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MSI P65 Creator 8RF (i7-8750H, GTX 1070 Max-Q, 512 GB SSD, 144 Hz) Laptop Review

Well-dressed high performer! MSI's Prestige series promises desktop-level performance while maintaining maximum mobility at the same time. We have decided to take a closer look at whether MSI managed to keep its promises. At first glance, the device seems to keep its word, and a hexa-core CPU and GTX 1070 are great for much more than just working.

With the P65 Creator 8RE, 8RD, and 8RF MSI introduced three new Prestige-series devices that are basically three different trim models of the same base unit. All three share some commonalities, such as the Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. This should make for a solid basis.

The most obvious difference is case color, and only the Limited Edition features a completely white aluminum case. The two less-expensive P65 models feature a low-key silver case. Another Limited Edition exclusive is the GPU, as it is the only one available with a GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q with 8 GB of VRAM. The P65 Creator entry-level model features a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti instead, and it starts at around $1,600. At the time of writing, our review unit sold for more than $2,300.

In order to have an extensive range of comparability we have picked competitors from the realms of multimedia, gaming, and workstations. Keep in mind that the MSI P65 Creator is not a true workstation notebook, and MSI is offering a portable workstation as well (WS65).

Its primary competitors are the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. From the realm of gaming, we picked the Gigabyte Aero 15X v8 and the Asus ROG Strix GL504.

MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator (P65 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1266 MHz, Memory: 8000 MHz, GDDR5, Nvidia 398.35, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, 1x 16 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, Single-Channel, 1 of 2 used, max. 32 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS, FHD, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ, 512 GB 
, 512 GB SSD (M.2 PCIe Gen3 NVMe)
Soundcard
Realtek Audio
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x headphones, 1x microphone, SPDIF, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Qualcomm Atheros AR8171/8175 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.9 x 358 x 248 ( = 0.7 x 14.09 x 9.76 in)
Battery
82 Wh, 5380 mAh Lithium-Polymer, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD (720p, 30 fps)
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0 Dynaudio, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 180 W power supply, warranty booklet, quick start guide, prestige box, protective sleeve, Dragon Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.899 kg ( = 66.99 oz / 4.19 pounds), Power Supply: 557 g ( = 19.65 oz / 1.23 pounds)
Price
2300 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The basis for the P65 Creator is the MSI GS65 8RF. Where the GS65 is the gaming contender with flamboyant features such as an RGB-backlit keyboard, the P65 Creator is its more constrained and professional sibling, and the Limited Edition is completely white as well. The high-quality aluminum base and display lid look and feel very premium. However, we found some deficiencies upon closer inspection, for example uneven gaps as well as poor transitions between the top and the bottom parts of the base. While this may sound like a typical First-World problem we do expect top quality from any device that sells for more than $2,000.

Overall rigidity suffered slightly from its ultra-light design. For example, we have not had any trouble twisting and warping the base, and exerting punctiform force on the case led to minor creaking. To make matters worse the top case flexed noticeably at the top in the middle right above the power button.

However, should you opt for an MSI P65 8RF Creator you are going to receive it in a very classy wooden box. This, unfortunately, is another Limited Edition exclusive.

MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator mit Prestige Box
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI P65 8RF - Creator
MSI sleeve
MSI sleeve

At just 1.8 kg the MSI P65 Creator is just as lightweight as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. More accurately, it weighs exactly 1,899 grams, which emphasizes MSI’s focus on mobility. The charger adds another 557 g. Due to its very narrow display bezels the P65’s footprint is rather small, and at just 18 mm the case is incredibly thin. None of its competitors gets even close.

Size Comparison

361 mm / 14.2 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.5 kg5.41 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.9 kg4.14 lbs361.8 mm / 14.2 inch 245.7 mm / 9.67 inch 18.7 mm / 0.736 inch 1.8 kg4.06 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.07 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.58 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Connectivity is up-to-date and sufficient for most use cases even though the P65 follows the general trend of omitting the card reader altogether and requiring a USB adapter to be plugged into one of the device’s three USB-A ports. Multimedia users are going to be fond of the HDMI and DisplayPort connectors for external displays. Unfortunately, MSI opted for the smaller MiniDisplayPort instead of a full-sized specimen, and the HDMI port only supports UHD up to 30 Hz (4K@60 Hz is supported via MiniDisplayPort).

Due to the side-mounted fan vents port distribution is anything but ideal. We do like the angled power plug that allows the power cable to run straight towards the back, providing extra space for a mouse on the right-hand side of the device.

Left: Kensington lock, RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB 3.1, headphones, microphone
Left: Kensington lock, RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB 3.1, headphones, microphone
Right: USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, power
Right: USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, power
Front: no connectivity
Front: no connectivity
Rear: fan vents
Rear: fan vents

Communication

Wi-Fi modem
Wi-Fi modem
Wi-Fi antennas
Wi-Fi antennas

Unlike the gaming model the P65 Creator features an Intel Wireless-AC 9560 Wi-Fi modem that did fairly well in our tests. However, we should note that the very same modem performed significantly better in the Asus GL504GS most likely due to the latter’s better antenna design. Still, a 585 Mb/s downstream rate is not half bad. In addition to Wi-Fi, the 9560 also supports Bluetooth 5.0.

Those who prefer wired connections will be delighted to learn that the P65 Creator features an RJ45 port on the left-hand side. Both communication modules worked flawlessly during our tests, and we have not encountered any problems transferring large amounts of data from and to our NAS.

Unfortunately, the P65 Creator lacks an internal 4G/LTE modem, which cannot even be fitted optionally.

