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Maingear Vector 15 Laptop Review: Gaming All-rounder

A strong magnitude and direction. The Vector 15 is one of the few 15.6-inch gaming laptops with GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics clocking in at under 2 kg. The portability comes at the cost of louder fans noise and a more flexible chassis design.

The mid-range Maingear Vector comes just a few weeks after the launch of the higher-end Maingear Element. Unlike the latter and its GeForce RTX graphics, the less expensive Vector ships with the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti in a different chassis design. We suspect it to be a Tongfang chassis because of its physical similarities to the Schenker XMG Neo 15.

Currently, the Vector only comes in one major configuration with the Core i7-9750H CPU, GTX 1660 Ti GPU, and 144 Hz 1080p display with no other options. Storage and RAM can be configured as usual. The $1500 Vector competes directly with other thin-and-light mid-range 15.6-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti, Lenovo Legion Y740-15, HP Omen 15, Aorus 15, Asus ROG Strix III, and the Dell G7 15.

Maingear Vector 15
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1590 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 441.20, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, SK Hynix DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2, IPS, LGD05E8, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Soundcard
NVIDIA TU116
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Card Reader: SD reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.8 x 359.8 x 243.3 ( = 0.78 x 14.17 x 9.58 in)
Battery
62 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Maingear Node Control Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.89 kg ( = 66.67 oz / 4.17 pounds), Power Supply: 560 g ( = 19.75 oz / 1.23 pounds)
Price
1500 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
81.1 %
11/2019
Maingear Vector 15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
1.9 kg19.8 mm15.60"1920x1080
80.8 %
10/2019
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
2.3 kg27.5 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.8 %
10/2019
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.3 kg25 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.2 %
09/2019
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
2.1 kg19.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.9 %
10/2019
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
2 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

The smooth matte chassis may look great, but it's a step down compared to the Asus ROG Strix III, Alienware m15 R2 or Razer Blade 15. The lid and hinges in particular are weaker and more susceptible to twisting and teetering, respectively. It's still better than on the Lenovo Legion Y540/Y740, but not by much.

Thankfully, the base is firmer with only slight warping and creaking when attempting to twist its edges and surfaces. It's still not as rigid as the aforementioned heavier Asus or Razer, however.

The webcam is disappointingly along the bottom edge instead of the top edge of the screen. The latest Dell XPS 15 7590 is proof that it's possible to have both narrow bezels and proper webcam positioning and so there is no excuse for the Vector to do the same.

The system weighs slightly less than many of its direct competitors by about 100 to 200 grams. Overall size is between that of the Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti and Asus Zephyrus M GU502.

Slightly rubberized palm rests and keyboard deck will attract grease and fingerprints
Slightly rubberized palm rests and keyboard deck will attract grease and fingerprints
Power button and Turbo toggle button. Note the suboptimal webcam positioning
Power button and Turbo toggle button. Note the suboptimal webcam positioning
Hinges could have been firmer to reduce teetering
Hinges could have been firmer to reduce teetering
Hinge opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Hinge opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Mesh wiring on the underside as ventilation
Mesh wiring on the underside as ventilation
Narrow bezels on three of the four sides
Narrow bezels on three of the four sides
362 mm / 14.3 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg5.03 lbs357.7 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs359.8 mm / 14.2 inch 243.3 mm / 9.58 inch 19.8 mm / 0.78 inch 1.9 kg4.17 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2 kg4.39 lbs360.5 mm / 14.2 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 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

While there are plenty of port options, port positioning is a mixed bag. The ports along the sides are too close upfront while the ports on the rear are both difficult to reach and tightly packed. Thunderbolt 3 is also missing as Maingear is reserving this for the Element instead.

