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MSI GE75 8SG Raider (i7-8750H, RTX 2080) Laptop Review

Full GPU power? MSI also offers its slim GE75 Raider with the high-end GeForce RTX 2080 and does not use the Max-Q version. We check the performance and see if the upgrade is worth the money.

MSI's GE75 Raider is a gaming laptop with a 17.3-inch screen and follows the trend towards a slim-bezel design, so the device is comparatively compact. Compared to the original SKU with a GeForce GTX 1070, the system is now available with the faster RTX 2080 GPU, which promises a healthy performance advantage. It is interesting that MSI waives the Max-Q versions of the new GPUs, despite the slim construction. Those chips are reserved for the upcoming GS series (GS75/65). We already had a look at the U.S. spec of the GE75 Raider with the RTX 2070, and now we review the more expensive 8SG SKU for around 3000 Euros.

There is no shortage of compact 17.3-inch rivals right now, but many models use less powerful GPUs. Among others, we will compare the MSI GE75 Raider with the Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX and the Lenovo Legion Y740-17, which are equipped with the slower RTX 2080 Max-Q. Another rival is the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704W with the RTX 2070. We will use "bigger" gaming laptops like the Eurocom Sky X7C and Schenker XMG Ultra 17 to see if the RTX 2080 can utilize its full potential.

MSI GE75 8SG Raider (GE75 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1380 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 418.91, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Dual-Channel, 2 slots, up to 32 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, CMN N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), AHVA, Full-HD, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ, 512 GB 
, SSD + Seagate BarraCuda Pro ST1000LM049, 1 TB HDD, 7200 rpm, Slots: 2x M.2 Type 2280 & 1x 2.5"
Soundcard
Realtek ALC1220 @ Intel Cannon Point PCH
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphones, 3.5 mm microphone, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.5 x 397 x 269 ( = 1.08 x 15.63 x 10.59 in)
Battery
65 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Dynaudio Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 280W PSU, MSI Software Pack, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.646 kg ( = 93.34 oz / 5.83 pounds), Power Supply: 986 g ( = 34.78 oz / 2.17 pounds)
Price
3000 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case – Surfaces attract dirt

MSI uses a black chassis with red accents on the lid as well as around the touchpad. Contrary to some other gaming laptops, the overall appearance of the GE75 Raider can almost be called restrained. We like the design, but the smooth aluminum surfaces unfortunately attract dirt and grease pretty quickly, so you will have to clean it quite often.

We are not completely convinced by the stability, though, because the top of the base unit can be depressed and we also hear creaking noises. This is also the case for the bottom cover, which uses much more playful design elements compared the the rest of the laptop. Still, there are no limitations for your daily use. The lid leaves a better impression; you can twist it a bit and concentrated pressure from behind also results in picture distortions, but it is hard to criticize when you consider the slim construction. The two hinges at the edges are well adjusted and only allow minor bouncing. You can open the lid with one hand.

It is not a high-end case, but there are no major flaws and the build quality of our test unit did not reveal any issues, either.

The footprint of the three devices MSI GE75 Raider, Asus ROG Strix SCAR II, and Asus Zephyrus S is very similar, but the Zephyrus is the slimmest device. All three laptops are very compact 17-inch systems. Lenovo's Legion Y740 needs more space on the desk. Our test device is not too heavy at 2.6 kg, either, but you also have to consider about 1 kg for the power adapter when you transport the laptop.

Size Comparison

412.6 mm / 16.2 inch 304.9 mm / 12 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs412 mm / 16.2 inch 285 mm / 11.2 inch 19.6 mm / 0.772 inch 2.4 kg5.31 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 273 mm / 10.7 inch 26.4 mm / 1.039 inch 2.9 kg6.37 lbs397 mm / 15.6 inch 269 mm / 10.6 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.6 kg5.83 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.6 kg5.81 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity – USB-C, but no TB3

The USB-A ports are illuminated.
The USB-A ports are illuminated.

The MSI GE75 Raider offers all common ports including a modern USB-C connector. However, there is no Thunderbolt 3, which is a bit disappointing for the high price. We particularly liked the illuminated USB-A ports when the keyboard illumination is active. The latter makes it really easy to attach peripherals in darker environments.

