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MSI GE75 Raider 8SF (i7-8750H, RTX 2070) Laptop Review

Longer, stronger, superior. Much like how the Asus ROG GL704 is a major update over the GL703, the MSI GE75 is a major update over the GE73. This $2200 mid-range gaming laptop skips the Max-Q series entirely for full-power GeForce RTX graphics up to the RTX 2080.

The MSI GE75 is the full chassis refresh of the last generation GE73. Most notably, it brings narrow bezels and GeForce RTX graphics for a significantly smaller and yet more powerful package. The system competes directly with other thin 17.3-inch gaming laptops like the Asus ROG GL704, Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH, Asus Zephyrus GX701, or Dell Alienware m17.

The MSI GE series sits between the lower-end GP series and the higher-end GT series. Thus, the 17.3-inch GE75 and 15.6-inch GE63 are MSI's mid-range gaming models. Our test unit today comes from Xotic PC with a Core i7-8750H CPU, GeForce RTX 2070 GPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, 256 GB NVMe SSD, and a 144 Hz 1080p IPS panel for $2200 USD. We'll be diving right into the performance of our RTX 2070 SKU for this review. For our usual take on the chassis, port options, and per-key RGB keyboard, stay tuned for our review on the GE75 RTX 2080 SKU coming later this month.

See our overview of the MSI G series for a rundown on all the current models.

More MSI reviews:

17.3-inch MSI GE75 vs. 15.6-inch MSI GE63 (Source: MSI)
17.3-inch MSI GE75 vs. 15.6-inch MSI GE63 (Source: MSI)
MSI GE75 8SF (GE75 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1215 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 419.17, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Single-channel, 1333.3 MHz, 19-19-19-43
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, Chi Mei N173HCE-G33, IPS, CMN175C, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, 256 GB 
, Secondary: Seagate ST1000LM049-2GH172
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 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 reader
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
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.5 x 397 x 268.5 ( = 1.08 x 15.63 x 10.57 in)
Battery
65 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 3 W stereo, 2x 3 W subwoofer, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, MSI True Color, Dragon Center 2, SteelSeries Engine 3, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.64 kg ( = 93.12 oz / 5.82 pounds), Power Supply: 1.001 kg ( = 35.31 oz / 2.21 pounds)
Price
2200 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

428 mm / 16.9 inch 314 mm / 12.4 inch 58 mm / 2.28 inch 4.6 kg10.1 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 30 mm / 1.181 inch 2.9 kg6.5 lbs412.6 mm / 16.2 inch 304.9 mm / 12 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.8 kg6.17 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 268.5 mm / 10.6 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.6 kg5.82 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

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, AC adapter
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, AC adapter
Left: Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport 1.2, USB 3.1 Gen. 2, USB 3.1 Gen.2 Type-C, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm SPDIF (ESS Sabre HiFi)
Left: Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport 1.2, USB 3.1 Gen. 2, USB 3.1 Gen.2 Type-C, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm SPDIF (ESS Sabre HiFi)

SD Card Reader

Transfer rates from the spring-loaded integrated SD reader are slow. Moving 1 GB worth of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes almost 40 seconds compared to just under 8 seconds on the Dell XPS 15. We're a bit disappointed by the performance especially from a mid-range gaming laptop.

A fully inserted card protrudes by about 2 mm for safe transporting.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GE73VR 7RF Raider
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
176 MB/s +547%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s +194%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s +194%
MSI GE75 8SF
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.2 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GE73VR 7RF Raider
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
200 MB/s +502%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +162%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85 MB/s +156%
MSI GE75 8SF
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
33.25 MB/s

Communication

WLAN module sits adjacent to the 2.5-inch SATA III bay
WLAN module sits adjacent to the 2.5-inch SATA III bay

The Intel 9560 on last year's GE73 has been upgraded to the Killer 1550i for the new RTX-enabled GE75. While raw performance is largely the same between them (1.73 Gbps + Bluetooth 5), Killer WLAN modules have game-specific settings and features that the target audience may appreciate.

