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MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE Laptop Review - The best screen on a mid-tier gaming laptop

Fantastic Plastic Machine. Despite some drawbacks in build quality and thermal management, the MSI GP65 Leopard is an excellent all-around gaming laptop for $1500. Surprisingly, the machine has one of the most color-accurate screens we have measured in a gaming laptop. The bright display backlight and 144 Hz refresh rate are icing on the cake.

MSI is a veteran in the gaming notebook arena, and its laptops range from budget devices that cut every corner to high-dollar masterpieces of engineering. Today's review covers an MSI machine right in the middle of the Taiwanese company's catalog. The MSI GP65 Leopard is a mid-range gaming laptop through and through. While it makes some sacrifices in the name of cost, the hardware within leaves a good impression. Additionally, MSI has managed to pack a surprise in the GP65: the display is astoundingly good. As we will see, the 144 Hz panel is one of the most color-accurate we've reviewed, not just for gaming notebooks, but out of most laptops currently on the market. 

The GP65 Leopard is a retooling of the GP63 Leopard from last year. To that end, the machines share several things in common, but some small tweaks are welcome improvements. Others are questionable design choices. To get a good picture of the changes MSI has made, we suggest you refer to our review of the GP63 Leopard.

There are several competent competitors in the $1400-1500 price range. We will measure the GP65 Leopard against the Lenovo Legion Y540, the Eurocom Nightsky Ti15, the Asus Strix GL531GV, the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng, and the CUK Model Z.

MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US (GP65 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: 1335 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, GeForce Game Ready Driver 425.31, NVIDIA Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666/PC4-21300, 2x 8 GB, Samsung M471A1K43CB1-CTD
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LGD0625, IPS, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1 Mic in, 1 headphon (HiFi/SPDIF) out, Card Reader: SD/SDXC/SDHC card reader, full-size
Networking
Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 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, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, per-key RGB, Keyboard Light: yes, MSI Dragon Center, SteelSeries Engine 3, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.322 kg ( = 81.91 oz / 5.12 pounds), Power Supply: 729 g ( = 25.71 oz / 1.61 pounds)
Price
1550 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The GP65 Leopard's case is almost a mirror image of last year's GP63 Leopard. That means plastic and lots of it. The outer lid is the only break in the plastic design with its brushed aluminum surface. This surface readily attracts fingerprints (as can be seen in the photos below), and these require concentrated effort to wipe away. The plastic keyboard deck eschews the faux-brushed metal design of the GP63's in favor of a smooth, glossy finish. This surface fares much better in resisting fingerprints. The bottom panel has been redesigned and features much more ventilation; about 1/3 of the bottom panel is perforated to allow for better airflow into the chassis.

The case itself is fairly stable with minimal flex along the keyboard deck. The palm rests are very sturdy and do not warp under pressure. There are some clicks and creaks when the keyboard deck is pressed. Unfortunately, like the older GP63, the thin lid is highly susceptible to torsion. Particular weak points lie along the bottom of the lid between the hinges and the center. The hinges themselves are well-tuned, allowing for one-handed opening up to about 75°, after which the base begins to lift with the display. The hinges allow the display to open to 150°.

While the GP65 Leopard isn't a thin-and-light gaming laptop, it is reasonably compact for a 15.6-inch gaming machine. This is largely due to the thin bezels around the screen which help to shrink the GP65's footprint considerably from that of the GP63. Still, other manufacturers have also worked to reduce the size of their gaming laptops, so the GP65 is only marginally smaller than competitors. The GP65's 2.3 kg weight is average for a mid-tier 15.6-inch gaming laptop.

383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.3 kg5.11 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 29.9 mm / 1.177 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 274 mm / 10.8 inch 25.9 mm / 1.02 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs357.7 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.3 kg5.12 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.25 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.2 kg4.77 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port selection is varied and offers a good amount of connectivity. Highlights include dedicated microphone and headphone jacks, two display-out options (HDMI 2.0a and miniDP 1.4), and 4 USB ports, two of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2. However, we do find complaint with the placement of the USB ports along the left side. Both USB ports are set at the front of the machine, which makes connecting a corded mouse an unneeded exercise in cable management and can be very annoying. Additionally, the forward placement of the DC input is awkward. The left side ports should be shifted back a fair bit for easier use. The lack of Thunderbolt 3 is noticeable but not unexpected given the price point. 

