassis looked outdated when compared to even the budget HP Pavilion Gaming 15 which was a bit embarrassing for a mid-range gaming laptop from MSI. The latest GE65 addresses this by switching to a new display panel in order to minimize the bezels. Webcam positioning is preserved unlike on the Asus ROG Strix or Hero series while the rest of the laptop retains the look of the GE63.
There is some room for improvement. The bottom bezel, for example, is still very thick in relation to the three other sides. The chassis doesn't feel as firm or solid as on the Alienware m15 R2 or the aforementioned Asus alternatives, either. The lid of the GE65 is a bit more flexible while the base exhibits slight-but-audible creaking when attempting to twist its sides. We suspect that the creaking occurs because the busy chassis consists of many smaller pieces as opposed to the flatter, cleaner, and more unibody approach of the Asus ROG Strix or Hero.
The dual hinges are different than on the GE63 as they even smaller this time around. While sufficiently firm at all angles with almost no teetering when typing, the hinges don't give a sense of longevity because of their size.
A defining characteristic of the GE65 is its small footprint when compared to most other 15.6-inch gaming laptops. In fact, its length and width are essentially the same as the more expensive MSI GS65 while weighing about 300 g more. The relatively thick 26.9 mm profile, however, gives the GE65 a noticeably boxier look than the super-thin Razer Blade series or Asus Zephyrus.
Connectivity
Port options are identical to the GE63 save for the repositioning of the USB Type-A ports along the right edge. Thunderbolt 3 remains elusive as you'll have to upgrade to the higher-end MSI GS or GT series for Thunderbolt support. Port positioning is a mixed bag because all ports are tightly packed and they are located close to the front edges where cables are more likely to be intrusive.
SD Card Reader
Transfer rates from the integrated spring-loaded SD card reader have not improved over the GE63. Moving 1 GB of images from our UHS-II test card takes 40 seconds compared to just 7 seconds on the Dell XPS 15. It's disappointing that MSI continues to give SD performance the cold shoulder on its GE series of laptops.
| SDCardreader Transfer Speed | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| HP Omen 15-dc1303ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| MSI GE63 Raider 8SG (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| HP Omen 15-dc1303ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| MSI GE63 Raider 8SG (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Communication
All SKUs come standard with Killer 1650x wireless for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The module is functionally the same as the Intel AX200/AX201 albeit with specific Killer software features catered to enthusiasts. We didn't experience any WLAN issues during our time with the test unit.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 Client (receive) TCP 1 m 4M x10 | |
| MSI Prestige 15 A10SC | |
| Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 | |
| Alienware m15 R2 P87F | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg | |
| iperf3 Client (transmit) TCP 1 m 4M x10 | |
| MSI Prestige 15 A10SC | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg | |
| Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 | |
| Alienware m15 R2 P87F | |
Maintenance
The bottom panel can be removed with just a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. Motherboard layout is very similar to the last generation GE63 but with some components and heat pipes rearranged in order to accommodate for the narrower bezels. A 'Factory Seal' sticker must be broken in order to gain access to the motherboard.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no notable extras in the box other than the AC adapter. The standard one-year limited warranty applies with potential extras for those who register their purchases online through MSI.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The SteelSeries keyboard remains unchanged from the GE63 despite the smaller footprint. This means that the per-key RGB lighting, uniform and firm key feedback, and moderate clatter are all back. Even the NumPad still feels cramped since its keys are narrower than the main QWERTY keys. If you've ever handled any other GS, GE, or GT series laptop from MSI, then you'll have a good idea of what to expect when typing on the GE65 as these SteelSeries keyboards are mostly consistent between models.
Touchpad
The touchpad is again identical to the GE63 in surface area (11 x 6.3 cm) and texture albeit without the tacky red rims of the last generation model. Fortunately, we didn't experience any cursor jumping issues that occurred on our GE63 unit. The dedicated mouse keys also return but with the same uneven feedback from the GE63. Clicking along the edges of the keys, for example, feels softer and with deeper travel than clicking from the center of either key.
Display
Our GE65 configuration utilizes the same 240 Hz Sharp LQ156M1JW03 IPS panel and SHP14C5 controller as found on the GS65 or Razer Blade 15. Subsequently, all three of these laptops share similar black-white and gray-gray response times, contrast levels, and gamut. The identical panels also explain how the GE65 and GS65 have almost exactly the same length and width. Display quality is actually not far from the 144 Hz AU Optronics panel on the last generation GE63 save for the higher native refresh rate.
Graininess is minimal despite the matte overlay for crisp texts and images. Uneven backlight bleeding, however, is noticeable around the edges of our test unit as shown by the picture below. MSI offers no OLED options on any of its laptops as of this writing unlike Razer or Dell.
