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MSI GE76 Raider Review w/ 155 W GeForce RTX
3080 RTX 3060 and WQHD: XMG Core 15 in review More TGP, more FPS: MSI GP76 in review Subtle powerhouse: XMG Pro 15 in review

MSI GL65 9SEK Laptop Review: Much More Portable than the
GL63
4 hours of battery life... at most. The GL65 is a huge upgrade over the GL63 in terms of visuals, weight,
performance, and size. On the other hand, other key aspects like battery life, ports, brightness, and display
quality have barely changed at all. This $1500 mid-range gaming machine can sometimes feel like a
budget gaming laptop at times.
Allen Ngo , 10/02/2019 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 ... MSI Gaming Geforce Laptop

84% MSI GP66 Leopard 82% Realme 8 Pro

10UG Laptop Review: A smartphone review -
Complete Series Lightweight 300-Euro-
Overhaul phone without 5G
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
Case
84% Xiaomi Redmi Connectivity
Note 10 Pro Genesis Thor 400 RGB Input Devices
The MSI GL65 directly succeeds the GL63 by introducing a brand new narrow bezel design
smartphone review: mechanical keyboard Display
to the 15.6-inch GL6x series. Aside from the new look, it also brings Intel 9th gen Core i7 Dream display for anti- hands-on: Everything Performance
CPUs and Nvidia Turing GPUs to supplant the 8th gen CPUs and Pascal GPUs of the 5G users at a bargain you'd expect for Emissions
previous generation model. The mid-range GL65 is designed to sit below the higher-end price roughly US$100 Energy Managemen
Verdict
GS65 in terms of looks and specifications. Next Page ⟩ Pricecompare
 All current SKUs can be configured with the Core i5-9300H or i7-9750H CPU and the
GeForce GTX 1650, GTX 1660 Ti, or RTX 2060 GPU. Display options include only 1080p IPS
at either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. Our specific test unit is the higher-end configuration with the
Core i7 CPU, RTX 2060 GPU, and 1080p120 display retailing for about $1450 USD.

Direct competitors to the MSI GL65 include other mid-range 15.6-inch gaming laptops like
the Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICH, Dell G7 15, Gigabyte Aorus 5 or Aorus 15, Asus Zephyrus
G GU502, and the recently released Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti.

We recommend checking out our existing review on the MSI GP65 since it shares a very
similar chassis design with the GL65.

More MSI reviews:

MSI P75
MSI GE75
MSI GP65
MSI GS65
MSI GF75
MSI GT76

MSI GL65 9SEK (GL65 Series)

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

Graphics adapter: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile - 6144 MB, Core: 1110 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, good (81%)
425.31, Optimus MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
MSI GL65 9SEK More Portable than
Memory: 16384 MB  , DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43
Intel Core i7-9750H Case
Display: 15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, AUOD0ED, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile Connectivity
glossy: no Input Devices

Mainboard: Intel HM370 Gaming - 10/02/2019 - v7 Display

Performance
Storage: WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB  Test device courtesy of CUKUSA.com
Emissions
Download your licensed rating image as PNG / SVG
Weight: 2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 770 g ( = 27.16 oz / 1.7 pounds) Energy Managemen
Verdict
Price: 1450 USD
Pricecompare
 Links: MSI homepage
MSI notebook section

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

[+] Add to comparison » Compare devices 0

Case

Most of our comments on the GP65 chassis apply here on the GL65. The main visual
difference between them is that the outer lid of the former incorporates additional design
elements whereas the outer lid of the GL65 is completely flat. Chassis materials and
texture are otherwise identical.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 ₹699.00 ₹999.00

Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia,
Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight
Gaming, Business, Budget Office,
Workstation, Subnotebooks,
Ultrabooks, Chromebooks

under 300 USD/Euros, under 500

USD/Euros, 1.000 USD/Euros

Best Displays, for University Students

Top 10 Smartphones MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

Smartphones, Phablets, ≤5- More Portable than
Case
inch, Camera SmartphonesThe Best
Connectivity
Smartphones for Less Than 160 Euros Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
Exact same dimensions and chassis design as the Despite being smaller than the GL63, the GL65 is
GP65 actually slightly heavier by almost 100 g

Much narrower bezels than the older GL63 series Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Hinges are small and satisfactory. However, they Base and lid are not as rigid as on the Razer Blade
could be firmer at wider angles to reduce teetering 15 series

      MSI GL63 8RC-069US       MSI GL65 9SEK       Alienware m15 R2 P87F

      MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG       Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX       Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA ❌
Leaker tips under-
2.2 kg 2.2 kg 2 kg 2.1 kg 2.1 kg NPD: PS5 is the fastest display smartphone
2.3 kg 4.35 lbs
4.85 lbs 5.07 lbs 4.76 lbs 4.63 lbs 4.68 lbs selling console cameras will make a
platform launch ever in breakthrough in
the US second half of the year

Simply sublime Apple

M1 iMac fan-made

inch
Acer launches semi- design joins M1X

260 mm / 10.2 inch

inch
inch

inch
rugged Enduro Urban MacBook Pro 14

inch
inch
T1 tablet and Urban N3 concept in talented

9.76

inch
9.84

1.083
0.709
/10.6
laptop that actually young artist's growing

/0.748
//10.9

1.142
0.62
// /0.72
look pretty sleek portfolio

mm
mm
Next Page ⟩

mm
mm
mm

18mm
mm

27.5
15.75
19
29
248
250

18.3
357.7
358
356mm
mm//14.1
14.1
14 inch
inch
inch 268
276
383 mm / 15.1 inch
360 mm / 14.2 inch MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
360.5 mm / 14.2 inch More Portable than
Case
Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Connectivity Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
Port options and even positioning are almost identical to the last generation GL63. The
only main difference is that the AC adapter port is now closer to the front instead of
towards the rear corner. It's not recommended to use the GL63 AC adapter on the GL65
since the latter ships with a more capable adapter (180 W vs. 135 W).

Front: No connectivity

Right: SD reader, 2x USB 3.1, AC adapter MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Rear: No connectivity

Left: Kensington Lock, RJ-45, HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort, USB 3.1, USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 1, 3.5 mm
earphones, 3.5 mm headphone (SPDIF)

SD Card Reader
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
While we appreciate the fact that the system integrates a full-size spring-loaded SD card More Portable than
Case
reader, its very slow transfer rates are hard to forgive. Transferring 1 GB worth of images
Connectivity
from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 45 seconds compared to just ~8 seconds Input Devices
on the Dell XPS 15. The slow speed can be frustrating for content creators who rely on SD Display
readers. Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
SDCardreader
SDCardreader Transfer
Transfer Speed
Speed Verdict
Pricecompare
 average
average JPG
JPG Copy
Copy Test
Test (av.
(av. of
of 33 runs)
runs)

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 197 MB/s ∼100% +742%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

Dell
Dell XPS
XPS 15
15 7590
7590 9980HK
9980HK GTX
GTX 1650
1650 172.4
172.4 MB/s
MB/s ∼88%
∼88% +637%
+637%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 23.4 MB/s ∼12%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

MSI
MSI GL63
GL63 8RC-069US
8RC-069US 15.2
15.2 MB/s
MB/s ∼8%
∼8% -35%
-35%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

maximum
maximum AS
AS SSD
SSD Seq
Seq Read
Read Test
Test (1GB)
(1GB)

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 242
242 MB/s
MB/s ∼100%
∼100% +758%
+758%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

Dell
Dell XPS
XPS 15
15 7590
7590 9980HK
9980HK GTX
GTX 1650
1650 192.1
192.1 MB/s
MB/s ∼79%
∼79% +581%
+581%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 28.2
28.2 MB/s
MB/s ∼12%
∼12% 0%
0%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