Left: Kensingston lock, ventilation, Ethernet, HDMI 2.0a, mini DisplayPort 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, headphone (HiFi/SPDIF) out, mic in
Left: Kensingston lock, ventilation, Ethernet, HDMI 2.0a, mini DisplayPort 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, headphone (HiFi/SPDIF) out, mic in
Right: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, SD card reader, DC in
Right: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, SD card reader, DC in

SD Card Reader

Typical of lower- and mid-tier MSI laptops, the SD card reader is abysmally slow. We measure speeds between 25-30 MB/s, which is unacceptable for a $1000+ gaming laptop in 2019. This is a common sticking point with MSI laptops, and it is disappointing that the company has yet to improve here. On the plus side, SD cards sit nearly flush with the chassis.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
185.5 MB/s +643%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +293%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.1 MB/s +225%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78.4 MB/s +214%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
 
24.96 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
219.2 MB/s +652%
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +320%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.6 MB/s +201%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.3 MB/s +193%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
 
29.14 MB/s

Communication

The included WiFi card is excellent and in line with most other gaming laptops. Transmit and receive speeds are more than fast enough for most home router solutions, and the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port allows for even faster connections. We measure a stable connection up to about 25 meters from our home router through 1 interior and 1 exterior wall.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +67%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
679 MBit/s +5%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
644 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
630 MBit/s -2%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
611 MBit/s -5%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
601 (562min - 639max) MBit/s -7%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
548 MBit/s -15%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +94%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
677 MBit/s
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
672 MBit/s -1%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
666 (597min - 686max) MBit/s -2%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
660 MBit/s -3%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
638 MBit/s -6%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
619 MBit/s -9%

Maintenance

While maintenance on the GP63 Leopard was fairly straightforward, the GP65 thwarted our efforts to get inside the machine. There are eleven Phillips Head #00 screws (one of which is hidden underneath a "Factory Seal" label). These are all uniform in size and are easy enough to remove. However, the bottom panel is secured with stubborn plastic clips. These clips refused to disengage despite our best efforts, and we opted to stop in order to prevent damage to the plastic chassis. Your mileage may vary, but caution should be used. 

The bottom panel is tightly secured with strong plastic clips.
The bottom panel is tightly secured with strong plastic clips.

Warranty

MSI offers a standard 12-month warranty on the GP65 Leopard.

Input Devices

Keyboard

MSI's partnership with SteelSeries has yielded some of the best keyboards found on gaming laptops, and the GP65's keyboard continues this trend. Keys offer good travel with the soft-yet-firm feedback typical of MSI laptops. The layout is good with some quibbles: the Windows key is located on the right side instead of the more common left side, which can be frustrating in non-gaming workflows. The delete key is located too far from the alphanumeric keyboard for comfort. Additionally, the keys are a tad smaller than other MSI keyboards (~19 mm2); consequently, we experienced more typos than we usually do with MSI laptops.

The per-key RGB backlight allows for a high level of customization. MSI includes several preset modes to show off the RGB system in the included SteelSeries Engine 3 software. Most of these are too flashy or distracting to be useful, but they make for a good party trick. The sides of the keys are translucent and allow the RGB lighting to shine bright. A nice touch is the highlighting of function keys when the Fn key is held down; secondary keys like volume and screen brightness controls light up red while the rest of the keyboard backlight is turned off. 

Touchpad

The recessed touchpad (12.1 x 6.4 cm) is smooth underhand and offers good glide. Tracking, however, is a bit finicky; a bit of firm pressure is needed for accurate tracking. A light touch may result in the touchpad not registering user input, which can lead to frustration. The dedicated click buttons are a welcome addition. Feedback is firm and clicks are well-defined, but the mechanism feels and sounds cheap and hollow. 

Keyboard
Keyboard
Touchpad w/ dedicated buttons
Touchpad w/ dedicated buttons
Per-key RGB lighting
Per-key RGB lighting
Function keys highlighted when Fn button is held
Function keys highlighted when Fn button is held

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

One of the highlights of the GP65 Leopard is its bright and fast 144 Hz IPS display. Considering the price point, the FHD LG panel is phenomenal. Response times are very quick, and the 144 Hz refresh rate makes every animation glide across the screen. Gameplay at higher framerates looks beautifully smooth.

The display's backlight is bright, averaging 327 nits; this is a decent bit higher than the 290-300 nit average of most other mid-tier gaming laptops. However, the backlight is only moderately even; the left side of the screen registers a bit dimmer than the right side. This difference is not noticeable in regular use. Contrast is also a bit low at 871:1 but is adequate. There is no detectable PWM. 