The HDMI output supports the 2.0 standard and can drive a 4K signal at 60 Hz.

Right side: SD reader, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen.1, power
Right side: SD reader, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen.1, power
Left side: Kensington Lock, RJ45, HDMI 2.0, Mini-DisplayPort 1.2, USB-A 3.1 Gen.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen.2, 3.5 mm headphones, 3.5 mm microphones
Left side: Kensington Lock, RJ45, HDMI 2.0, Mini-DisplayPort 1.2, USB-A 3.1 Gen.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen.2, 3.5 mm headphones, 3.5 mm microphones

SD Card Reader

MSI includes a full-size SD reader and we check the performance with our reference card from Toshiba (Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II). The reader is unfortunately connected via USB 2.0, which results in very low transfer rates below 30 MB/s. The average value for gaming laptops is around 90 MB/s. We recommend an external card reader if you copy a lot of files/pictures from SD cards.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
172 MB/s +562%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +278%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s +208%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
215 MB/s +696%
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +353%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85 MB/s +215%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27 MB/s

Communication

MSI equips the GE75 Raider with modern communication modules from Killer. Besides the E2500 Gigabit-Ethernet module for wired networks, the Killer 1550i handles all the Wi-Fi connections. All common standards including Bluetooth 5.0 are supported and the transfer rates in our standardized test with the Linksys router EA8500 are very good.

We did not notice any problems/limitations during our time with the device, either. Killer modules offer special features for gamers compared to Intel modules. Please see our dedicated article for more information

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1412, n=14, last 2 years)
1006 MBit/s +47%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
683 MBit/s
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
647 MBit/s -5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
605 MBit/s -11%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
356 MBit/s -48%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
317 MBit/s -54%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=14, last 2 years)
1203 MBit/s +78%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
679 MBit/s +1%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
674 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
599 MBit/s -11%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
598 MBit/s -11%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
468 MBit/s -31%

Maintenance

It was a problem to open our test unit. The bottom panel was extremely firmly connected to the base unit in the area of the USB ports, even after the removal of all screws. We did not want to damage the unit, so we stopped our attempt at this point. Instead, we can show you a picture of the GE75 Raider 8SF. The upgradeability is basically not bad with three storage slots (2x M.2-2280 + 1x 2.5") and two RAM slots, which are already in use in our device. You can upgrade the RAM to 32 GB with two 16 GB DDR4 modules.

MSI GE75 Raider 8SF
MSI GE75 Raider 8SF

Warranty

The warranty period in Germany is 2 years and includes a free pickup and return service.

Input Devices – MSI with individual RGB illumination

Keyboard

The highlight of the keyboard is obviously the per-key RGB illumination. You also get preconfigured patterns and even a kind or party mode, where the illumination changes all the time. However, these presets are hardly practical. Who needs constantly changing colors or color shifts during gaming? A lot of it is definitely for show, but you can fortunately configure it based on your preferences as well. The corresponding software is a bit fiddly and not always very intuitive.

There is not much left to say about the mechanics of the keyboard. MSI once again uses a SteelSeries keyboard and you will be happy about the very precise feedback with pretty quiet keystrokes, even though the layout takes a while to get used to.

Different modes for the illumination
Different modes for the illumination

Touchpad

The touchpad offers two dedicated mouse buttons, which are similar to the keyboard with their precise and quiet clicks. We did not experience any issues with the mouse replacement during the review, but the majority of users will probably use an external mouse for gaming.

Display

Only minor backlight bleeding at the edges.
Only minor backlight bleeding at the edges.

The MSI GE75 raider is only available with a fast 144 Hz panel from Chi Mei. The response times of the 1080p screen are also very good, so you can enjoy a responsive gaming experience. Nvidia's G-Sync technology, however, is not supported. MSI describes the panel as "Wide View (IPS grade)" in the spec sheet, so this is an AHVA panel. The subjective picture quality is excellent and the picture is not too grainy, despite the matte surface. You can set picture parameters or select presets in the provided TrueColor software. We used the preset "Gamer" for the following measurements.