Please note that due to a mistake while running our transmit benchmarks we were unable to log these values. Due to time constraints we were unable to repeat these benchmarks.

Networking - iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +93%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
682 MBit/s +17%
Asus GL504GS
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
672 MBit/s +15%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
662 MBit/s +13%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
660 MBit/s +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
627 (319min - 666max) MBit/s +7%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
585 (484min - 680max) MBit/s
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator; iperf 3.1.3: Ø630 (484-680)

Security

Fingerprint reader with support for Windows Hello (source: MSI)
Fingerprint reader with support for Windows Hello (source: MSI)

The major security feature on the P65 Creator is its fingerprint reader located in the top-left corner of the touchpad. Unfortunately, this also means that this bit of surface area is not usable for input. The fingerprint reader was very easy and comfortable to use and allowed for logging into Windows without typing in a password every time. A Kensington lock is also available for those who travel frequently.

Accessories

Should you happen to order an MSI P65 8RF you are going to receive it in a very classy wooden box with an MSI logo on its top and Prestige writing on the side. In addition to the notebook itself and the 180 W power supply, you will also find a quick-start guide, a warranty leaflet, and a matching sleeve protecting the P65 quite well during transport in the box.

MSI Prestige box
MSI Prestige box
MSI P65 inside Prestige box
MSI P65 inside Prestige box
MSI sleeve

Maintenance

In general, the P65 is maintainable to a certain degree. However, MSI points out that it is going to get complicated due to the compact design of the device. This is a problem we have already encountered previously when reviewing the MSI GS65. Once the bottom cover has been removed you have access to the three fans, the battery, and the Wi-Fi modem. RAM and SSD are mounted on the other side of the motherboard. In other words: The entire motherboard must be removed in order to upgrade or replace either of these.

MSI P65 8RF Creator with bottom cover removed
MSI P65 8RF Creator with bottom cover removed
Poor maintenance options
Poor maintenance options

Warranty

While European customers are treated to a two-year limited pickup and return warranty when purchasing the P65 Creator, US customers are once again limited to just a single year. Optional warranty extensions are available. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Software

Like most MSI notebooks the P65 is supported by the Dragon Center software, albeit its GUI is much more restrained. In addition to offering a quick and extensive overview of the system itself the software can also be used to adjust the cooling system in order to avoid unnecessary noise during presentation or meetings. These features can also be accessed and adjusted via MSI’s Dragon Center smartphone app. The True Color tool features a total of five display presets.

MSI is currently offering a $300 software bundle for all P65 Creator buyers until the end of 2018.

MSI Dragon Center overview
MSI Dragon Center overview
MSI Dragon Center options
MSI Dragon Center options
MSI True Color display settings
MSI True Color display settings
MSI True Color tools
MSI True Color tools

Input Devices

Keyboard

MSI P65 8RF Creator keyboard (source: MSI)
MSI P65 8RF Creator keyboard (source: MSI)
MSI P65 8RF Creator keyboard (backlit)
MSI P65 8RF Creator keyboard (backlit)

The keyboard is the most obvious feature showing the P65’s gaming heritage, and MSI has simply copied the layout and labeling without making any changes. Many international users will be bothered by the fact that the keyboard layout is going to be very different from their respective default layout and design.

The chiclet keyboard sits flush with the palm rest, and we would have preferred a firmer keystroke. Since the keyboard deck flexes slightly while typing, it feels a bit spongy. A numpad is missing from the keyboard, which features a uni-color three-stage backlight for added inconspicuousness that can also be turned off completely. We highly suggest doing just that in dark environments since the contrast between the white keys and the white backlight, or rather the lack thereof, drastically impedes deciphering the actual labels on the keycaps.

Touchpad

Touchpad with embedded fingerprint reader
Touchpad with embedded fingerprint reader

At 10.4 x 7 cm (4.1 x 2.76 inches) the touchpad fits snug in the space between the space bar and the bottom edge. Unfortunately, the top left corner is not available for input as MSI decided this would be an ideal place to put the fingerprint reader. We would have certainly preferred for the reader to be embedded into the case itself instead of the touchpad. Other than that the ClickPad worked well and turned out to be very precise, including in the remaining three corners.

The touchpad was mounted securely in the base and did not rattle or clatter. Clicking the hidden buttons resulted in a very clear and distinct acoustic feedback even though key travel turned out to be very short.

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
No clouding
No clouding

The P65 8RF’s display is a true gamer's delight - 15.6 inches of matte 144 Hz IPS goodness. Unfortunately, like so many other things this display is also a Limited Edition exclusive. The other two P65 models are equipped with a regular 60 Hz IPS display.

Sadly, we have to report that at just 235 nits the display turned out to be very dark and incapable of getting even close to the Asus ZenBook Pro 15’s 350 nits. Thanks to a low black-level of just 0.22 nits at least the contrast ratio was measured at a decent 1,068:1, and at 85% brightness distribution was decent enough to avoid halations. We also found neither PWM nor backlight bleeding on our review unit.

As mentioned before, MSI’s True Color software includes a total of five color presets for the display. All tests were performed with the sRGB profile activated.