USB Type-C Power Delivery is not supported meaning that you cannot recharge the system via USB Type-C.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A
Rear: 2x mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, USB Type-C, AC adapter
Rear: 2x mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, USB Type-C, AC adapter
Left: Gigabit RJ-45, USB 2.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm microphone, 3.5 mm earphones
Left: Gigabit RJ-45, USB 2.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm microphone, 3.5 mm earphones

SD Card Reader

Not only is the integrated card reader slow, but it isn't spring-loaded either. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 38 seconds compared to under 8 seconds on the XPS 15.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
172.4 MB/s +541%
Maingear Vector 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.9 MB/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.4 MB/s -13%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192.1 MB/s +476%
Maingear Vector 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
33.37 MB/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.2 MB/s -15%

Communication

The Intel 9560 module is included for 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 speeds and integrated Bluetooth 5.0. In contrast, the Element ships with the faster Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 module. We experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Removable WLAN card
Removable WLAN card
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1374 (720min - 1484max) MBit/s
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
659 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
629 (602min - 651max) MBit/s
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
507 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1291 (1212min - 1379max) MBit/s
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
656 MBit/s
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
649 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
615 (508min - 642max) MBit/s

Maintenance

The bottom panel is secured by 11 Philips screws for easy servicing. The rear edges can be tricky to detach at first and so we recommend being extra careful.

Direct access to both DDR4 SODIMM slots, both M.2 2280 slots, WLAN module, and the internal battery
Direct access to both DDR4 SODIMM slots, both M.2 2280 slots, WLAN module, and the internal battery

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras in the box outside of the usual paperwork and AC adapter.

Maingear throws in accidental damage protection alongside the usual one-year limited warranty.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Unlike on most other laptops, the QWERTY keys, NumPad keys, and Arrow keys on the Vector are all equal in size for a more uniform typing experience. The relatively firm feedback and quiet clatter are just slightly softer than on the MSI GE75 or GE65. A quad-zone RGB backlight is included in contrast to the per-key RGB lighting of the Element.

Touchpad

The Precision-enabled clickpad (10.5 x 7.5 cm) is slightly smaller than the clickpad on the Dell XPS 15 (10.5 x 8.5 cm). Gliding is smooth and only sticky when moving at slow speeds for increased precision. The integrated mouse keys, however, are far too weak and spongy.

Standard keyboard layout with a Turbo button and no fingerprint reader
Standard keyboard layout with a Turbo button and no fingerprint reader
Clickpad works fine for cursor control, but clicking feels very spongy
Clickpad works fine for cursor control, but clicking feels very spongy
Key feedback is reminiscent of many MSI G series laptops
Key feedback is reminiscent of many MSI G series laptops
Full-size Arrow keys and NumPad keys
Full-size Arrow keys and NumPad keys

Display

The LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 IPS panel on the Vector can also be found on the competing Lenovo Legion Y540 and Aorus 15 series. Thus, display characteristics like the wide color space, decent contrast ratio, and fast response times are similar between these laptops. This is a high quality panel with minimal graininess and it's hard to turn back to regular 60 Hz panels once you become accustomed to the super-smooth 144 Hz refresh rate. The 60 Hz panel on the cheap MSI GL65, for example, offers noticeably slower response times and poorer colors.