Many gaming laptops typically manage a luminance of around 300 nits, which is confirmed by our comparison table. The MSI is a bit brighter at ~340 nits without noticeably increasing the black value. The resulting contrast ratio is very high and certainly helps with the good picture impression. We determined flickering of the background illumination at very low brightness levels, but the frequency is very high at 26 kHz and should not cause any problems.

361
cd/m²
364
cd/m²
330
cd/m²
354
cd/m²
363
cd/m²
322
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
328
cd/m²
314
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
CMN N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 364 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 341.8 cd/m² Minimum: 19 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 363 cd/m²
Contrast: 1344:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.45
ΔE Greyscale 3.02 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
91% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
60.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
CMN N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), , 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), , 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), , 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
CMN N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), , 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE75 8SF
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Display
1%
3%
1%
32%
4%
Display P3 Coverage
60.6
62.9
4%
64
6%
62.9
4%
90.8
50%
63.1
4%
sRGB Coverage
91.2
87.8
-4%
90.4
-1%
87.1
-4%
99.9
10%
94.4
4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
62.6
63.9
2%
64.8
4%
63.7
2%
85.8
37%
65.2
4%
Response Times
3%
-67%
-71%
11%
-11%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
8 ?(4, 4)
7.2 ?(3.6, 3.6)
10%
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
-95%
17.6 ?(8.4, 9.2)
-120%
7.8 ?(4.4, 3.4)
2%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
-20%
Response Time Black / White *
9.2 ?(4.8, 4.4)
9.6 ?(4.4, 5.2)
-4%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-39%
11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4)
-22%
6.2 ?(4.4, 1.8)
33%
10.4 ?(5.2, 5.2)
-13%
PWM Frequency
26040 ?(17)
25510 ?(14)
-2%
25770 ?(17)
-1%
Screen
3%
-43%
-8%
-9%
17%
Brightness middle
363
288
-21%
299.1
-18%
295
-19%
262
-28%
370.4
2%
Brightness
342
287
-16%
273
-20%
291
-15%
261
-24%
348
2%
Brightness Distribution
86
91
6%
81
-6%
96
12%
94
9%
89
3%
Black Level *
0.27
0.2
26%
0.27
-0%
0.24
11%
0.2
26%
0.29
-7%
Contrast
1344
1440
7%
1108
-18%
1229
-9%
1310
-3%
1277
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.29
2.33
-2%
5.07
-121%
3.2
-40%
3.96
-73%
1.26
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.54
5.34
-18%
10.55
-132%
6.64
-46%
7.29
-61%
3.02
33%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.45
2.47
-1%
3.31
-35%
2.52
-3%
2.18
11%
1.21
51%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.02
1.19
61%
6.8
-125%
2.16
28%
3.09
-2%
1.4
54%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.41 91%
2.46 89%
2.46 89%
2.48 89%
2.2 100%
CCT
7048 92%
6710 97%
7805 83%
6872 95%
6977 93%
6747 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58
57
-2%
58.5
1%
57
-2%
76
31%
59.7
3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91
88
-3%
89.9
-1%
87
-4%
100
10%
94.4
4%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
2% / 3%
-36% / -38%
-26% / -14%
11% / 2%
3% / 10%

* ... smaller is better

Our additional measurements confirm that this is a high-quality panel. The deviations of the grayscale and the colors are already within the target range and a calibration is not required. There is a slight color cast in the grayscale towards blue/green, but it is only visible when you directly compare it to a calibrated panel. You can further improve the results with a calibration and the corresponding profile is linked in the box above and can be downloaded for free.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)

The color gamut is on the usual level and is completely sufficient for gaming. Only graphics artists that want to work in the AdobeRGB color space will require an external display.

MSI GE75 8SG vs. sRGB (91 %)
MSI GE75 8SG vs. sRGB (91 %)
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
MSI GE75 8SG vs. AdobeRGB (58 %)
MSI GE75 8SG vs. AdobeRGB (58 %)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
9.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.8 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 20 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4 ms rise
↘ 4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 26040 Hz ≤ 17 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 26040 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 17 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 26040 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The combination of a matte panel and the good luminance obviously helps in bright environments. You can comfortably see the content as long as you can avoid direct reflections from light sources on the panel. There are no major issues with the viewing angle stability, either. You can notice a slightly brighter picture from wide angles, but this is no problem in practice.

