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MSI P65 Creator 9SF (i9-9880H, RTX2070 Max-Q) Laptop Review

For creatives who need performance. The MSI P65 Creator is directed at content creators who need a notebook with a lot of hardware power. But gamers will be equally pleased with this device thanks to the included RTX graphics card - particularly since it comes in a simpler design than most gaming devices. Find out what else the MSI P65 9SF has to offer in our review.
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657

The MSI Prestige series is characterized by its modern, slim design that is combined with powerful hardware. For example, the MSI P65 Creator 8RF did not only score a lot of points in terms of performance, but was also praised for its design. We had to criticize the case itself, however, for its workmanship and limited maintenance options.

Our current test unit is an MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 and offers a slightly altered design, an Intel Core i9-9880H CPU and 32 GB of RAM. The device uses a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q to display graphics, and two Samsung SSDs (RAID) offer 1 TB of storage.

The competition for this device is made up not only of other high performing multimedia notebooks, but also of one or two gaming laptops equipped with modern hardware. We have therefore chosen to compare the MSI P65 Creator with the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model, the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9, the Schenker XMG Ultra 15 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW. You are welcome to add further devices from our database to any of our comparison tables via the search bar at the bottom.  

MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 (P65 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-9880H 8 x 2.3 - 4.8 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 300 MHz, Memory: 405 MHz, TU106M, GeForce 430.64, Intel UHD Graphics 630
Memory
32 GB 
, Dual-Channel, DDR4 SDRAM
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 283 PPI, AU Optronics AUO41EB, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0), 1024 GB 
, 880 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x microphone, 1x heaphones, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Qualcomm Atheros AR8171/8175 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 357 x 247 ( = 0.71 x 14.06 x 9.72 in)
Battery
82 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Additional features
Speakers: 2, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, MSI Creator Center, MSI Driver & App Helper, Photo Director 8, Power Director, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.9 kg ( = 67.02 oz / 4.19 pounds), Power Supply: 908 g ( = 32.03 oz / 2 pounds)
Price
3200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - P65 Creator with compact design

MSI has decided to make the P65 Creator 9SF entirely out of aluminum. This ensures that the base unit is very stable and warp resistant while the screen can be opened from a corner using one hand without being bent. However, the area around the power button does give way a little when it is pressed. The surface did not give way in other areas, including the bottom of the base unit. The MSI notebook is definitely stable and the only areas users should avoid putting too much pressure on is the back, below the screen.

MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657

The stable metal case is reflected in the device's weight - although the Creator 9SF is actually one of the lighter notebooks in our comparison field at 1.9 kg (~4.2 lb). The narrow bezels also make the device very compact. Its size is comparable to multimedia laptops that also focus on a slim build.

Size Comparison

386 mm / 15.2 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 3.5 kg7.76 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.55 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 247 mm / 9.72 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.1 kg4.67 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - MSI notebook with Thunderbolt 3

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF offers a decent amount of modern ports and should therefore fulfill most needs. The only thing missing is a card reader. But thanks to the Thunderbolt 3, any missing ports can easily be connected via a docking station. On the predecessor, P65 Creator 8RF, only the MiniDisplay port supported 4K outputs at 60 Hz. Today's unit is supposed to support 4K@60Hz through the HDMI port as well.

MSI has positioned its connectors towards the front of the device on either side, in order to make more room for the ventilation grilles at the back. This choice means that users might be bothered by cables when working in small spaces - particularly when using an external mouse.