318.6
cd/m²
332.9
cd/m²
330.2
cd/m²
314.9
cd/m²
348.3
cd/m²
334.2
cd/m²
297.2
cd/m²
346.3
cd/m²
324.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD0625 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 348.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 327.4 cd/m² Minimum: 17.46 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 348.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 871:1 (Black: 0.4 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.203
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
LG Philips LGD0625, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
BOE 084D, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Panda LM156LF-GL02, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
AU Optronics B156HAN, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-2%
-3%
-37%
-1%
-2%
Display P3 Coverage
64.8
63.8
-2%
63.6
-2%
40.13
-38%
64.5
0%
65.2
1%
sRGB Coverage
96.2
93.4
-3%
91.7
-5%
60.3
-37%
93
-3%
90.9
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.3
65
-2%
65.2
-2%
41.48
-37%
65.7
-1%
66.3
0%
Response Times
-26%
-4%
-159%
-29%
-21%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
9.6 ?(6, 3.6)
14 ?(7, 7)
-46%
8.8 ?(4, 4.4)
8%
26 ?(13.6, 12.4)
-171%
13.6 ?(6.8, 6.8)
-42%
14.4 ?(7.2, 7.2)
-50%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(6, 4.4)
11 ?(7, 4)
-6%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
-15%
25.6 ?(14.8, 10.8)
-146%
12 ?(7.6, 4.4)
-15%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
8%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-17%
-30%
-99%
-26%
-45%
Brightness middle
348.3
316
-9%
299
-14%
290.1
-17%
306.8
-12%
331
-5%
Brightness
327
295
-10%
290
-11%
274
-16%
309
-6%
327
0%
Brightness Distribution
85
84
-1%
89
5%
86
1%
87
2%
83
-2%
Black Level *
0.4
0.42
-5%
0.29
27%
0.54
-35%
0.38
5%
0.35
12%
Contrast
871
752
-14%
1031
18%
537
-38%
807
-7%
946
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.6
2.7
-69%
3.7
-131%
5.16
-223%
3.16
-98%
4.22
-164%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.07
5.65
-11%
7
-38%
18.09
-257%
6.05
-19%
6.95
-37%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1
1.58
-58%
2
-100%
4.35
-335%
2.4
-140%
3.27
-227%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.3
2.35
-2%
4.1
-78%
4.4
-91%
2.3
-0%
3.9
-70%
Gamma
2.203 100%
2.41 91%
2.19 100%
2.1 105%
2.17 101%
2.26 97%
CCT
6707 97%
6904 94%
7166 91%
7362 88%
6557 99%
7392 88%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61
60
-2%
59.3
-3%
38.1
-38%
60
-2%
59
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96
93
-3%
91.5
-5%
60
-37%
92.6
-4%
90.5
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-15% / -15%
-12% / -22%
-98% / -95%
-19% / -21%
-23% / -34%

* ... smaller is better

Surprisingly, the GP65's display is extremely color accurate; this is not common for mid-tier MSI laptops. The DeltaE2000 score for colors sits at a remarkable 1.6, which rivals some of the best displays in the industry (including the Apple MacBook Pro 15 and Razer Blade 15). Grays are also accurate with a DeltaE2000 of 2.3. Calibration further improves these numbers. Additionally, the LG panel has near-perfect Gamma (2.203) and excellent color temperature (6707 K). The GP65 would be suitable for professional color work if it offered better color coverage; as it stands, at 61% of the AdobeRGB and 96% of the sRGB gamuts, the GP65 may not offer enough colors for professionals. That said, gamers (the machine's intended audience) should find very little complaint in the display.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
Grayscale
Grayscale
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
ColorChecker (calibrated)
ColorChecker (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
vs sRGB: 96%
vs sRGB: 96%
vs. AdobeRGB: 61%
vs. AdobeRGB: 61%

Viewing angles are excellent, which is typical for an IPS display. The matte finish essentially eliminates glare, and the backlight is strong enough to shine through sunlight and other bright lights. While direct sunlight renders the screen difficult to use, the display can be used outdoors under a bit of shade or cloud cover.

Backlight bleed (exposure increased to show bleed)
Backlight bleed (exposure increased to show bleed)
Outdoors, in shade
Outdoors, in shade
Outdoors, overcast sky
Outdoors, overcast sky

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↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 4.4 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↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 3.6 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 not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

The MSI GP65 Leopard's spec sheet is perhaps the gold standard for a mid-tier gaming laptop in 2019. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-9750H, an Nvidia RTX 2060, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD, the GP65 Leopard checks every box expected of a gaming laptop at the $1500 price point. The GP65 performs well at the expense of high heat output and fan noise.

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: SPD
CPU-Z: SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64
 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-9750H is the new de facto CPU for gaming laptops. Based on the Coffee Lake architecture, there is little changed from last year's Core i7-8750H outside of a small clock speed bump (2.6 GHz base/4.5 GHz boost vs. 2.2 GHz base/4.1 GHz boost) and 33% more L3 cache (12 MB vs. 9 MB). Still, the Core i7-9750H is perhaps the best option for a gaming laptop and strikes a good balance between price, performance, and thermals. 

The MSI GP65 Leopard puts forth an excellent showing of the 9750H, scoring about 10% higher in both Cinebench R15's single- and multi-core tests than the Schenker Key 16 and its Core i7-8750H. Intel still trounces AMD when it comes to mobile CPUs; the GP65's i7-9750H obliterates the Ryzen 7 3750H (used in the Asus TUF FX505DT) in Cinebench R15. 