In the sun
In the sun
In the sun
In the sun
Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance

MSI currently offers three SKUs of the GE75 Raider. All of them are equipped with the same Core i7 CPU, but there are differences in terms of storage, memory, and GPU (RTX 2060, RTX 2070 or RTX 2080). There are no latency issues and the lack of G-Sync means that the integrated UHD Graphics 630 takes care of the graphics calculations in less demanding scenarios.

Note: We performed the following benchmarks and emission measurements with the Shift setting "Comfort" as well as the fan setting "Auto" (DragonCenter).

LatencyMon (Wi-Fi on)
LatencyMon (Wi-Fi on)

Processor – i7-8750H

The Intel Core i7-8750H should be familiar by now and is used in pretty much every powerful multimedia or gaming laptop. It offers six processor cores and provides plenty of power for current and modern games. We recommend our tech section for more technical information on this particular CPU.

The performance utilization under load is okay, but the competition is even better. Load for all cores results in a CPU clock of just 2.8 GHz, so the device is similar to the GE75 SKU with the RTX 2070. The performance is reduced on battery power with just 712 points in the Multi test.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load
065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
MSI GE75 8SG Raider Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø938 (913.12-1068.63)
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1112 (1090.93-1218.55)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1139 (1122.59-1232.82)
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1187 (1126.76-1226.54)
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø995 (976.78-1132)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=247, last 2 years)
265 Points +50%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +20%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 Points +17%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H
176.3 Points
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points -1%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points -2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Core i7-8750H
170 Points -4%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
167 Points -5%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -6%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=248, last 2 years)
2986 Points +179%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K
1968 Points +84%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K
1944 Points +82%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
1233 Points +15%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H
1227 Points +15%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Core i7-8750H
1218 Points +14%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
1132 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +4%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H
1069 (913.12min - 1068.63max) Points
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
1066 Points 0%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
176.3 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1069 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
114.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The GE75 Raider leaves a very good impression, both in the synthetic PCMark benchmarks as well as the daily usage, which is not surprising considering the powerful components. There are no bottlenecks and you can enjoy a responsive system.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=208, last 2 years)
7531 Points +29%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6053 Points +4%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
5816 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (5316 - 5816, n=3)
5604 Points -4%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5596 Points -4%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5555 Points -4%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5138 Points -12%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (7334 - 12334, n=207, last 2 years)
10665 Points +19%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9607 Points +7%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9111 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (8917 - 9041, n=3)
8975 Points 0%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
8968 Points
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
8780 Points -2%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
8277 Points -8%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (6161 - 11833, n=207, last 2 years)
9670 Points +25%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
7759 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (6947 - 7759, n=3)
7401 Points -5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7397 Points -5%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7352 Points -5%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7331 Points -6%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
7218 Points -7%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (5288 - 18475, n=207, last 2 years)
11325 Points +47%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8470 Points +10%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
7697 Points
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7227 Points -6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (6584 - 7697, n=3)
7206 Points -6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7102 Points -8%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
6161 Points -20%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +6%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5107 Points +4%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
4918 Points
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4861 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (4124 - 4918, n=3)
4555 Points -7%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4393 Points -11%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3662 Points -26%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5882 Points +6%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5663 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (5574 - 5697, n=3)
5616 Points +1%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
5574 Points
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5338 Points -4%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5323 Points -5%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4918 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
8493 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5574 points
PCMark 10 Score
5816 points
Help

Storage Devices – NVMe-SSD + HDD

HD Tune 2.5" HDD
HD Tune 2.5" HDD

Our test device is equipped with two storage drives, one M.2 NVMe-SSD (512 GB) and a 2.5-inch HDD (1 TB). The SSD is from Kingston and certainly not slow, but the drives from Samsung have an advantage, especially in terms of 4K performance. The SSD provides plenty of space at 512 GB, but you also get the additional hard drive from Seagate for your game library. It is a fast drive (7200 rpm) with an average transfer rate of almost 190 MB/s in the benchmark. The problem is the noise, but more on that later.

Please see our comprehensive SSD/HDD table for comparisons with other hard drives.

MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
MSI GE75 8SF
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Average Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
 
AS SSD
88%
31%
11%
38%
-12%
1%
Seq Read
888
911
3%
1153
30%
1315
48%
1749
97%
949
7%
1215 ?(850 - 1423, n=9)
37%
Seq Write
906
2347
159%
1328
47%
927
2%
1173
29%
823
-9%
897 ?(685 - 962, n=9)
-1%
4K Read
22.26
53
138%
35.05
57%
52.4
135%
42.81
92%
25.36
14%
32.4 ?(22.3 - 39.5, n=9)
46%
4K Write
83
122.5
48%
96
16%
122.8
48%
98.4
19%
67.1
-19%
87.7 ?(80.6 - 98.9, n=9)
6%
4K-64 Read
861
1577
83%
727
-16%
326.5
-62%
1238
44%
748
-13%
796 ?(650 - 861, n=9)
-8%
4K-64 Write
697
1734
149%
1212
74%
727
4%
691
-1%
650
-7%
672 ?(514 - 733, n=9)
-4%
Access Time Read *
0.117
0.08
32%
0.063
46%
0.11
6%
0.077
34%
0.173
-48%
0.115 ?(0.063 - 0.31, n=9)
2%
Access Time Write *
0.046
0.031
33%
0.04
13%
0.045
2%
0.038
17%
0.059
-28%
0.07544 ?(0.044 - 0.138, n=9)
-64%
Score Read
972
1721
77%
878
-10%
510
-48%
1456
50%
869
-11%
950 ?(814 - 1026, n=9)
-2%
Score Write
870
2091
140%
1441
66%
942
8%
906
4%
799
-8%
849 ?(673 - 916, n=9)
-2%
Score Total
2340
4771
104%
2784
19%
1715
-27%
3083
32%
2109
-10%
2274 ?(1876 - 2405, n=9)
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1607 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 929 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 327.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 297.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 922 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 882 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 31.97 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 73.4 MB/s
CDM 6 Write 4K Q8T8: 625 MB/s
CDM 6 Read 4K Q8T8: 818 MB/s

GPU Performance – GeForce RTX 2080

GPU-Z RTX 2080
GPU-Z RTX 2080

No fiddling around: MSI only uses the regular laptop versions of the new RTX chips from Nvidia and waives the Max-Q models. We already reviewed the GE75 Raider with the RTX 2070 and the results were very good. The GE75 also works well with the RTX 2080 and we can see an advantage of 25-30% in the benchmarks. The Turbo utilization is very good; the base clock of 1380 MHz is clearly surpassed at up to 1920 MHZ and 1605 MHz on average, respectively. The device passes the 3DMark stress tests, so the performance is steady. This is a very good result when you consider the slim construction.

As expected, the GPU performance is significantly reduced on battery power; the 3DMark 11 GPU score drops from 33741 to just 16027 points. More benchmark results of the RTX 2080 are available here.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=246, last 2 years)
39499 Points +17%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (31826 - 38809, n=17)
35286 Points +5%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
35224 Points +4%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
33741 Points
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
33396 Points -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
29453 Points -13%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
26097 Points -23%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
25765 Points -24%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
24172 Points -28%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18349 Points -46%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
158891 Points +26%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (72806 - 168006, n=16)
136271 Points +8%
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=157, last 2 years)
134064 Points +6%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
126474 Points
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
118148 Points -7%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
117764 Points -7%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
113870 Points -10%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
95034 Points -25%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
64283 Points -49%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=250, last 2 years)
28955 Points +15%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
25440 Points +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (22504 - 27319, n=16)
25211 Points 0%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
25203 Points
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
23089 Points -8%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
21515 Points -15%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
20236 Points -20%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
19236 Points -24%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18520 Points -27%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
14427 Points -43%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=248, last 2 years)
11781 Points +20%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (9411 - 10992, n=15)
10046 Points +2%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
9816 Points
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Intel Core i9-9900K
9780 Points 0%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
8512 Points -13%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
7789 Points -21%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
7431 Points -24%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7202 Points -27%
3DMark 11 Performance
22658 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
35054 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
19661 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
9018 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The gaming benchmark results are also excellent and all modern titles run at the highest settings. Considering the limited Turbo utilization of the processor, you might wonder about the influence on the gaming performance. Most modern games are limited by the GPU, which is well illustrated by the Witcher 3 benchmarks. The GPU is the deciding factor in the Ultra preset and the GE75 Raider is basically on par with the two "big" gaming systems, which are equipped with a much faster desktop processor. The further we reduce the details and the resolution, the wider the gap gets. However, there are currently no problem and the slightly lower CPU performance does not have a significant effect when you use high settings.