MSI GL63 8RC-069US 21.77

21.77 MB/s
MB/s ∼9%
∼9% -23%
-23%
    (Toshiba
(Toshiba Exceria
Exceria Pro
Pro SDXC
SDXC 64
64 GB
GB UHS-II)
UHS-II)

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

Communication
The Intel 9560 offers Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity. Strangely, transmit speeds are
only about half of what the module is capable of. We're able to record an average transmit MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
rate of 355 Mbps compared to 620 Mbps on the MSI GS65 equipped with the exact same Case
Intel 9560. Other than this performance oddity, we experienced no wireless issues with the Connectivity

GL65. Input Devices

Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Removable M.2 WLAN module

Networking
Networking

iperf3
iperf3 Client
Client (receive)
(receive) TCP
TCP 11 m
m 4M
4M x10
x10
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA 696 More Portable than
696 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼100%
∼100% +105%
+105%
Killer
Killer Wireless-AC
Wireless-AC 1550i
1550i Wireless
Wireless Network
Network Adapter
Adapter (9560NGW)
(9560NGW) Case
Connectivity
MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 659
659 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼95%
∼95% +94%
+94% Input Devices
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 Display
Performance
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 637
637 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼92%
∼92% +87%
+87%
Emissions
Intel
Intel Wireless-AC
Wireless-AC 9560
9560
Energy Managemen
MSI
MSI GL63
GL63 8RC-069US
8RC-069US 340 MBit/s ∼49% 0% Verdict
Intel
Intel Wireless
Wireless AC
AC 9462
9462 Pricecompare
 iperf3
iperf3 Client
Client (transmit)
(transmit) TCP
TCP 11 m
m 4M
4M x10
x10

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 678
678 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼100%
∼100% 0%
0%
Killer
Killer Wireless-AC
Wireless-AC 1550i
1550i Wireless
Wireless Network
Network Adapter
Adapter (9560NGW)
(9560NGW)

MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG 620

620 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼91%
∼91% -9%
-9%
Intel
Intel Wireless-AC
Wireless-AC 9560
9560

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 355
355 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼52%
∼52% -48%
-48%
Intel Wireless-AC 9560

MSI GL63 8RC-069US 224

224 MBit/s
MBit/s ∼33%
∼33% -67%
-67%
Intel
Intel Wireless
Wireless AC
AC 9462
9462

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Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by 12 Philips screws that will unfortunately require tearing a
factory seal sticker to service. Once inside, upgrading core components like RAM, WLAN,
battery, or the two storage bays becomes simple.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity

Relatively easy access with a Philips screwdriver and Last generation MSI GL63 for comparison. Input Devices
Display
sharp edge Internal layout has not changed very much
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Accessories and Warranty Verdict
Pricecompare
 There are no extras included in the retail box. The standard one-year limited manufacturer
warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard and trackpad (11 x 6.3 cm) are identical to the GP65. Keep in mind that
some lower-end SKUs have single-zone red keyboard backlight only whereas this GeForce
RTX SKU includes per-key RGB lighting.

We applaud MSI for using the SteelSeries keyboard across most G series laptops in order
to give a consistent look and feel between models and generations. If you have typed on
an MSI G series laptop before, then you will already have a good idea of how the GL65
keyboard will feel.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Familiar SteelSeries keyboard layout with Turbo Fan The dedicated mouse keys are shallow in travel with
Connectivity
and Dragon Center buttons firm feedback and a very loud click when pressed Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
Key feedback and travel are not unlike on the GS or Full-size Arrow keys with slightly narrower NumPad
GP series keys

Display

Unlike the LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6 IPS panel on the GL63, the GL65 ships with an AU
Optronics B156HAN13.0 IPS panel instead. This particular 120 Hz panel can be found on
no other laptop in our database as of this writing. Unfortunately, this is a budget-
midrange panel with its slow response times and narrow gamut as shown by our table
below. The Sharp LQ156M1JW03 panel on the more expensive MSI GS65 offers both
significantly faster black-white response times to reduce ghosting and more accurate
colors.

Subjectively, onscreen content looks crisp despite the matte overlay. Colors, however, are MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
not as deep as what you'd find on the GS65 or the pricier Razer Blade 15 OLED. Perhaps Case
the most disappointing aspect of the display is its moderate-heavy uneven backlight Connectivity
bleeding along the bottom corners. The bleeding is immediately noticeable during a cold Input Devices
Display
boot or when viewing videos with black borders. This would be easy to forgive on a cheap
Performance
multimedia laptop, but MSI has no excuse on this RTX-powered laptop retailing for almost Emissions
$1500 USD. Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Matte overlay with no glossy, 4K UHD, or Narrow bezels akin to the GS65
touchscreen options

Heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom Matte subpixel array
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
corners and top edge More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 AU Optronics B156HAN13.0
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 277.3 cd/m² Average:
256.3 cd/m² Minimum: 5.37 cd/m²
253 270.6 252.9 Brightness Distribution: 86 %
cd/m² cd/m² cd/m² Center on Battery: 277.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 1387:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
239.6 277.3 245.9
ΔE Color 5.25 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.6,
cd/m² cd/m² cd/m²
calibrated: 4.39
244.5 274.7 248.6 ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.64-98 Ø5.9
cd/m² cd/m² cd/m² 55% sRGB (Argyll 3D) 35% AdobeRGB 1998
(Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.1
Distribution of brightness ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)

MSI GL63 Alienware

MSI GL65 8RC-069US MSI GS65 Gigabyte Aero Asus Zephyrus m15 R2
9SEK LG Philips Stealth 9SG 15 Classic-XA S GX531GX P87F
AU Optronics LP156WF6- Sharp Sharp AU Optronics Sharp
B156HAN13.0, SPK6, IPS, LQ156M1JW03 LQ156M1JW03 B156HAN08.2, LQ156M1,
IPS, 15.60, 15.60, (SHP14C5), IPS, (SHP14C5), IGZO, IPS, 15.60, IPS, 15.60,
1920x1080 1920x1080 15.60, 1920x1080 15.60, 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080

Response -4% 54% 53% 71% 55%

Times

Response 26.4 (13.2, 13.2) 33.6 (16.8, 16.8) 13.6 (8, 5.6) 48% 15.2 (7.6, 7.6) 7 (3.6, 3.4) 73% 16.4 (7.6, 6.8)
Time Grey -27% 42% 38%
50% / Grey
80% *

Response 30 (17.6, 12.4) 24 (13.2, 10.8) 12 (7.6, 4.4) 60% 11.2 (6.8, 4.4) 9.6 (4.4, 5.2) 8.8 (4.4, 4.4) MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
Time Black / 20% 63% 68% 71%
Case
White *
Connectivity
PWM 23260 (19) 23580 (24) 23810 (24) Input Devices
Frequency Display
Performance
Screen -10% 34% 23% 26% 3%
Emissions
Brightness 277.3 286.5 3% 282.3 2% 266 -4% 323.6 17% 324.2 Energy Managemen

middle 17% Verdict

Pricecompare
 Brightness 256 258 1% 269 5% 248 -3% 315 23% 304 19%

Brightness 86 82 -5% 90 5% 89 3% 91 6% 90 5%
Distribution

Black Level * 0.2 0.34 -70% 0.32 -60% 0.31 -55% 0.29 -45% 0.38 -90%

Contrast 1387 843 -39% 882 -36% 858 -38% 1116 -20% 853 -39%

Colorchecker 5.25 5.57 -6% 1.17 78% 2.78 47% 3.31 37% 5.01 5%
DeltaE2000 *

Colorchecker 19.43 16.8 14% 3.29 83% 5.96 69% 5.74 70% 12.7 35%
DeltaE2000
max. *