Long-term performance is relatively good. Straining the machine with our Cinebench R15 loop (running through Cinebench R15's multi-core test 50 times) gives us a good impression of how the GP65 will handle longer workloads. Aside from a 12% dip in the middle of the test, the GP65 holds fairly steady. (Note that the drop in performance immediately after the first pass is common to this test).

For more information on the Intel Core i7-9750H, please see our dedicated CPU page here.

Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1137 (993.64-1270.77)
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1006 (997.68-1086.13)
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1157 (1151.34-1211.72)
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1103 (1087.93-1223.2)
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1190 (1182.24-1239.66)
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1072 (1059.41-1260.12)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
193 Points 0%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H
193 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U
Intel Core i7-10510U
189 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points -5%
Dell Inspiron 7390 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
179 Points -7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points -11%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
171 Points -11%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H
171 Points -11%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
157 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=247, last 2 years)
2988 Points +144%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H
1288 Points +5%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H
1227 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points -4%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
1116 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
1114 (896min - 1114max) Points -9%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
850 Points -31%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
799 Points -35%
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U
Intel Core i7-10510U
796 Points -35%
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U
Intel Core i7-10510U
790 Points -36%
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U
Intel Core i7-10510U
760 Points -38%
Dell Inspiron 7390 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
557 Points -55%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
2.13 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (1.96 - 2.19, n=10)
2.1 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H
1.96 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H
14.11 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (11.3 - 14.1, n=10)
13 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
12.47 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (28251 - 36304, n=13)
33539 Points
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
32846 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
31938 Points
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
25656 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
7169 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (6659 - 7214, n=13)
6923 Points
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
6579 Points
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
6421 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=13, last 2 years)
333 s *
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 2019-20QT000RGE
Intel Core i7-9850H
278 s *
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
 
154.4 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
193 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1227 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
115.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The MSI GP65 Leopard strikes a good balance in overall performance as shown by PCMark 10 and PCMark 8. The machine does well in all tests and comes out about 2% above the average Core i7-9750H/RTX 2060 laptop overall.

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7542 Points +29%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
5834 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
5814 Points 0%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5716 Points -2%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
5678 Points -3%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5609 Points -4%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5528 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4395 - 5997, n=16)
5523 Points -5%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (7334 - 12334, n=205, last 2 years)
10674 Points +12%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
10098 Points +6%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9859 Points +4%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
9502 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (8361 - 10056, n=16)
9263 Points -3%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
9245 Points -3%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
9158 Points -4%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
9020 Points -5%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (6282 - 11833, n=205, last 2 years)
9693 Points +20%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
8106 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
7671 Points -5%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
7546 Points -7%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7431 Points -8%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
7430 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (6098 - 8106, n=16)
7382 Points -9%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7328 Points -10%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (5288 - 18475, n=205, last 2 years)
11339 Points +62%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
7564 Points +8%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
7190 Points +3%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
6999 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
6886 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4344 - 8069, n=16)
6727 Points -4%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6673 Points -5%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6631 Points -5%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +17%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5077 Points +14%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
4507 Points +1%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4459 Points 0%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
4456 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (3533 - 5185, n=11)
4396 Points -1%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4251 Points -5%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
4240 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +5%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5857 Points +1%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
5808 Points
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
5696 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4450 - 5931, n=11)
5532 Points -5%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
5497 Points -5%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5419 Points -7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5041 Points -13%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4456 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5808 points
PCMark 10 Score
5834 points
Help

Storage Devices

The MSI GP65 Leopard uses a Toshiba M.2 PCIe NVMe drive for its storage. While this drive is significantly faster than a traditional SATA III-based solution (particularly in read speeds), it is only about half as fast as the Samsung PM981 used in some other gaming laptops. Still, the drive should be fast enough for most use cases. Users can also swap the drive out, provided they can get into the chassis. Per MSI's spec sheet for the GP65 Leopard, the machine has an M.2 PCIe SSD slot, one M.2 PCIe/SATA SSD slot, and a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 6
CrystalDiskMark 6
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
Average Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
 