The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Gaming
  (54.1 - 718, n=138, last 2 years)
412 fps +49%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
387.2 fps +40%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
335.4 fps +22%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (195.8 - 414, n=9)
322 fps +17%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
305.4 fps +11%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
276 fps
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
255.3 fps -7%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
193.9 fps -30%
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Gaming
  (34.2 - 617, n=148, last 2 years)
319 fps +39%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
272.8 fps +19%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
266.8 fps +16%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (157.5 - 284, n=9)
247 fps +7%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
230 fps
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
222.4 fps -3%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
204.1 fps -11%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
154 fps -33%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=177, last 2 years)
213 fps +31%
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
174.2 fps +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (126.1 - 194.4, n=15)
170.5 fps +5%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
162 fps
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
151 (123min) fps -7%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
144.2 fps -11%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
135.6 fps -16%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
133.6 fps -18%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
115.7 fps -29%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
91.6 fps -43%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=245, last 2 years)
114 fps +24%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (82.2 - 105, n=16)
95.6 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
94.5 fps +3%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
92.1 fps
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
90.3 fps -2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
81.7 (68min) fps -11%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
73.1 fps -21%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
71.8 fps -22%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
70.9 fps -23%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
49.6 fps -46%

Similar to the 3DMark stress tests, we also see steady performance figures during our Witcher 3 loop. The gaming performance is significantly reduced on battery power though with 96 vs 38 FPS in Witcher 3 (Ultra). More gaming benchmarks with the RTX 2080 are available here.

05101520253035404550556065707580859095Tooltip
MSI GE75 8SG Raider GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ: Ø92.5 (80-98)
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 276 230 162 92.1
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 134.8 125.5 109 103.9
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 236 174 155 145
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 102 89 75
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 126 111 106 99
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 86 75 73 65
Battlefield V (2018) 144 132 117 111
Darksiders III (2018) 195 129 126 121
Just Cause 4 (2018) 181 161 118 116
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 109 94 90 82
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 216 159 144 96

Emissions – Loud, but effective

System Noise – Noisy HDD

The MSI GE75 Raider can a silent system, but this is rare. The fans quickly react to load changes and you also notice the drawback of the fast 7200 rpm drive with its constant murmur, which is clearly audible. We recommend an adjustment of the power settings, so the HDD is turned off as quickly as possible when it is inactive.

It gets loud when you start to stress the GPU and we measure up to 54 dB(A). This value can vary a bit depending on the requirements of the game, but the notebook is always audible. We liked the fact that the fans do not pulsate very much under load, despite the loud fan noise. We still recommend a headset for longer gaming sessions. Our test unit also produced some coil whine, but it was very quiet and not annoying.

The Lenovo Legion Y740 with the RTX 2080 Max-Q is much quieter within the comparison group. The old MSI GS73 Stealth was also a bit quieter, but the old GTX 1070 Max-Q was also much slower.

Noise measurement idle
Noise measurement idle
Noise measurement load
Noise measurement load
Speaker measurements
Speaker measurements

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 34 / 37 dB(A)
HDD
33 dB(A)
Load
52 / 54 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Noise
7%
14%
3%
7%
4%
off / environment *
30
29
3%
28.3
6%
29
3%
30
-0%
28.3
6%
Idle Minimum *
30
29
3%
31.5
-5%
29
3%
30
-0%
33.5
-12%
Idle Average *
34
32
6%
31.6
7%
32
6%
34
-0%
33.6
1%
Idle Maximum *
37
33
11%
31.6
15%
40
-8%
36
3%
35
5%
Load Average *
52
47
10%
32.3
38%
46
12%
43
17%
38
27%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53
49
8%
43
19%
51
4%
45
15%
50
6%
Load Maximum *
54
51
6%
45.5
16%
52
4%
45
17%
56.9
-5%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The loud fan noise is not wasted, because the surface temperatures are not critical under load, despite the slim base unit. We measure up to 46 °C on the top – you will notice that, but the result is okay. The competition is often cooler in the area of the palm rests though, where the GE75 Raider also reaches values up to around 40 °C. There are no problems or hot spots while idling or light workloads, respectively.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)