Left: Kensington Lock, RJ45-LAN, 2x USB 3.1, headphones, microphone
Left: Kensington Lock, RJ45-LAN, 2x USB 3.1, headphones, microphone
Right: USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, MiniDisplayPort, HDMI, DC-in
Right: USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, MiniDisplayPort, HDMI, DC-in

Communication

The P65 Creator 9SF connects to wireless networks using the standards 802.11 a, b, g, n and ac and has fast transfer rates thanks to its 2x2 MIMO technology. The MSI completed our Wi-Fi test at an average of 490 MBit/s when receiving and 650 MBit/s when transmitting data. The competition is faster, which places our test unit in the last place in this test.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +21%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
683 MBit/s +5%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
680 MBit/s +5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
655 MBit/s +1%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
654 MBit/s +1%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
650 (629min - 713max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +130%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
693 MBit/s +41%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
684 MBit/s +40%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s +39%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
678 MBit/s +38%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
490 (376min - 596max) MBit/s
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680Tooltip
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø489 (376-596)
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657; iperf3 transmit AX12: Ø650 (629-713)

Security

Users of the MSI P65 Creator 9SF can protect their notebook via a Kensington Lock and with their fingerprint. The fingerprint reader is integrated into the top left corner of the touchpad, which means users loose some space for navigation and gesture control. Setting up the reader is easy using Windows Hello and the device recognizes stored fingerprints reliably.

Accessories

Only the notebook itself and a suitable 230-watt AC adapter are included in the scope of delivery. MSI has not developed any accessories for the P65 Creator specifically. The MSI website offers various general equipment such as headsets, mice, keyboards and more.

Maintenance

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF offers limited maintenance options. While the bottom cover is easy to remove after loosening all the screws, users will only have direct access to the Wi-Fi module once inside. The SSD seems to be positioned below the main board and cannot be reached without taking apart the entire device. The RAM cannot be exchanged or expanded - but at least the cooling fans are easy to reach for cleaning purposes.

MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - maintenance options

Warranty

Buyers of the P65 Creator 9SF are given a warranty of 24 months. 

Input Devices - touchpad with silk touch surface

Keyboard

The keyboard of the P65 Creator has very low travel but a significant pressure point. This makes it comfortable to type and the comparably large keys ensure accuracy even when typing quickly. Only the small enter key is a little disappointing as it is easy to hit the hash key above by mistake. The three-level keyboard backlight is not blinding, but easily illuminates both the edges of the keys and the lettering on top. The noise the keyboard makes when typing is quiet and should only be bothersome in very sensitive surroundings. 

Touchpad

The touchpad of the P65 Creator offers a very smooth silk touch surface and soft feedback. We noticed that there were some hiccups when navigating with slightly damp fingers. The fingerprint reader also takes up some space of the touchpad - although this is not really an issue, thanks to the large dimensions of the touchpad. Clicks can be made by pressing the touchpad in the bottom left or bottom right corners. Again, the feedback is rather soft, but the pressure point is firm enough.

MSI P65 Creator 9SF - keyboard
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - keyboard
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - keyboard
MSI P65 Creator 9SF - keyboard

Display - UHD panel with high color space coverage

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Backlight bleeding
Backlight bleeding

The screen of the P65 Creator is made up of a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. The average brightness is 462 cd/m², which is higher than that of other devices in our comparison field. Users with sensitive eyes will be happy to hear that the brightness is regulated without the use of PWM. The brightness distribution is below average at 83 percent, which results in significant backlight bleeding. Alternatively, the MSI P65 is also available with a Full HD display.