AS SSD
119%
151%
55%
89%
196%
12%
Seq Read
1307
2485
90%
2927
124%
1280
-2%
1283
-2%
2168
66%
1326 ?(1307 - 1348, n=3)
1%
Seq Write
730
1575
116%
2149
194%
905
24%
1730
137%
2194
201%
755 ?(730 - 789, n=3)
3%
4K Read
27.58
53.4
94%
42.43
54%
48.73
77%
49.89
81%
53.2
93%
39 ?(27.6 - 50.6, n=3)
41%
4K Write
80.3
113.5
41%
147.1
83%
107
33%
110.1
37%
128.5
60%
92.6 ?(80.3 - 115.7, n=3)
15%
4K-64 Read
878
725
-17%
1286
46%
321.1
-63%
904
3%
1320
50%
873 ?(825 - 916, n=3)
-1%
4K-64 Write
246.8
1371
456%
1432
480%
761
208%
792
221%
2162
776%
349 ?(247 - 488, n=3)
41%
Access Time Read *
0.231
0.059
74%
0.065
72%
0.058
75%
0.036
84%
0.04
83%
0.1463 ?(0.081 - 0.231, n=3)
37%
Access Time Write *
0.223
0.032
86%
0.026
88%
0.046
79%
0.042
81%
0.029
87%
0.2073 ?(0.188 - 0.223, n=3)
7%
Score Read
1036
1027
-1%
1621
56%
498
-52%
1082
4%
1590
53%
1045 ?(999 - 1099, n=3)
1%
Score Write
400
1642
311%
1794
349%
958
140%
1075
169%
2510
528%
517 ?(400 - 649, n=3)
29%
Score Total
1940
3163
63%
4208
117%
1711
-12%
2745
41%
4924
154%
2075 ?(1940 - 2147, n=3)
7%
Copy ISO MB/s
993
1519
53%
3089
211%
935 ?(876 - 993, n=2)
-6%
Copy Program MB/s
309.5
749
142%
549
77%
260 ?(210 - 310, n=2)
-16%
Copy Game MB/s
582
943
62%
1171
101%
591 ?(582 - 599, n=2)
2%

* ... smaller is better

Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1581 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 686 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 581 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 240.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 46.96 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 99.3 MB/s
CDM 6 Write 4K Q8T8: 268.1 MB/s
CDM 6 Read 4K Q8T8: 977 MB/s

GPU Performance

Like the Intel Core i7-9750H, Nvidia's RTX 2060 has become a popular choice for mid-range gaming laptops this year. There's a good reason for this, as the RTX 2060 offers a significant bump in performance over the GTX 1060. The RTX 2060 in the GP65 Leopard also outperforms the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti by a fair margin (~10%) in 3DMark. The RTX 2060 should be suitable for most moderate graphical workloads and should be able to handle some heavier tasks like dense movie renders and complex modelling.

Additionally, the RTX 2060 supports Real-Time Ray Tracing (which will likely be used more in the future) and Deep Learning Super Sampling, which is becoming more common in games. Keep in mind that both of these features are likely to have a noticeable impact on performance when enabled. 

For more information about the Nvidia RTX 2060, please see our dedicated GPU page here.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy
Time Spy
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +84%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
31826 Points +48%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
27732 Points +29%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
26582 Points +24%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
22749 Points +6%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
21492 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (19143 - 24662, n=40)
21459 Points 0%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
20784 Points -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
14569 Points -32%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
13512 Points -37%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
12388 Points -42%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4274 Points -80%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Gaming
  (1251 - 26759, n=243, last 2 years)
19642 Points +54%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
16253 Points +27%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
15274 Points +20%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12758 Points
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12424 Points -3%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12421 Points -3%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
11829 Points -7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (1107 - 14726, n=40)
11688 Points -8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
11099 Points -13%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9773 Points -23%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8801 Points -31%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4097 Points -68%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +69%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
22820 Points +33%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
20466 Points +20%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
20434 Points +19%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
18060 Points +5%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
17119 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (14768 - 18358, n=43)
16301 Points -5%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
15343 Points -10%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
11640 Points -32%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9534 Points -44%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8532 Points -50%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
3321 Points -81%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
Average of class Gaming
  (261 - 21695, n=246, last 2 years)
11697 Points +91%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
9177 Points +50%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
7968 Points +30%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
7907 Points +29%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6709 Points +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (5679 - 6926, n=41)
6254 Points +2%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6117 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5872 Points -4%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3676 Points -40%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3607 Points -41%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
1099 Points -82%
2560x1440 Time Spy CPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1799 - 18867, n=246, last 2 years)
12133 Points +138%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
9447 Points +85%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8112 Points +59%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
7774 Points +52%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
7098 Points +39%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4463 - 9287, n=41)
6766 Points +33%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6755 Points +32%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6502 Points +27%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
5104 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3993 Points -22%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
2514 Points -51%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=246, last 2 years)
11809 Points +86%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
9480 Points +50%
Origin PC EVO16-S i7-9750H RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
8153 Points +29%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK
7754 Points +22%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6748 Points +6%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6340 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (5660 - 6910, n=41)
6206 Points -2%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5699 Points -10%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3547 Points -44%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3353 Points -47%
Asus VivoBook 15 X512FL-EJ205T
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
1000 Points -84%
3DMark 11 Performance
18447 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
37504 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
15252 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6117 points
Help

Gaming Performance

While synthetics can give us a good idea of how a GPU performs in optimal scenarios, real-world gameplay metrics are a better guide for comparison. To that end, the MSI GP65 Leopard is about average for an RTX 2060-equipped gaming laptop. Most titles can be played at 1080p/Ultra settings and still hit or exceed 60 fps. However, to fully take advantage of the high refresh rate display, gamers may want to turn the graphics down to a mix of Medium/High settings to push framerates into the hundreds. 