Bottom "chin" is very thick
Bottom "chin" is very thick
Narrow three-sided bezels
Narrow three-sided bezels
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along bottom edge and top corners
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along bottom edge and top corners
261.8
cd/m²
282.5
cd/m²
281.3
cd/m²
260.7
cd/m²
297.9
cd/m²
280.6
cd/m²
243.5
cd/m²
280.2
cd/m²
254.9
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 297.9 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 271.5 cd/m² Minimum: 10.96 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 297.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 876:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.59 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.27
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.27
Maingear Vector 15
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GL65 9SEK
AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
BOE NV156FHM-N4J, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
BOE NV156FHM-N4K, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Sharp LQ156M1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-43%
0%
-1%
-0%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
65
36.63
-44%
67.7
4%
65.3
0%
65.3
0%
66.5
2%
sRGB Coverage
95.4
55
-42%
91.6
-4%
91.8
-4%
95.1
0%
90.8
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.8
37.85
-43%
67.1
0%
66.5
0%
65.9
-1%
66.5
0%
Response Times
-88%
3%
21%
16%
50%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
14.8 ?(7.2, 7.6)
26.4 ?(13.2, 13.2)
-78%
19 ?(9, 10)
-28%
13.6 ?(7.2, 6.4)
8%
16.4 ?(7.6, 6.8)
-11%
6.4 ?(3.4, 3)
57%
Response Time Black / White *
15.2 ?(9.2, 6)
30 ?(17.6, 12.4)
-97%
10 ?(6, 4)
34%
10 ?(6, 4)
34%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
42%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
42%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(99)
23810 ?(24)
Screen
-62%
15%
-19%
-38%
-21%
Brightness middle
297.9
277.3
-7%
477
60%
312.7
5%
324.2
9%
297.7
0%
Brightness
271
256
-6%
431
59%
305
13%
304
12%
280
3%
Brightness Distribution
82
86
5%
84
2%
90
10%
90
10%
84
2%
Black Level *
0.34
0.2
41%
0.175
49%
0.27
21%
0.38
-12%
0.43
-26%
Contrast
876
1387
58%
2726
211%
1158
32%
853
-3%
692
-21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.59
5.25
-103%
4.17
-61%
4.57
-76%
5.01
-93%
3.13
-21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.33
19.43
-349%
6.97
-61%
6.81
-57%
12.7
-193%
7.1
-64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.27
4.39
-246%
2.51
-98%
2.91
-129%
1.64
-29%
3.06
-141%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.7
3.5
5%
3.49
6%
4.3
-16%
7.9
-114%
1.9
49%
Gamma
2.27 97%
2.1 105%
2.5 88%
2.29 96%
2.35 94%
2.23 99%
CCT
6231 104%
6895 94%
7076 92%
7098 92%
8455 77%
6325 103%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.1
35
-43%
60
-2%
59.4
-3%
60.8
0%
59.2
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
95.3
55
-42%
91
-5%
91.3
-4%
95.5
0%
90.5
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-64% / -62%
6% / 10%
0% / -10%
-7% / -24%
9% / -8%

* ... smaller is better

Like pretty much all 144 Hz laptop panels currently in the market, color space covers approximately 95 percent of sRGB and 61 percent of AdobeRGB. Users who want wider gamuts would have to consider certain 4K UHD or OLED options instead.

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

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter show color temperature to be slightly on the warm side. Once calibrated, however, grayscale and colors become very accurate with average DeltaE values of just 0.9 and 1.27, respectively.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
15.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9.2 ms rise
↘ 6 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. » 31 % 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
14.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.2 ms rise
↘ 7.6 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. » 23 % 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.

Since the 300-nit backlight is pretty much standard across most gaming laptops, outdoor visibility with the Vector offers nothing out of the ordinary. We recommend staying under shade whenever possible as anything brighter will overwhelm the matte screen.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles. Contrast changes become apparent from extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Contrast changes become apparent from extreme angles

Performance

The Core i7-9750H and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti are mid-range gaming laptop specs. Nvidia Optimus comes standard to automatically exclude G-Sync options.

LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues even when wireless is enabled.

Processor

CPU performance is excellent and above average when compared to other laptops with the same Core i7-9750H CPU. Turbo Boost sustainability is also better than most; when running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, performance would drop by only about 7 percent over time.

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

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
Maingear Vector 15 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1181 (1168.74-1264.9)
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø925 (918.74-983.02)
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1132 (1125.75-1244.28)
Alienware m15 R2 P87F GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1026 (960.41-1036.48)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
509 Points +18%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
479 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (416 - 486, n=55)
443 Points +3%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
441 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
Intel Core i7-9750H
432 Points
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
416 Points -4%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
387 Points -10%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
340 Points -21%
CPU (Multi Core)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
4926 Points +77%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
3795 Points +36%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
3712 Points +33%
Maingear Vector 15
Intel Core i7-9750H
2784 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (2017 - 3133, n=55)
2564 Points -8%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2379 Points -15%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
2333 Points -16%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1825 Points -34%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +14%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
202 Points +9%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
193 Points +4%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
Intel Core i7-9750H
186 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points -1%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
171 Points -8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
2022 Points +58%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1821 Points +42%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +34%
Maingear Vector 15
Intel Core i7-9750H
1280 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1237 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points -8%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
1116 Points -13%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -37%
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
112.7 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1280 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our Maingear in the same ballpark as other mid-range to high-end gaming laptops. We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5938 Points +9%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5761 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (4807 - 5829, n=15)
5531 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5431 Points
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5374 Points -1%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5301 Points -2%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5273 Points -3%
Essentials
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
9431 Points +4%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9405 Points +4%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
9364 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (8621 - 10098, n=15)
9360 Points +4%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
9027 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
8946 Points -1%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
8791 Points -3%
Productivity
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7748 Points +3%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
7532 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (7241 - 8136, n=15)
7519 Points 0%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
7381 Points -2%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7339 Points -3%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7290 Points -3%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
7180 Points -5%
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
8220 Points +29%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7104 Points +11%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
6675 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (4426 - 7638, n=15)
6558 Points +3%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
6395 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6062 Points -5%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5898 Points -8%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5661 Points +28%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (4074 - 5217, n=11)
4518 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
4413 Points
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
4207 Points -5%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4136 Points -6%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4094 Points -7%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4074 Points -8%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5870 Points +4%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5706 Points +1%
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5664 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5610 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (5041 - 5913, n=12)
5540 Points -2%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5480 Points -3%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5287 Points -7%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4413 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5664 points
PCMark 10 Score
5431 points
Help

Storage Devices

Users can install up to two M.2 drives with support for NVMe. The Micron 2200 drive in our unit returns excellent sequential read and write rates that come close to the more expensive Samsung PM981. Write rates of smaller 4K blocks, however, are consistently slower.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Both M.2 bays sit side-by-side
Both M.2 bays sit side-by-side
Maingear Vector 15
 
MSI GL65 9SEK
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
AS SSD
1%
-30%
23%
32%
-7%
Seq Read
1771
1315
-26%
1372
-23%
1829
3%
1925
9%
1221
-31%
Seq Write
1520
1378
-9%
746
-51%
1315
-13%
2371
56%
911
-40%
4K Read
20.81
25.31
22%
35.42
70%
51.3
147%
37.2
79%
48.24
132%
4K Write
67.2
118.2
76%
99.9
49%
106
58%
108.9
62%
99.2
48%
4K-64 Read
1083
839
-23%
302.1
-72%
917
-15%
1177
9%
321.4
-70%
4K-64 Write
825
720
-13%
191.4
-77%
1212
47%
1135
38%
744
-10%
Access Time Read *
0.063
0.116
-84%
0.132
-110%
0.063
-0%
0.065
-3%
0.071
-13%
Access Time Write *
0.892
0.091
90%
0.037
96%
0.104
88%
0.108
88%
0.139
84%
Score Read
1281
996
-22%
475
-63%
1152
-10%
1407
10%
492
-62%
Score Write
1044
976
-7%
366
-65%
1450
39%
1481
42%
934
-11%
Score Total
2964
2485
-16%
1065
-64%
3177
7%
3633
23%
1681
-43%
Copy ISO MB/s
1506
1279
-15%
1062
-29%
1539
2%
2073
38%
906
-40%
Copy Program MB/s
606
889
47%
426
-30%
513
-15%
576
-5%
486.6
-20%
Copy Game MB/s
1319
1218
-8%
650
-51%
1150
-13%
1426
8%
952
-28%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
8%
-26%
16%
46%
6%
Write 4K
77.9
150.2
93%
134.2
72%
135
73%
108.8
40%
156
100%
Read 4K
45.68
43.46
-5%
37.72
-17%
41.1
-10%
45.41
-1%
60.7
33%
Write Seq
1280
1412
10%
389.2
-70%
1427
11%
2467
93%
968
-24%
Read Seq
1005
1340
33%
1030
2%
1494
49%
2456
144%
1619
61%
Write 4K Q32T1
572
482.2
-16%
238.9
-58%
494.9
-13%
532
-7%
485
-15%
Read 4K Q32T1
627
535
-15%
343.9
-45%
578
-8%
590
-6%
337.3
-46%
Write Seq Q32T1
1687
1454
-14%
789
-53%
1417
-16%
2801
66%
969
-43%
Read Seq Q32T1
2295
1744
-24%
1502
-35%
3251
42%
3172
38%
1825
-20%
Write 4K Q8T8
293.4
Read 4K Q8T8
405.8
Total Average (Program / Settings)
5% / 3%
-28% / -28%
20% / 21%
39% / 37%
-1% / -3%

* ... smaller is better

CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2295 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1687 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 627 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 572 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1005 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1280 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.68 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 77.9 MB/s

GPU Performance

The mobile GTX 1660 Ti is about 10 percent slower than the "proper" GTX 1660 Ti for desktop. Keep in mind that overall performance will be very close to the mobile RTX 2060 when RTX-specific features are disabled.

Interestingly, Shadow of the Tomb Raider would fail to launch despite being on the latest drivers at the time of review. Otherwise, the GTX 1660 Ti is powerful enough to run the latest titles at 1080p60 on Medium settings. To better exploit the 144 Hz panel, however, you'll have to lower the graphical settings even further or play more undemanding games like Rocket League, DOTA 2, or Overwatch.

See our dedicated page on the GTX 1660 Ti for more technical information and gaming benchmarks.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
 
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
121397 Points +25%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
119860 Points +23%
Asus ROG G703GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
119847 Points +23%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
114009 Points +17%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
99060 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
97136 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (59839 - 104780, n=18)
94171 Points -3%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X
91194 Points -6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
55659 Points -43%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
50946 Points -48%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
47166 Points -51%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U
22113 Points -77%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus ROG G703GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
25727 Points +75%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
20901 Points +42%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
19846 Points +35%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
17419 Points +18%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X
16024 Points +9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
15700 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (14186 - 16488, n=24)
14867 Points +1%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
14718 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
13362 Points -9%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
12111 Points -18%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
11754 Points -20%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U
7774 Points -47%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Asus ROG G703GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
10181 Points +84%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
7722 Points +40%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
6907 Points +25%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6387 Points +15%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X
6131 Points +11%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6011 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (5335 - 6123, n=22)
5653 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5534 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
5166 Points -7%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
4167 Points -25%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U
3028 Points -45%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus ROG G703GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
35754 Points +82%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
28606 Points +45%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
25500 Points +30%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X
22128 Points +12%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
21861 Points +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (18610 - 22670, n=24)
20096 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
19971 Points +2%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
19670 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
18493 Points -6%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
17668 Points -10%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
16339 Points -17%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U
11542 Points -41%
1280x720 Performance Combined
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
16949 Points +39%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X
13940 Points +14%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12518 Points +3%
Asus ROG G703GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-9750H
12286 Points +1%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12192 Points
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12064 Points -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (9500 - 13311, n=23)
12019 Points -1%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
10851 Points -11%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U
10350 Points -15%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
8218 Points -33%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
7436 Points -39%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H
6931 Points -43%
3DMark 11 Performance
17263 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
36182 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
13140 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5697 points
Help
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
100 fps +63%
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
80.6 fps +31%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
77.4 fps +26%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
72 (61min - 84max) fps +17%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop)
62 (43min - 74max) fps +1%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
61.7 fps +1%
Maingear Vector 15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
61.3 fps
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
60 fps -2%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
58.4 fps -5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
  (51.6 - 65.1, n=21)
56.2 fps -8%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
52.2 fps -15%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
48.8 fps -20%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, AMD Radeon RX 5500M
43.6 (36min - 48max) fps -29%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
36 fps -41%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Core i7-10710U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
30.8 fps -50%
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Maingear Vector 15 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H: Ø52.1 (48-62)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 277.4 248.5 226.8 137.4
The Witcher 3 (2015) 253 176.3 110.7 61.3

Emissions

System Noise

The Vector is silent when idling on desktop, but any sort of low-medium loads like browsing, streaming, or application launching will bump fan noise to 33.7 dB(A) when not in Office mode. Thus, we don't recommend Turbo mode or Game mode if the horsepower is not needed in order to keep fan noise in check.

Running Witcher 3 results in a constant fan noise of 53.5 dB(A) when in Turbo mode or Game mode. This is louder than most other gaming laptops including the more powerful Lenovo Legion Y740 or Alienware m15 each equipped with GeForce RTX graphics.

