MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG Laptop Review: A slim and powerful gaming laptop with good battery life
The current MSI GS75 Stealth series is already familiar to us, having reviewed the 8SG in March. The 9SG has now entered our offices, which features a newer CPU, namely the Intel Core i7-9750H. All other components are identical though, with the two devices sharing the same design, connectivity, input devices, display, GPU and speakers. Correspondingly, we shall omit all but the Display and GPU of those for this review. Please see our GS75 8SG Stealth review for our thoughts on the areas that we have not included in this review.
We have chosen to compare the 9SG against other comparably priced 17.3-inch gaming laptops. Our comparison devices will include the Alienware m17, ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701GX, Dell G7 17 7790, Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH and the Schenker XMG Neo 17.
Display
As mentioned above, MSI has equipped the 9SG with the same Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C) display that we found in the GS75 8SG Stealth. The matte 17.3-inch display runs natively at 1,920x1,080, with the one in our review unit achieving an average maximum brightness of 343 cd/m². This is noticeably brighter than the one in our GS75 9SG test device, but it is usual for two supposedly identical displays to vary slightly.
The display in the 9SG also achieved a respectable 1,262:1 contrast ratio thanks to its 0.29 cd/m² black value. The panel also has a 144 Hz refresh rate, a must for modern gaming laptops. Additionally, it has stable viewing angles, short reaction times and accurate colour reproduction. In short, the 9SG has an excellent display, just like its GS75 sibling.
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Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 366 cd/m²
Contrast: 1262:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 0.71
ΔE Greyscale 1.93 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
94% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
93.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), IPS, 1920x1080 | SCHENKER XMG Neo 17 BOEhydis NV173FHM-N44 (BOE07B6), IPS, 1920x1080 | Dell G7 17 7790 AU Optronics AUO409D, B173HAN, IPS, 1920x1080 | Alienware m17 P37E AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, 3840x2160 | Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), IPS, 1920x1080 | Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, IPS, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 2% | -2% | 33% | -2% | -0% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 62.6 | 65.2 4% | 61.9 -1% | 86.4 38% | 62.9 0% | 64 2% |
| sRGB Coverage | 93.5 | 92.2 -1% | 89.6 -4% | 99.9 7% | 87.8 -6% | 90.4 -3% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 64.7 | 66.5 3% | 63.2 -2% | 99.1 53% | 63.9 -1% | 64.8 0% |
| Response Times | -92% | -80% | -287% | 2% | -73% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 7.2 ? | 18.8 ? -161% | 17.2 ? -139% | 35.6 ? -394% | 7.2 ? -0% | 15.6 ? -117% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 10 ? | 12 ? -20% | 12 ? -20% | 28 ? -180% | 9.6 ? 4% | 12.8 ? -28% |
| PWM Frequency | 25510 ? | 971 ? -96% | ||||
| Screen | -32% | -77% | -135% | -30% | -104% | |
| Brightness middle | 366 | 304 -17% | 308.6 -16% | 357.9 -2% | 288 -21% | 299.1 -18% |
| Brightness | 343 | 289 -16% | 299 -13% | 347 1% | 287 -16% | 273 -20% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 90 -1% | 92 1% | 94 3% | 91 0% | 81 -11% |
| Black Level * | 0.29 | 0.26 10% | 0.29 -0% | 0.33 -14% | 0.2 31% | 0.27 7% |
| Contrast | 1262 | 1169 -7% | 1064 -16% | 1085 -14% | 1440 14% | 1108 -12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.51 | 2.65 -75% | 4.26 -182% | 6.57 -335% | 2.33 -54% | 5.07 -236% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.22 | 6.11 -90% | 7.83 -143% | 9.86 -206% | 5.34 -66% | 10.55 -228% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.71 | 1.5 -111% | 2.93 -313% | 6.74 -849% | 2.47 -248% | 3.31 -366% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.93 | 2.75 -42% | 5 -159% | 4.3 -123% | 1.19 38% | 6.8 -252% |
| Gamma | 2.38 92% | 2.46 89% | 2.07 106% | 2.6 85% | 2.41 91% | 2.46 89% |
| CCT | 6881 94% | 6763 96% | 7488 87% | 6403 102% | 6710 97% | 7805 83% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 60 | 60 0% | 57.8 -4% | 88.4 47% | 57 -5% | 58.5 -2% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 94 | 92 -2% | 89.2 -5% | 100 6% | 88 -6% | 89.9 -4% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -41% /
-37% | -53% /
-64% | -130% /
-123% | -10% /
-21% | -59% /
-81% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.8 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. » 23 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 7.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 3.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 25510 Hz | ≤ 17 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 25510 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 17 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 25510 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance
The 9SG is one of the most portable, slim and stylish 17.3-inch gaming laptops that money can buy. It is exceptionally expensive at €3,440 (~$3,911) MSRP but will run all modern triple-A games at maximum graphics in 1080p with ease.