Transfer rates are faster than what we've recorded below since our server setup is limited by a 1 Gbps line.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI GE75 8SF
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
686 MBit/s
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
647 MBit/s -6%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
605 MBit/s -12%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
356 MBit/s -48%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
679 MBit/s +3%
MSI GE75 8SF
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
658 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
599 MBit/s -9%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
598 MBit/s -9%

Maintenance

Maintenance requires a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. Note that a "Factory Seal" sticker must be broken if servicing the unit much like on most every other MSI laptop, but the OEM has assured us that this will not impact the limited warranty if users are only upgrading storage or RAM.

Even so, serviceability could have been easier especially for a gaming laptop. The bottom panel is latched very tightly around the edges and corners and it will take some patience to remove. The motherboard layout has many similarities to the GE73 with a few rearranged components as shown below.

MSI GE75
MSI GE75
MSI GE73 for comparison
MSI GE73 for comparison

Accessories and Warranty

Included extras are a Quick Start guide and a large velvet cleaning cloth.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies. MSI will extend the base warranty to two years for any of its RTX laptops if purchased from Xotic PC.

Display

The GE75 currently comes with no other display options than the 144 Hz 1080p IPS panel we have here. This Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 panel can be found on no other laptop in our database as of this writing, but it appears to be the IPS version of the CMN N173HHE-G32 TN panel found on last year's GE73. We suspect that MSI will use this same panel for its future 17.3-inch GT laptops as well. Black-white response times are slightly slower than on last year's model, but the newer panel makes up for this with narrower bezels, wider viewing angles, and better color calibration. In fact, the display is measurably more accurate and brighter than many competing 17.3-inch gaming laptops including the Asus ROG GX701.

Subjectively, the high quality display is both crisp and very smooth because of its high native refresh rate. There is a very slight hint of graininess inherent to most matte panels, but it's not noticeable when viewing from a normal distance. Slight-moderate backlight bleeding, however, is present on our test unit as shown by the image below. Xotic PC offers an optional "minimal backlight bleed" service where the reseller ships only the units showing little to no backlight bleeding.