Interestingly, pulse-width modulation occurs at exactly the same brightness levels (19 percent and under) and at nearly the same frequency as on the GS65 to suggest that MSI is using the same backlight components between the two models.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 277.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1156:1 (Black: 0.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.51 | 0.6-29.43 Ø5.8, calibrated: 1.77
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.64-98 Ø6
99.1% sRGB (Argyll 3D) 65.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.23
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US Sharp LQ156M1JW03, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | MSI GE63 Raider 8SG AU Optronics B156HAN07.1, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg BOE NV156FHM-N4J, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | Alienware m15 R2 P87F Sharp LQ156M1, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Panda LM156LF-GL02, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti BOE NV156FHM-N4K, IPS, 15.6, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 17% | -17% | 0% | -113% | -30% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 13.2 (7.2, 6) | 8.8 (4.4, 4.4) 33% | 19 (9, 10) -44% | 16.4 (7.6, 6.8) -24% | 26 (13.6, 12.4) -97% | 13.6 (7.2, 6.4) -3% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 11.2 (6, 5.2) | 11.2 (5.2, 6) -0% | 10 (6, 4) 11% | 8.8 (4.4, 4.4) 21% | 25.6 (14.8, 10.8) -129% | 10 (6, 4) 11% |
| PWM Frequency | 23150 (19) | 23810 (24) 3% | 200 (99) -99% | |||
| Screen | -7% | 2% | -51% | -84% | -29% | |
| Brightness middle | 277.4 | 268.3 -3% | 477 72% | 324.2 17% | 290.1 5% | 312.7 13% |
| Brightness | 264 | 261 -1% | 431 63% | 304 15% | 274 4% | 305 16% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 84 -7% | 84 -7% | 90 0% | 86 -4% | 90 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.24 | 0.2 17% | 0.175 27% | 0.38 -58% | 0.54 -125% | 0.27 -13% |
| Contrast | 1156 | 1342 16% | 2726 136% | 853 -26% | 537 -54% | 1158 0% |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 1.51 | 2.65 -75% | 4.17 -176% | 5.01 -232% | 5.16 -242% | 4.57 -203% |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 4.93 | 4.67 5% | 6.97 -41% | 12.7 -158% | 18.09 -267% | 6.81 -38% |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 1.77 | 2.76 -56% | 2.51 -42% | 1.64 7% | 4.35 -146% | 2.91 -64% |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 3.7 | 2.2 41% | 3.49 6% | 7.9 -114% | 4.4 -19% | 4.3 -16% |
| Gamma | 2.23 99% | 2.33 94% | 2.5 88% | 2.35 94% | 2.1 105% | 2.29 96% |
| CCT | 7061 92% | 6862 95% | 7076 92% | 8455 77% | 7362 88% | 7098 92% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65.1 | 59.3 -9% | 60 -8% | 60.8 -7% | 38.1 -41% | 59.4 -9% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.1 | 93.3 -6% | 91 -8% | 95.5 -4% | 60 -39% | 91.3 -8% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 5% /
-3% | -8% /
-1% | -26% /
-40% | -99% /
-89% | -30% /
-30% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space covers sRGB in its entirety and approximately 65 percent of AdobeRGB to be similar to most high-refresh rate 15.6-inch panels currently in the market. If deeper colors are desired, then you'll have to consider the Razer Blade Pro 120 Hz model or non-gaming laptops with 4K UHD IGZO or OLED options.
The display is well-calibrated out of the box especially for a mid-range gaming laptop. Average grayscale and color DeltaE values sit at just 2.9 and 1.7, respectively, to be better calibrated than most other gaming laptops in this price range. Our attempts to calibrate the display even further did not produce better results.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (24.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 13.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 7.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.9 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (39 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 23150 Hz | ≤ 19 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 23150 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 19 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 23150 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 51 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17927 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 2500000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is the same as on the GE63 since brightness and contrast are nearly identical between them. Viewing angles are wide, but contrast will degrade if viewing from more extreme angles.
Performance
As an upper mid-range gaming laptop, MSI has equipped the GE65 with upper mid-range components including up to the Core i9-9880H CPU and GeForce RTX 2070 GPU. Higher-end components like the unlocked Core i9-9980HK and GeForce RTX 2080 are reserved for MSI's top-of-the-line GT series instead. There are no Max-Q options here unlike on the ultra-thin GS series.
Optimus comes standard to automatically exclude G-Sync. The 240 Hz refresh rate lessens the advantages of G-Sync since tearing becomes more infrequent the higher the native refresh rate.
Processor
Unlike the disappointing 8th gen Core i9-8950HK, the 9th gen Core i9-9880H is able to offer much faster performance than the Core i7-8750H or i7-9750H due to its extra two physical cores. Multi-thread performance is about 30 percent faster than the Core i7-9750H to be one of the fastest mobile consumer Intel CPUs available. While MSI doesn't offer the unlocked i9-9980HK for its GE series, we wouldn't have recommended it anyway since performance advantages over the i9-9880H have proven to be marginal at best.