Test Conditions
MSI preinstalls Dragon Center as it does for all its gaming laptops. The program contains numerous options including fan controls, power profiles and RGB backlighting customisations. We conducted all our tests with the fan speed set to automatic and the power mode on Sport.
Processor
At the heart of the 9SG is an Intel Core i7-9750H processor, the successor to the popular Core i7-8750H. The Core i7-9750H is built on the Coffee Lake Refresh architecture and has a 45-W thermal design power (TDP) with a 2.6 GHz base clock speed. The CPU utilises Intel Hyper-Threading to execute up to 12 threads simultaneously and Intel Turbo Boost to achieve 4 GHz across all cores. Incidentally, the Core i7-9750H can peak at 4.1 GHz on five cores and 100 MHz more for every core it is not using, resulting in a 4.5 GHz single core boost clock.
The CPU fluctuates between 3.6 GHz and 4 GHz during a single Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark, which harmonises with its quoted performance. This behaviour only applies with the 9SG connected to mains power though, with the CPU going as low as 1.9 GHz when running on battery. By contrast, the CPU always operates at 4.0 to 4.5 GHz in CB R15 Multi 64Bit irrespective of whether it is on charge or not.
We subjected our review unit to a looped CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark, which we left running for 30 minutes, to determine how well the system maintains its performance under sustained load. Most laptop CPUs throttle to some extent after the first run through and the Core i7-9750H in the 9SG is no different. The device initially scored 1,233 points before dropping to 1,141 points by the third benchmark loop. Scores briefly settle at this level before steadily dropping to around 1,120 points. The device recovered to 1,133 points by the end of the test though. Overall, this is standard behaviour and nothing that should have any serious implications in daily use.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit | |
| Average of class Gaming (5719 - 15819, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | |
| Average of class Gaming (32456 - 112749, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Cinebench R20 | |
| CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Gaming (439 - 856, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Gaming (2179 - 13832, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Average of class Gaming (31241 - 71700, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Average of class Gaming (6158 - 8945, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH (Edge 44.17763.1.0) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG (Edge 44) | |
| Average of class Gaming (421 - 674, n=175, last 2 years) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Gaming (69893 - 115768, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG (Edge 44) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH (Edge 44.17763.1.0) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Gaming (357 - 669, n=33, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG (Edge 44) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH (Edge 44.17763.1.0) | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The 9SG will handle practically any tasks that you could throw at it. It is powerful enough for triple-A gaming along with photo and video editing, which PCMark benchmarks confirm. Our review unit finished second to the Legion Y740-17ICH in PCMark 10, but it is well ahead of the class average. We also encountered no performance issues in daily use regardless of how hard we pushed the system.
| PCMark 7 Score | 6948 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 4461 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 4193 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5716 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5804 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark 10 - Score | |
| Average of class Gaming (5776 - 9852, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Alienware m17 P37E | |
| Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 17 | |
| Dell G7 17 7790 | |
| PCMark 8 | |
| Home Score Accelerated v2 | |
| Average of class Gaming (4560 - 5937, n=20, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Dell G7 17 7790 | |
| Alienware m17 P37E | |
| Work Score Accelerated v2 | |
| Average of class Gaming (5520 - 6853, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Dell G7 17 7790 | |
| Alienware m17 P37E | |
Storage Devices
MSI equips the 9SG with two 1 TB Samsung PM981 SSDs. The drives are set to run in RAID 0, which makes Windows 10 see them as one 2 TB drive. RAID 0 also combines the transfer speeds of both drives, which explains why the 9SG is so far out ahead of our comparison devices in CrystalDiskMark. MSI has partitioned the drives into around 1.2 TB reserved for the user and 700 GB for data. Changing this structure would require re-installing Windows 10.