444
cd/m²
421
cd/m²
426
cd/m²
505
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
480
cd/m²
469
cd/m²
470
cd/m²
497
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO41EB tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 505 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 461.9 cd/m² Minimum: 0.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 476 cd/m²
Contrast: 890:1 (Black: 0.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.75 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.49 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
87% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
98.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
84.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
AU Optronics AUO41EB, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
LG Philips LGD05C0, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), , 1920x1080, 15.60
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
AU Optronics B156HAN07.0 (AUO70ED), , 1920x1080, 15.60
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
LGD05C0, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-20%
-22%
-20%
-22%
Display P3 Coverage
84.4
65.3
-23%
64.9
-23%
66.1
-22%
63.5
-25%
sRGB Coverage
100
94.9
-5%
91
-9%
92.6
-7%
93.1
-7%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
98.5
66.3
-33%
65.9
-33%
67.1
-32%
64.5
-35%
Response Times
65%
79%
62%
62%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
51 ?(24, 27)
16.8 ?(9.2, 7.6)
67%
7.2 ?(3.8, 3.4)
86%
17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4)
65%
16.4 ?(8.8, 7.6)
68%
Response Time Black / White *
31 ?(18, 13)
11.6 ?(7.2, 4.4)
63%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
72%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
59%
13.6 ?(8.4, 5.2)
56%
PWM Frequency
Screen
4%
5%
2%
12%
Brightness middle
445
314.7
-29%
286
-36%
263
-41%
250
-44%
Brightness
462
312
-32%
275
-40%
264
-43%
235
-49%
Brightness Distribution
83
90
8%
90
8%
89
7%
85
2%
Black Level *
0.5
0.38
24%
0.37
26%
0.17
66%
0.29
42%
Contrast
890
828
-7%
773
-13%
1547
74%
862
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.75
2.56
46%
2.19
54%
4.45
6%
1.46
69%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.79
4.89
37%
4.4
44%
8.33
-7%
2.47
68%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.49
3.4
24%
2.2
51%
4.77
-6%
1.27
72%
Gamma
2.49 88%
2.3 96%
2.41 91%
2.52 87%
2.4 92%
CCT
7374 88%
6435 101%
6405 101%
7767 84%
6749 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
87
60.7
-30%
59
-32%
60
-31%
60
-31%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
94.6
-5%
91
-9%
93
-7%
93
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.71
2.27
1.93
Total Average (Program / Settings)
16% / 7%
21% / 10%
15% / 5%
17% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage (sRGB) - 100 percent
Color space coverage (sRGB) - 100 percent
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 87 percent
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 87 percent

Our measurements show that the MSI notebook has an average contrast ratio of 890:1 and a relatively high black value of 0.5 cd/m². While the former value is on par with other devices in this price range, the black value is higher than that of the competition. This makes black areas appear to be covered by a gray film. The color space coverage of the P65 Creator is very good, however, and covers 100 percent of the sRGB and 87 percent of the AdobeRGB color space.

Users can easily adapt the color temperature and color space by opening a drop-down menu or via the MSI True Color app. This offers various preset modes that can then be further adapted (color temperature and brightness). The CalMAN analysis shows that the panel has a blue cast ex-works when using the AdobeRGB color space.

CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy (AdobeRGB)
CalMAN - color accuracy (AdobeRGB)
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - grayscales (AdobeRGB)
CalMAN - grayscales (AdobeRGB)
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation (AdobeRGB)
CalMAN - saturation (AdobeRGB)

The MSI P65 Creator is easy to use outdoors. It offers sufficient brightness to read the screen content even on bright days. The semi-matte display does show reflections of the surroundings, but these can be mostly avoided by adjusting the opening angle of the screen.

Backlight bleeding
Backlight bleeding
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use

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
31 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 13 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 81 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
51 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24 ms rise
↘ 27 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse 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.

The IPS panel of the P65 Creator 9SF has a very stable viewing angle. Content can be read from almost every angle without distortions or inverted colors. As long as there are no reflections that make reading the screen difficult, the MSI notebook can be used even in unusual positions.

Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance - good CPU performance in the P65 Creator 9SF

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF offers an Intel Core i9-9880H, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 32 GB of RAM and two 512-GB Samsung SSDs that are connected using the RAID system to offer a total of 1 TB of storage space. This makes the Creator 9SF suitable not only for creating demanding 3D content, but also for gamers.

 

Processor

The Intel Core i9-9880H is a processor that is based on Coffee Lake architecture and whose eight cores can work 16 threads simultaneously. The clock rates are between 2.3 GHz (base clock) and 4.8 GHz (turbo boost). However, the latter can only be reached via a thermal velocity boost with a maximum core temperature of 50 °C (~122 °F) . How long the clock rates can be kept up for depends on the performance of the cooling system.

Our CineBench R15 loop focuses on multi-core performance. The results are significantly higher than that of our competition. Nonetheless, the performance drops by around 7 percent quite quickly and then remains below that of the Schenker XMG Ultra 15 with its Intel Core i7-9700K for the remainder of the test. The CineBench R15 single core test again positions the MSI P65 Creator 9SF just beneath the i7-9700K. Users can expect a further drop in performance of 20 percent when working on battery.