249
cd/m²
243
cd/m²
238
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
223
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
245
cd/m²
212
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 249 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 235.1 cd/m² Minimum: 10.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 238 cd/m²
Contrast: 1068:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.82 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.88
ΔE Greyscale 2.32 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
92% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
AU Optronics B156ZAN03.1, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus GL504GS
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
B156ZAN03.2, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
31%
-0%
0%
2%
31%
Display P3 Coverage
65.1
85.9
32%
63.6
-2%
66.4
2%
66.2
2%
86.3
33%
sRGB Coverage
91.1
100
10%
93.8
3%
90.2
-1%
92.1
1%
100
10%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.9
99.1
50%
64.9
-2%
66
0%
67.2
2%
99.4
51%
Response Times
-141%
-4%
38%
-13%
-238%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16 ?(9, 7)
44 ?(22, 22)
-175%
16.8 ?(8.4, 8.4)
-5%
7.2 ?(3.8, 3.4)
55%
17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4)
-10%
61.6 ?(30.8, 30.8)
-285%
Response Time Black / White *
11 ?(7, 4)
22.8 ?(12, 10.8)
-107%
11.2 ?(6, 5.2)
-2%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
20%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-16%
32 ?(15.6, 16.4)
-191%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-2%
18%
3%
13%
2%
Brightness middle
235
357.6
52%
313
33%
271
15%
254
8%
396
69%
Brightness
235
350
49%
300
28%
261
11%
262
11%
380
62%
Brightness Distribution
85
85
0%
78
-8%
86
1%
89
5%
90
6%
Black Level *
0.22
0.35
-59%
0.33
-50%
0.32
-45%
0.22
-0%
0.28
-27%
Contrast
1068
1022
-4%
948
-11%
847
-21%
1155
8%
1414
32%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.82
4.12
-46%
1.29
54%
2.61
7%
2.37
16%
4
-42%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.82
9.91
-106%
2.04
58%
4.93
-2%
4.71
2%
7.6
-58%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.88
4.23
13%
2.33
52%
1.84
62%
0.9
82%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.32
1.8
22%
0.69
70%
1.97
15%
1.58
32%
6.1
-163%
Gamma
2.49 88%
2.17 101%
2.43 91%
2.4 92%
2.48 89%
2.25 98%
CCT
6310 103%
6613 98%
6550 99%
6398 102%
6785 96%
7786 83%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59
87.5
48%
60
2%
59
0%
60
2%
88.5
50%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92
100
9%
94
2%
90
-2%
92
0%
100
9%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-37% / -13%
5% / 11%
14% / 7%
1% / 8%
-68% / -23%

* ... smaller is better

MSI P65 8RF vs. sRGB (92%)
MSI P65 8RF vs. sRGB (92%)
MSI P65 8RF vs. AdobeRGB (59%)
MSI P65 8RF vs. AdobeRGB (59%)

Color quality was very decent overall, and the low DeltaE deviation hints at calibration ex factory. Out of the box, the P65’s DeltaE for colors was just 3, and our retroactive calibration efforts were fruitless. As always, the resulting ICC profile can be found for download in the box above.

MSI claims 100% sRGB coverage, which we are unable to attest. However, 92% sRGB and 59% AdobeRGB are still quite decent. We should note that we use a different 3D measuring technique than the industry’s default 2D calculation. While Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 and Asus' ZenBook Pro 15 did much better in this category the display should not stand in the way of semi-professional photo-editing ambitions.

CalMAN: grayscale (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: grayscale (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)

Outdoor usability is severely limited by the display’s poor brightness, but at least it remains somewhat usable in the shade thanks to its matte coating. If at all possible we suggest avoiding using the MSI P65 8RF outdoors.

MSI P65 8RF Creator in sunlight
MSI P65 8RF Creator in sunlight
MSI P65 8RF Creator in the shade
MSI P65 8RF Creator in the shade

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
11 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 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. » 24 % 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
16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 7 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 24 % 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.

As expected, viewing angles were superb thanks to the IPS panel. We did notice very minor shifts in color representation at extreme angles that were unnoticeable during normal everyday use.

MSI P65 8RF Creator viewing angles
MSI P65 8RF Creator viewing angles

Performance

Performance-wise, the three P65 models differ mainly in their 3D performance. While the entry-level model features a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, the mid-range and top-tier units are equipped with a GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q and a GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, respectively. All three feature the exact same Intel Core i7-8750H CPU with no other options available.

Content Creation with Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Premiere is a breeze on this device, and it handled even the most demanding applications just fine. Thanks to its low-key design and lack of RGB bling it is very business-compatible.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
DPC latencies
Intel Extreme Utility
Intel Extreme Utility (Benchmark)
 

Processor

Intel’s Core i7-8750H is a high-end notebook processor that can be mostly found in expensive multimedia and gaming laptops. It features six physical cores with up to 12 threads, is specified at 45 W, and it includes an integrated GPU to keep power consumption low. Its base clock of 2.2 GHz can boost up to 4.1 GHz. Additional information can be found here.

In our benchmarks, the P65’s Core i7-8750H performed very well overall, and it was on a par with its similarly equipped competitors. In CineBench R15 multi it even outperformed the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 with its Core i9-8950HK and scored an impressive 1,100 points.