The 9SG has a third M.2 2280 drive bay, so you would be forgiven for thinking that you could add a third Samsung PM981 in RAID 0 for a speed boost. However, the third drive bay can only run at SATA III speeds, limiting its functionality somewhat.
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0) | SCHENKER XMG Neo 17 Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB | Dell G7 17 7790 Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G | Alienware m17 P37E SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG) | Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR | Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -21% | -56% | -17% | -27% | -18% | |
| Write 4K | 95.5 | 92.7 -3% | 78.6 -18% | 120.2 26% | 92.4 -3% | 99.8 5% |
| Read 4K | 42.59 | 41.4 -3% | 31.89 -25% | 44.3 4% | 39.59 -7% | 40.81 -4% |
| Write Seq | 2851 | 1363 -52% | 230.4 -92% | 1278 -55% | 1221 -57% | 1385 -51% |
| Read Seq | 2696 | 1259 -53% | 925 -66% | 1389 -48% | 1005 -63% | 2089 -23% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 402.6 | 289.7 -28% | 159.1 -60% | 436.2 8% | 292.5 -27% | 380 -6% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 443.9 | 337.5 -24% | 315.6 -29% | 515 16% | 330.8 -25% | 445.5 0% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 3420 | 3332 -3% | 230.7 -93% | 1157 -66% | 2385 -30% | 1380 -60% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3514 | 3477 -1% | 1323 -62% | 2671 -24% | 3339 -5% | 3471 -1% |
Graphics Card
The 9SG also comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, with the Max-Q name indicating that it is a more power efficient version of the regular GeForce RTX 2080. The GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 and has 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 990 MHz base clock speed. It can boost to 1,230 MHz when needed too.
The GPU can achieve even higher clock speeds though if the system can prevent it from thermal throttling. The GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q in our review unit can briefly hit 1,800 MHz, but it averaged just 1,365 MHz in synthetic benchmarks. The clock speed dropped further to 1,275 MHz while playing "The Witcher 3" too.
Our review unit performed as expected in 3DMark benchmarks, although it generally trailed the ROG Zephyrus S GX701GX by 7%. Incidentally, the 9SG supports NVIDIA Optimus, which allows it to switch between the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q and the UHD Graphics 630 GPU that integrated on the Core i7-9750H. We shall cover the effects of this in the Power Management section of this review.
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 37968 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 21390 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 34168 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 17182 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 7518 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
Unsurprisingly, the 9SG handles all modern triple-A titles with ease, with it only averaging less than 60 FPS at 1080p in "Ark Survival Evolve" and "Anno 1800" with both set to maximum graphics. Other games such as "Far Cry 5" and "Rage 2" run at above 90 FPS at the same settings, which makes use of the 9SG’s 144 Hz panel.
The device should be powerful enough to play games in 4K too. You may have to drop the graphics level to balance the increased volume of pixels being rendered. You should have no issues with playing older games such as "BioShock Infinite" in 4K at maximum graphics though.
| The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Average of class Gaming (18.4 - 216, n=163, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Alienware m17 P37E | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 17 | |
| Dell G7 17 7790 | |
| BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) | |
| Alienware m17 P37E | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH | |
| Dell G7 17 7790 | |
| Far Cry New Dawn - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
| Average of class Gaming (120 - 131, n=2, last 2 years) | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 17 | |
| Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG | |
We also left "The Witcher 3" running for an hour in 1080p and maximum graphics to see how our review unit maintained its performance during a prolonged gaming session. We did not move the character during this period, for reference. Framerates fluctuated between 52 and 82 FPS during this test, with the device averaging 76 FPS. This puts the 9SG ahead of all our comparison devices including the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q powered ROG Zephyrus S GX701GX and Legion Y740-17ICH.