The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Gaming
  (54.1 - 718, n=136, last 2 years)
413 fps +64%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
306 fps +21%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
297.8 fps +18%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
266.7 fps +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (188.7 - 295, n=27)
256 fps +2%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
252 fps
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Gaming
  (34.2 - 617, n=146, last 2 years)
320 fps +80%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
209 fps +17%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
200 fps +12%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
189.9 fps +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (152.2 - 215, n=24)
185.1 fps +4%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
178 fps
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=175, last 2 years)
214 fps +93%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
122 fps +10%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
120.4 fps +8%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
117.4 fps +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (74.4 - 131, n=33)
111.3 fps 0%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
111 fps
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +94%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
63.3 fps +7%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
63 fps +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (50.6 - 74, n=40)
61.1 fps +4%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
60.5 fps +3%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
59 fps
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
53.1 (50min, 51P1 - 58max) fps -10%
Rocket League
1280x720 Performance
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
250 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (244 - 252, n=4)
249 fps 0%
1920x1080 Quality AA:Medium FX
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
250 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (242 - 250, n=5)
248 fps -1%
1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
244 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (180.6 - 247, n=5)
231 fps -5%
Monster Hunter World
1280x720 Low Preset (Image Quality High)
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
141 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
 
141 fps 0%
1920x1080 Mid Preset (Image Quality High)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (102 - 104, n=2)
103 fps +1%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
102 fps
1920x1080 High Preset (Image Quality High)
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
96 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (89.9 - 96, n=2)
93 fps -3%
1920x1080 Highest Preset (Image Quality High)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (70 - 70.2, n=2)
70.1 fps 0%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
70 fps
Hitman 2
1280x720 Low AF:Trilinear
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
116 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
 
116 fps 0%
1920x1080 Medium AF:4x
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
90 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (89.4 - 90, n=2)
89.7 fps 0%
1920x1080 High AF:8x
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
85 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (81.4 - 85, n=2)
83.2 fps -2%
1920x1080 Ultra AF:16x
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (74 - 78.4, n=2)
76.2 fps +3%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
74 fps
F1 2019
1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (166 - 231, n=4)
197.8 fps +19%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
166 fps
1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T AF:16x
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (146 - 177, n=4)
163.8 fps +12%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
146 fps
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (122 - 149, n=4)
136.5 fps +12%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
122 fps
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (97 - 127, n=4)
106.8 fps +3%
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
104 fps

Long-term gameplay (as measured by an hour-long playthrough of The Witcher 3) present no problems. Framerates remain stable with the expected peaks and troughs typical of this test. The GP65 Leopard should be able to endure long play sessions without trouble.

051015202530354045505560Tooltip
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G: Ø58.8 (54-63)
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G: Ø53.1 (50-58)
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8: Ø55.8 (52-60)
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8: Ø59.7 (57-64)
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB: Ø54.3 (50-59)
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 252 178 111 59
Rocket League (2017) 250 250 244
Monster Hunter World (2018) 141 102 96 70
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 116 70 66 54
Hitman 2 (2018) 116 90 85 74
F1 2019 (2019) 166 146 122 104

Emissions

System Noise

Fan Noise
Fan Noise

A major chink in the GP65 Leopard's armor is fan noise. The machine offers some control over fan speed through the MSI Dragon Center software with preset profiles. The highest of these settings turns the fans on full tilt, and the sound is piercing due to the high pitch and high volume (52 dB[A]). Using the middle fan setting causes the fans to ramp aggressively; however, the fans do not spin as fast. As a result, noise is subdued but still cuts through ambient sounds. During lighter loads (like web browsing or streaming), the fan turns on but spins quietly and is not audible. There is some audible coil whine that can heard about 2 inches from the keyboard.

MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB
Noise
-10%
1%
-9%
-12%
-8%
off / environment *
28.2
30.5
-8%
29.3
-4%
28.2
-0%
28.6
-1%
28.4
-1%
Idle Minimum *
29.5
32.8
-11%
29.3
1%
28.8
2%
30.8
-4%
28.6
3%
Idle Average *
29.6
32.8
-11%
29.3
1%
31.4
-6%
30.8
-4%
28.6
3%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
32.8
-11%
29.3
1%
33.3
-13%
35
-18%
28.6
3%
Load Average *
33
42.5
-29%
35.7
-8%
46.2
-40%
45
-36%
47.8
-45%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47.2
44.2
6%
50.5
-7%
51.6
-9%
53.7
-14%
Load Maximum *
52
47.5
9%
45.6
12%
51.3
1%
57.8
-11%
53.7
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29.5 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
33 / 52 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: 28.2 dB(A)

Temperature

Exhaust stream
Exhaust stream

Despite the aggressive dual fans, chassis temperatures get very hot (particularly on the bottom panel) under load. This may be partly due to the copious perforations on the bottom panel; with no substrate through which to travel, heat can easily flow through the open holes and into the user's lap. (It should be noted that our thermometer measured internal components through the perforations, so surface temperatures may be cooler than those reported. However, we feel the GP65 Leopard gets too hot under load for lap use.) As such, we recommend gamers set the device on a flat, level surface. There is some good news: the WASD keys and arrow keys, while warm, do not grow uncomfortably hot under load.

Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom, load
Bottom, load
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Max. Load
 40 °C
104 F
48.8 °C
120 F
40.4 °C
105 F
 
 41 °C
106 F
46.4 °C
116 F
37.6 °C
100 F
 
 32.4 °C
90 F
34 °C
93 F
32.6 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 48.8 °C = 120 F
Average: 39.2 °C = 103 F
53 °C
127 F
34.8 °C
95 F
44.2 °C
112 F
32.2 °C
90 F
54 °C
129 F
41.2 °C
106 F
30 °C
86 F
32 °C
90 F
33.2 °C
92 F
Maximum: 54 °C = 129 F
Average: 39.4 °C = 103 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(-) 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 48.8 °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 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34 °C / 93.2 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-5.1 °C / -9.2 F).

Stress Test

Using hour-long runs of Prime95 and FurMark to stress the CPU and GPU, respectively, we get a good picture of how the GP65 Leopard functions under heavy extended loads. CPU temperatures hover between 80-90° C under stress. While these temperatures are hot, they are well within Intel's rated thermal limits. The GPU remains relatively cool at about 70-71° C in all tests. On the plus side, there is little evidence of thermal throttling; even when the system is fully taxed by running Prime95 and FurMark concurrently, the processor is still able to maintain a 3.0 GHz clock across all six cores with intermittent single-core boosts up to 4.2 GHz. 

(Note the unusual pop in GPU performance near the end of our Prime95 + FurMark test. This may be caused by the opening of the screen capture software [Snipping Tool] used to record the readouts.)

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.3-3.4 - 88 -
FurMark Stress 4.1 1215 71 71
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.0 1215 90 73
Witcher 3 Stress 4.1 1605 80 71

Speakers

The MSI GP65 Leopard's speakers are not great. While they get reasonably loud (81 dB) and remain clear at any volume level, the sound profile is very poor. Bass is completely absent, and highs are too dominant. The overall sound is extremely tinny, even for laptop speakers, and is thin and unpleasant. Thankfully, the dedicated headphone jack supports S/PDIF and HiFi headphones. According to LatencyMon, there should be minimal audio latency.

Speaker profile
Speaker profile
LatencyMon
LatencyMon
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.845.92539.540.33138.838.84037.538.45037.738.76336.240.38034.837.110035.136.112533.53516033.134.420032.338.425031.539.631530.848.240030.453.350030.753.463029.962.880029.873.4100029.280125028.979.716002979.7200028.880.8250028.878.5315028.680.7400028.781500028.475.4630028.475.5800028.174.41000028.275.7125002877.31600028.380.2SPL41.190.4N4.178median 29median 75.5Delta0.913.733.832.833.832.836.832.837.736.137.732.532.532.531.132.831.129.327.129.330.225.530.229.226.529.227.626.527.637.626.137.645.524.445.545.322.545.353.320.953.363.221.163.26019.76061.519.761.563.318.763.361.518.161.559.617.959.664.917.764.962.817.362.86017.9606017.76057.21857.257.91857.957.11857.162.518.162.567.41867.464.417.964.451.517.951.573.730.573.7311.331median 60median 18.1median 607.82.17.831.533.228.530.827.430.326.528.724.927.825.327.42328.52228.522.328.822.239.922.151.320.958.220.657.620.357.619.660.419.365.518.766.318.463.818.166.417.265.516.766.516.468.315.667.715.565.415.661.715.564.215.561.815.357.114.960.91560.429.377.41.240.7median 18.1median 61.72.57.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225USHP Omen 15-dc1303ngLenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 36.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 9.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 94% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 85% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HP Omen 15-dc1303ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power draw presents an interesting observation: while the included power adapter is rated for 180 Watts, the system is seen to draw spikes up to 218 Watts. These are short-lived, and the machine drops its power usage back to ~166 Watts during the rest of the load test (Prime95 and FurMark run concurrently). Under normal use cases, users can expect the GP65 Leopard to pull ~100-150 Watts from the wall, which is in line with other mid-tier gaming laptops. 