No glossy edge-to-edge glass or touchscreen option
No glossy edge-to-edge glass or touchscreen option
Very narrow bezels on three sides of the display
Very narrow bezels on three sides of the display
Light-moderate uneven backlight bleeding
Light-moderate uneven backlight bleeding
Subpixel array (127 PPI)
Subpixel array (127 PPI)
338.8
cd/m²
374.7
cd/m²
347.2
cd/m²
337.1
cd/m²
370.4
cd/m²
341.9
cd/m²
333.1
cd/m²
350.1
cd/m²
338.5
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 374.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 348 cd/m² Minimum: 19.52 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 370.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1277:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.26 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.21
ΔE Greyscale 1.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.4% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
94.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
MSI GE75 8SF
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), AHVA, 17.30, 1920x1080
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), TN WLED, 17.30, 1920x1080
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
CMN N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), TN, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-1%
-3%
-3%
27%
27%
Display P3 Coverage
63.1
64
1%
62.9
0%
62.9
0%
90.8
44%
90.9
44%
sRGB Coverage
94.4
90.4
-4%
87.8
-7%
87.1
-8%
99.9
6%
100
6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.2
64.8
-1%
63.9
-2%
63.7
-2%
85.8
32%
86.2
32%
Response Times
-43%
17%
-46%
-75%
21%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
-63%
7.2 ?(3.6, 3.6)
25%
17.6 ?(8.4, 9.2)
-83%
28 ?(16.4, 11.6)
-192%
8 ?(4.4, 3.6)
17%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(5.2, 5.2)
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-23%
9.6 ?(4.4, 5.2)
8%
11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4)
-8%
13.6 ?(11.8, 1.8)
-31%
5.6 ?(3.8, 1.8)
46%
PWM Frequency
25770 ?(17)
25000 ?(14)
-3%
26000 ?(19)
1%
Screen
-107%
-23%
-42%
-46%
-19%
Brightness middle
370.4
299.1
-19%
288
-22%
295
-20%
273
-26%
240
-35%
Brightness
348
273
-22%
287
-18%
291
-16%
273
-22%
248
-29%
Brightness Distribution
89
81
-9%
91
2%
96
8%
90
1%
83
-7%
Black Level *
0.29
0.27
7%
0.2
31%
0.24
17%
0.26
10%
0.22
24%
Contrast
1277
1108
-13%
1440
13%
1229
-4%
1050
-18%
1091
-15%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.26
5.07
-302%
2.33
-85%
3.2
-154%
3.52
-179%
2.14
-70%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.02
10.55
-249%
5.34
-77%
6.64
-120%
6.34
-110%
5.04
-67%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.21
3.31
-174%
2.47
-104%
2.52
-108%
2.09
-73%
1.54
-27%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.4
6.8
-386%
1.19
15%
2.16
-54%
3.11
-122%
1.62
-16%
Gamma
2.2 100%
2.46 89%
2.41 91%
2.46 89%
2.43 91%
2.28 96%
CCT
6747 96%
7805 83%
6710 97%
6872 95%
6999 93%
6846 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59.7
58.5
-2%
57
-5%
57
-5%
76
27%
77
29%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94.4
89.9
-5%
88
-7%
87
-8%
100
6%
100
6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-50% / -79%
-3% / -15%
-30% / -35%
-31% / -38%
10% / -4%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers approximately 95 percent of sRGB and 60 percent of AdobeRGB. This is noticeably narrower than the Chi Mei TN panels as found on the GE73 and GT75 which cover 77 percent of AdobeRGB. The 144 Hz panel here is nonetheless more than sufficient for gaming purposes where fast response times are priority over deeper colors.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
"Designer" mode allows fine-tuning on colors, color temperature, contrast, and gamma
"Designer" mode allows fine-tuning on colors, color temperature, contrast, and gamma
sRGB mode is selected by default
sRGB mode is selected by default

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal a very accurate display out of the box. DeltaE values are already below 1.5 for both grayscale and colors and so an end-user calibration is not required to get the most out of the display. Simply set the MSI True Color utility to sRGB mode and you're good to go.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

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
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % 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
9.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 17 % 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 25770 Hz ≤ 17 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25770 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 25770 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.

Outdoor visibility is a bit better than most 17-inch gaming laptops since the screen on the GE75 is brighter. Even so, the screen is nowhere near as bright as most flagship Ultrabooks where >400 nits is common and so even a cloudy day will wash out the colors. Viewing angles are otherwise wide with just slight shifts in color and contrast if viewing from obtuse angles.

Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

Core components are similar to other mainstream to enthusiast gaming laptops in the market. The CPU is currently fixed at the Core i7-8750H as MSI is reserving the Core i9 for its flagship GT series only. Graphics options, however, consist of the full-fledged RTX 2060, RTX 2070, and RTX 2080 with no Max-Q options.

Two DDR4 RAM slots are available. Our specific test unit runs on single-channel memory and so all our benchmark tests below will reflect this. Faster performance can be gained when running on dual-channel memory instead.

Nvidia Optimus is included for switching to the integrated UHD Graphics 630 when needed. This unfortunately means that G-Sync is currently not an option across the GE75 series.

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

CineBench R15 results are slightly below the average Core i7-8750H taken from 70 other laptops. The Lenovo Legion Y740 with the same CPU, for example, scores 16 percent higher than our MSI in the same benchmark. Even so, multi-thread performance is still about 30 percent and 50 percent faster than the Core i5-8300H and last generation Core i7-7700HQ, respectively.

Turbo Boost sustainability is not great. By running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can observe CPU performance over time. The initial score of 1046 points drops to 916 points by the second loop to represent a performance dip of 12 percent. CPU performance is slower than competitors like the Acer Predator Triton 500 and Asus Zephyrus S GX701 after accounting for performance throttling as shown by our graph below.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. This processor is very common on both mainstream and high-end gaming laptops launched in 2018 or later.

065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
MSI GE75 8SF GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø918 (910.89-1045.5)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1139 (1122.59-1232.82)
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1112 (1090.93-1218.55)
Acer Predator Triton 500 GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-256G-1014 (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø980 (961.82-1019.05)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
Intel Core i9-8950HK
205 Points +23%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points +4%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
167 Points +1%
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
Intel Core i5-8300H
166 Points 0%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-15IKB 81AC001AGE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points -3%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
150 Points -10%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
144 Points -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1408 Points +32%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1378 Points +29%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
1233 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +4%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
1066 Points
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
Intel Core i5-8300H
821 Points -23%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U
697 Points -35%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-15IKB 81AC001AGE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
683 Points -36%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
661 Points -38%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
166 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1066 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
91.9 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are slightly lower than we were anticipating. The Asus ROG GL704GW with the same CPU and GPU, for example, outscores our MSI in every PCMark test. We suspect that this could be attributed to the single-channel memory and slower SSD of our MSI that could easily be addressed before or after purchasing.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
6558 Points +28%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6053 Points +18%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5555 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (5138 - 5870, n=4)
5494 Points +7%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
5465 Points +6%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5138 Points
Essentials
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
9776 Points +18%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9607 Points +16%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
8780 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (8277 - 8980, n=4)
8745 Points +6%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
8277 Points
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
8276 Points 0%
Productivity
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
8968 Points +24%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7397 Points +2%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7331 Points +2%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
7264 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (7113 - 7331, n=4)
7240 Points 0%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
7218 Points
Digital Content Creation
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
8732 Points +42%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8470 Points +37%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
7370 Points +20%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7227 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (6161 - 8408, n=4)
7133 Points +16%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
6161 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
5720 Points +56%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5107 Points +39%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4861 Points +33%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
4498 Points +23%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (3662 - 4861, n=3)
4455 Points +22%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3662 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5882 Points +10%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
5801 Points +9%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5663 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (5338 - 5828, n=3)
5610 Points +5%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
5342 Points 0%
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5338 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3662 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5338 points
PCMark 10 Score
5138 points
Help

Storage Devices

Both M.2 storage slots sit adjacent to the 2x SODIMM slots
Both M.2 storage slots sit adjacent to the 2x SODIMM slots

There are a total of three internal storage bays (2x M.2 2280 + 1x 2.5-inch SATA III). Our particular test unit is equipped with a 256 GB Kingston NVMe SSD and a secondary 1 TB Seagate Barracuda Pro HDD.

Sequential read and write from the Kingston SSD are balanced at about 900 MB/s each. It's still relatively slow for an NVMe SSD as competing Samsung and Intel SSDs are able to offer faster speeds as shown by the table below. The Kingston drive is certainly a budget solution, but Xotic PC can configure with Samsung EVO SSDs for faster performance if desired.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5 (SSD)
CDM 5.5 (SSD)
CDM 5.5 (HDD)
CDM 5.5 (HDD)
HD Tune (HDD)
HD Tune (HDD)
MSI GE75 8SF
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
AS SSD
51%
103%
20%
-53%
95%
Seq Read
949
1153
21%
911
-4%
1315
39%
511
-46%
3058
222%
Seq Write
823
1328
61%
2347
185%
927
13%
425.7
-48%
2196
167%
4K Read
25.36
35.05
38%
53
109%
52.4
107%
14.07
-45%
38.37
51%
4K Write
67.1
96
43%
122.5
83%
122.8
83%
38.34
-43%
97.7
46%
4K-64 Read
748
727
-3%
1577
111%
326.5
-56%
351.4
-53%
1347
80%
4K-64 Write
650
1212
86%
1734
167%
727
12%
172.7
-73%
1236
90%
Access Time Read *
0.173
0.063
64%
0.08
54%
0.11
36%
0.235
-36%
0.056
68%
Access Time Write *
0.059
0.04
32%
0.031
47%
0.045
24%
0.097
-64%
0.038
36%
Score Read
869
878
1%
1721
98%
510
-41%
417
-52%
1691
95%
Score Write
799
1441
80%
2091
162%
942
18%
254
-68%
1553
94%
Score Total
2109
2784
32%
4771
126%
1715
-19%
881
-58%
4066
93%
Copy ISO MB/s
1121
1487
33%
412.5
-63%
Copy Program MB/s
532
608
14%
192.9
-64%
Copy Game MB/s
380.5
1162
205%
295.5
-22%

* ... smaller is better

Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1586 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 867 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 384.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 236.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 964 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 849 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 33.35 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 73.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

The RTX 2070 in our MSI is performing exactly where we expect it to be in relation to other laptops equipped with the same GPU. Users can expect about up to 35 percent faster performance than the last generation GTX 1070. The performance advantage becomes more pronounced when running DX12 titles at native resolutions higher than 1080p.

Jumping up to the RTX 2080 SKU will offer a 30 percent graphics boost while opting for the less expensive RTX 2060 SKU will result in a performance drop of 20 to 30 percent. Performance is within single-digit percentage points of a standard mobile GTX 1080 before accounting for any DLSS or ray-tracing features.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
DLSS test (1440p)
DLSS test (1440p)
Port Royal
Port Royal
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
26223 Points +30%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
21515 Points +6%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK
21422 Points +6%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H
20236 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (18169 - 21138, n=19)
20123 Points -1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18153 Points -10%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17980 Points -11%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
15731 Points -22%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
11332 Points -44%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700
11010 Points -46%
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
8004 Points -60%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U
6262 Points -69%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3586 Points -82%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
10364 Points +33%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
8512 Points +9%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H
7789 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (7006 - 8028, n=18)
7651 Points -2%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
6728 Points -14%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
5783 Points -26%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5697 Points -27%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3626 Points -53%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700
3440 Points -56%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
5649 Points +34%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
4655 Points +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (3958 - 4627, n=13)
4294 Points +1%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H
4231 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
3679 Points -13%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3020 Points -29%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
36478 Points +40%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
29453 Points +13%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK
28918 Points +11%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H
26097 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (23335 - 27298, n=21)
25775 Points -1%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
23261 Points -11%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
22723 Points -13%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
20157 Points -23%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700
15264 Points -42%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
12620 Points -52%
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
9805 Points -62%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U
8451 Points -68%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4514 Points -83%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK
14080 Points +60%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (8716 - 16364, n=21)
12534 Points +42%
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
11888 Points +35%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11825 Points +34%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11115 Points +26%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
10749 Points +22%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
9099 Points +3%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700
8946 Points +2%
MSI GE75 8SF
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H
8811 Points
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
7932 Points -10%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
6839 Points -22%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U
5792 Points -34%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4163 Points -53%
3DMark 11 Performance
17817 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25784 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
16541 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
7061 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The RTX 2070 pairs very well with high refresh rate 1080p panels since it is capable of running the latest titles beyond 60 FPS with ease. Nonetheless, expect screen tearing and uneven frame pacing if v-sync or buffering is not engaged since the GE75 lacks G-Sync. Users can expect gaming performance to be very similar to the GTX 1080 as predicted by 3DMark benchmarks.

Idling on Witcher 3 shows mostly consistent frame rates over a period of 40 minutes. We recorded two instances of slower frame rates as low as 55 FPS or 65 FPS as shown by the graph below. We're unsure why this occurred, but it could be due to background activity. Since MSI laptops include a fair number of pre-installed software (Dragon Center, True Color, SteelSeries Engine 3, Battery Calibration, Help Desk, etc.), we recommend uninstalling the ones you won't be using.

See our dedicated page on the mobile RTX series for more technical information and gaming benchmarks with the RTX 2070.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus ROG G703GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
99.7 fps +41%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
81.7 (68min) fps +15%
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
76.8 fps +8%
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
71.8 fps +1%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
70.9 fps
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
68.9 fps -3%
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
62.9 fps -11%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
55.1 fps -22%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700, AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
37.4 (31min) fps -47%
Lenovo Legion Y730-15ICH i5-8300H
Intel Core i5-8300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
27.9 fps -61%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
20.6 fps -71%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
11.9 fps -83%
051015202530354045505560657075Tooltip
MSI GE75 8SF GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1: Ø70.8 (55-76)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 231 208.9 193.1 136.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 193.9 154 115.7 70.9
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 120 111.3 92.2 89.4

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise has not improved over the GE73 despite the chassis changes. Running Witcher 3 induces a cycling fan noise between 47 dB(A) and 50 dB(A) much like on the Asus GL704GW. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH (RTX 2080 Max-Q) and old Zephyrus GX501 (GTX 1080 Max-Q) are much quieter at about 42 dB(A) each when running the same game.

If Turbo Fan is enabled, the fans will operate at maximum RPM for a recorded noise of 56.9 dB(A). This feature is thankfully not needed for gaming as core temperatures are already respectable as our next section will show.

We can notice no coil whine on our test unit.

Twin ~50 mm fans and seven copper heat pipes
Twin ~50 mm fans and seven copper heat pipes
Loud fan noise even for a gaming laptop
Loud fan noise even for a gaming laptop
MSI GE75 8SF
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-8950HK, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
Noise
10%
1%
-2%
0%
-6%
off / environment *
28.3
28.3
-0%
29
-2%
29
-2%
30
-6%
30
-6%
Idle Minimum *
33.5
31.5
6%
29
13%
29
13%
32
4%
32
4%
Idle Average *
33.6
31.6
6%
32
5%
32
5%
33
2%
34
-1%
Idle Maximum *
35
31.6
10%
33
6%
40
-14%
34
3%
37
-6%
Load Average *
38
32.3
15%
47
-24%
46
-21%
41
-8%
43
-13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
50
43
14%
49
2%
51
-2%
50
-0%
57
-14%
Load Maximum *
56.9
45.5
20%
51
10%
52
9%
54
5%
62
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
33.5 / 33.6 / 35 dB(A)
Load
38 / 56.9 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: 28.3 dB(A)

Temperature

Four sets of exhaust grilles compared to just two or three on most other gaming laptops
Four sets of exhaust grilles compared to just two or three on most other gaming laptops

Surface temperatures are generally cooler on the GE75 compared to last year's GE73. When gaming, the center of the keyboard hot spot can become as warm as 41 C whereas the same hot spot on the GE73 would be as warm as 46 C. Fortunately, these very warm areas are away from the palm rests, trackpad, NumPad, and WASD keys for comfortable gaming. The competing Asus ROG GL704 with the same RTX 2070 GPU runs warmer than our GE75 especially around the rear of the unit.

One reason why the GE75 runs cooler than the Asus is its ample amount of ventilation grilles much like on the Legion Y740-17ICH. Be sure to not block any of the many openings for optimal cooling when gaming.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU will boost up to 3.9 GHz for the first few seconds before reaching a core temperature of 91 C. Thereafter, clock rates stabilize at 3.0 GHz for a cooler core temperature of 73 C. This is still 800 MHz above the base clock rate of the Core i7-8750H for an average level of Turbo Boost sustainability. Some laptops with the same CPU, like the Legion Y740-17ICH, are able to maintain faster core clock rates in the 3.5 GHz range for better processor performance than the MSI.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming stress. Both processors stabilize at about 70 C each with no throttling behavior. Enabling Turbo Fan mode will reduce core temperatures by only 3 C to 5 C when gaming while significantly increasing fan noise. Since core temperatures when gaming are already respectable, we don't find the Turbo Fan feature to be necessary under most circumstances.

Note that enabling Turbo Fan mode will not increase CPU performance and will only bump GPU clock rate just marginally.

Running on battery power will reduce performance even when set to High Performance profiles. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8292 and 5910 points, respectively, compared to 14266 and 20236 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan off)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan off)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan on)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan on)
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Dragon Center 2.0 (Running Witcher 3)
Dragon Center 2.0 (Running Witcher 3)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 53 46
Prime95 Stress 3.0 -- 73 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.4 1635 82 70
Witcher 3 Stress ~3.9 1560 70 71
Witcher 3 Stress (Turbo Fan on) ~3.9 1635 67 66
Max. Load
 39.2 °C
103 F
37.8 °C
100 F
40.2 °C
104 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
41.2 °C
106 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
 26.6 °C
80 F
25 °C
77 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 41.2 °C = 106 F
Average: 33.6 °C = 92 F
46 °C
115 F
39 °C
102 F
35.2 °C
95 F
26.2 °C
79 F
34.4 °C
94 F
25 °C
77 F
22.8 °C
73 F
23.8 °C
75 F
22.8 °C
73 F
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 30.6 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  42 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.6 °C / 92 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 41.2 °C / 106 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 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.6 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.7 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.5 °C / 2.7 F).

Speakers

2x 3 W speakers with 2x 3 W subwoofers are much larger than the average laptop speakers
2x 3 W speakers with 2x 3 W subwoofers are much larger than the average laptop speakers
Pink noise at maximum volume. The GE75 speakers are some of the loudest we've tested on a laptop
Pink noise at maximum volume. The GE75 speakers are some of the loudest we've tested on a laptop
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.144.4253745.43138.246.14037465035.7466334.9488034.351.710033.355.312532.660.616030.564.82003068.125030.269.731530.671.740030.268.650029.968.563029.176.380030.380.7100029.578.8125029.578.1160029.783.6200029.689.3250029.588.6315028.780.9400028.780.1500029.278.1630028.182.680002883.91000027.878.71250027.675.51600027.979.5SPL41.395.5N4.1110.5median 29.5median 78.7Delta15.835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GE75 8SFApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI GE75 8SF audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 37% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption when gaming (203 W) is slightly higher than the last generation GE73 with the GTX 1070 GPU (190 W) and significantly higher than the Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH with the RTX 2080 Max-Q (152 W). This latter revelation is quite surprising because the RTX 2080 Max-Q is 5 to 10 percent faster than the standard RTX 2070 and yet it demands 25 percent less power.

The maximum consumption we can record is 223 W from the relatively large (~18 x 8.5 x 3.5 cm) and heavy (1 kg) 280 W AC adapter when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. We suspect that the more powerful GE75 RTX 2080 SKU will pull in an additional 30 W to 50 W when under similar conditions.

When running Prime95, power consumption spikes to about 100 W for the first few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 81 W due to limited Turbo Boost sustainability. This behavior mirrors what we observed during our CineBench loop test and stress tests above.

Constant power consumption when running Witcher 3
Constant power consumption when running Witcher 3
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 100 W before stabilizing at 81 W
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 100 W before stabilizing at 81 W
Constant power consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant power consumption when running 3DMark 06
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.11 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 16.4 / 21.9 / 25.4 Watt
Load midlight 90.7 / 222.9 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 8SF
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, 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 GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY, TN WLED, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0), TN, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
-2%
-7%
2%
-62%
Idle Minimum *
16.4
20.2
-23%
19
-16%
15
9%
31
-89%
Idle Average *
21.9
27.2
-24%
22
-0%
20
9%
35
-60%
Idle Maximum *
25.4
28.7
-13%
29
-14%
26
-2%
45
-77%
Load Average *
90.7
90.8
-0%
102
-12%
97
-7%
130
-43%
Witcher 3 ultra *
203.3
152.1
25%
190
7%
186
9%
268
-32%
Load Maximum *
222.9
165.4
26%
231
-4%
239
-7%
374
-68%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

MSI has upped the battery capacity from 51 Wh on the GE73 to 65 Wh on the GE75. Battery runtimes are subsequently longer this time around but only by about half an hour during real-world WLAN loads for a total of 3.5 hours. While about average for a high-power 17-inch gaming laptop, we're still disappointed because we were expecting more from a system with Nvidia Optimus. Perhaps integrated G-Sync would have been a better feature for the GE75 instead.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes a little over 1.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
3h 32min
MSI GE75 8SF
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 65 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 66 Wh
MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 51 Wh
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 75 Wh
Battery Runtime
-10%
8%
11%
-12%
WiFi v1.3
212
190
-10%
230
8%
235
11%
186
-12%
Reader / Idle
298
372
303
225
Load
52
67
38
63
Witcher 3 ultra
52

Pros

+ very loud and powerful speakers (3 W stereo + dual 3W subwoofers)
+ free warranty extension if purchased from certain BTO resellers
+ high quality 144 Hz IPS panel with fast response times
+ respectable core temperatures when gaming
+ relatively compact narrow bezel design
+ display is brighter than average
+ standard webcam placement
+ 3x internal storage bays
+ per-key RGB lighting

Cons

- no improvements to fan noise when gaming; loud
- CPU Turbo Boost performance could be better
- hinges and lid could be firmer
- serviceability could be easier
- average battery life
- no Thunderbolt 3
- slow SD reader
- no G-Sync

Verdict

In review: MSI GE75 Raider 8SF. Test model provided by Xotic PC
In review: MSI GE75 Raider 8SF. Test model provided by Xotic PC

The GE75 makes for a good alternative to the recently released GS75. It's slightly cheaper, slightly thicker, and slightly faster since it doesn't rely on Max-Q GPUs. It also makes the last generation GE73 feel obsolete as it's 19 percent smaller and 10 percent lighter while being 35 percent brighter and up to 35 percent faster. The gen-to-gen upgrades are certainly tangible and far from minor.

There are still a handful of aspects we hope future revisions will address. Fan noise hasn't improved and battery life isn't all that much better. Serviceability could be more straightforward and the lack of Thunderbolt 3 is inexcusable for a laptop retailing north of $2000 USD. G-Sync would have also been a better fit for the GE series rather than Optimus to get more out of the 144 Hz display.

The biggest competitor to the GE75 at the moment is the Asus ROG GL704 series. While the Asus system is dimmer and it lacks per-key RGB lighting, we find it to have the more rigid chassis and more serviceable components that the target gaming audience would appreciate. It's still quite the close call between the two.

Smaller, lighter, faster. The GE75 is an amalgamation of the flagship GT series and the super-thin GS series to give the best of both worlds for a cheaper starting price. There are a few cut corners like the slow SD reader and lack of both Thunderbolt 3 and 10 Gbps Ethernet, but they don't detract from the core gaming experience.

MSI GE75 8SF - 10/03/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
71 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
61 / 80 → 77%
Weight
59 / 10-66 → 87%
Battery
55 / 95 → 58%
Display
91%
Games Performance
91%
Application Performance
85%
Temperature
90 / 95 → 95%
Noise
68 / 90 → 75%
Audio
90%
Camera
48 / 85 → 56%
Average
76%
85%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GE75 Raider 8SF (i7-8750H, RTX 2070) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-03- 7 (Update: 2019-03- 8)