0801602403204004805606407208008809601040112012001280136014401520Tooltip
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 Intel Core i9-9880H, Intel Core i9-9880H: Ø1439 (1417.84-1545.36)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø922 (913.2-999)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1095 (1087.31-1156.25)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing Intel Core i7-9700K, Intel Core i7-9700K: Ø1449 (1441.6-1465.07)
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1040 (1017.76-1182)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=95, last 2 years)
249 Points +27%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K
203 Points +4%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H
196 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H
  (181 - 198, n=11)
190.1 Points -3%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
177 Points -10%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points -11%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=102, last 2 years)
2279 Points +48%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H
1545 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H
  (1317 - 1721, n=11)
1506 Points -3%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K
1465 Points -5%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
1182 Points -23%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1156 Points -25%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
999 Points -35%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
196 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1545 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
130 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The PCMark benchmarks position the P65 Creator 9SF at the bottom of our comparison table for system performance. Nonetheless, its system performance is not bad and the PCMark 10 results are significantly higher than the average of all multimedia notebooks in our database. The difference is not quite as big for the PCMark 8 results, but it can still be considered above average.

The MSI notebook did not show any weaknesses in everyday use and impressed us with its smooth-running system. Even demanding programs are loaded quickly and we did not encounter any small judders or glitches during testing. Find out how the MSI P65 9SF fares compared to other devices in our database on our CPU benchmark page.

PCMark 10
Score
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
6868 Points +32%
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=81, last 2 years)
6551 Points +26%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
5654 Points +9%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5416 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5353 Points +3%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
5211 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
5211 Points 0%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=81, last 2 years)
10420 Points +16%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
10356 Points +16%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
9231 Points +3%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
8961 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
8961 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
8600 Points -4%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8517 Points -5%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=81, last 2 years)
8687 Points +45%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
8572 Points +43%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
7661 Points +28%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7547 Points +26%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
7315 Points +22%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
5986 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
5986 Points 0%
Digital Content Creation
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
9904 Points +38%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=81, last 2 years)
8558 Points +20%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
7161 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
7161 Points 0%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
6936 Points -3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6708 Points -6%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
6618 Points -8%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
5485 Points +56%
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +45%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
4338 Points +24%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4150 Points +18%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
3505 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
3505 Points 0%
Work Score Accelerated v2
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9700K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
6258 Points +40%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5645 Points +26%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5607 Points +25%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +18%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
4482 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
4482 Points 0%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3505 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4482 points
PCMark 10 Score
5211 points
Help

Storage Devices

MSI has equipped the P65 Creator 9SF with two Samsung PM981 SSDs, connected using RAID. This means the device offers 936 GB of storage space available, of which users have around 880 GB available after initial set up.

Our P65 Creator reaches very good read and write speeds in our storage benchmarks. The Crystal DiskMark 5.2 even positions it in the first place among the competition. The AS SSD benchmark results place it in second place after the Schenker XMG Ultra 15. 

Find out which performance levels other storage devices have to offer on our HDD/SSD comparison page.

MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
Average 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-32%
-24%
-17%
-31%
-7%
Write 4K
105.6
93.9
-11%
97
-8%
129.9
23%
97.1
-8%
98.6 ?(86.3 - 105.6, n=3)
-7%
Read 4K
46.32
40.56
-12%
49.58
7%
47.15
2%
53.7
16%
42.5 ?(39.5 - 46.3, n=3)
-8%
Write Seq
2910
1468
-50%
1838
-37%
1840
-37%
1526
-48%
2804 ?(2639 - 2910, n=3)
-4%
Read Seq
2820
1540
-45%
2421
-14%
1775
-37%
2020
-28%
2806 ?(2702 - 2896, n=3)
0%
Write 4K Q32T1
545
293.5
-46%
326.9
-40%
294.5
-46%
285.6
-48%
446 ?(305 - 545, n=3)
-18%
Read 4K Q32T1
632
346
-45%
372.9
-41%
373.6
-41%
321.8
-49%
512 ?(350 - 632, n=3)
-19%
Write Seq Q32T1
3349
1941
-42%
1894
-43%
3295
-2%
1533
-54%
3252 ?(2967 - 3440, n=3)
-3%
Read Seq Q32T1
3333
3266
-2%
2828
-15%
3535
6%
2351
-29%
3324 ?(3102 - 3537, n=3)
0%
AS SSD
-4%
-24%
19%
-34%
-5%
Seq Read
2860
1840
-36%
2506
-12%
2739
-4%
2113
-26%
2811 ?(2568 - 3005, n=3)
-2%
Seq Write
2604
1822
-30%
1712
-34%
2650
2%
1471
-44%
2627 ?(2604 - 2668, n=3)
1%
4K Read
45.15
52.3
16%
48.32
7%
27.86
-38%
55
22%
42.4 ?(40.9 - 45.2, n=3)
-6%
4K Write
100.2
110.7
10%
103.6
3%
134.7
34%
107.1
7%
97.5 ?(94.4 - 100.2, n=3)
-3%
4K-64 Read
1428
1126
-21%
624
-56%
1651
16%
914
-36%
1382 ?(1352 - 1428, n=3)
-3%
4K-64 Write
1401
1717
23%
1253
-11%
2190
56%
703
-50%
1245 ?(1138 - 1401, n=3)
-11%
Access Time Read *
0.049
0.047
4%
0.08
-63%
0.031
37%
0.114
-133%
0.05367 ?(0.049 - 0.057, n=3)
-10%
Access Time Write *
0.037
0.033
11%
0.04
-8%
0.028
24%
0.034
8%
0.038 ?(0.037 - 0.039, n=3)
-3%
Score Read
1759
1362
-23%
923
-48%
1953
11%
1180
-33%
1706 ?(1650 - 1759, n=3)
-3%
Score Write
1762
2010
14%
1528
-13%
2590
47%
957
-46%
1605 ?(1496 - 1762, n=3)
-9%
Score Total
4411
4079
-8%
2896
-34%
5529
25%
2722
-38%
4176 ?(3994 - 4411, n=3)
-5%
Copy ISO MB/s
1975
2031
1864
Copy Program MB/s
526
452.1
362.6
Copy Game MB/s
1200
1043
936
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-18% / -15%
-24% / -24%
1% / 4%
-33% / -32%
-6% / -6%

* ... smaller is better

2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
Sequential Read: 2646 MB/s
Sequential Write: 2859 MB/s
512K Read: 1792 MB/s
512K Write: 2635 MB/s
4K Read: 63 MB/s
4K Write: 112.9 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 625 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 564 MB/s

Graphics Performance

Our test unit of the MSI P65 is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, which is responsible for displaying images. The Max-Q design makes the chip a lot more efficient than the usual RTX 2070. But this also means that the clock rates are lower. The RTX 2070 Max-Q is available with two different TDP settings and therefore different levels of performance.

MSI has chosen to go with the lower-clocked version of the RTX 2070 Max-Q, which has a TDP of 80 watts and clock rates of 885-1185 MHz. This means that the multimedia notebook only makes the last place in our comparison field. The results are below average compared to the notebooks equipped with an RTX 2070 Max-Q chip in our database in the 3DMark 11, 3DMark Fire Strike and Cloud Gate benchmarks.

Find out what level of performance other GPUs reach compared to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q on our GPU benchmark page.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9700K
26975 Points +29%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9750H
24267 Points +16%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
22723 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (14723 - 27694, n=31)
22548 Points +8%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
22089 Points +6%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i9-9880H
20837 Points
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=86, last 2 years)
18365 Points -12%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9700K
134326 Points +104%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9750H
109473 Points +66%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
106170 Points +61%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (39014 - 134255, n=28)
94310 Points +43%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
73366 Points +11%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i9-9880H
65859 Points
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=60, last 2 years)
58023 Points -12%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9700K
20759 Points +29%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-9750H
19123 Points +19%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18153 Points +13%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
17598 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (11563 - 21191, n=31)
17489 Points +9%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i9-9880H
16100 Points
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=86, last 2 years)
13601 Points -16%
3DMark 11 Performance
19440 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
36379 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
14946 points
Help

Gaming Performance

A look at the hardware in the MSI P65 Creator 9SF shows that the multimedia notebook is also suitable for gamers. The included Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q can display most modern games easily and smoothly, although not always at UHD resolution and high details. If you limit the details to medium, almost every current game should be playable on this device. The games tested by us all reached high refresh rates and we did not encounter drops in performance even during long gaming sessions.