Load
Load
Prime95
Prime95
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.37 / 0.68 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 13.6 / 17.9 / 20.6 Watt
Load midlight 96 / 218.6 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 GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Toshiba KBG30ZMT512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
6%
5%
-6%
-30%
-18%
Idle Minimum *
13.6
14.7
-8%
14.5
-7%
10.9
20%
23.5
-73%
16.8
-24%
Idle Average *
17.9
18.6
-4%
18.5
-3%
14.7
18%
28
-56%
29
-62%
Idle Maximum *
20.6
22.6
-10%
20
3%
32.4
-57%
32
-55%
30.8
-50%
Load Average *
96
90
6%
81.6
15%
121.9
-27%
102.4
-7%
89.2
7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
154.6
132
15%
143.5
7%
142.8
8%
141.1
9%
Load Maximum *
218.6
120
45%
208.1
5%
209.6
4%
209
4%
192.3
12%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Unsurprisingly, battery life is lackluster. The combination of a 51 Wh battery and 144 Hz panel work to rapidly kill the machine when it is unplugged. The MSI GP65 Leopard managed just under four hours in our WiFi v1.3 battery test (screen set to 150 nits, loading a new web page every 30-40 seconds). While this is a bit above average for a mid-tier gaming laptop, it's not enough for a workday away from an outlet. We've also begun to see respectable battery life (8+ hours) from gaming laptops, but that trend has yet to proliferate through the mid-range sector.

(Note that the MSI GP65 Leopard's screen always runs at 144 Hz, even on battery power.)

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 59min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 54min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 05min
MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 51 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 57 Wh
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 66 Wh
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 46.74 Wh
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh
Battery Runtime
-9%
-18%
-52%
-24%
-9%
Reader / Idle
359
301
-16%
240
-33%
WiFi v1.3
234
197
-16%
145
-38%
112
-52%
178
-24%
214
-9%
Load
65
69
6%
76
17%

Pros

+ great typing experience
+ per-key RGB keyboard with lots of preset options
+ dual PCIe NVMe bays w/ 2.5-inch bay
+ bright display
+ excellent color accuracy
+ 144 Hz panel
+ good thermal performance
+ great gaming performance
+ good cost/performance ratio
+ good variety of ports

Cons

- plastic shell feels cheap
- touchpad buttons feel hollow
- keyboard keys are small
- lid is thin and flexes too easily
- poor speakers w/ no body
- poor port placement on right side
- no Thunderbolt 3
- no G-Sync
- poor SD card performance
- loud, high-pitched fans under full load

Verdict

In Review: MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE. Review unit courtesy of MSI.
In Review: MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE. Review unit courtesy of MSI.

The MSI GP65 Leopard continues paving the road started by the GP62 and the GP63. While the chassis looks and feels cheaply made, the hardware housed inside is excellent for the price. The 144 Hz display, in particular, is the star of the show. Not only does the screen offer buttery smooth gameplay, but it is incredibly color accurate, which is unheard of in a mid-tier gaming notebook.

Other premium niceties have started to trickle into the middle of the gaming notebook market as shown by the GP65. The keyboard continues the SteelSeries' brands excellent reputation, and the per-key RGB backlight is a welcome (and fun) addition. Port selection is varied, although the placement is odd and frustrating. Finally, gaming and general performance are great for $1500; the GP65 would make for a decent content creation laptop as well as a gaming machine.

However, the GP65 was not created in a vacuum. There are a few contenders that offer better overall packages at this price point. Namely, Lenovo's Legion Y540 has better thermal management (with quieter fans) and comparable gaming performance for $100 less. The CUK Model Z offers a better case, a mechanical keyboard, and a more powerful GPU (RTX 2070 Max-Q) at the same $1500 price tag. However, the Model Z gets much hotter than the GP65 with the added punch of louder fans. 

The decision comes down to what you want your laptop to do. If your primary goal is gaming (and thermals be damned), the CUK Model Z is hard to beat at this price point. If budget is of the utmost concern, the Lenovo Legion Y540 is well-priced with a small tradeoff in gaming performance. (Lenovo frequently offers sales as well.)

Though it makes some compromises in build quality and thermal management, the MSI GP65 Leopard represents an excellent value and is a great "jack of all trades" laptop. The excellent display is good enough for content creations, and gaming performance is sure to leave most gamers satisfied for the near future. At $1500, the GP65 Leopard sits at the far end of the mid-range market, but it also sits as one of the best mid-range gaming laptops available today.

MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE-225US - 08/25/2019 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
70 / 98 → 71%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
58 / 81 → 71%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 91%
Battery
74%
Display
90%
Games Performance
98%
Application Performance
97%
Temperature
84 / 95 → 88%
Noise
84 / 90 → 94%
Audio
40%
Camera
61 / 85 → 71%
Average
75%
84%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GP65 Leopard 9SE Laptop Review - The best screen on a mid-tier gaming laptop
Sam Medley, 2019-09- 1 (Update: 2019-09- 1)