Colorchecker 4.39 4.16 5% 1.06 76% 0.91 79% 2.73 38% 1.64 63%
DeltaE2000
calibrated *

Greyscale 3.5 4.6 -31% 1.3 63% 3.58 -2% 2.9 17% 7.9 -126%
DeltaE2000 *

Gamma 2.1 105% 2.15 102% 2.2 100% 2.46 89% 2.29 96% 2.35 94%

CCT 6895 94% 7564 86% 6643 98% 7186 90% 6765 96% 8455 77%

Color Space 35 37.4 7% 63.8 82% 62 77% 59.7 71% 60.8 74%
(Percent of
AdobeRGB
1998)

Color Space 55 58.9 7% 97.5 77% 96 75% 91.8 67% 95.5 74%
(Percent of MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
sRGB)
Case
Total -7% / -9% 44% / 37% 38% / 27% 49% / 32% 29% / 11% Connectivity
Average Input Devices
(Program / Display
Settings) Performance
Emissions
* ... smaller is better Energy Managemen
Verdict
Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search Pricecompare
 Color space is narrow at just 55 percent and 35 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB,
respectively, compared to >95 percent sRGB from the Sharp LQ156M1 panel on the
Alienware m15 R2. This is definitely not the panel to use for any sort of professional
graphics work.

vs. sRGB vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal average grayscale and relatively
poor color accuracy. While our calibration attempt significantly improves average
grayscale (DeltaE from 3.5 to 1.7), colors are still inaccurate at higher saturation levels due
to the narrow gamut of the panel.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Grayscale before calibration Saturation Sweeps before ColorChecker before calibration
Case
calibration
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Grayscale after calibration Saturation Sweeps after ColorChecker after calibration
calibration

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

↗ 17.6 ms rise
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined
↘ 12.4 ms fall

The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory
for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240
(maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all
tested devices (24.2 ms).

   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey

↗ 13.2 ms rise
26.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined
↘ 13.2 ms fall

The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
slow for gamers. More Portable than
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 636 Case
(maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. Connectivity
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all Input Devices
tested devices (38.5 ms). Display
Performance
Emissions
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) Energy Managemen

ℹ ToPulsedimWidth
the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Verdict
Pricecompare
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: 51 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display.
If PWM was detected, an average of 9729 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 151500)
Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is about the same as the GL63 since brightness and colors haven't
improved by all that much on the GL65. This is kind of a bummer because the GL65 is so
much smaller than the GL63 and yet the display isn't any brighter when outdoors.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than

Outdoors under sunlight Outdoors under shade Outdoors under sunlight Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Core i7-9750H CPU and GeForce RTX 2060 GPU are
high-end specifications aimed at enthusiasts. For even faster
GPU options like the RTX 2070 or RTX 2080, however, MSI
fans will have to turn towards the pricier GS65 series instead.

Nvidia Optimus comes standard on all SKUs to automatically

exclude G-Sync. LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues
even when wireless is enabled.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
Processor
The Core i7-9750H in the MSI performs above average when compared to other laptops
equipped with the same processor. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop,
for example, we're able to record an initial peak of 1279 points before dropping and
stabilizing at about 1180 points to represent a dip of only 8 percent. The GS65 with the
same CPU stabilizes at a slightly lower score.

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

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
CineBench R15 CineBench R20 Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
1235
1170
1105
1040
975
910
845
780
715
650
585
520
455
390
325
260
195
130
65
0
MSI GL65 9SEK GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1185 (1166.86-1278.16)
MSI GL63 8RC-069US GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø824 (816.86-830.63)
MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1110 (975.73-1185.01)
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1072 (986.63-1110.9)

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Cinebench
Cinebench R15
R15

CPU
CPU Single
Single 64Bit
64Bit

Schenker
Schenker XMG
XMG Ultra
Ultra 15
15 Turing
Turing 203
203 Points
Points ∼75%
∼75% +8%
+8%
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9700K
i7-9700K More Portable than

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 202 Points ∼74% Case
+7%
Connectivity
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9980HK
i9-9980HK
Input Devices
MSI
MSI GE75
GE75 9SG
9SG 189
189 Points
Points ∼69%
∼69% +1%
+1% Display
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9880H
i9-9880H Performance
Emissions
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 188
188 Points
Points ∼69%
∼69%
Energy Managemen
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H
i7-9750H
Verdict
Average
Average Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H
i7-9750H 184
184 Points
Points ∼68%
∼68% -2%
-2% Pricecompare
     (170
(170 -- 194,
194, n=82)
n=82)

Dell Inspiron 7390 2-in-1 179

179 Points
Points ∼66%
∼66% -5%
-5%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-8565U
i7-8565U

Lenovo
Lenovo Legion
Legion Y540-17IRH
Y540-17IRH 171
171 Points
Points ∼63%
∼63% -9%
-9%
Intel Core i5-9300H

MSI GE75 8SF 166

166 Points
Points ∼61%
∼61% -12%
-12%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-8750H
i7-8750H

Asus
Asus FX503VM-EH73
FX503VM-EH73 156
156 Points
Points ∼57%
∼57% -17%
-17%
Intel Core i7-7700HQ

MSI
MSI GL63
GL63 8RC-069US
8RC-069US 151
151 Points
Points ∼56%
∼56% -20%
-20%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i5-8300H
i5-8300H

Asus
Asus ROG
ROG GA502DU
GA502DU 144 Points ∼53% -23%
AMD
AMD Ryzen
Ryzen 77 3750H
3750H

CPU Multi 64Bit

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 1821 Points ∼41% +42%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9980HK
i9-9980HK

MSI
MSI GE75
GE75 9SG
9SG 1721
1721 Points
Points ∼38%
∼38% +34%
+34%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9880H
i9-9880H

Schenker
Schenker XMG
XMG Ultra
Ultra 15
15 Turing
Turing 1465
1465 Points
Points ∼33%
∼33% +14%
+14%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9700K
i7-9700K

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 1281
1281 Points
Points ∼29%
∼29%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H
i7-9750H

Average Intel Core i7-9750H 1182

1182 Points
Points ∼26%
∼26% -8%
-8% MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
    (952
(952 -- 1306,
1306, n=85)
n=85) More Portable than
Case
MSI
MSI GE75
GE75 8SF
8SF 1066
1066 Points
Points ∼24%
∼24% -17%
-17%
Connectivity
Intel Core i7-8750H
Input Devices
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH 850
850 Points
Points ∼19%
∼19% -34%
-34% Display
Intel
Intel Core
Core i5-9300H
i5-9300H Performance
Emissions
MSI
MSI GL63
GL63 8RC-069US
8RC-069US 823
823 Points
Points ∼18%
∼18% -36%
-36% Energy Managemen
Intel Core i5-8300H
Verdict

Asus
Asus ROG
ROG GA502DU
GA502DU Pricecompare
 AMD
AMD Ryzen
Ryzen 77 3750H
3750H 805
805 Points
Points ∼18%
∼18% -37%
-37%
Asus FX503VM-EH73 733
733 Points
Points ∼16%
∼16% -43%
-43%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-7700HQ
i7-7700HQ

Dell
Dell Inspiron
Inspiron 7390
7390 2-in-1
2-in-1 557
557 Points
Points ∼12%
∼12% -57%
-57%
Intel Core i7-8565U

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit 188 Points

Cinebench
Cinebench R15
R15 CPU
CPU Multi
Multi 64Bit
64Bit 1281
1281 Points
Points
Cinebench
Cinebench R15
R15 OpenGL
OpenGL 64Bit
64Bit 118.5
118.5 fps
fps
Cinebench
Cinebench R15
R15 Ref.
Ref. Match
Match 64Bit
64Bit 99.6
99.6 %%
Help

