MSI GS65 Stealth review: what is one of the thinnest gaming laptops in the world worth?

For this second generation of PC which therefore uses ultra-flat Max-Q graphics cards from nVIDIA, MSI allows us to discover its latest machine which therefore combines a slick look with a very muscular configuration. As soon as it is unpacked, the laptop impresses with its sobriety and its pretty finishes. Dressed in a matte black dress, with a golden but nevertheless classy MSI logo, the set is immediately attractive, with a very versatile look and truly portable dimensions. We appreciate the small touches of gold metal on the side air intakes, as well as the assembly of the case where all the panels are well adjusted. We also appreciate the finish at the hinges of the screen which are particularly well adjusted, which is not always the case. Unfortunately, with a lot of plastic (which keeps the weight contained) as soon as we put the chassis under stress we realize that certain noises are heard, which makes us think that the rigidity of the machine is far from 'be exemplary. With its 15,6 inch screen with thin edges (Thin Bezel for purists) the PC offers reduced dimensions of 357.7 x 247.7 x 17.9 mm which allows it to be transported without any worries. It is therefore a real laptop computer, and not a transportable one like the gaming machines which have graphics cards without the famous Max-Q design. Better, the machine has a compact charger, and whose weight is less than 600 grams. With a machine that displays 1800 g on the scale, we arrive at a set that points just below 2.5 kg, which is very honorable in this market segment. Packing a hexacore Intel Core i7-8750H (yes, six cores in a laptop!) backed by 32GB of RAM, and an nVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q with 8GB of VRAM, this PC will allow you to run all the latest games in "Ultra" (in 1080p) without problem, especially since the Samsung M.2 SSD is very fast to load data.  

INDOOR & OUTDOOR BEAUTY!

MSI also does things big with connectors, since the GS65 offers a wide choice of sockets. There is an RJ45, two USBs and sound and microphone jacks on the left side, while the right side houses a USB, an HDMI, a Mini DiplayPort and a type-C connector. On the other hand, the right edge also houses the power socket, which is an incomprehensible decision on the part of MSI. Indeed, the cable is terribly annoying for right-handed people, because as soon as you use a mouse you find yourself bumping against the connector (which is not angled), and having the cable in the way. This is a real defect, especially since the problem would have been corrected with a simple angled socket. By opening the beast, we discover a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS screen which has a refresh rate of 144 Hz all the same. All that's missing is G-Sync on the menu, but we understand that MSI has ignored this option, given the additional cost that adopting this technology would have involved. As always, the Taiwanese assembler called on the Danes from SteelSeries for the keyboard, which turns out to be an excellent membrane model. Of course, all the refinements are on the menu: from anti-ghosting (to use several keys at the same time), to RGB that you can program at will, thanks to the SteelSeries Engine software which is still just as complete. Software level we do not forget either the MSI suite always so easy to use, with among others MSI True Color which allows different calibrations for the screen, or the MSI Dragon Center which allows to define your profiles of use. This last software is very valuable insofar as it allows you to maximize the autonomy when you are on battery, and to completely let go of the horses when you want to play on the mains. Via this utility we will be able to define the fan speed, which will have a direct impact on the noise of the machine.

None of our games tested fell below 60 FPS in “Ultra”, whether it was Far Cry 5, Battlefield 1, or even the oldest Metro Last Light.

Although the graphics card is not as efficient as that of thicker gaming laptops, due to lower cooling, we haven't really succeeded in faulting it on the latest modern titles. None of our games tested fell below 60 FPS in “Ultra”, whether it was Far Cry 5, Battlefield 1, or even the oldest Metro Last Light. The problem with so much power in such a small chassis is that temperatures tend to soar quite quickly, despite the many ventilation openings that are under the PC, and on its sides. At full charge, the case temperature quickly exceeds 60°C, which prohibits video games when the PC is on your lap. Either way, on battery power, Far Cry 5 will drain the charge in around 40 minutes, making it necessary to find an electrical outlet before jumping into a game. In office automation, and by opting for maximum energy saving, we can nevertheless keep the battery of this MSI GS65 close to 7 hours. It is therefore sitting behind a desk (or on the plane with a socket) that this PC will give its best for video games, complete with a good mouse. Unfortunately, during long gaming sessions, the chassis struggles to dissipate the intense heat, even when the fans are cranked all the way. Most often, it will be the graphics card that will lower its operating frequency in order to respect the thermal limit, but on some games we have even managed to have the processor also suffer this setback. Called "Throttling", this phenomenon proves that despite all the precautions taken by manufacturers, such powerful components have difficulty cooling in such a full case.

THE BIG HOT

Moreover, the problem seemed more pronounced here than on the old Gigabyte Aero 15X, without knowing if it is due to the design of the chassis, or to the fact that this new processor heats up more than its counterpart. old generation. To give you an idea of ​​the temperatures reached, brutalizing the hardware, the GPU borders on 80°c, while the CPU oscillates between 90 and 95°c, i.e. the maximum temperatures provided by the manufacturers. This heating problem will also force players to take great care of their PC, and to take it apart often to clean it, because a small amount of dust will be enough to aggravate the problem. You have understood it, between the ubiquitous plastic on the case and the significant heating, you will have to be very careful with this PC. Nevertheless, it is an excellent mobile machine that allows you to seriously play all recent titles. In addition, some scalability is allowed, because the MSI GS65 has a second M.2 slot, which will allow you to connect a second SSD to increase the amount of storage available. We will nevertheless complain about the complicated access to this slot, which requires disassembling the keyboard. The easy solution would have been to be able to unscrew the bottom of the PC, but the latter was not retained. Finally, we must talk about the price, because the MSI GS65 Stealth is sold for 2700 €, even if several merchant sites display it around 2600 €. The price is high, but given the onboard hardware, it seems justified to us. At this price, we would still have liked a little more generous storage, a memory card reader, an angled power socket, and G-Sync.

TO BUY OR NOT?

The purchase of such a PC obviously depends on many personal and economic criteria, but like the Aero 15X from Gigabyte, this Max-Q PC is an excellent candidate for mobile gamers who want to be able to take advantage of significant power and of gaming capabilities without having to break your back with a heavy, bulky and flashy-looking machine. Larger gaming laptops will offer better performance, but by staying in this format, MSI's offer remains totally relevant. This machine is also perfect for users who need application power thanks to its large processor. This PC will therefore delight video editors and other photo editing pros, all at a price that is still competitive when compared to the price of Apple's MacBook Pro.

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