Persistent load, however, is not its best friend, and like the ZenBook Pro 15 the P65 started to reduce clock speeds after a short while. In the long run, CineBench R15 scores settled at around 993 points, which is acceptable. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 played in its own league and performed much better than the entire competition when undervolted.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø993 (983.33-1046.24)
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE Intel Core i9-8950HK, Intel Core i9-8950HK: Ø1039 (1027.64-1112.59)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H; Undervolting: Ø1218 (1194.56-1224.81)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1065 (1052.44-1126.79)
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1110 (1041.91-1133.72)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +42%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK
191 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H
176 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points 0%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points 0%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points -2%
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
170 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +107%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H
1218 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H
1135 Points +3%
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
1190 Points +8%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1133 Points +3%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1113 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
1100 Points
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
1053 Points -4%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (2.6 - 3.21, n=3, last 2 years)
2.85 Points +43%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2.16 Points +9%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
2 Points +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.98 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (1.89 - 2, n=40)
1.967 Points -1%
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.92 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 31.6, n=3, last 2 years)
24 Points +110%
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
13.26 Points +16%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.93 Points +13%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (9.54 - 13.5, n=41)
12.2 Points +7%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK
11.95 Points +5%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
11.82 Points +3%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
11.43 Points
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Multimedia
  (4.12 - 30.5, n=85, last 2 years)
15.3 fps +102%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (7.56 - 9.55, n=5)
8.22 fps +9%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
7.56 fps
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 2
Average of class Multimedia
  (93.4 - 104.1, n=2, last 2 years)
98.8 fps +54%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (64.2 - 70.2, n=2)
67.2 fps +5%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
64.2 (63.7min - 66.5max) fps
Pass 1
Average of class Multimedia
  (222 - 237, n=2, last 2 years)
229 fps +18%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (193.5 - 207, n=2)
200 fps +3%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
193.5 (190min - 197max) fps
wPrime 2.10
32m
Average of class Multimedia
  (3.72 - 26.3, n=2, last 2 years)
15 s * -137%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (4.35 - 16.3, n=6)
7.14 s * -13%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
6.337 s *
1024m
Average of class Multimedia
  (103.6 - 1259, n=2, last 2 years)
681 s * -288%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
175.7 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (125.5 - 180.5, n=6)
157.5 s * +10%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
465.5 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (396 - 486, n=6)
456 Seconds * +2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (107 - 956, n=92, last 2 years)
275 Seconds * +41%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
Jetstream 1.1
Jetstream 1.1
Octane V2
Octane V2
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7795
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
8498 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
33944 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
8010 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6440
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
31213
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 32Bit
10.55 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 32Bit
71.7 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.99 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
11.43 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
72 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 32Bit
1.77 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
175 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
102.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1100 Points
Help

System Performance

In our PCMark 10 benchmarks the P65 Creator scored somewhere mid-field and was around 9% slower than the front-runner in this category. All devices performed very similarly overall, and the scores were very close to each other without any clear-cut winners or losers.

We experienced no hiccups or other irregularities during our entire review period with the P65. The hardware seems to be well balanced, and LatencyMon failed to detect any significant latencies. With 16 GB of RAM and its 512 GB SSD the stylish device was sufficiently well-equipped for office use as well as for the latest games.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +33%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
5358 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (4910 - 5728, n=9)
5223 Points +6%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
5095 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
5059 Points +3%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
4910 Points
Asus GL504GS
4854 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
4785 Points -3%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +33%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
9087 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
8971 Points +14%
Asus GL504GS
8758 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (6838 - 9270, n=9)
8199 Points +4%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
7853 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
7785 Points -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
6838 Points -13%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +23%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
8020 Points +14%
Asus GL504GS
7963 Points +13%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
7750 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (7032 - 7793, n=9)
7324 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
7150 Points +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
7065 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
6671 Points -6%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +48%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
6775 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (5793 - 7303, n=9)
6468 Points +12%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
6314 Points +9%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
5802 Points 0%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
5793 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
4908 Points -15%
Asus GL504GS
4450 Points -23%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Asus GL504GS
5390 Points +21%
Average of class Multimedia (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +14%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
4665 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (4393 - 5130, n=10)
4599 Points +3%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
4504 Points +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
4446 Points
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
3661 Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
3611 Points -19%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
5676 Points 0%
Asus GL504GS
5673 Points 0%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
5651 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (5323 - 5818, n=10)
5628 Points 0%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
5621 Points -1%
Average of class Multimedia (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points -7%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
4456 Points -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
4381 Points -22%

Legend

 
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
 
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
 
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8 Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
 
Asus GL504GS Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
 
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
 
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4446 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5264 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5651 points
PCMark 10 Score
4910 points
Help

Storage Devices

European P65 Creator models can only be purchased with a 512 GB NVMe-SSD. In other parts of the world, including the US, the 512 GB SSD is an optional upgrade and the devices are equipped with a 256 GB SSD by default. Our review unit came with a Kingston M.2 SSD that performed very well in our tests. Keep in mind though that many NVMe SSDs reach upwards of 1,000 MB/s in sequential read and write. At 849 and 869 MB/s our review unit’s SSD performed much faster than any SATA III SSD (usually limited to around 500 MB/s).