... in comparison

System Performance
PCMark results are in the same ballpark as other high-performance laptops like the
Gigabyte Aero 15 or MSI GS65 even though the GL65 is a cheaper alternative. We
experienced no software issues during our time with the unit.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated PCMark 8 Work Accelerated PCMark 10 Standard More Portable than
Case
PCMark 10 | PCMark 8 Connectivity
Input Devices
PCMark
PCMark 10
10 Display
Performance
Digital
Digital Content
Content Creation
Creation Emissions
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 7104
7104 Points
Points ∼46%
∼46% Energy Managemen
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, WDC
WDC PC
PC SN520
SN520 Verdict

SDAPNUW-512G
SDAPNUW-512G Pricecompare
 MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 7090
7090 Points
Points ∼46%
∼46% 0%
0%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, Samsung
Samsung SSD
SSD PM981
PM981
MZVLB512HAJQ
MZVLB512HAJQ

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 6888
6888 Points
Points ∼44%
∼44% -3%
-3%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2070
2070 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 760p
760p
SSDPEKKW512G8
SSDPEKKW512G8

Average
Average Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 6727
6727 Points
Points ∼43%
∼43% -5%
-5%
Mobile
Mobile
    (4344
(4344 -- 8069,
8069, n=16)
n=16)

Asus
Asus Zephyrus
Zephyrus SS GX531GX
GX531GX 6690
6690 Points
Points ∼43%
∼43% -6%
-6%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-8750H,
i7-8750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 660p
660p
SSDPEKNW512G8
SSDPEKNW512G8

Alienware m15 R2 P87F 6675

6675 Points
Points ∼43%
∼43% -6%
-6%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, 2x
2x Toshiba
Toshiba XG6
XG6
KXG60ZNV512G
KXG60ZNV512G (RAID
(RAID 0)
0)

MSI GL63 8RC-069US 4134

4134 Points
Points ∼27%
∼27% -42%
-42%
GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-8300H,
i5-8300H, Toshiba
Toshiba HG6
HG6
THNSNJ256G8NY
THNSNJ256G8NY

Productivity
Productivity

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 7748
7748 Points
Points ∼69%
∼69%
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520
SDAPNUW-512G
SDAPNUW-512G

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 7695
7695 Points
Points ∼69%
∼69% -1%
-1%
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p
SSDPEKKW512G8
SSDPEKKW512G8 MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 7657
7657 Points
Points ∼69%
∼69% -1%
-1% Case
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 Connectivity
MZVLB512HAJQ
MZVLB512HAJQ Input Devices
Display
Asus
Asus Zephyrus
Zephyrus SS GX531GX
GX531GX 7434
7434 Points
Points ∼67%
∼67% -4%
-4%
Performance
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-8750H,
i7-8750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 660p
660p
Emissions
SSDPEKNW512G8
SSDPEKNW512G8
Energy Managemen
Average
Average Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 7382 Points ∼66% -5% Verdict

Mobile
Mobile Pricecompare
     (6098
(6098 -- 8106,
8106, n=16)
n=16)

Alienware m15 R2 P87F 7180

7180 Points
Points ∼64%
∼64% -7%
-7%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, 2x
2x Toshiba
Toshiba XG6
XG6
KXG60ZNV512G
KXG60ZNV512G (RAID
(RAID 0)
0)

MSI GL63 8RC-069US 6097

6097 Points
Points ∼55%
∼55% -21%
-21%
GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-8300H,
i5-8300H, Toshiba
Toshiba HG6
HG6
THNSNJ256G8NY
THNSNJ256G8NY

Essentials
Essentials

Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aero
Aero 15
15 Classic-XA
Classic-XA 9472
9472 Points
Points ∼83%
∼83% 0%
0%
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p
SSDPEKKW512G8
SSDPEKKW512G8

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 9431
9431 Points
Points ∼82%
∼82%
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520
SDAPNUW-512G
SDAPNUW-512G

MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 9380
9380 Points
Points ∼82%
∼82% -1%
-1%
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981
MZVLB512HAJQ
MZVLB512HAJQ

Average
Average Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 9263 Points ∼81% -2%
Mobile
Mobile
    (8361
(8361 -- 10056,
10056, n=16)
n=16)

Asus
Asus Zephyrus
Zephyrus SS GX531GX
GX531GX 9042 Points ∼79% -4%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-8750H,
i7-8750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 660p
660p
SSDPEKNW512G8
SSDPEKNW512G8

Alienware
Alienware m15
m15 R2
R2 P87F
P87F 8791 Points ∼77% -7%
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, 2x
2x Toshiba
Toshiba XG6
XG6
More Portable than
KXG60ZNV512G
KXG60ZNV512G (RAID
(RAID 0)
0)
Case
MSI
MSI GL63
GL63 8RC-069US
8RC-069US 6449 Points ∼56% -32% Connectivity

GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-8300H,
i5-8300H, Toshiba
Toshiba HG6
HG6 Input Devices

THNSNJ256G8NY
THNSNJ256G8NY Display
Performance
Score
Score Emissions
Energy Managemen
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 5761
5761 Points
Points ∼66%
∼66%
Verdict
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, WDC
WDC PC
PC SN520
SN520
Pricecompare
 SDAPNUW-512G
SDAPNUW-512G

MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG 5725

5725 Points
Points ∼65%
∼65% -1%
-1%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, Samsung
Samsung SSD
SSD PM981
PM981
MZVLB512HAJQ
MZVLB512HAJQ

Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA 5697

5697 Points
Points ∼65%
∼65% -1%
-1%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2070
2070 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 760p
760p
SSDPEKKW512G8
SSDPEKKW512G8

Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 5523

5523 Points
Points ∼63%
∼63% -4%
-4%
Mobile
Mobile
    (4395 - 5997, n=16)

Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX 5492

5492 Points
Points ∼63%
∼63% -5%
-5%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-8750H,
i7-8750H, Intel
Intel SSD
SSD 660p
660p
SSDPEKNW512G8

Alienware m15 R2 P87F 5374

5374 Points
Points ∼61%
∼61% -7%
-7%
GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, 2x
2x Toshiba
Toshiba XG6
XG6
KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)

MSI GL63 8RC-069US 3912

3912 Points
Points ∼45%
∼45% -32%
-32%
GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-8300H,
i5-8300H, Toshiba
Toshiba HG6
HG6
THNSNJ256G8NY

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

PCMark 8 Home Score

4136 points
Accelerated v2

PCMark 8 Work Score MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

5287 points
Accelerated v2 More Portable than
Case
PCMark 10 Score 5761 points Connectivity
Input Devices
Help Display
Performance
Emissions
Storage Devices Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Internal storage options include an M.2 2280 NVMe slot and a 2.5-inch SATA III bay. The
512 GB Western Digital SN520 SSD in our test unit returns good sequential read and write
rates for an NVMe drive, but pricier alternatives like the Samsung PM981 in the GS65 can
be even faster as shown by the table below.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM 5.5 AS SSD

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
M.2 slot sits adjacent to the 2x SODIMM slots. Note Secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay for additional Verdict
that there is space for a second M.2 slot although it storage Pricecompare
 is disabled

MSI GL65
9SEK MSI GS65 Alienware m15
WDC PC MSI GL63 8RC- Stealth 9SG Gigabyte Aero Asus Zephyrus S R2 P87F
SN520 069US Samsung SSD 15 Classic-XA GX531GX 2x Toshiba XG6
SDAPNUW- Toshiba HG6 PM981 Intel SSD 760p Intel SSD 660p KXG60ZNV512G
512G THNSNJ256G8NY MZVLB512HAJQ SSDPEKKW512G8 SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)

AS SSD -60% 59% 27% -7% 33%

Copy 1217.53 202.59 -83% 1554.28 28% 1140.57 -6% 811.76 -33% 1426.35 17%
Game
MB/s

Copy 889.12 84.83 -90% 712.72 -20% 454.24 -49% 702.66 -21% 576.02 -35%
Program
MB/s

Copy 1278.63 325.65 -75% 3024.87 137% 2085.95 63% 1236.22 -3% 2073.16 62%
ISO
MB/s

Score 2485 850 -66% 4230 70% 2870 15% 1654 -33% 3633 46%
Total

Score 976 230 -76% 1991 104% 1141 17% 910 -7% 1481 52%
Write

Score 996 410 -59% 1490 50% 1186 19% 492 -51% 1407 41%
Read
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Access 0.091 0.061 33% 0.036 60% 0.065 29% 0.047 48% 0.108 -19% More Portable than
Time
Case
Write * Connectivity

Access Input Devices

0.116 0.197 -70% 0.054 53% 0.042 64% 0.073 37% 0.065 44%
Display
Time
Performance
Read *
Emissions
4K-64 720.16 127.33 -82% 1729.71 140% 921.88 28% 721.96 0% 1135.27 58% Energy Managemen
Write Verdict
Pricecompare
 4K-64 838.68 342.29 -59% 1240.56 48% 875.61 4% 322.05 -62% 1177.33 40%
Read

4K Write 118.19 57.1 -52% 103.79 -12% 126.51 7% 95.65 -19% 108.86 -8%

4K Read 25.31 16.18 -36% 49.33 95% 59.11 134% 45.74 81% 37.2 47%

Seq 1378.16 456.4 -67% 1579.5 15% 923.81 -33% 920.07 -33% 2371.22 72%
Write

Seq 1315.25 512.06 -61% 2004.98 52% 2516.94 91% 1238.57 -6% 1924.95 46%
Read

* ... smaller is better

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 AS SSD

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G

CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1744 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1454 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 534.6 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 482.2 MB/s

CDM 5 Read Seq: 1340 MB/s

CDM 5 Write Seq: 1412 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 43.46 MB/s

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 150.2 MB/s
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
GPU Performance Display
Performance
The mobile GeForce RTX 2060 is performing where we expect it to be at within 2 percent
Emissions
of the average mobile RTX 2060 in our database. Keep in mind that the desktop RTX 2060 Energy Managemen
can offer 25 to 30 percent faster performance than our mobile RTX 2060 version. If you Verdict
Pricecompare
have no interest in RTX-specific features, then the mobile GTX 1660 Ti can offer very nearly
the same performance as the mobile RTX 2060 for hundreds less.

3DMark 11 Cloud Gate Port Royal

Fire Strike Fire Strike Ultra Time Spy

3DMark | 3DMark 11

3DMark
3DMark

2560x1440
2560x1440 Port
Port Royal
Royal Graphics
Graphics

Acer
Acer Predator
Predator Helios
Helios 700
700 PH717-71-785M
PH717-71-785M 5860
5860 Points
Points ∼45%
∼45% +83%
+83%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 4275
4275 Points
Points ∼33%
∼33% +33%
+33%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H
i7-9750H
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 4265
4265 Points
Points ∼33%
∼33% +33%
+33%
Case
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2070
2070 Mobile,
Mobile, i9-9980HK
i9-9980HK
Connectivity
Average
Average NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile
Mobile 3421
3421 Points
Points ∼26%
∼26% +7%
+7% Input Devices
    (3020
(3020 -- 3859,
3859, n=28)
n=28) Display
Performance
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 3203
3203 Points
Points ∼24%
∼24%
Emissions
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
Energy Managemen

2560x1440
2560x1440 Time
Time Spy
Spy Graphics
Graphics Verdict
Pricecompare
Acer
Acer Predator
Predator Helios
Helios 700
700 PH717-71-785M
PH717-71-785M 10607
10607 Points
Points ∼54%
∼54% +72%
+72%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 7754
7754 Points
Points ∼39%
∼39% +26%
+26%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2070
2070 Mobile,
Mobile, i9-9980HK
i9-9980HK

MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G 7732

7732 Points
Points ∼39%
∼39% +26%
+26%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 (Desktop),
(Desktop), R7
R7 2700X
2700X

MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 7266
7266 Points
Points ∼37%
∼37% +18%
+18%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H

HP Omen X 17-ap0xx 6606

6606 Points
Points ∼33%
∼33% +7%
+7%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1080
1080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7820HK
i7-7820HK

Average
Average NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile
Mobile 6196
6196 Points
Points ∼31%
∼31% +1%
+1%
    (5660 - 6910, n=40)

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 6159
6159 Points
Points ∼31%
∼31%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky Ti15
Ti15 5699 Points ∼29% -7%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1660
1660 Ti
Ti Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

Alienware
Alienware 17
17 R5
R5 5689
5689 Points
Points ∼29%
∼29% -8%
-8%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1070
1070 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-8750H
i7-8750H

Asus
Asus Strix
Strix GL703VM-DB74
GL703VM-DB74 3749
3749 Points
Points ∼19%
∼19% -39%
-39%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1060
1060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7700HQ
i7-7700HQ

Acer
Acer Aspire
Aspire 77 A715-74G-50U5
A715-74G-50U5 3510
3510 Points
Points ∼18%
∼18% -43%
-43%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1650
1650 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-9300H
i5-9300H

Asus
Asus TUF
TUF FX705GE-EW096T
FX705GE-EW096T 2536
2536 Points
Points ∼13%
∼13% -59%
-59%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Ti
Ti Mobile,
Mobile, i7-8750H
i7-8750H MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
1920x1080
1920x1080 Fire
Fire Strike
Strike Graphics
Graphics Case
Connectivity
Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71-785M 27319
27319 Points
Points ∼54%
∼54% +67%
+67%
Input Devices
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H
Display
Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 20434
20434 Points
Points ∼40%
∼40% +25%
+25% Performance
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK Emissions
Energy Managemen
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx 20307
20307 Points
Points ∼40%
∼40% +24%
+24% Verdict
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1080
1080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7820HK
i7-7820HK Pricecompare
 MSI
MSI RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Gaming
Gaming ZZ 6G
6G 19338
19338 Points
Points ∼38%
∼38% +18%
+18%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 (Desktop),
(Desktop), R7
R7 2700X
2700X

MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 18962
18962 Points
Points ∼37%
∼37% +16%
+16%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

Alienware 17 R5 17792
17792 Points
Points ∼35%
∼35% +9%
+9%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1070
1070 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-8750H
i7-8750H

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 16331
16331 Points
Points ∼32%
∼32%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H

Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile 16283

16283 Points
Points ∼32%
∼32% 0%
0%
    (14768
(14768 -- 18358,
18358, n=42)
n=42)

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky Ti15
Ti15 15343
15343 Points
Points ∼30%
∼30% -6%
-6%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H

Asus
Asus Strix
Strix GL703VM-DB74
GL703VM-DB74 12038
12038 Points
Points ∼24%
∼24% -26%
-26%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1060
1060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7700HQ
i7-7700HQ

Acer
Acer Aspire
Aspire 77 A715-74G-50U5
A715-74G-50U5 9423 Points ∼19% -42%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1650
1650 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-9300H
i5-9300H

Asus
Asus TUF
TUF FX705GE-EW096T
FX705GE-EW096T 7791
7791 Points
Points ∼15%
∼15% -52%
-52%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Ti
Ti Mobile,
Mobile, i7-8750H
i7-8750H

1280x720
1280x720 Cloud
Cloud Gate
Gate Standard
Standard Graphics
Graphics

Acer
Acer Predator
Predator Helios
Helios 700
700 PH717-71-785M
PH717-71-785M 168006
168006 Points
Points ∼83%
∼83% +57%
+57%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H

MSI
MSI GS65
GS65 Stealth
Stealth 9SG
9SG 120766
120766 Points
Points ∼60%
∼60% +13%
+13%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q,
Max-Q, i7-9750H
i7-9750H
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Alienware
Alienware 17
17 R5
R5 115714
115714 Points
Points ∼57%
∼57% +8%
+8% More Portable than
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1070
1070 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-8750H
i7-8750H Case
Connectivity
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G 107083
107083 Points
Points ∼53%
∼53% 0%
0%
Input Devices
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 (Desktop),
(Desktop), R7
R7 2700X
2700X
Display
MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 107016
107016 Points
Points ∼53%
∼53% Performance
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H Emissions
Energy Managemen
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15 103040
103040 Points
Points ∼51%
∼51% -4%
-4% Verdict
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1660
1660 Ti
Ti Mobile,
Mobile, i7-9750H
i7-9750H Pricecompare
 Average
Average NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Mobile
Mobile 93503
93503 Points
Points ∼46%
∼46% -13%
-13%
    (55324
(55324 -- 116593,
116593, n=35)
n=35)

HP
HP Omen
Omen XX 17-ap0xx
17-ap0xx 88432
88432 Points
Points ∼44%
∼44% -17%
-17%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1080
1080 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7820HK
i7-7820HK

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 82913

82913 Points
Points ∼41%
∼41% -23%
-23%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1060
1060 Mobile,
Mobile, i7-7700HQ
i7-7700HQ

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky RX15
RX15 70414
70414 Points
Points ∼35%
∼35% -34%
-34%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9980HK

Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-50U5 61286

61286 Points
Points ∼30%
∼30% -43%
-43%
NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1650
1650 Mobile,
Mobile, i5-9300H
i5-9300H

Asus
Asus TUF
TUF FX705GE-EW096T
FX705GE-EW096T 49314
49314 Points
Points ∼24%
∼24% -54%
-54%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H

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3DMark 11 Performance 18334 points

3DMark Cloud Gate Standard

34921 points
Score

3DMark Fire Strike Score 14827 points

3DMark Time Spy Score 6197 points

Help

... in comparison MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Gaming Performance Connectivity
Input Devices
The mobile GeForce RTX 2060 is able to play any title at the native 1080p resolution. Display
Maintaining 60 FPS on most titles is possible as well at Medium settings or higher. Even Performance
so, performance is unfortunately closer to the GTX 1660 Ti than it is to the "proper" Emissions
Energy Managemen
desktop RTX 2060.
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Idling on Witcher 3 shows no recurring frame dips to suggest no interrupting background
activity. See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2060 for more technical
information and benchmark comparisons.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider | The Witcher 3

Shadow
Shadow of
of the
the Tomb
Tomb Raider
Raider -- 1920x1080
1920x1080 Highest
Highest Preset
Preset AA:T
AA:T
MSI
MSI GE75
GE75 9SG
9SG 109
109 fps
fps ∼100%
∼100% +43%
+43%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9880H,
i9-9880H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Mobile
Mobile

Eurocom Nightsky RX15 97

97 fps
fps ∼89%
∼89% +28%
+28%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9980HK,
i9-9980HK, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2070
2070 Mobile
Mobile

MSI
MSI RTX
RTX 2060
2060 Gaming
Gaming ZZ 6G
6G 90
90 fps
fps ∼83%
∼83% +18%
+18%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)

MSI GS65 Stealth 9SG 84

84 fps
fps ∼77%
∼77% +11%
+11%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce RTX
RTX 2080
2080 Max-Q
Max-Q

MSI
MSI GL65
GL65 9SEK
9SEK 76
76 fps
fps ∼70%
∼70%
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile

Eurocom
Eurocom Nightsky
Nightsky Ti15
Ti15 73
73 fps
fps ∼67%
∼67% -4%
-4%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-9750H,
i7-9750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1660
1660 Ti
Ti Mobile
Mobile

Asus
Asus ROG
ROG GA502DU
GA502DU 49 fps ∼45% -36%
AMD
AMD Ryzen
Ryzen 77 3750H,
3750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1660
1660 Ti
Ti Max-Q
Max-Q

Dell
Dell XPS
XPS 15
15 7590
7590 9980HK
9980HK GTX
GTX 1650
1650 34
34 fps
fps ∼31%
∼31% -55%
-55%
Intel
Intel Core
Core i9-9980HK,
i9-9980HK, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1650
1650 Mobile
Mobile

Asus
Asus TUF
TUF FX705GE-EW096T
FX705GE-EW096T 31
31 fps
fps ∼28%
∼28% -59%
-59% MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Intel
Intel Core
Core i7-8750H,
i7-8750H, NVIDIA
NVIDIA GeForce
GeForce GTX
GTX 1050
1050 Ti
Ti Mobile
Mobile More Portable than
Case
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | The Witcher 3 Connectivity
Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
60

55

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
MSI GL65 9SEK GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø58.8 (54-63)

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

low med. high ultra

BioShock Infinite (2013) 345.1 285.1 277.4 150.3 fps

The Witcher 3 (2015) 286 204 117.5 58.7 fps

Rocket League (2017) 244 249.3 246.9 fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 130 96 88 76 fps

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than

Emissions Case
Connectivity
Input Devices

System Noise Display

Performance
The cooling solution consists of twin fans and seven heat pipes between them. Emissions
Energy Managemen
Interestingly, the left fan has two sets of ventilation grilles while the right fan only has one
Verdict
for an asymmetric setup.
Pricecompare
The fans are almost always active for a constant level of noise no matter the processing
load or power profile. Expect an audible fan noise of up to 33.5 dB(A) when browsing or
video streaming. If gaming, fan noise will jump to 51 dB(A) to be louder than the MSI
GS65 but quieter than the Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX. The system is louder than the
outgoing GL63 GTX 1050 as well likely due to its more demanding RTX 2060 GPU.
Enabling Turbo Fan mode will induce a constant fan noise of 58 dB(A) regardless of
onscreen activity.

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

Two ~45 mm system fans Cooling solution is similar to the GL63 but with
thicker heat pipes

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
MSI GL65 MSI GL63 8RC- MSI GS65 Gigabyte Aero Asus Zephyrus S Alienware m15 Pricecompare
 9SEK 069US Stealth 9SG 15 Classic-XA GX531GX R2 P87F
GeForce GeForce GTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX
RTX 2060 1050 Mobile, i5- 2080 Max-Q, i7- 2070 Max-Q, i7- 2080 Max-Q, i7- 2080 Max-Q, i7
Mobile, i7- 8300H, Toshiba 9750H, 9750H, Intel SSD 8750H, Intel SSD 9750H, 2x
9750H, HG6 Samsung SSD 760p 660p Toshiba XG6
WDC PC THNSNJ256G8NY PM981 SSDPEKKW512G8 SSDPEKNW512G8 KXG60ZNV512G
SN520 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
SDAPNUW-
512G

Noise 8% 8% -3% 0% -3%

off / 28.1 28.6 -2% 28.3 -1% 30 -7% 28.7 -2% 28.3 -1%
environment
*

Idle 31.4 28.6 9% 30.4 3% 31 1% 29.8 5% 28.5 9%

Minimum *

Idle Average 31.5 31.6 -0% 30.5 3% 34 -8% 32.4 -3% 28.5 10%
*

Idle 33.5 31.6 6% 30.6 9% 39 -16% 38 -13% 49 -46%

Maximum *

Load 49.3 38.6 22% 37.6 24% 46 7% 38.2 23% 49 1%

Average *

Witcher 3 51.3 40.6 21% 46 10% 53 -3% 56.6 -10% 49 4%

ultra *

Load 58 56.8 2% 55.1 5% 55 5% 56.6 2% 55 5%

Maximum * MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
Case
* ... smaller is better Connectivity
Input Devices
Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search Display
Performance
Noise Level Emissions
Energy Managemen
Idle 31.4 / 31.5 / 33.5 dB(A) Verdict
Pricecompare
Load 49.3 / 58 dB(A)
  