Performance sustainability is pretty good although still a step below the larger GE75 equipped with the same CPU as shown by our graph below. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, performance would drop by about 8 percent over time.
See our dedicated page on the Core i9-9880H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
System Performance
PCMark benchmarks are higher than expected as they narrowly edge out the Eurocom Nightsky RX15 with the pricier Core i9-9980HK CPU. While we experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the unit, the MSI pop-ups can be annoying. We recommend becoming familiar with the Dragon Center software as key system controls can be adjusted here.
| PCMark 8 | |
| Work Score Accelerated v2 | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US | |
| Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile (5919 - 6095, n=2) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg | |
| Alienware m15 R2 P87F | |
| MSI GE63 Raider 8SG | |
| Eurocom Nightsky RX15 | |
| Home Score Accelerated v2 | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US | |
| Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile (4578 - 4679, n=2) | |
| Alienware m15 R2 P87F | |
| MSI GE63 Raider 8SG | |
| Eurocom Nightsky RX15 | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 4679 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 6095 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
Three storage bays are available much like on the GE63: 2x M.2 2280 PCIe x4 and 1x 2.5-inch SATA III. Our test unit comes equipped with the same 1 TB MZVLB1T0HALR Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD as found on our GE75. Samsung M.2 SSDs are some of the fastest in the consumer space and so it's not surprising to see it outperforming the mid-range WD SN520 and Intel 660p. Nonetheless, there's a chance that the GE65 may come equipped with these slower SSDs instead depending on the reseller.
See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR | MSI GE63 Raider 8SG WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G | Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G | Alienware m15 R2 P87F 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0) | Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | MSI GE75 9SG Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | -31% | -39% | -1% | -19% | 2% | |
| Copy Game MB/s | 1621.4 | 1294.85 -20% | 650.44 -60% | 1426.35 -12% | 943.02 -42% | 1054.21 -35% |
| Copy Program MB/s | 775.69 | 673.02 -13% | 426.02 -45% | 576.02 -26% | 749.45 -3% | 198.24 -74% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 2483.3 | 1187.35 -52% | 1061.83 -57% | 2073.16 -17% | 1518.69 -39% | 3193.07 29% |
| Score Total | 4956 | 2126 -57% | 1065 -79% | 3633 -27% | 1711 -65% | 4899 -1% |
| Score Write | 2162 | 973 -55% | 366 -83% | 1481 -31% | 958 -56% | 2127 -2% |
| Score Read | 1813 | 746 -59% | 475 -74% | 1407 -22% | 498 -73% | 1805 0% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.208 | 0.099 52% | 0.037 82% | 0.108 48% | 0.046 78% | 0.05 76% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.089 | 0.131 -47% | 0.132 -48% | 0.065 27% | 0.058 35% | 0.067 25% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1831.41 | 730.97 -60% | 191.35 -90% | 1135.27 -38% | 760.81 -58% | 1799.48 -2% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1665.05 | 630.71 -62% | 302.13 -82% | 1177.33 -29% | 321.15 -81% | 1641.92 -1% |
| 4K Write | 88.87 | 107.39 21% | 99.89 12% | 108.86 22% | 107.03 20% | 89.17 0% |
| 4K Read | 27.11 | 24.99 -8% | 35.42 31% | 37.2 37% | 48.73 80% | 27.02 0% |
| Seq Write | 2420.31 | 1343.68 -44% | 746 -69% | 2371.22 -2% | 904.89 -63% | 2381.34 -2% |
| Seq Read | 1210.64 | 903.68 -25% | 1372 13% | 1924.95 59% | 1280.44 6% | 1358.11 12% |
* ... smaller is better
GPU Performance
The mobile GeForce RTX 2070 is about 10 to 15 percent slower than a "proper" desktop GeForce RTX 2070. Moving down to the mobile RTX 2060 SKU entails another 15 percent performance deficit. Be sure to enable DX11 whenever possible as the Nvidia Turing series is better optimized for Microsoft's latest API than the last generation Pascal series.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 22592 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 48855 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 18601 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 8110 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
Expect around 10 percent slower performance than the RTX 2080 Max-Q when gaming or about 10 percent higher performance than the last generation GTX 1080. All titles will be playable at maximum or near maximum 1080p settings at over 60 FPS. To better exploit the 240 Hz refresh rate, however, users may want to lower the in-game settings while maintaining the native 1080p resolution for sharpness to increase the frame rate even further. Fast-paced competitive games like CS:GO or Overwatch will benefit the most from this approach.
See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2070 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T | |
| Corsair One i160 | |
| Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS | |
| Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile (74.2 - 97, n=11) | |
| Schenker XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh | |
| Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 | |
| Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti | |
| Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH | |
| Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S) | |
| The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Corsair One i160 | |
| Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS | |
| Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz | |
| MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile (64 - 82.1, n=20) | |
| Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 | |
| Schenker XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh | |
| Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti | |
| Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S) | |
| Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH | |