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MSI GL65 9SEK Laptop Review: Much More Portable than the GL63

4 hours of battery life... at most. The GL65 is a huge upgrade over the GL63 in terms of visuals, weight, performance, and size. On the other hand, other key aspects like battery life, ports, brightness, and display quality have barely changed at all. This $1500 mid-range gaming machine can sometimes feel like a budget gaming laptop at times.

The MSI GL65 directly succeeds the GL63 by introducing a brand new narrow bezel design to the 15.6-inch GL6x series. Aside from the new look, it also brings Intel 9th gen Core i7 CPUs and Nvidia Turing GPUs to supplant the 8th gen CPUs and Pascal GPUs of the previous generation model. The mid-range GL65 is designed to sit below the higher-end GS65 in terms of looks and specifications.

All current SKUs can be configured with the Core i5-9300H or i7-9750H CPU and the GeForce GTX 1650, GTX 1660 Ti, or RTX 2060 GPU. Display options include only 1080p IPS at either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. Our specific test unit is the higher-end configuration with the Core i7 CPU, RTX 2060 GPU, and 1080p120 display retailing for about $1450 USD.

Direct competitors to the MSI GL65 include other mid-range 15.6-inch gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICH, Dell G7 15, Gigabyte Aorus 5 or Aorus 15, Asus Zephyrus G GU502, and the recently released Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti.

We recommend checking out our existing review on the MSI GP65 since it shares a very similar chassis design with the GL65.

More MSI reviews:

MSI GL65 9SEK (GL65 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1110 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 425.31, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, AUOD0ED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm microphone, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.5 x 357.7 x 248 ( = 1.08 x 14.08 x 9.76 in)
Battery
51 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2W, Keyboard: Chiclet SteelSeries, Keyboard Light: yes, MSI Dragon Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 770 g ( = 27.16 oz / 1.7 pounds)
Price
1450 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Most of our comments on the GP65 chassis apply here on the GL65. The main visual difference between them is that the outer lid of the former incorporates additional design elements whereas the outer lid of the GL65 is completely flat. Chassis materials and texture are otherwise identical.

Exact same dimensions and chassis design as the GP65
Exact same dimensions and chassis design as the GP65
Despite being smaller than the GL63, the GL65 is actually slightly heavier by almost 100 g
Despite being smaller than the GL63, the GL65 is actually slightly heavier by almost 100 g
Much narrower bezels than the older GL63 series
Much narrower bezels than the older GL63 series
Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Hinges are small and satisfactory. However, they could be firmer at wider angles to reduce teetering
Hinges are small and satisfactory. However, they could be firmer at wider angles to reduce teetering
Base and lid are not as rigid as on the Razer Blade 15 series
Base and lid are not as rigid as on the Razer Blade 15 series
383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs357.7 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs360.5 mm / 14.2 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2 kg4.35 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 15.75 mm / 0.62 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.68 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options and even positioning are almost identical to the last generation GL63. The only main difference is that the AC adapter port is now closer to the front instead of towards the rear corner. It's not recommended to use the GL63 AC adapter on the GL65 since the latter ships with a more capable adapter (180 W vs. 135 W).

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.1, AC adapter
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.1, AC adapter
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Kensington Lock, RJ-45, HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort, USB 3.1, USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 1, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm headphone (SPDIF)
Left: Kensington Lock, RJ-45, HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort, USB 3.1, USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 1, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm headphone (SPDIF)

SD Card Reader

While we appreciate the fact that the system integrates a full-size spring-loaded SD card reader, its very slow transfer rates are hard to forgive. Transferring 1 GB worth of images from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 45 seconds compared to just ~8 seconds on the Dell XPS 15. The slow speed can be frustrating for content creators who rely on SD readers.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197 MB/s +742%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
172.4 MB/s +637%
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.4 MB/s
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
15.2 MB/s -35%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
242 MB/s +758%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192.1 MB/s +581%
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.2 MB/s
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
21.77 MB/s -23%

Communication

The Intel 9560 offers Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity. Strangely, transmit speeds are only about half of what the module is capable of. We're able to record an average transmit rate of 355 Mbps compared to 620 Mbps on the MSI GS65 equipped with the exact same Intel 9560. Other than this performance oddity, we experienced no wireless issues with the GL65.

Removable M.2 WLAN module
Removable M.2 WLAN module
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
678 MBit/s +91%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
620 MBit/s +75%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
355 MBit/s
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Intel Wireless AC 9462
224 MBit/s -37%
iperf3 receive AX12
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
696 MBit/s +9%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
659 MBit/s +3%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
637 MBit/s
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Intel Wireless AC 9462
340 MBit/s -47%

Maintenance

The bottom panel is secured by 12 Philips screws that will unfortunately require tearing a factory seal sticker to service. Once inside, upgrading core components like RAM, WLAN, battery, or the two storage bays becomes simple.

Relatively easy access with a Philips screwdriver and sharp edge
Relatively easy access with a Philips screwdriver and sharp edge
Last generation MSI GL63 for comparison. Internal layout has not changed very much
Last generation MSI GL63 for comparison. Internal layout has not changed very much

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras included in the retail box. The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard and trackpad (11 x 6.3 cm) are identical to the GP65. Keep in mind that some lower-end SKUs have single-zone red keyboard backlight only whereas this GeForce RTX SKU includes per-key RGB lighting.

We applaud MSI for using the SteelSeries keyboard across most G series laptops in order to give a consistent look and feel between models and generations. If you have typed on an MSI G series laptop before, then you will already have a good idea of how the GL65 keyboard will feel.

Familiar SteelSeries keyboard layout with Turbo Fan and Dragon Center buttons
Familiar SteelSeries keyboard layout with Turbo Fan and Dragon Center buttons
The dedicated mouse keys are shallow in travel with firm feedback and a very loud click when pressed
The dedicated mouse keys are shallow in travel with firm feedback and a very loud click when pressed
Key feedback and travel are not unlike on the GS or GP series
Key feedback and travel are not unlike on the GS or GP series
Full-size Arrow keys with slightly narrower NumPad keys
Full-size Arrow keys with slightly narrower NumPad keys

Display

Unlike the LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6 IPS panel on the GL63, the GL65 ships with an AU Optronics B156HAN13.0 IPS panel instead. This particular 120 Hz panel can be found on no other laptop in our database as of this writing. Unfortunately, this is a budget-midrange panel with its slow response times and narrow gamut as shown by our table below. The Sharp LQ156M1JW03 panel on the more expensive MSI GS65 offers both significantly faster black-white response times to reduce ghosting and more accurate colors.

Subjectively, onscreen content looks crisp despite the matte overlay. Colors, however, are not as deep as what you'd find on the GS65 or the pricier Razer Blade 15 OLED. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the display is its moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners. The bleeding is immediately noticeable during a cold boot or when viewing videos with black borders. This would be easy to forgive on a cheap multimedia laptop, but MSI has no excuse on this RTX-powered laptop retailing for almost $1500 USD.

Matte overlay with no glossy, 4K UHD, or touchscreen options
Matte overlay with no glossy, 4K UHD, or touchscreen options
Narrow bezels akin to the GS65
Narrow bezels akin to the GS65
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners and top edge
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners and top edge
Matte subpixel array
Matte subpixel array
253
cd/m²
270.6
cd/m²
252.9
cd/m²
239.6
cd/m²
277.3
cd/m²
245.9
cd/m²
244.5
cd/m²
274.7
cd/m²
248.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN13.0 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 277.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 256.3 cd/m² Minimum: 5.37 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 277.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 1387:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.25 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.39
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
55% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.85% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36.63% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.1
MSI GL65 9SEK
AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IGZO, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Sharp LQ156M1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
8%
81%
76%
75%
75%
Display P3 Coverage
36.63
39.4
8%
67.6
85%
65.3
78%
65.6
79%
65.3
78%
sRGB Coverage
55
59.2
8%
97.5
77%
95.5
74%
92.2
68%
95.1
73%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
37.85
40.72
8%
68.9
82%
66.5
76%
66.9
77%
65.9
74%
Response Times
-4%
54%
53%
71%
55%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
26.4 ?(13.2, 13.2)
33.6 ?(16.8, 16.8)
-27%
13.6 ?(8, 5.6)
48%
15.2 ?(7.6, 7.6)
42%
7 ?(3.6, 3.4)
73%
16.4 ?(7.6, 6.8)
38%
Response Time Black / White *
30 ?(17.6, 12.4)
24 ?(13.2, 10.8)
20%
12 ?(7.6, 4.4)
60%
11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4)
63%
9.6 ?(4.4, 5.2)
68%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
71%
PWM Frequency
23260 ?(19)
23580 ?(24)
23810 ?(24)
Screen
-10%
34%
23%
26%
3%
Brightness middle
277.3
286.5
3%
282.3
2%
266
-4%
323.6
17%
324.2
17%
Brightness
256
258
1%
269
5%
248
-3%
315
23%
304
19%
Brightness Distribution
86
82
-5%
90
5%
89
3%
91
6%
90
5%
Black Level *
0.2
0.34
-70%
0.32
-60%
0.31
-55%
0.29
-45%
0.38
-90%
Contrast
1387
843
-39%
882
-36%
858
-38%
1116
-20%
853
-39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.25
5.57
-6%
1.17
78%
2.78
47%
3.31
37%
5.01
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.43
16.8
14%
3.29
83%
5.96
69%
5.74
70%
12.7
35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.39
4.16
5%
1.06
76%
0.91
79%
2.73
38%
1.64
63%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
4.6
-31%
1.3
63%
3.58
-2%
2.9
17%
7.9
-126%
Gamma
2.1 105%
2.15 102%
2.2 100%
2.46 89%
2.29 96%
2.35 94%
CCT
6895 94%
7564 86%
6643 98%
7186 90%
6765 96%
8455 77%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
35
37.4
7%
63.8
82%
62
77%
59.7
71%
60.8
74%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
55
58.9
7%
97.5
77%
96
75%
91.8
67%
95.5
74%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / -6%
56% / 45%
51% / 36%
57% / 40%
44% / 23%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at just 55 percent and 35 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB, respectively, compared to >95 percent sRGB from the Sharp LQ156M1 panel on the Alienware m15 R2. This is definitely not the panel to use for any sort of professional graphics work.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal average grayscale and relatively poor color accuracy. While our calibration attempt significantly improves average grayscale (DeltaE from 3.5 to 1.7), colors are still inaccurate at higher saturation levels due to the narrow gamut of the panel.

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
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17.6 ms rise
↘ 12.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
26.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13.2 ms rise
↘ 13.2 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 30 % 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 not detected

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 about the same as the GL63 since brightness and colors haven't improved by all that much on the GL65. This is kind of a bummer because the GL65 is so much smaller than the GL63 and yet the display isn't any brighter when outdoors.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Core i7-9750H CPU and GeForce RTX 2060 GPU are high-end specifications aimed at enthusiasts. For even faster GPU options like the RTX 2070 or RTX 2080, however, MSI fans will have to turn towards the pricier GS65 series instead.

Nvidia Optimus comes standard on all SKUs to automatically exclude G-Sync. LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues even when wireless is enabled.

Processor

The Core i7-9750H in the MSI performs above average when compared to other laptops equipped with the same processor. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, for example, we're able to record an initial peak of 1279 points before dropping and stabilizing at about 1180 points to represent a dip of only 8 percent. The GS65 with the same CPU stabilizes at a slightly lower score.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
MSI GL65 9SEK GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1185 (1166.86-1278.16)
MSI GL63 8RC-069US GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø824 (816.86-830.63)
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1110 (975.73-1185.01)
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1072 (986.63-1110.9)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K
203 Points +8%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
202 Points +7%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +1%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Core i7-9750H
188 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points -2%
Dell Inspiron 7390 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
179 Points -5%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points -9%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -12%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points -17%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Intel Core i5-8300H
151 Points -20%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1821 Points +42%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +34%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K
1465 Points +14%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Core i7-9750H
1281 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points -8%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H
1066 Points -17%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
850 Points -34%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Intel Core i5-8300H
823 Points -36%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -37%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points -43%
Dell Inspiron 7390 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
557 Points -57%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
188 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1281 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
118.5 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are in the same ballpark as other high-performance laptops like the Gigabyte Aero 15 or MSI GS65 even though the GL65 is a cheaper alternative. We experienced no software issues during our time with the unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5761 Points
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5725 Points -1%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5697 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4395 - 5997, n=16)
5523 Points -4%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5492 Points -5%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5374 Points -7%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
3912 Points -32%
Essentials
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
9472 Points 0%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
9431 Points
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
9380 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (8361 - 10056, n=16)
9263 Points -2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
9042 Points -4%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
8791 Points -7%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
6449 Points -32%
Productivity
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7748 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
7695 Points -1%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7657 Points -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7434 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (6098 - 8106, n=16)
7382 Points -5%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
7180 Points -7%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
6097 Points -21%
Digital Content Creation
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7104 Points
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7090 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
6888 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4344 - 8069, n=16)
6727 Points -5%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6690 Points -6%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
6675 Points -6%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
4134 Points -42%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
4851 Points +17%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4454 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (3533 - 5185, n=11)
4396 Points +6%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
4207 Points +2%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4136 Points
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3979 Points -4%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
3927 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
6035 Points +14%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5751 Points +9%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5706 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4450 - 5931, n=11)
5532 Points +5%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5289 Points 0%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5287 Points
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
5270 Points 0%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4136 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5287 points
PCMark 10 Score
5761 points
Help

Storage Devices

Internal storage options include an M.2 2280 NVMe slot and a 2.5-inch SATA III bay. The 512 GB Western Digital SN520 SSD in our test unit returns good sequential read and write rates for an NVMe drive, but pricier alternatives like the Samsung PM981 in the GS65 can be even faster as shown by the table below.

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

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
M.2 slot sits adjacent to the 2x SODIMM slots. Note that there is space for a second M.2 slot although it is disabled
M.2 slot sits adjacent to the 2x SODIMM slots. Note that there is space for a second M.2 slot although it is disabled
Secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay for additional storage
Secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay for additional storage
MSI GL65 9SEK
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
AS SSD
-60%
59%
27%
-7%
33%
Seq Read
1315
512
-61%
2005
52%
2517
91%
1239
-6%
1925
46%
Seq Write
1378
456.4
-67%
1580
15%
924
-33%
920
-33%
2371
72%
4K Read
25.31
16.18
-36%
49.33
95%
59.1
134%
45.74
81%
37.2
47%
4K Write
118.2
57.1
-52%
103.8
-12%
126.5
7%
95.7
-19%
108.9
-8%
4K-64 Read
839
342.3
-59%
1241
48%
876
4%
322
-62%
1177
40%
4K-64 Write
720
127.3
-82%
1730
140%
922
28%
722
0%
1135
58%
Access Time Read *
0.116
0.197
-70%
0.054
53%
0.042
64%
0.073
37%
0.065
44%
Access Time Write *
0.091
0.061
33%
0.036
60%
0.065
29%
0.047
48%
0.108
-19%
Score Read
996
410
-59%
1490
50%
1186
19%
492
-51%
1407
41%
Score Write
976
230
-76%
1991
104%
1141
17%
910
-7%
1481
52%
Score Total
2485
850
-66%
4230
70%
2870
15%
1654
-33%
3633
46%
Copy ISO MB/s
1279
325.6
-75%
3025
137%
2086
63%
1236
-3%
2073
62%
Copy Program MB/s
889
84.8
-90%
713
-20%
454.2
-49%
703
-21%
576
-35%
Copy Game MB/s
1218
202.6
-83%
1554
28%
1141
-6%
812
-33%
1426
17%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1744 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1454 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 535 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 482.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1340 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1412 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 43.46 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 150.2 MB/s

GPU Performance

The mobile GeForce RTX 2060 is performing where we expect it to be at within 2 percent of the average mobile RTX 2060 in our database. Keep in mind that the desktop RTX 2060 can offer 25 to 30 percent faster performance than our mobile RTX 2060 version. If you have no interest in RTX-specific features, then the mobile GTX 1660 Ti can offer very nearly the same performance as the mobile RTX 2060 for hundreds less.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Port Royal
Port Royal
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
168006 Points +57%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
120766 Points +13%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
115714 Points +8%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
107083 Points 0%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
107016 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
103040 Points -4%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (55324 - 116593, n=36)
93235 Points -13%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
88432 Points -17%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
82913 Points -23%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
70414 Points -34%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
61286 Points -43%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
49314 Points -54%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
27319 Points +67%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
20434 Points +25%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
20307 Points +24%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
19338 Points +18%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
18962 Points +16%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17792 Points +9%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
16331 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (14768 - 18358, n=43)
16301 Points 0%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
15343 Points -6%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
12038 Points -26%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9423 Points -42%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
7791 Points -52%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
10607 Points +72%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
7754 Points +26%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7732 Points +26%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
7266 Points +18%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
6606 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (5660 - 6910, n=41)
6206 Points +1%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6159 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5699 Points -7%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5689 Points -8%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
3749 Points -39%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3510 Points -43%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
2536 Points -59%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
5860 Points +83%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
4275 Points +33%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
4265 Points +33%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (3020 - 3859, n=29)
3431 Points +7%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
3203 Points
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
37768 Points +79%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
27109 Points +29%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
26582 Points +26%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
26413 Points +25%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
24926 Points +18%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
23414 Points +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (19143 - 24662, n=40)
21459 Points +2%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
21075 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
20784 Points -1%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
15145 Points -28%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
13138 Points -38%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
9466 Points -55%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
16253 Points +28%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13742 Points +8%
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
12949 Points +2%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12732 Points 0%
MSI GL65 9SEK
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12697 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12421 Points -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (1107 - 14726, n=40)
11688 Points -8%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11288 Points -11%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
10020 Points -21%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9140 Points -28%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
8540 Points -33%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7358 Points -42%
3DMark 11 Performance
18334 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
34921 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
14827 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6197 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The mobile GeForce RTX 2060 is able to play any title at the native 1080p resolution. Maintaining 60 FPS on most titles is possible as well at Medium settings or higher. Even so, performance is unfortunately closer to the GTX 1660 Ti than it is to the "proper" desktop RTX 2060.

Idling on Witcher 3 shows no recurring frame dips to suggest no interrupting background activity. See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2060 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
109 fps +43%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
97 fps +28%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
90 fps +18%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
84 fps +11%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
76 fps
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
73 fps -4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
49 fps -36%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
34 fps -55%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
31 fps -59%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
105 (86min) fps +79%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
95.3 fps +62%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
80.6 fps +37%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
80.3 fps +37%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
73 (60min) fps +24%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
72.7 (61min - 82max) fps +24%
MSI GE75 8SF
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
70.9 fps +21%
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
66.9 fps +14%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
65 fps +11%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
64.1 fps +9%
Alienware 17 R5
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
60.8 fps +4%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
60.5 fps +3%
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
58.7 fps
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
55.1 fps -6%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
48.8 fps -17%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
39 fps -34%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
38.1 fps -35%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
37 fps -37%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
36 fps -39%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
25.8 fps -56%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
Intel Core i5-8300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
21.9 fps -63%
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
MSI GL65 9SEK GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø58.8 (54-63)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 345.1 285.1 277.4 150.3
The Witcher 3 (2015) 286 204 117.5 58.7
Rocket League (2017) 244 249.3 246.9
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 130 96 88 76

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of twin fans and seven heat pipes between them. Interestingly, the left fan has two sets of ventilation grilles while the right fan only has one for an asymmetric setup.

The fans are almost always active for a constant level of noise no matter the processing load or power profile. Expect an audible fan noise of up to 33.5 dB(A) when browsing or video streaming. If gaming, fan noise will jump to 51 dB(A) to be louder than the MSI GS65 but quieter than the Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX. The system is louder than the outgoing GL63 GTX 1050 as well likely due to its more demanding RTX 2060 GPU. Enabling Turbo Fan mode will induce a constant fan noise of 58 dB(A) regardless of onscreen activity.

We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit. 

Two ~45 mm system fans
Two ~45 mm system fans
Cooling solution is similar to the GL63 but with thicker heat pipes
Cooling solution is similar to the GL63 but with thicker heat pipes
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
Noise
8%
8%
-3%
0%
-3%
off / environment *
28.1
28.6
-2%
28.3
-1%
30
-7%
28.7
-2%
28.3
-1%
Idle Minimum *
31.4
28.6
9%
30.4
3%
31
1%
29.8
5%
28.5
9%
Idle Average *
31.5
31.6
-0%
30.5
3%
34
-8%
32.4
-3%
28.5
10%
Idle Maximum *
33.5
31.6
6%
30.6
9%
39
-16%
38
-13%
49
-46%
Load Average *
49.3
38.6
22%
37.6
24%
46
7%
38.2
23%
49
1%
Witcher 3 ultra *
51.3
40.6
21%
46
10%
53
-3%
56.6
-10%
49
4%
Load Maximum *
58
56.8
2%
55.1
5%
55
5%
56.6
2%
55
5%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
31.4 / 31.5 / 33.5 dB(A)
Load
49.3 / 58 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: 28.1 dB(A)

Temperature

Three sets of exhaust grilles
Three sets of exhaust grilles

Surface temperatures are quite warm even when just idling on desktop. We're able to record a temperature of 40 C near the center of the keyboard from doing absolutely nothing on the laptop for half an hour. The unusually high idling temperatures back up our unusually high idling power consumption results in our Power Consumption section. In comparison, the hot spots on the GS65 are only 28 C to 33 C when under the same idling loads.

Running Witcher 3 results in a maximum surface temperature of 49 C near the center of the keyboard or 39 C near the WASD keys. Fortunately, the palm rests remain much cooler.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 43.4 °C
110 F
49 °C
120 F
42.6 °C
109 F
 
 39.4 °C
103 F
47.8 °C
118 F
34.6 °C
94 F
 
 36 °C
97 F
32 °C
90 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F
Average: 39.2 °C = 103 F
51.2 °C
124 F
32 °C
90 F
54.2 °C
130 F
30.2 °C
86 F
41 °C
106 F
41 °C
106 F
28 °C
82 F
30.8 °C
87 F
28.4 °C
83 F
Maximum: 54.2 °C = 130 F
Average: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  53 °C = 127 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.2 °C / 103 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 49 °C / 120 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 54.2 °C / 130 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.9 °C / 97 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 38.4 °C / 101 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 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-7.1 °C / -12.8 F).

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates would spike to 4 GHz for the first few seconds until hitting a core temperature of 95 C. Thereafter, clock rate drops to 3.5 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 88 C. When Turbo Fan is enabled, core temperature drops further to 83 C while clock rate remains the same. Turbo Fan is therefore not necessary for maximum performance since it impacts temperature more so than clock rates to be consistent with what we observed on the GT series.

When running Witcher 3, CPU and GPU temperatures hover around 80 C and 72 C, respectively, or 67 C and 61 C when Turbo Fan is enabled. Running on battery power will impact overall performance. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 10287 and 4565 points, respectively, compared to 17280 and 16331 points when on mains.

A strange bug we encountered was that the laptop would not recognize the AC adapter when both Prime95 and FurMark are initiated simultaneously even though the AC adapter is still physically connected. This would only occur when Turbo Mode is active and never during any of our real-world gaming tests.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95 stress (Turbo Fan mode)
Prime95 stress (Turbo Fan mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan mode)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 44 47
Prime95 Stress 3.6 -- 88 --
Prime95 Stress (Turbo Fan) 3.6 -- 83 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.1 - 3.2 ~1140 87 75
Witcher 3 Stress 4.0 - 4.1 1530 ~80 72

Speakers

Unlike the 3 W stereo speakers on the 17.3-inch GL75, the 15.6-inch GL65 uses 2 W speakers instead. Volume is fairly loud but also severely lacking in bass reproduction. Bass roll-off begins at almost 1k Hz compared to 500 Hz or 250 Hz on other multimedia laptops like the HP Spectre x360 15. On the other hand, there are no vibrations on the palm rest when set to maximum volume likely because bass is already so poor. We expected more from a dedicated 15.6-inch gaming laptop.

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.8412541.938.83140.340.54039.139.25036.8386338.837.28035.836.810035.834.712533.835.316033.340.120032.544.625032.15131533.65640031.261.350031.265.863030.87280029.677.9100029.175.3125029.372.5160030.474.5200028.976.1250028.570.5315028.173.6400028.473.750002874.4630027.460.4800027.166.51000027.269.41250027.168.71600028.166.3SPL41.285.3N4.263.1median 29.3median 68.7Delta1.89.635.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GL65 9SEKApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI GL65 9SEK audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 89% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% 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

Consumption when idling is very high at 41 W to 47 W compared to just 7 W to 11 W on the older GL63. We disabled wireless and made sure all Windows Updates were complete but our results did not change. MSI may want to double-check some of its background activity or software behavior to get to the bottom of the high consumption rates.