We were particularly impressed with its 4K read performance of 36 MB/s. Boot time and application launch times benefit the most from this capability. Unfortunately, the device lacks a secondary storage bay, and we would have loved to see at least a second M.2 slot.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 3
CDM 3
CDM 5
CDM 5
CDM 6
CDM 6
CDI
CDI
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Asus GL504GS
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
33%
21%
42%
35%
71%
Write 4K
89.2
125
40%
94.4
6%
97.9
10%
95.3
7%
123.7
39%
Read 4K
34.36
44.68
30%
37.65
10%
41.23
20%
40.13
17%
44.07
28%
Write Seq
949
1059
12%
1335
41%
1852
95%
1883
98%
2215
133%
Read Seq
899
772
-14%
1404
56%
1761
96%
1322
47%
2242
149%
Write 4K Q32T1
371.4
507
37%
268.6
-28%
297.7
-20%
309.9
-17%
313.9
-15%
Read 4K Q32T1
399
614
54%
332.8
-17%
344.2
-14%
353.7
-11%
359.8
-10%
Write Seq Q32T1
1035
1763
70%
1375
33%
1864
80%
1919
85%
2404
132%
Read Seq Q32T1
1603
2171
35%
2627
64%
2738
71%
2466
54%
3333
108%
AS SSD
72%
19%
83%
72%
123%
Seq Read
850
2099
147%
2213
160%
1837
116%
1266
49%
2703
218%
Seq Write
869
1729
99%
1163
34%
1730
99%
1834
111%
2336
169%
4K Read
36.43
37.78
4%
23.36
-36%
53.3
46%
48.94
34%
56.8
56%
4K Write
84.4
100.9
20%
80.4
-5%
105.7
25%
107.2
27%
130.9
55%
4K-64 Read
839
1431
71%
847
1%
1305
56%
1170
39%
1805
115%
4K-64 Write
602
1273
111%
742
23%
1704
183%
1760
192%
1782
196%
Access Time Read *
0.104
0.04
62%
0.119
-14%
0.049
53%
0.073
30%
0.034
67%
Access Time Write *
0.044
0.036
18%
0.046
-5%
0.035
20%
0.035
20%
0.028
36%
Score Read
960
1679
75%
1092
14%
1542
61%
1346
40%
2132
122%
Score Write
773
1547
100%
939
21%
1983
157%
2051
165%
2147
178%
Score Total
2233
4065
82%
2536
14%
4318
93%
4122
85%
5355
140%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
53% / 55%
20% / 20%
63% / 66%
54% / 56%
97% / 101%

* ... smaller is better

Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
Sequential Read: 858 MB/s
Sequential Write: 879 MB/s
512K Read: 604 MB/s
512K Write: 796 MB/s
4K Read: 34.15 MB/s
4K Write: 85.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 354.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 321.9 MB/s

GPU Performance

In addition to the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 the P65 Creator also features a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q. This particular GPU is only available on the top model. The decision to opt for the more efficient Max-Q design is a very welcome one considering the device’s thin design. It comes at a price, though, as the regular GTX 1070 is faster than its Max-Q equivalent. Since they are practically identical, the P65 and GS65 performed almost identically in our benchmarks.

If you intend to use the device for professional workloads you may want to take a closer look at the MSI WS63 workstation notebook. It features a Quadro P3000 GPU that cannot keep up with its gaming counterparts in 3DMark but outperforms every single one of them in the SPECviewperf tests by quite significant margins. This workstation is thus truly made for professional 3D workloads.

Additional GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q benchmarks can be found here.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus GL504GS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
21058 Points +15%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
19162 Points +5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (17680 - 20829, n=18)
19016 Points +4%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18687 Points +2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points 0%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18234 Points
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
12105 Points -34%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
8854 Points -51%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
8619 Points -53%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Asus GL504GS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
107472 Points +46%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
104942 Points +42%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
98013 Points +33%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (73739 - 107807, n=16)
97317 Points +32%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
73739 Points
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
65089 Points -12%
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points -22%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
43721 Points -41%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus GL504GS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
16345 Points +13%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
15156 Points +5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (14146 - 16165, n=16)
14910 Points +3%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
14780 Points +2%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
14463 Points
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points -6%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
9489 Points -34%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
7291 Points -50%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7199 Points -50%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (622 - 17620, n=87, last 2 years)
5121 Points +8%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
4734 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (4548 - 4795, n=5)
4687 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
2196 Points -54%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
2075 Points -56%
SPECviewperf 12
1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
102.9 fps +130%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (44.8 - 50.9, n=2)
47.8 fps +7%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
44.79 fps
1900x1060 Siemens NX (snx-02)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
71.8 fps +968%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (6.72 - 6.96, n=2)
6.84 fps +2%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
6.72 fps
1900x1060 Showcase (showcase-01)
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (71.6 - 78.8, n=2)
75.2 fps +5%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
71.6 fps
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
54.8 fps -23%
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (32.7 - 36, n=2)
34.4 fps +5%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
32.67 fps
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
29.82 fps -9%
1900x1060 Maya (maya-04)
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (83.4 - 101.4, n=2)
92.4 fps +11%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
83.4 fps
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
67.7 fps -19%
1900x1060 Energy (energy-01)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.7 fps +12%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
6.88 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (6.88 - 6.88, n=2)
6.88 fps 0%
1900x1060 Creo (creo-01)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
87 fps +93%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (45.1 - 45.4, n=2)
45.2 fps 0%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
45.05 fps
1900x1060 Catia (catia-04)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
96.5 fps +54%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (62.7 - 63.9, n=2)
63.3 fps +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
62.7 fps
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (2460 - 2586, n=2)
2523 Samples/s +3%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
2460 Samples/s
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1805 Samples/s -27%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
1425 Samples/s -42%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1062 - 1165, n=3, last 2 years)
1107 Samples/s -55%
Sala GPUs-only
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
4998 Samples/s
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (4877 - 4998, n=2)
4938 Samples/s -1%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
3317 Samples/s -34%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i9-8950HK
2600 Samples/s -48%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1717 - 2796, n=3, last 2 years)
2401 Samples/s -52%
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark 11
3DMark Vantage
 
3DMark 06 Standard Score
33475 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
44090 points
3DMark 11 Performance
14492 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
80916 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
29275 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
12573 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
6589 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
4763 points
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Gaming Performance

Even though the MSI P65 Creator was made with professional workloads in mind it is capable of running the latest games perfectly smooth in 1080p thanks to its hexa-core CPU and its GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU. Higher resolutions require a faster GPU, though.