We simulate maximum load with our stress test consisting of the tools Prime95 and FurMark, but this is no problem for the GE75 Raider. We observe a CPU Turbo of 2.7-2.8 GHz similar to the CPU benchmarks. It cannot use its full Turbo potential, but there is no throttling at all. The GPU performs even better with a steady clock above 1600 MHz and therefore clearly above the base frequency of 1380 MHz. All in all, the cooling in the MSI is very effective. The manual activation of the maximum fan speed only has a marginal effect on the performance.

Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
46 °C
115 F
44 °C
111 F
 
 46 °C
115 F
46 °C
115 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 38 °C
100 F
38 °C
100 F
34 °C
93 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 42.1 °C = 108 F
43 °C
109 F
44 °C
111 F
45 °C
113 F
40 °C
104 F
43 °C
109 F
43 °C
109 F
30 °C
86 F
33 °C
91 F
31 °C
88 F
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42.1 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-11.1 °C / -20 F).

Speakers

Stereo speakers with two modules
Stereo speakers with two modules

The Dynaudio sound system in the GE75 Raider uses two stereo speakers consisting of two modules each (speaker + subwoofer) in the front area of the bottom. Our measurements determine a very loud maximum volume and very balanced playback of medium and high tones. Music or video playback is really enjoyable, even though the bass could still be stronger. You cannot really use the speakers during gaming since the fans are too loud.

External speakers or headsets can be attached via USB or two stereo jacks.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.944.62534.235.93130.335.14035.9405027.840.7632734.28030.745.810029.255.612525.545.416022.754.820022.962.725022.565.231520.466.840019.163.950018.965.363017.270.380016.875.2100017.274.3125020.873.8160017.680.120001784.625001783315017.278.8400017.275.4500017.276630017.27580001775.5100001774.1125001771.11600016.973.4SPL3090.7N1.481.1median 17.2median 74.1Delta26.743.336.736.633.7312832.231.72827.625.528.525.83226.54224.643.323.345.924.953.12357.720.459.920.165.519.77219.478.819.878.521.382.92079.219.978.619.978.620.275.620.374.820.675.720.371.920.276.42063.719.86019.562.419.371.932.389.11.779.4median 20.2median 721.29.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GE75 8SG RaiderMSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI GE75 8SG Raider audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 62% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The 280W power adapter tips the scale at almost 1 kg.
The 280W power adapter tips the scale at almost 1 kg.

The power consumption of the test unit obviously benefits from the switchable graphics, but you have to decide for yourself how important this is for an – admittedly compact – 17.3-inch gaming laptop. The MSI is the most efficient device of the bunch in our idle tests, but you notice the impact of the RTX 2080 under load. Our GE75 Raider consumes much more power than the RTX 2080 Max-Q while gaming, whereas the difference to the RTX 2070 is comparatively small. Our results are all on the expected level and there are no surprises. The provided 280W power unit is sufficient.