    30 dB 40 dB(A) 50 dB(A)  
silent audible loud

min: , med: , max:    Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.1 dB(A)

Temperature
Surface temperatures are quite warm even when just idling
on desktop. We're able to record a temperature of 40 C near
the center of the keyboard from doing absolutely nothing
on the laptop for half an hour. The unusually high idling
temperatures back up our unusually high idling power
consumption results in our Power Consumption section. In
comparison, the hot spots on the GS65 are only 28 C to 33 C
when under the same idling loads. Three sets of exhaust grilles

Running Witcher 3 results in a maximum surface

temperature of 49 C near the center of the keyboard or 39 C near the WASD keys.
Fortunately, the palm rests remain much cooler.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
System idle (top) System idle (bottom) Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Witcher 3 load (top) Witcher 3 load (bottom)

Maximum load (top) Maximum load (bottom)

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Max. Load More Portable than
  43.4 °C 49 °C 42.6 °C   51.2 °C 32 °C 54.2 °C
110 F 120 F 109 F 124 F 90 F 130 F
Case
Idle
Connectivity
  39.4 °C 47.8 °C 34.6 °C   30.2 °C 41 °C 41 °C
Input Devices
Witcher 3 103 F 118 F 94 F 86 F 106 F 106 F
Display
  36 °C 32 °C 27.6 °C   28 °C 30.8 °C 28.4 °C
Performance
97 F 90 F 82 F 82 F 87 F 83 F
Emissions
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F Maximum: 54.2 °C = 130 F Energy Managemen
Average: 39.2 °C = 103 F Average: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Power Supply (max.)  53 °C = 127 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62
Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.4 °C / 92 F for the devices in
the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 39.9 °C / 104 F, ranging from 21.6 to 68.8 °C for the
class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 54.2 °C / 130 F, compared to the average of 42.7 °C / 109 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.9 °C / 97 F, compared to the device average of 33.4 °C / 92 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 38.4 °C / 101 F, compared to the device average of 33.4 °C / 92 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-7.1 °C / -12.8 F).

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 to 4 GHz for the first few seconds
until hitting a core temperature of 95 C. Thereafter, clock rate drops to 3.5 GHz in order to
maintain a cooler core temperature of 88 C. When Turbo Fan is enabled, core temperature
drops further to 83 C while clock rate remains the same. Turbo Fan is therefore not
necessary for maximum performance since it impacts temperature more so than clock
rates to be consistent with what we observed on the GT series.

When running Witcher 3, CPU and GPU temperatures hover around 80 C and 72 C,
respectively, or 67 C and 61 C when Turbo Fan is enabled. Running on battery power will
impact overall performance. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and
Graphics scores of 10287 and 4565 points, respectively, compared to 17280 and 16331
points when on mains.
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
A strange bug we encountered was that the laptop would not recognize the AC adapter
Case
when both Prime95 and FurMark are initiated simultaneously even though the AC adapter Connectivity
is still physically connected. This would only occur when Turbo Mode is active and never Input Devices
Display
during any of our real-world gaming tests.
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 System idle Witcher 3 stress

Prime95 stress Prime95+FurMark stress

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Prime95 stress (Turbo Fan mode) Witcher 3 stress (Turbo Fan mode) Input Devices
Display
CPU Clock GPU Clock Average CPU Temperature Average GPU Temperature Performance
(GHz) (MHz) (°C) (°C) Emissions
Energy Managemen
System Idle -- -- 44 47
Verdict
Prime95 Stress 3.6 -- 88 -- Pricecompare
Prime95 Stress (Turbo 3.6 -- 83 --
Fan)

Prime95 + FurMark 3.1 - 3.2 ~1140 87 75

Stress

Witcher 3 Stress 4.0 - 4.1 1530 ~80 72

Speakers
Unlike the 3 W stereo speakers on the 17.3-inch GL75, the 15.6-inch GL65 uses 2 W
speakers instead. Volume is fairly loud but also severely lacking in bass reproduction. Bass
roll-off begins at almost 1k Hz compared to 500 Hz or 250 Hz on other multimedia
laptops like the HP Spectre x360 15. On the other hand, there are no vibrations on the
palm rest when set to maximum volume likely because bass is already so poor. We
expected more from a dedicated 15.6-inch gaming laptop.

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Pink noise at maximum volume
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 Pink Noise hide median

MSI GL65 9SEK Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz

90

he 85.3
83.6
ar
80 in
g 77.9
ra 75.9 75.3 76.1
74.8 74.5
ng 72.7 72.5 73.6 73.7 74.4
73.7
72 71 70.1 71.8 71.4 71.6 71.6
70.5 70.4
median
median 69.6
69.5 69.6
e 69.4 68.7
70
68.7 67.8
69 68.1
66.5
65.8 66.3
62.8 63.3 63.1
62.5
61.5 60.9 61.3 60.4 59.7
60
56
52.9
51
50 48.3
dB(A)

43.8 44.6
41 41.9 40.5
40.3 40.1
41.2
40 38.8 39.2
39.1
38 38.8
36.5 36.8 37.2 35.8
36.8
36.3 35.8
35.3
35.1 35.1 34.7 35.3
32.9 32 33 33.8 33.3 33.6
31.8 31.8 32.4 32.5 32.1
31.2 31.2 30.8 30.6
30 28.9 28.9 28.8 median 29.3 29.6 29.1 29.3 30.4 28.9
28.5 28.1 28.4 28
27 27 27.4 27.1 27.2 27.1 28.1
24.8 24
22.7 22
21.2 21
20 20 19.4
18.9
median 17.8 17.7 17.8 17.6 17.6 17.6 17.6 17.6 17.5 17.6 17.6 17.4 17.5

10.6
10

4.2 4.6
1.5 2.4
1.9
0

20 25 31 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3150 4000 5000 6300 8000 100001250016000 SPL N Delta
Deep Bass Middle Bass High Bass Lower Range Mids Higher Mids Lower Highs Mid Highs Upper HighsSuper Highs

Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display
Performance
Emissions
Energy Managemen
Verdict
Pricecompare
 MSI GL65 9SEK audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.28 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 90% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 17%, worst was 37%
Compared to all devices tested
» 76% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 21%, worst was 65%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lo
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% d
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away fro
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev.
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev.
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (9.3% differe
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class we
» The best had a delta of 7%, average wa
Compared to all devices tested
» 2% of all tested devices were better, 1%
» The best had a delta of 3%, average wa

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

Energy Management

Power Consumption
MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
Consumption when idling is very high at 41 W to 47 W compared to just 7 W to 11 W on More Portable than

the older GL63. We disabled wireless and made sure all Windows Updates were complete Case
Connectivity
but our results did not change. MSI may want to double-check some of its background
Input Devices
activity or software behavior to get to the bottom of the high consumption rates. Display
Performance
Consumption when gaming is otherwise normal. When running Witcher 3, the GL65 pulls Emissions
in a steady 149 W to be very similar to the GP65 equipped with the same CPU and GPU. Energy Managemen

Note that the GS65 and its RTX 2080 Max-Q consumes about the same amount even Verdict
Pricecompare
 though it offers 15 to 20 percent faster gaming performance and even faster ray-tracing
performance.

We're able to record a maximum consumption of 214 W from the medium-sized (~16.5 x
8 x 2.5 cm) 180 W AC adapter.

Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06 Witcher 3 power consumption

MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
Case
Connectivity
Input Devices
Display

Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Performance
Emissions
to 155 W before falling and stabilizing at 126 W Consumption spikes to about 214 W twice before
Energy Managemen
stabilizing at 169 W Verdict
Pricecompare
 Power Consumption
Off / 0.65 / 0.99 Watt
Standby
Idle 41 / 45.3 / 47.1 Watt

Load 94.9 / 214.2 Watt

 
Key: min: , med: , max:         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 GL65
9SEK MSI GS65
i7-9750H, MSI GS65 MSI GP65 Stealth Thin
GeForce MSI GL63 8RC- Stealth 9SG Gigabyte Aero Leopard 9SE- 8RE-051US
RTX 2060 069US i7-9750H, 15 Classic-XA 225US i7-8750H,
Mobile, i5-8300H, GeForce RTX i7-9750H, i7-9750H, GeForce GTX
WDC PC GeForce GTX 2080 Max-Q, GeForce RTX 2070 GeForce RTX 1060 Mobile,
SN520 1050 Mobile, Samsung SSD Max-Q, Intel SSD 2060 Mobile, Samsung SSD
SDAPNUW- Toshiba HG6 PM981 760p Toshiba PM981
512G, IPS, THNSNJ256G8NY, MZVLB512HAJQ, SSDPEKKW512G8, KBG30ZMT512G, MZVLB256HA
1920x1080, IPS, 1920x1080, IPS, 1920x1080, IGZO, 1920x1080, IPS, 1920x1080, IPS, 1920x108
15.60 15.60 15.60 15.60 15.60 15.60

Power 54% 25% 22% 30% 42%

Consumption

Idle Minimum 41 7.1 83% 18.3 55% 21 49% 13.6 67% 8.7 79%
* MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
More Portable than
Idle Average * 45.3 9.8 78% 22 51% 23 49% 17.9 60% 13 71% Case
Connectivity
Idle Maximum 47.1 10.4 78% 28.8 39% 32 32% 20.6 56% 14.3 70%
Input Devices
*
Display
Load Average 94.9 88.8 6% 93 2% 97 -2% 96 -1% 107.4 -13% Performance
* Emissions
Energy Managemen
Witcher 3 149.4 93.3 38% 142.6 5% 148 1% 154.6 -3% 129 14% Verdict
ultra * Pricecompare
 Load 214.2 132.5 38% 215.9 -1% 213 1% 218.6 -2% 151.5 29%
Maximum *

* ... smaller is better

Add an additional device (search by model, GPU, CPU, storage) search

Battery Life
Runtimes are downright terrible likely due to the high power consumption values we
recorded above during low processing loads. Expect just under 4 hours of real-world
WLAN use even though battery capacity has increased gen-to-gen from 41 Wh to 51 Wh.
Idling on Power Saver mode at the minimum display brightness with the integrated GPU
enabled results in a pathetic runtime of just 4 hours and 22 minutes.

Recharging from empty to full capacity takes about 1.5 hours. Attempting to recharge the
system via USB Type-C will not work.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) 4h 22min

NBC WiFi Websurfing Battery Test 1.3 3h 50min

Load (maximum brightness) 1h 00min

MSI GL63 8RC- MSI GS65 Gigabyte Aero Asus Zephyrus Alienware m15
MSI GL65 9SEK 069US Stealth 9SG 15 Classic-XA S GX531GX R2 P87F
i7-9750H, i5-8300H, i7-9750H, i7-9750H, i7-8750H, i7-9750H, MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
GeForce RTX GeForce GTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX GeForce RTX More Portable than

2060 Mobile, 1050 Mobile, 2080 Max-Q, 2070 Max-Q, 2080 Max-Q, 2080 Max-Q, Case
Connectivity
51 Wh 41 Wh 82 Wh 94.24 Wh 50 Wh 76 Wh
Input Devices
Battery 16% 57% 131% -21% 43%
Display
Runtime Performance

Reader / Emissions
262 440 68% 545 108% 554 111%
Energy Managemen
Idle
Verdict
WiFi v1.3 230 255 11% 362 57% 421 83% 181 -21% 332 44% Pricecompare
 Load 60 41 -32% 181 202% 44 -27%

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Verdict Pros
+ SD reader, mini DisplayPort, and
The biggest and most notable improvement that the GL65
dedicated 3.5 mm microphone port
offers over the GL63 is its smaller and more portable chassis
+ above average Core i7-9750H
design. It's approximately 16 percent smaller than its
performance (on Turbo Fan mode)
predecessor while offering upgraded processor options for a
tangible performance boost. + lightweight chassis with narrow bezels
+ above average CPU performance
Everything else about the GL65 remains almost the same as
+ NumPad and full-size Arrow keys
the GL63. MSI had the chance to improve the display or
In review: MSI GL65 9SEK-024US. + dedicated mouse buttons
poor battery life, integrate quieter fans, or offer a faster SD
Test model provided by Computer
card reader but they are all nearly unchanged gen-to-gen. + per-key RGB lighting
Upgrade King
You'd have to invest in the higher-end GS65 series if such + 120 Hz panel
features are important to your daily workloads.

“
Mid-range gaming machine with great looks and performance
Cons
but with cut corners on battery life, and display. You'll be
sacrificing long runtimes and accurate colors with the MSI - average display response times;
GL65. moderate ghosting
- ports are tightly positioned close to the
MSI GL65 9SEK - 10/02/2019 v7 MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt
front More Portable than
Allen Ngo Case
- below average bass reproduction
Connectivity
Chassis
Chassis 73 /  98 → 74%
73 / 98  → 74% Keyboard
73 / 98 →  Keyboard 83%
83% - heavy uneven backlight bleeding Input Devices
Display
Pointing Device 81% Connectivity 55 /  80
55 / 80  → 
80 →  69%
 → 69% - fans are almost always active
Performance
- very poor battery life Emissions
Weight
Weight 61 / 
61 / 10-66
61 / 10-66 → 
10-66 → 91%
 → 91% Battery
Battery 57 / 95
57 / 
57 / 95  → 
95 →  60%
 → 60%
Energy Managemen
- no Thunderbolt 3
Verdict
Display
Display 80%
80% Games
Games Performance
Performance 92%
92%
- slow SD reader Pricecompare
Application
Application Performance
Performance 91%
91% Temperature
Temperature 81 / 95
81 / 
81 / 95  → 
95 →  85%
 → 85% - narrow gamut

Noise
Noise 65 / 90
65 / 
65 / 90  → 
90 →  72% Audio
 → 72% Audio 71%
71%

Camera
Camera 58 / 85
58 / 
58 / 85  → 
85 →  68% Average
 → 68% Average 73%
73%

81%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Linked Articles
Pricecompare MSI GL65 9SEK (GL65 Series)
MSI GL65 9SEK
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CPU: Coffee Lake i7-9750H | RAM: 16 GB | GPU: GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile | SSD: 512 GB

Screen: 15.60'' | 1920x1080 | OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Unfortunately there are no offers for reviewed device, but ...

Alternative specs
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GPU OS
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freeshipping last update: Screen Res.
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INR 134 990,00 INR 134 990,00 CPU RAM
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19.04.2021 11:38 SSD

§ subject to alteration of prices -- no guarantee 0.0063 MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

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Allen Ngo, 2019-10- 2 (Update: 2019-10- 2)

Allen Ngo - US Editor in Chief - 4459 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2011

After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become
licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There's a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics
after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I'm not managing day-to-
day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.

₹699.00 ₹899.00 ₹2,499.00 ₹999.00 MSI GL65 9SEK Lapt

More Portable than
  Case
Connectivity
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