In our sustained load The Witcher 3 test the P65 8RF performed admirably even though we were able to determine a slight drop in performance, from 53 FPS at the beginning to 49.9 FPS after around 30 minutes. The minimum of 45 FPS means that we did not experience any annoying frame drops whatsoever.

Additional GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q gaming benchmarks can be found here.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
55.6 fps +8%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
52.7 fps +2%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
52.4 fps +2%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
51.5 (45min - 58max) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (46 - 55.3, n=19)
51.5 fps 0%
Average of class Multimedia
  (8 - 143.2, n=94, last 2 years)
50 fps -3%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA Quadro P3000
33 fps -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
24.9 fps -52%
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
24.2 fps -53%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
Average of class Multimedia
  (32 - 153, n=13, last 2 years)
83.5 fps +44%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (58 - 61, n=3)
59 fps +2%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
58 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
29 fps -50%
Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
87 fps +18%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
78 fps +5%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
75 fps +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (72 - 78, n=4)
74.8 fps +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
74 (59min - 87max) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (17 - 145, n=54, last 2 years)
70.1 fps -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
41 fps -45%
F1 2018 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
76 (65min - 88max) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (70 - 76, n=3)
74 fps -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
38 fps -50%
Forza Horizon 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
  (78 - 80, n=2)
79 fps +1%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
78 fps
05101520253035404550Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q; FPS: Ø23.7 (22-27)
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q: Ø49.9 (45-53)
MSI WS63 7RF-290US Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA Quadro P3000: Ø31.3 (29-35)
low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 249.1 222.1 204.7 118
The Witcher 3 (2015) 218.5 156.7 93.2 51.5 27.7
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 131.1 126.7 85.7 77.1 32.1
Battlefield 1 (2016) 123.2 105.5 91.5 90.7 39.1
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 70 64 62 53 26
Far Cry 5 (2018) 103 81 77 74 27
F1 2018 (2018) 163 130 100 76 59
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 91 65 62 58 20
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 127 101 95 78 43
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 64 62 52 39 21

Emissions

System Noise

The MSI P65 Creator proved to be a fairly quiet notebook by and large. However, since the fans are always running it is not a silent device by any means. Accordingly, we measured a sound pressure level of 32.1 dB(A) when idle and a maximum of 40.2 dB(A) with an acceptable average of 39 dB(A) under load. The only contender even quieter was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1. Compared to its gaming brethren, the P65 did very well despite the fact that its CPU and GPU performance were on a par.

The objective measurements and numbers show a good balance. Sadly, subjective impressions painted a very different picture. Due to its thin design the fans had to be designed extremely small and thin. Accordingly, their high-pitched frequency made them seem louder than the numbers suggest. The three fans were also very quick to rev up and down continuously depending on load. Using the Dragon Center software you can fine-tune the fans to your liking to a certain degree.

The cooling system consists of three fans
The cooling system consists...
The cooling system consists of three fans
...of three fans

Noise Level

Idle
32.1 / 32.1 / 32.4 dB(A)
Load
39 / 40.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.7 dB(A)
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
Asus GL504GS
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA Quadro P3000
Noise
2%
6%
-9%
-13%
-2%
3%
off / environment *
30.7
28
9%
28.8
6%
29
6%
29
6%
30
2%
28.1
8%
Idle Minimum *
32.1
28.6
11%
28.8
10%
30
7%
32
-0%
30
7%
28.1
12%
Idle Average *
32.1
29.9
7%
28.8
10%
31
3%
33
-3%
31
3%
28.1
12%
Idle Maximum *
32.4
30.5
6%
31.3
3%
35
-8%
40
-23%
34
-5%
32
1%
Load Average *
39
42.5
-9%
36.4
7%
49
-26%
49
-26%
43
-10%
38
3%
Load Maximum *
40.2
44.8
-11%
39.2
2%
54
-34%
53
-32%
44
-9%
47.2
-17%
Witcher 3 ultra *
44.8
36.4
51
51
42
35.8

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.736.84539.441.72538.134.940.734.238.13135.231.433.731.235.24032.431.534.232.332.45034.235.534.233.134.26333.536.236.233.833.58029.93230.328.829.910030.429.431.128.330.412527.827.527.325.427.816027.927.72825.327.920026.92826.926.126.925027.426.925.62427.431525.627.725.223.525.640025.526.123.921.825.550024.925.923.221.524.963024.625.922.120.424.680025.627.721.619.325.6100025.928.120.71925.9125026.828.220.118.526.8160027.228.719.41827.2200028.329.918.817.928.3250028.629.718.617.428.6315030.83218.217.430.8400026.426.818.11726.4500027.82817.917.327.8630024.224.717.617.324.2800021.821.817.817.321.81000020.520.417.617.220.51250018.518.317.41718.51600017.717.717.517.117.7SPL39.140.232.130.839.1N33.31.61.33median 26.4median 27.7median 20.1median 18.5median 26.4Delta2.82.13.22.72.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseMSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator

Temperature

3DMark 11 immediately after our stress test
3DMark 11 immediately after our stress test

By running our stress test we take a closer look at thermal characteristics under load. While running Prime95, temperatures shot up to 92 °C very quickly, a point at which the CPU started to thermal throttle in order to prevent damage. Eventually, the Core i7-8750H settled at 3 GHz and thus still significantly above its base clock frequency.