Our list of GPUs for gaming shows what level of performance you can expect for various games.

The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
331.2 fps +12%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
295.7 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (177.7 - 356, n=18)
280 fps -5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
252.5 fps -15%
Average of class Multimedia
  (36 - 428, n=63, last 2 years)
198.8 fps -33%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
177.7 fps -40%
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
223.1 fps +8%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
208.9 fps +2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (144.9 - 254, n=18)
206 fps 0%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
205.8 fps
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
144.9 fps -30%
Average of class Multimedia
  (23 - 316, n=62, last 2 years)
135 fps -34%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
130.1 fps +12%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
130 (108min) fps +12%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
128.4 fps +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (86.5 - 151.4, n=22)
121 fps +4%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
116.5 fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (11.2 - 290, n=89, last 2 years)
90.1 fps -23%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
86.5 fps -26%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
80.8 fps
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
73 (60min) fps -10%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
70.2 (58min) fps -13%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
68.9 fps -15%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (56 - 83.8, n=31)
66.3 fps -18%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
58.3 (48min) fps -28%
Average of class Multimedia
  (8 - 143.2, n=94, last 2 years)
50 fps -38%
Thief
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (99 - 103, n=2)
101 fps +2%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
99 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
128.7 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
128.7 fps 0%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
131.6 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
131.6 fps 0%
1024x768 Very Low Preset
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
134.8 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
134.8 fps 0%
BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
187.8 fps +26%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
152.5 fps +2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (115.8 - 211, n=15)
150.1 fps +1%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
148.8 fps
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
127.7 fps -14%
1366x768 High Preset
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
320.9 fps +16%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
277.2 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (203 - 297, n=14)
250 fps -10%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
246.1 fps -11%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
202.6 fps -27%
1366x768 Medium Preset
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
346 fps +19%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
291.8 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (218 - 318, n=14)
268 fps -8%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
260.1 fps -11%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
217.9 fps -25%
1280x720 Very Low Preset
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-9700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
400.7 fps +8%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
369.7 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (234 - 376, n=14)
308 fps -17%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
290.8 fps -21%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
233.9 fps -37%
Dota 2 Reborn
1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (105.8 - 126, n=13)
119.2 fps +2%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
117.4 (102.7min) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (26.3 - 171.6, n=85, last 2 years)
101.7 fps -13%
1920x1080 high (2/3)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (111.4 - 135, n=13)
126.5 fps +3%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
122.9 (108.7min) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (28 - 184.4, n=86, last 2 years)
108.6 fps -12%
1366x768 med (1/3)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (117.4 - 141, n=13)
133 fps +1%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
131.4 (115.6min) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (36.7 - 192.8, n=83, last 2 years)
123.2 fps -6%
1280x720 min (0/3) fastest
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (126.5 - 164, n=13)
146.8 fps +3%
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
142.2 (126.5min) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (37.2 - 215, n=83, last 2 years)
141.8 fps 0%

"The Witcher 3" load test shows that the performance of the MSI P65 Creator 9SF drops slightly after a while. We did notice a slight increase in frame rates towards the end of the test, which indicates that the performance was slowly starting to increase again.

05101520253035404550556065707580Tooltip
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0): Ø76.3 (71-83)
low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 369.7 291.8 277.2 148.8
Thief (2014) 134.8 131.6 128.7 99
The Witcher 3 (2015) 295.7 205.8 116.5 80.8 42.3
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 142.2 131.4 122.9 117.4

Emissions - decent speakers and loud fans

System Noise

Noise characteristics
Noise characteristics

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF is very quiet when under low load (Office) and should therefore be suitable for use in quiet surroundings. The three fans turn on quickly when running graphically demanding applications and become very audible. The fan noise can be described as a steady humming and is accompanied by a high-frequency noise, that is, however, very quiet.