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

Small twin fans
Small twin fans
2x SODIMM slots
2x SODIMM slots
Two sets of exhaust vents per fan
Two sets of exhaust vents per fan
Four copper heat pipes in total
Four copper heat pipes in total
Maingear Vector 15
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Noise
-7%
1%
0%
-10%
-2%
off / environment *
28.7
28.1
2%
30
-5%
28.5
1%
28.3
1%
28.2
2%
Idle Minimum *
28.7
31.4
-9%
31.3
-9%
30.3
-6%
28.5
1%
28.7
-0%
Idle Average *
28.7
31.5
-10%
31.3
-9%
30.5
-6%
28.5
1%
30.5
-6%
Idle Maximum *
33.7
33.5
1%
31.3
7%
30.5
9%
49
-45%
31
8%
Load Average *
36.7
49.3
-34%
42
-14%
41
-12%
49
-34%
39
-6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53.5
51.3
4%
42.1
21%
48
10%
49
8%
54.2
-1%
Load Maximum *
55.4
58
-5%
46.5
16%
51.9
6%
55
1%
59.6
-8%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.7 / 28.7 / 33.7 dB(A)
Load
36.7 / 55.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.7 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are warmest towards the center of the notebook. When gaming or running high loads, hot spots can become as warm as 56 C to 53 C or even 64 C on the underside of the system. The palm rests, WASD keys, and NumPad keys will thankfully remain relatively cool. However, be sure to not block any of the large ventilation grilles along the bottom and rear of the chassis.

Four sets of exhaust grilles
Four sets of exhaust grilles
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for an hour
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for an hour
Max. Load
 41.8 °C
107 F
53.2 °C
128 F
41.8 °C
107 F
 
 32.8 °C
91 F
42.8 °C
109 F
34.4 °C
94 F
 
 26.4 °C
80 F
23.2 °C
74 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 53.2 °C = 128 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
52.2 °C
126 F
64 °C
147 F
61.2 °C
142 F
29.4 °C
85 F
36.2 °C
97 F
27.2 °C
81 F
25.8 °C
78 F
25.2 °C
77 F
25.2 °C
77 F
Maximum: 64 °C = 147 F
Average: 38.5 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  52 °C = 126 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 53.2 °C / 128 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 64 °C / 147 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.3 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.6 °C / 81.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.3 °C / 2.3 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates would spike up to 4 GHz for the first few seconds until hitting a core temperature of 87 C. Thereafter, clock rates drop to about 3.5 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 79 C. CPU temperatures will plateau at 95 C when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously.

Running Witcher 3 in Turbo Mode results in stable CPU and GPU temperatures of 87 C and 79 C, respectively. Running the same test in Game Mode will result in cooler core temperatures albeit at slower GPU clock rates as shown by our screenshots and table below.

Performance drops if running on battery power even when set to High Performance mode. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 9451 and 2994 points, respectively, compared to 16560 and 14718 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress (Game Mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Game Mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Mode)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 39 39
Prime95 Stress 3.5 -- 79 54
Prime95 + FurMark Stress ~3.6 1260 95 76
Witcher 3 Stress (Game Mode) ~4.0 1635 ~83 73
Witcher 3 Stress (Turbo Mode) ~4.0 1770 ~87 79

Speakers

Stereo speakers positioned underneath the palm rests
Stereo speakers positioned underneath the palm rests
Pink noise at maximum volume. Audio is weak even for a thin gaming laptop
Pink noise at maximum volume. Audio is weak even for a thin gaming laptop
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.2422539.738.33138.337.74037.236.95034.637.36335.135.2803334.710033.334.412532.733.516031.532.520030.9332503140.73153051.640030.556.55003056.963029.661.480029.568.210002969.7125029.566.6160030.260.8200028.459.8250027.856.8315027.857.8400027.463.6500026.963.7630026.862.9800026.5551000026.5541250026.455.71600026.455.1SPL40.675.4N3.934.3median 29.5median 56.8Delta1.98.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMaingear Vector 15Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Maingear Vector 15 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (33.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 98% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 91% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

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

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop consumes anywhere between 16 W and 27 W to be noticeably more efficient than what we recorded on many competing systems including the MSI GL65 or Asus Zephyrus M GU502. When gaming, however, consumption is where we expect it to be at about 158 W. The RTX 2080 Max-Q offers about 50 percent more graphics performance for roughly 15 percent higher power consumption.