Our GPU stress test consists of running FurMark for at least a full hour. During this test, the maximum GPU temperature recorded was 79 °C. However, due to the compact design of the case the high GPU temperature had an effect on CPU temperature as well, and it once again topped out at 92 °C. Running Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously resulted in a CPU temperature of 92 °C and a GPU temperature of 81 °C.

By running 3DMark 11 immediately following our stress test without giving the device any time to cool off we attempt to determine possible detrimental effects of maximum load on overall performance. To our surprise it performed almost identical to a cold start.


Stress test: Prime95 solo
Stress test: Prime95 solo
Stress test: FurMark solo
Stress test: FurMark solo
Stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Max. Load
 42.4 °C
108 F
46.6 °C
116 F
42.7 °C
109 F
 
 43.9 °C
111 F
45 °C
113 F
43.1 °C
110 F
 
 32.2 °C
90 F
41.7 °C
107 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 46.6 °C = 116 F
Average: 41.1 °C = 106 F
47.9 °C
118 F
56.6 °C
134 F
42.3 °C
108 F
42 °C
108 F
44.1 °C
111 F
40.1 °C
104 F
35 °C
95 F
35.8 °C
96 F
35.3 °C
96 F
Maximum: 56.6 °C = 134 F
Average: 42.1 °C = 108 F
Power Supply (max.)  54.6 °C = 130 F | Room Temperature 23.7 °C = 75 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 41.1 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.6 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 56.6 °C / 134 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 41.7 °C / 107.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-12.9 °C / -23.3 F).
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Asus GL504GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
Heat
-5%
7%
-6%
-17%
3%
-2%
Maximum Upper Side *
46.6
42.4
9%
45.4
3%
53
-14%
55
-18%
49
-5%
46.4
-0%
Maximum Bottom *
56.6
50.8
10%
53.4
6%
65
-15%
55
3%
63
-11%
62
-10%
Idle Upper Side *
28.8
33
-15%
26.3
9%
26
10%
36
-25%
24
17%
28.2
2%
Idle Bottom *
28.5
35.2
-24%
26.2
8%
30
-5%
36
-26%
25
12%
28.8
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Heat map top (idle)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map top (load)
Heat map top (load)
Heat map bottom (load)
Heat map bottom (load)

Speakers

MSI P65 Creator speakers
MSI P65 Creator speakers

The P65 Creator is equipped with two bottom-firing speakers located at the front underneath the palm rest. Accordingly, placing the device on a soft surface will inevitably result in a muffled soundscape. Ideally, you want the device to be placed on a flat table-top surface that reflects the sound waves towards the user. The Nahimic software tool can be used to adjust sound performance to one’s liking. All things considered, sound performance was decent and voices were clear and easily understandable. Thus, the P65 Creator is well suited for phone and video conferences.

That said the integrated speakers are obviously not able to compete at eye level with external speakers or headphones that can be connected via the dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Nahimic audio settings
Nahimic audio settings
Nahimic microphone settings
Nahimic microphone settings
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.839.443.82543.134.243.13143.431.243.44044.932.344.95044.233.144.26345.133.845.18046.728.846.710047.928.347.912547.625.447.616049.925.349.920051.226.151.225053.42453.431556.523.556.540058.621.858.650061.821.561.863069.420.469.480075.319.375.3100075.71975.7125072.218.572.2160076.81876.8200075.917.975.9250074.117.474.1315076.217.476.2400075.51775.5500075.117.375.1630072.417.372.4800066.617.366.61000057.317.257.3125005717571600056.117.156.1SPL86.130.886.1N62.11.362.1median 66.6median 18.5median 66.6Delta10.12.710.140.437.936.135.934.633.533.732.332.632.731.834.830.930.93031.529.533.128.644.427.952.427.359.326.662.62667.925.667.22569.724.475247223.769.523.674.823.671.723.370.223.169.123.372.123.170.723.175.422.979.922.876.422.768.422.768.935.985.42.666median 23.7median 69.51.26hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI P65 8RF-451 - CreatorAsus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 44% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 30% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

180 W power supply
180 W power supply
180 W power supply

Power consumption was inconspicuous by and large. When idle, the power meter read between 7.4 and 16.8 W, which was only undercut by the Lenovo ThinkPad X1. Gigabyte’s Aero 15X required much more energy despite its basically identical hardware.

Under load, power consumption peaked at 177 W and eventually settled at around 94 W - slightly higher than with the Aero 15X but significantly lower than the Asus GL504GS's 214 W. The latter was equipped with a standard GTX 1070 with a much higher thermal envelope.

The compact and 550 g heavy 180 W power supply is amply dimensioned, and the P65’s battery did not discharge under load. It is worth noting that the other two P65 models are equipped with a smaller 150 W power supply since they don’t have to deal with a power-hungry GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.35 / 1.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.4 / 11.7 / 16.8 Watt
Load midlight 94 / 177 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 P65 8RF-451 - Creator
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0), IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus GL504GS
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
i7-7700HQ, Quadro P3000, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
-24%
2%
-34%
-124%
-3%
-6%
-23%
13%
Idle Minimum *
7.4
11.7
-58%
7.6
-3%
14
-89%
29
-292%
7
5%
11
-49%
11.4 ?(7 - 19.1, n=16)
-54%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
2%
Idle Average *
11.7
18.5
-58%
14.8
-26%
18
-54%
32
-174%
11
6%
14.2
-21%
15.7 ?(11 - 20.8, n=16)
-34%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-1%
Idle Maximum *
16.8
22.8
-36%
17.6
-5%
22
-31%
38
-126%
20
-19%
14.6
13%
20.7 ?(13.7 - 29, n=16)
-23%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
13%
Load Average *
94
97.5
-4%
86
9%
91
3%
100
-6%
98
-4%
77.7
17%
98.1 ?(73.7 - 143, n=16)
-4%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
18%
Load Maximum *
177
111.1
37%
118.9
33%
173
2%
217
-23%
182
-3%
161.7
9%
173.8 ?(150.3 - 211, n=16)
2%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
33%
Witcher 3 ultra *
102.9
85
142
170
132
89.1