Noise Level

Idle
32.8 / 32.8 / 33.6 dB(A)
Load
40.9 / 42.7 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: 30.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.533.432.629.130.52531.830.328.729.731.83129.931.332.829.729.94028.428.830.225.928.45027.327.929.725.627.3632728.529.424.1278027.226.727.622.927.210026.226.525.323.526.212526.126.325.623.426.116026.626.325.723.226.620025.52623.922.325.525024.526.323.52224.531526.43021.92126.440025.928.521.720.825.95002527.921.519.92563024.629.320.920.424.680024.527.220.12024.5100027.330.520.819.427.3125027.53020.618.727.5160028.530.320.31828.5200029.631.820.517.829.6250030.832.520.517.430.8315032.433.820.91732.4400030.532.120.616.830.5500029.630.920.916.729.6630026.928.820.516.426.9800024.726.520.316.224.71000024.125.320.216.224.11250021.422.22016.121.41600019.720.319.91619.7SPL40.942.732.830.240.9N3.33.91.71.23.3median 26.2median 28.5median 20.8median 18.7median 26.2Delta1.520.72.41.5hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseMSI P65 Creator 9SF-657

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

According to our measurements the MSI notebook reaches maximum surface temperatures of 29.2 °C (~85 °F) while idling and 60.4 °C (~141 °F) while under load. The hotspots are positioned towards the back on the bottom of the P65 Creator, which might make it uncomfortable to use the device on your lap when under load.

Our continual load test makes the core temperatures increase to 90 °C (~194 °F) almost immediately. The fans also turn on straight away and manage to decrease temperatures to around 88 °C (~190 °F), where they remain for the remainder of the one-hour test. The clock rate only drops just below the base rate of 2.3 GHz shortly and then remains at the base rate for the remainder of the test. Users do not need to expect any drops in performance due to high temperatures inside the MSI P65 Creator 9SF.

Max. Load
 45.7 °C
114 F
49.5 °C
121 F
46.8 °C
116 F
 
 40.3 °C
105 F
49.7 °C
121 F
47.8 °C
118 F
 
 31.3 °C
88 F
31.3 °C
88 F
34.9 °C
95 F
 
Maximum: 49.7 °C = 121 F
Average: 41.9 °C = 107 F
54.3 °C
130 F
60.4 °C
141 F
43 °C
109 F
44.4 °C
112 F
47.1 °C
117 F
40.6 °C
105 F
36.3 °C
97 F
37.1 °C
99 F
34.4 °C
94 F
Maximum: 60.4 °C = 141 F
Average: 44.2 °C = 112 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 22.7 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 41.9 °C / 107 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 49.7 °C / 121 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 60.4 °C / 141 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.9 °C / 94.8 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-6.1 °C / -11 F).
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - bottom
Heat map under load - bottom

Speakers

The speakers in the P65 Creator 9SF offer average volume and a sound spectrum that is focused on mids and mid highs. The speakers can be used in quiet surroundings, but we would recommend using headphones or external speakers when playing audio for a long time. These can be connected via the 3.5-mm audio jack, which does not have a negative impact on sound quality.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203129.1312530.629.730.63130.729.730.74028.925.928.95027.725.627.76326.424.126.48027.622.927.610032.223.532.212534.923.434.916035.523.235.520034.622.334.625043.32243.331551.82151.840056.820.856.850057.319.957.363062.320.462.380071.52071.5100073.519.473.5125072.518.772.5160073.41873.4200077.417.877.4250069.417.469.4315072.91772.9400070.116.870.1500067.716.767.763006516.465800064.716.264.71000055.916.255.9125005216.1521600048.81648.8SPL83.530.283.5N49.71.249.7median 62.3median 18.7median 62.3Delta11.12.411.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI P65 Creator 9SF-657Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (28.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 93% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 83% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

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

Energy Management - P65 with average battery runtime

Power Consumption

According to our measurements, the MSI P65 Creator 9SF consumes at least 9.4 watts while idling and a maximum of 216 watts under load. While the multimedia notebook is one of the most efficient devices of our comparison field while idling, its consumption under load is average.  