We had one small gripe with the pretty thick and rigid cable (~120 cm) between the PSU and the laptop. Depending on the layout of you desk, the cable can be a bit short.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7 / 15 / 22 Watt
Load midlight 92 / 254 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ, AHVA, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, AHVA, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, TN, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE75 8SF
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-38%
-40%
-41%
6%
-30%
-101%
-32%
Idle Minimum *
7
19
-171%
20.2
-189%
19
-171%
8
-14%
16.4
-134%
24.6 ?(5 - 41.3, n=14)
-251%
13.7 ?(2 - 64, n=191, last 2 years)
-96%
Idle Average *
15
22
-47%
27.2
-81%
22
-47%
14
7%
21.9
-46%
31.4 ?(15 - 48, n=14)
-109%
18.9 ?(6.5 - 67, n=191, last 2 years)
-26%
Idle Maximum *
22
30
-36%
28.7
-30%
29
-32%
22
-0%
25.4
-15%
41.8 ?(22 - 69.4, n=14)
-90%
26.5 ?(9 - 101.1, n=191, last 2 years)
-20%
Load Average *
92
104
-13%
90.8
1%
102
-11%
92
-0%
90.7
1%
112 ?(92 - 124, n=14)
-22%
111.7 ?(32.1 - 202, n=191, last 2 years)
-21%
Witcher 3 ultra *
207
167
19%
152.1
27%
190
8%
154
26%
203.3
2%
Load Maximum *
254
203
20%
165.4
35%
231
9%
207
19%
222.9
12%
344 ?(254 - 485, n=14)
-35%
249 ?(64.5 - 418, n=190, last 2 years)
2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The low consumption values are good for the battery runtime. We determined almost 8 hours from the 65Wh battery in an ideal scenario and almost 5 hours during web browsing. These results are better compared to the rivals, but the stamina under load is very similar. You should not expect more than an hour during gaming, despite the reduced performance on battery. In the end it is only sufficient to bridge short periods of time between two sockets.

The charging process requires some patience, despite the powerful PSU: We record a total of 182 minutes before the battery is fully charged (device is turned on). The initial 70% are at least faster at little more than an hour.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 48min
Witcher 3 ultra 150cd
0h 50min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
4h 41min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 53min
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, 65 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 66 Wh
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 51 Wh
MSI GE75 8SF
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 65 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
-19%
-32%
-2%
-14%
-25%
43%
Reader / Idle
468
298
-36%
372
-21%
346
-26%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
17%
WiFi v1.3
281
230
-18%
190
-32%
235
-16%
200
-29%
212
-25%
366 ?(57 - 745, n=191, last 2 years)
30%
Witcher 3 ultra
50
52
4%
81.7 ?(47 - 155, n=23, last 2 years)
63%
Load
53
52
-2%
67
26%
60
13%
86 ?(36 - 173, n=155, last 2 years)
62%

Pros

+ excellent 144 Hz panel
+ compact chassis with slim bezels
+ very good GPU performance
+ RGB keyboard illumination and illuminated USB ports
+ good keyboard
+ powerful speakers
+ three storage slots
+ decent battery runtime

Cons

- tricky maintenance
- loud fans when gaming and HDD murmur
- no Thunderbolt 3 or G-Sync
- very slow SD card reader
- CPU Turbo Boost performance could be better

Verdict – The upgrade is a good investment

In review: MSI GE75 Raider 8SG. Test model courtesy of MSI Germany.
In review: MSI GE75 Raider 8SG. Test model courtesy of MSI Germany.

The new MSI GE75 Raider is noticeably more compact compared to its predecessor, but now features a much more powerful GPU. If you are willing to pay the premium for the RTX 2080, you won't waste your money thanks to the good performance utilization compared to the less expensive SKUs with the RTX 2070 or RTX 2060. The CPU performance could certainly be a bit better, but there are currently no limitation when you play games.

Smaller, thinner, faster – this is a big challenge for the cooling solution. MSI manages an effective heat dissipation without major performance penalties. The drawback is the loud fan noise, and you also hear the murmur of the fast 7200 rpm drive while idling.

Other drawbacks include the surfaces, which quickly attract dirt and fingerprints and have to be cleaned on a regular basis. A laptop for 3000 Euros should also feature Thunderbolt 3. We are not sure about the lack of G-Sync. The notebook is comparatively compact for a 17-inch device, but the mobility is certainly not the most important aspect for potential buyers.

The GPU upgrade for the MSI GE75 Raider is a good investment and you can actually use the additional performance, despite the slim chassis. There are some shortcomings in terms of connectivity, but we cannot find any major issues that would affect the gaming experience.

MSI GE75 8SG Raider - 03/25/2019 v6(old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
76 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
63 / 81 → 78%
Weight
59 / 10-66 → 87%
Battery
79%
Display
90%
Games Performance
100%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
84 / 95 → 88%
Noise
61 / 90 → 68%
Audio
86%
Average
81%
88%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GE75 8SG Raider (i7-8750H, RTX 2080) Laptop Review
Andreas Osthoff, 2019-03-26 (Update: 2019-03-26)