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

3DMark 11 on battery
3DMark 11 on battery
Cinebench R15 on battery
Cinebench R15 on battery
82 Wh LiPo battery
82 Wh LiPo battery

Unfortunately, the P65 does not benefit from its enormous 82 Wh battery. It was outperformed by both the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, except for the Wi-Fi benchmark where it lasted a very decent 7:08 hours. Still, it is not going to last a full day in the office. In this particular test, we normalize display brightness to 150 nits, which in the case of the P65 meant reducing it by four clicks.

Under load, the device ran out of juice after just 85 minutes. Charging the battery from near empty to full takes around 2.5 hours, which is longer than usual and courtesy of the large 82 Wh battery.

3D performance is throttled on battery, and 3DMark 11 scores decreased from more than 14,000 on mains to just 7,447 on battery. CPU performance did not suffer at all. In other words, MSI chose to throttle the GPU by roughly 50% on battery.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 27min
WiFi Websurfing (EDGE: 42.17134.1.0)
7h 08min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
5h 53min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 25min
Maximum battery life
Maximum battery life
Minimum battery life
Minimum battery life
Wi-Fi battery life
Wi-Fi battery life
H.264 battery life
H.264 battery life
Charging time
Charging time
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 82 Wh
Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 71 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, 80 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 94.24 Wh
Asus GL504GS
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 66 Wh
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 82 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
22%
23%
54%
-50%
-2%
62%
Reader / Idle
447
842
88%
691
55%
762
70%
176
-61%
507
13%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
109%
H.264
353
371
5%
504
43%
150
-58%
356
1%
680 ?(319 - 1481, n=49, last 2 years)
93%
WiFi v1.3
428
375
-12%
384
-10%
513
20%
146
-66%
362
-15%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
31%
Load
85
76
-11%
119
40%
156
84%
71
-16%
81
-5%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
14%
Witcher 3 ultra
63
81.8 ?(57 - 104, n=5, last 2 years)

Verdict

Pros

+ color-accurate 144 Hz panel with great viewing angles and no PWM or clouding
+ moderately quiet
+ narrow display bezels
+ fingerprint reader
+ graphics switching
+ low weight
+ compact size
+ useful tools
+ small power supply
+ classy design
+ high-quality packaging (wooden box)
+ MSI sleeve
+ high performance
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ NVMe SSD

Cons

- build quality and rigidity could be better
- CPU turbo boost could be better
- keyboard layout needs getting used to
- hard to read in bright environments with active backlight
- poor maintenance
- no card reader
- fingerprint reader embedded in touchpad
- no secondary storage device
MSI P65 8RF Creator. Review unit courtesy of MSI Germany
MSI P65 8RF Creator. Review unit courtesy of MSI Germany

As the name already suggests, MSI’s P65 8RF Creator is based on the GS65 8RF. However, it is aimed primarily at the creative crowd running software like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Premiere on the go. The Limited Edition offers more than just its white case, such as a powerful GPU and high-quality packaging, including a protective sleeve. In addition, a free warranty extension to 36 months total is available upon registering the product with MSI.

The question is: Who was this device made for? If you are looking for a stylish and seldom-spotted device, the P65 8RF might be the right notebook for you. It looks great during presentations without sacrificing gaming performance, and its lack of gaming bling makes for a very serious appearance. This is where the P65 8RF truly shines.

The MSI P65 8RF is like having your cake and eating it too. During the day, it plays its role as stylish business underdog. At night, it can be used to run even the latest games smoothly in 1080p on maximum details.

The case is a well-made compromise between mobility and rigidity. The material used is very premium, however we would have wished for a more robust design. The display is a mixed bag. On the one hand it offers a 144 Hz panel and fast response times. On the other it is too dark and practically unusable outdoors. The keyboard was also not the greatest. The labeling was incredibly hard to read and the unusual layout takes more getting used to than we felt comfortable with.

Performance, on the other hand, is without a doubt on a level you would never expect from a device this thin and light. Intel’s Core i7-8750H worked well despite the fact that its performance suffered a bit under sustained load, and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q offered incredible performance, considering the thin design.

At over $2,300 it costs about as much as the GS65 8RF, but it offers a few extras such as the fingerprint reader or the extended warranty. If you wish to avoid the typical black design and RGB bling you may want to take the P65 into consideration.

If you decide to purchase the P65 Creator, MSI will throw in a software bundle worth more than $300 in order to start your trip down content creation lane (valid until 31 December, 2018).

MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator - 11/10/2018 v6(old)
Sebastian Bade

Chassis
72 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
65 / 81 → 80%
Weight
64 / 20-67 → 94%
Battery
87%
Display
89%
Games Performance
93 / 85 → 100%
Application Performance
96 / 92 → 100%
Temperature
86%
Noise
87 / 95 → 91%
Audio
74%
Average
80%
87%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI P65 Creator 8RF (i7-8750H, GTX 1070 Max-Q, 512 GB SSD, 144 Hz) Laptop Review
Sebastian Bade, 2018-11-14 (Update: 2019-02-26)