Consumption when gaming is otherwise normal. When running Witcher 3, the GL65 pulls in a steady 149 W to be very similar to the GP65 equipped with the same CPU and GPU. Note that the GS65 and its RTX 2080 Max-Q consumes about the same amount even though it offers 15 to 20 percent faster gaming performance and even faster ray-tracing performance.

We're able to record a maximum consumption of 214 W from the medium-sized (~16.5 x 8 x 2.5 cm) 180 W AC adapter.

Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Witcher 3 power consumption
Witcher 3 power consumption
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 155 W before falling and stabilizing at 126 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 155 W before falling and stabilizing at 126 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to about 214 W twice before stabilizing at 169 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to about 214 W twice before stabilizing at 169 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.65 / 0.99 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 41 / 45.3 / 47.1 Watt
Load midlight 94.9 / 214.2 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 GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8, IGZO, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
54%
25%
22%
30%
42%
Idle Minimum *
41
7.1
83%
18.3
55%
21
49%
13.6
67%
8.7
79%
Idle Average *
45.3
9.8
78%
22
51%
23
49%
17.9
60%
13
71%
Idle Maximum *
47.1
10.4
78%
28.8
39%
32
32%
20.6
56%
14.3
70%
Load Average *
94.9
88.8
6%
93
2%
97
-2%
96
-1%
107.4
-13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
149.4
93.3
38%
142.6
5%
148
1%
154.6
-3%
129
14%
Load Maximum *
214.2
132.5
38%
215.9
-1%
213
1%
218.6
-2%
151.5
29%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are downright terrible likely due to the high power consumption values we recorded above during low processing loads. Expect just under 4 hours of real-world WLAN use even though battery capacity has increased gen-to-gen from 41 Wh to 51 Wh. Idling on Power Saver mode at the minimum display brightness with the integrated GPU enabled results in a pathetic runtime of just 4 hours and 22 minutes.

Recharging from empty to full capacity takes about 1.5 hours. Attempting to recharge the system via USB Type-C will not work.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 22min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 50min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 00min
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 51 Wh
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 41 Wh
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 82 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 94.24 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 50 Wh
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
16%
57%
131%
-21%
43%
Reader / Idle
262
440
68%
545
108%
554
111%
WiFi v1.3
230
255
11%
362
57%
421
83%
181
-21%
332
44%
Load
60
41
-32%
181
202%
44
-27%

Pros

+ SD reader, mini DisplayPort, and dedicated 3.5 mm microphone port
+ above average Core i7-9750H performance (on Turbo Fan mode)
+ lightweight chassis with narrow bezels
+ above average CPU performance
+ NumPad and full-size Arrow keys
+ dedicated mouse buttons
+ per-key RGB lighting
+ 120 Hz panel

Cons

- average display response times; moderate ghosting
- ports are tightly positioned close to the front
- below average bass reproduction
- heavy uneven backlight bleeding
- fans are almost always active
- very poor battery life
- no Thunderbolt 3
- slow SD reader
- narrow gamut

Verdict

In review: MSI GL65 9SEK-024US. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King
In review: MSI GL65 9SEK-024US. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King

The biggest and most notable improvement that the GL65 offers over the GL63 is its smaller and more portable chassis design. It's approximately 16 percent smaller than its predecessor while offering upgraded processor options for a tangible performance boost.

Everything else about the GL65 remains almost the same as the GL63. MSI had the chance to improve the display or poor battery life, integrate quieter fans, or offer a faster SD card reader but they are all nearly unchanged gen-to-gen. You'd have to invest in the higher-end GS65 series if such features are important to your daily workloads.

Mid-range gaming machine with great looks and performance but with cut corners on battery life, and display. You'll be sacrificing long runtimes and accurate colors with the MSI GL65.

MSI GL65 9SEK - 10/02/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
73 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
55 / 80 → 69%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 91%
Battery
57 / 95 → 60%
Display
80%
Games Performance
92%
Application Performance
91%
Temperature
81 / 95 → 85%
Noise
65 / 90 → 72%
Audio
71%
Camera
58 / 85 → 68%
Average
73%
81%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GL65 9SEK Laptop Review: Much More Portable than the GL63
Allen Ngo, 2019-10- 2 (Update: 2019-10- 2)