Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Review: Return of the Exotic

Budget gamer. Back in 2019 the Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop not only surprised us with a sturdy high-quality case but also a good price-performance ratio. Find out whether the 2019 iteration follows suit.

Florian Glaser, 👁 Florian Glaser, ✓ Felicitas Krohn (translated by Finn D. Boerne), Published 11/19/2019 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...

As previously reported three different models of the 2019 edition of Xiaomi’s Mi Gaming Laptop will be available. A base model equipped with a Core i5-9300H with 8 GB of RAM, a mid-range model based on the Core i7-9750H with 16 GB of RAM, and last but not least a flagship model equipped with a GeForce RTX 2060 instead of a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. The latter might not be that much slower than the former, but it lacks its raytracing capabilities. All units are equipped with a 144 Hz IPS FHD and a 512 GB NVMe SSD.

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Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 (Mi Gaming Laptop Series)

Processor

Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H

Graphics adapter

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1110 MHz, Memory: 7000 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 441.12, Optimus

Memory

16 GB

, 2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, dual channel, all slots populated

Display

15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, NV156FHM-N4G (BOE0867), IPS, FHD, 144 Hz, glossy: no

Mainboard

Intel HM370

Storage

Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, 512 GB

, NVMe-SSD, Slots: 2x M.2 Typ 2280 & 1x 2.5-Zoll

Soundcard

Intel Cannon Point PCH - cAVS

Connections

4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 1x headphones (output), 1x microphone (input), Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC

Networking

Realtek Gaming GBE Family Controller (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): 21 x 364 x 265 ( = 0.83 x 14.33 x 10.43 in)

Battery

55 Wh Lithium-Ion

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit

Camera

Webcam: HD

Additional features

Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: Chiclet RGB, Keyboard Light: yes, 180 W charger, 12 Months Warranty

Weight

2.6 kg ( = 91.71 oz / 5.73 pounds), Power Supply: 500 g ( = 17.64 oz / 1.1 pounds)

Price

1400 EUR

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

see all specifications

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As with its predecessor Xiaomi’s exclusive target audience for the Mi Gaming Laptop are Asian markets, which is why it's almost impossible to tell you how much exactly the device is going to cost. By default, it ships with a Chinese version of Windows. However, some retailers offer an English Windows 10 at a premium.

Its main competitors are other 15-inch notebooks with Core i7-9750H and GeForce RTX 2060, such as the MSI GL65 9SEK, Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH, Asus Strix GL531GV, or Acer ConceptD 7.

Rating	Date	Model	Weight	Height	Size	Resolution
82.3 %	11/2019	Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	2.6 kg	21 mm	15.60"	1920x1080
80.8 %	10/2019	MSI GL65 9SEK i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	2.3 kg	27.5 mm	15.60"	1920x1080
85.7 %	08/2019	Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	2.3 kg	26 mm	15.60"	1920x1080
84.4 %	08/2019	Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	2.4 kg	25.9 mm	15.60"	1920x1080
87.3 %	11/2019	Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	2.2 kg	17.9 mm	15.60"	3840x2160

Since Xiaomi has left the case mostly unmodified, except for the unfortunate omission of a previously available USB-C port, we are not going to cover case, connectivity, and input devices in great depth as part of this review. Instead, we would like to refer you to our review of the 2018 model.

Size Comparison

Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 MSI GL65 9SEK Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N DIN A4 ❌

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming (48.5 - 209, n=93, last 2 years)	105.3 MB/s ∼100% +35%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)	78 MB/s ∼74%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming (72 - 269, n=84, last 2 years)	130.1 MB/s ∼100% +53%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)	85 MB/s ∼65%

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Wireless-AC 9560	1160 MBit/s ∼100%
Average of class Gaming (450 - 1580, n=69, last 2 years)	1136 MBit/s ∼98% -2%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Wireless-AC 9560	1380 MBit/s ∼100%
Average of class Gaming (90 - 1700, n=69, last 2 years)	1184 MBit/s ∼86% -14%

Display

The FHD display has been upgraded significantly. Gone is the previously installed 60 Hz panel. Instead, the 2019 model features a blazingly fast 144 Hz display.


305 cd/m²	292 cd/m²	312 cd/m²
291 cd/m²	316 cd/m²	291 cd/m²
274 cd/m²	297 cd/m²	278 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

NV156FHM-N4G (BOE0867)

X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 316 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 295.1 cd/m² Minimum: 15 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 279 cd/m²
Contrast: 1374:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.84 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 1.64
ΔE Greyscale 3.66 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
92% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
92.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.62

Download ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)

	Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 NV156FHM-N4G (BOE0867), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60	MSI GL65 9SEK AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60	Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH BOE NV156FHM-N4G (BOE084D), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60	Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Panda LM156LF-GL02, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60	Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N AU Optronics AUO31EB, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Display		-42%	-1%	-37%	30%
Display P3 Coverage	65.2	36.63 -44%	64.5 -1%	40.13 -38%	85.7 31%
sRGB Coverage	92.1	55 -40%	91.6 -1%	60.3 -35%	100 9%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage	66.4	37.85 -43%	65.9 -1%	41.48 -38%	99 49%
Response Times		-175%	9%	-154%	-304%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *	8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)	26.4 ?(13.2, 13.2) -200%	8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4) -0%	26 ?(13.6, 12.4) -195%	49 ?(24, 25) -457%
Response Time Black / White *	12 ?(6.8, 5.2)	30 ?(17.6, 12.4) -150%	10 ?(5.6, 4.4) 17%	25.6 ?(14.8, 10.8) -113%	30 ?(17, 13) -150%
PWM Frequency
Screen		-49%	-8%	-65%	28%
Brightness middle	316	277.3 -12%	284 -10%	290.1 -8%	365 16%
Brightness	295	256 -13%	277 -6%	274 -7%	357 21%
Brightness Distribution	87	86 -1%	87 0%	86 -1%	84 -3%
Black Level *	0.23	0.2 13%	0.3 -30%	0.54 -135%	0.275 -20%
Contrast	1374	1387 1%	947 -31%	537 -61%	1327 -3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *	3.84	5.25 -37%	3.53 8%	5.16 -34%	0.99 74%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *	5.69	19.43 -241%	6.11 -7%	18.09 -218%	1.89 67%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *	1.64	4.39 -168%	1.81 -10%	4.35 -165%	1.01 38%
Greyscale dE 2000 *	3.66	3.5 4%	3.56 3%	4.4 -20%	1.29 65%
Gamma	2.62 ^84%	2.1 ^105%	2.47 ^89%	2.1 ^105%	2.2 ^100%
CCT	7165 ^91%	6895 ^94%	7257 ^90%	7362 ^88%	6548 ^99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)	60	35 -42%	59 -2%	38.1 -36%	88 47%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)	92	55 -40%	91 -1%	60 -35%	100 9%
Total Average (Program / Settings)		-89% / -63%	0% / -5%	-85% / -71%	-82% / -13%

* ... smaller is better

Our measurements indicate significantly reduced response times that decreased from around 41.6-53.2 ms to just 8.8-12 ms. This should make for an image free of ghosting and artifacts even when playing fast-paced shooters. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has opted not to include support for G-Sync, most likely a cost-cutting measure (re: license costs). Instead, the Mi Gaming Laptop supports Optimus in order to maximize battery life.

The IPS panel offers much more than just great response times. Thanks to a comparatively low black level of just 0.23 nits and a decent maximum brightness of 295 nits the resulting contrast ratio is 1,300:1.

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop vs. AdobeRGB (60%)

Color space coverage (92% sRGB, 60% AdobeRGB) is on a par with the competition, and so are the viewing angles.

Display Response Times

ℹ

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
12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 6.8 ms rise
12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 23 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.2 ms).
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 4.4 ms rise
8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ

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 19210 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

The flagship SKU can definitely be considered a high-end gaming notebook. A hexa-core CPU combined with a GeForce RTX 2060, a 512 GB SSD, and 16 GB of RAM should offer more than enough gaming and processing oomph for many years to come.

Processor

Intel’s Core i7-9750H is one of the most successful mobile processors. The 14 nm Coffee Lake -based processor with a TDP of 45 W supports Hyper Threading and thus up to 12 threads simultaneously.

It runs at a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz and can turbo boost up to 4.5 GHz. Unfortunately, the Mi Gaming Laptop is incapable of fully utilizing the CPU’s turbo boost potential. In single-threaded load the CPU runs at 4.0 to 4.3 GHz while multi-core turbo boost is limited to just 3.3 to 3.8 GHz.

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1096 (1015.87-1242.3)

MSI GL65 9SEK Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1185 (1166.86-1278.16)

Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1208 (1186.17-1271.21)

Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1103 (1087.93-1223.2)

Like most other gaming laptops performance drops by around 10 % in our CineBench loop after the first iteration. Overall, the Core i7-9750H performed as expected.

Cinebench R15 | Cinebench R20

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming (79.2 - 312, n=244, last 2 years)	251 Points ∼100% +32%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	190 Points ∼76% 0%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	188 Points ∼75% -1%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Core i7-9750H	190 Points ∼76%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH Intel Core i7-9750H	188 Points ∼75% -1%
MSI GL65 9SEK Intel Core i7-9750H	188 Points ∼75% -1%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Intel Core i7-9750H	179 Points ∼71% -6%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming (400 - 5663, n=243, last 2 years)	2608 Points ∼100% +110%
MSI GL65 9SEK Intel Core i7-9750H	1281 Points ∼49% +3%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH Intel Core i7-9750H	1271 Points ∼49% +2%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Core i7-9750H	1242 Points ∼48%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Intel Core i7-9750H	1226 Points ∼47% -1%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	1046 Points ∼40% -16%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	952 (291.42^min - 964.09^max) Points ∼37% -23%

Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming (169 - 825, n=240, last 2 years)	646 Points ∼100% +40%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	465 Points ∼72% +1%
MSI GL65 9SEK Intel Core i7-9750H	465 Points ∼72% +1%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Core i7-9750H	460 Points ∼71%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming (930 - 13769, n=240, last 2 years)	6145 Points ∼100% +137%
MSI GL65 9SEK Intel Core i7-9750H	2785 Points ∼45% +8%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Intel Core i7-9750H	2588 Points ∼42%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N Intel Core i7-9750H	2227 Points ∼36% -14%

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit

190 Points

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit

1242 Points

Help

... in comparison

System Performance

System performance was also at a level expected of this system. With a score of 5,681 the Mi Gaming Laptop sits right in between its competitors albeit the differences are marginal. Subjectively, the device booted up very quickly and felt fast and snappy.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming (4477 - 9331, n=196, last 2 years)	7265 Points ∼100% +28%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR	5997 Points ∼83% +6%
MSI GL65 9SEK GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G	5761 Points ∼79% +1%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G	5681 Points ∼78%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	5528 Points ∼76% -3%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G	5449 Points ∼75% -4%

Storage Devices

NVMe SSD is a staple of pretty much every 2019 high end notebook, and Xiaomi opted for a 512 GB NVMe SSD by Toshiba. Sequential read and write speeds top out at a superb 3,000 MB/s in Crystal Disk Mark, and the M.2 SSD was also very fast in random access scenarios. Given that the Mi Gaming Laptop features a free secondary M.2 slot as well as a free 2.5-inch slot the upgrade options are plentiful.

	Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G	MSI GL65 9SEK WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G	Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR	Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6		-3%	10%	-16%	14%
Write 4K	110.3	150.2 36%	131.7 19%	121.9 11%	109 -1%
Read 4K	47.17	43.46 -8%	48.06 2%	53.6 14%	41.33 -12%
Write Seq	1381	1412 2%	1234 -11%	967 -30%	2535 84%
Read Seq	1327	1340 1%	973 -27%	1461 10%	1538 16%
Write 4K Q32T1	404.7	482.2 19%	576 42%	431.4 7%	396.6 -2%
Read 4K Q32T1	437.2	535 22%	655 50%	337.3 -23%	603 38%
Write Seq Q32T1	2960	1454 -51%	3012 2%	972 -67%	2542 -14%
Read Seq Q32T1	3278	1744 -47%	3481 6%	1727 -47%	3324 1%

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6

AS SSD

Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G

CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3278 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2960 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 437.2 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 404.7 MB/s

CDM 5 Read Seq: 1327 MB/s

CDM 5 Write Seq: 1381 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 47.17 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 110.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

The GeForce RTX 2060 is Nvidia’s most affordable raytracing-capable laptop GPU. This particular DirectX 12 chip is based on the Turing architecture and features 1,920 shader units with access to 6 GB of GDDR6 video RAM.

3DMark 11 Performance		18262 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score		35196 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score		15004 points
3DMark Time Spy Score		6209 points
Help

... in comparison

The Mi Gaming Laptop performed very well in our GPU benchmarks. It scored first place within our test group in 3DMark 11 and 3DMark 13, which attests to a good turbo-boost utilization.

3DMark | 3DMark 11

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming (781 - 53059, n=242, last 2 years)	27061 Points ∼100% +63%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	16571 Points ∼61%
MSI GL65 9SEK NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	16331 Points ∼60% -1%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	15913 Points ∼59% -4%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	15552 Points ∼57% -6%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	14970 Points ∼55% -10%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming (224 - 22547, n=242, last 2 years)	10736 Points ∼100% +76%
MSI GL65 9SEK NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	6159 Points ∼57% +1%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	6109 Points ∼57%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	6059 Points ∼56% -1%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Average of class Gaming (280 - 14457, n=154, last 2 years)	6807 Points ∼100% +97%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	3464 Points ∼51%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	3261 Points ∼48% -6%
MSI GL65 9SEK NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	3203 Points ∼47% -8%

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming (1029 - 72070, n=235, last 2 years)	36582 Points ∼100% +72%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	21303 Points ∼58%
MSI GL65 9SEK NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	21075 Points ∼58% -1%
Asus Strix GL531GV-PB74 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	20723 Points ∼57% -3%
Acer ConceptD 7 CN715-71-743N NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	19882 Points ∼54% -7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile	19537 Points ∼53% -8%

We were able to verify the latter during our 60-minute long "The Witcher 3" loop (1920x1080, Ultra), and the resulting core frequency of 1,500 MHz is much higher than the GPU’s base frequency of just 1,110 MHz. We did not notice any sudden drops in performance.