We're able to record a maximum draw of 188 W from the medium-sized ()()() 180 W AC adapter when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. Keep in mind that charging will slow to a crawl if running extreme processing loads.

Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
3DMark06 stress
3DMark06 stress
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 116 W for about one minute before falling and stabilizing at 93 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 116 W for about one minute before falling and stabilizing at 93 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption is relatively stable at about 178 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption is relatively stable at about 178 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 6.3 / 7.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 16.2 / 21.1 / 26.4 Watt
Load midlight 85.1 / 188 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.
Maingear Vector 15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, , IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-61%
-13%
-17%
-49%
-26%
Idle Minimum *
16.2
41
-153%
22.2
-37%
18.7
-15%
19
-17%
17.6
-9%
Idle Average *
21.1
45.3
-115%
24.9
-18%
30.7
-45%
40.5
-92%
24.7
-17%
Idle Maximum *
26.4
47.1
-78%
30.6
-16%
33.9
-28%
52
-97%
56.3
-113%
Load Average *
85.1
94.9
-12%
101
-19%
93.4
-10%
132.3
-55%
111.1
-31%
Witcher 3 ultra *
158.2
149.4
6%
143
10%
158.9
-0%
183.3
-16%
149
6%
Load Maximum *
188
214.2
-14%
186
1%
195.3
-4%
217.2
-16%
170
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Expect just over 6 hours of real-world WLAN use from the internal 62 Wh battery when set to the Balanced power profile. Results are better than the average gaming laptop and comparable to the Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti.

Recharging from empty to full capacity takes about 2 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
6h 02min
Maingear Vector 15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 51 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 57 Wh
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 65 Wh
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502GU-XB74
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
-36%
-51%
-9%
-8%
-26%
WiFi v1.3
362
230
-36%
179
-51%
330
-9%
332
-8%
268
-26%
Reader / Idle
262
554
424
Load
60
44
101

Pros

+ good CPU performance and Turbo Boost sustainability
+ easy serviceability; 2x SODIMM, 2x M.2 2280
+ full-size Arrow keys and NumPad
+ 144 Hz display comes standard
+ quad-zone RGB key lighting
+ respectable battery life
+ thin and lightweight
+ quiet key clatter
+ narrow bezels

Cons

- spongy clickpad with weak feedback
- CPU temperatures could be cooler
- no internal 2.5-inch SATA III bay
- port positioning could be better
- suboptimal camera positioning
- speakers could be louder
- no per-key RGB lighting
- slow SD card reader
- fingerprint magnet
- no Thunderbolt 3

Verdict

In review: Maingear Vector 15. Test unit provided by Maingear
In review: Maingear Vector 15. Test unit provided by Maingear

Why purchase the Vector 15 over more well-known models from Asus, MSI, Lenovo, Dell, or others? The Maingear system excels at being lighter and easier to service than some of its closest competitors. Most MSI laptops, for example, require breaking a factory sticker just to add RAM while the Alienware m15 R2 doesn't even allow for any memory upgrades. If you'll be traveling a lot and still want the ability to service the laptop on your own, then the Vector may be the best option.

The weak speakers, average hinges, spongy clickpad, and flexible chassis are probably the worst aspects of the Vector that could use some attention for any future iterations. Fan noise when gaming is quite loud as well even for a gaming laptop. Firmer and more rigid alternatives from the Asus Zephyrus series, Alienware m15 series, or Razer Blade 15 series feel more luxurious albeit at slightly higher prices.

Excellent performance and 144 Hz display for such a light gaming laptop. Great for gamers constantly on-the-go if you can deal with the spongy clickpad and subpar webcam positioning.

Maingear Vector 15 - 11/24/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
74 / 98 → 75%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
54 / 80 → 68%
Weight
64 / 10-66 → 97%
Battery
69 / 95 → 73%
Display
85%
Games Performance
91%
Application Performance
90%
Temperature
81 / 95 → 85%
Noise
79 / 90 → 88%
Audio
57%
Camera
30 / 85 → 35%
Average
72%
81%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Maingear Vector 15 Laptop Review: Gaming All-rounder
Allen Ngo, 2019-11-24 (Update: 2019-12-30)