The included AC adapter has a rated output of 230 watts and is therefore large enough to always supply the Creator 9SF with sufficient power.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.9 / 1.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.4 / 17.4 / 19.6 Watt
Load midlight 103 / 216 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 Creator 9SF-657
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0), IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
i7-9700K, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
10%
-61%
-118%
-10%
-22%
30%
Idle Minimum *
9.4
10.4
-11%
24
-155%
35
-272%
16
-70%
15.4 ?(5 - 46, n=26)
-64%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
23%
Idle Average *
17.4
14.6
16%
27
-55%
39
-124%
18
-3%
20 ?(10.1 - 59, n=26)
-15%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
32%
Idle Maximum *
19.6
16.3
17%
33
-68%
47
-140%
23
-17%
26.7 ?(12.6 - 65.5, n=26)
-36%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
26%
Load Average *
103
88.5
14%
129
-25%
117
-14%
88
15%
105.2 ?(83.4 - 181, n=26)
-2%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
25%
Load Maximum *
216
182.4
16%
216
-0%
299
-38%
167
23%
201 ?(120 - 249, n=26)
7%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
45%
Witcher 3 ultra *
155.4
176
196
120

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF manages to run for just over six hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. This is average for the multimedia devices we have tested so far and is long enough to place the device in the upper mid-range of today's comparison field. The MSI device has to be connected to power supply after 65 minutes of load - only one other device in our comparison field has an even shorter runtime in this scenario. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
9h 37min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 57min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 05min
MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 82 Wh
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 80 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 76 Wh
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15 Turing
i7-9700K, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 82 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 94.24 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
20%
-27%
-31%
57%
56%
Reader / Idle
577
682
18%
353
-39%
194
-66%
549
-5%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
62%
WiFi v1.3
357
387
8%
220
-38%
157
-56%
382
7%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
57%
Load
65
88
35%
62
-5%
83
28%
174
168%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
49%
H.264
154
364
680 ?(319 - 1481, n=49, last 2 years)

Pros

+ high color space coverage
+ narrow bezels
+ low weight
+ compact build
+ high performance
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ SSD RAID

Cons

- RTX 2070 Max-Q with low TDP
- few maintenance options
- no card reader

Verdict - compact multimedia notebook with a lot of power

Review: MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657. Test unit provided by MSI Germany.
Review: MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657. Test unit provided by MSI Germany.

Our review has shown that the MSI P65 Creator 9SF is a compact powerhouse with a vivid display. Its case perfectly suits business-like surroundings and the workmanship is good. The Thunderbolt 3 port ensures that users will continue to be well-equipped for any future port needs.

The MSI P65 Creator 9SF is striking with its attractive design and great performance. The manufacturer could have chosen the version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q with a higher TDP, however.

The system performance is good and can easily keep up with that of most of its competitors. Other manufacturers, however, manage to get a little more out of the GPU - although, of course, the P65 Creator is equipped with the lower-TDP version of the RTX 2070 Max-Q. As with the previous model, maintenance options are basically nonexistent. Our test unit also continues to feature a fingerprint reader that is integrated into the touchpad. The latter is significantly wider than before and therefore offers more room for gesture navigation.

MSI P65 Creator 9SF-657 - 10/25/2019 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
83 / 98 → 84%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
52 / 80 → 66%
Weight
64 / 20-72 → 85%
Battery
69 / 95 → 72%
Display
88%
Games Performance
92 / 90 → 100%
Application Performance
87 / 90 → 97%
Temperature
84%
Noise
81 / 95 → 85%
Audio
74%
Average
78%
85%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI P65 Creator 9SF (i9-9880H, RTX2070 Max-Q) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2019-06- 4 (Update: 2019-06- 5)