MSI GS66 Stealth Evaluate

The MSI GS66 Stealth is an effective improve from the GS65 Stealth, providing a welcome redesign and top-notch specs. Some pesky flaws imply the GS66 Stealth would possibly fall brief at a worth level that’s extra fiercely aggressive than ever.

Execs

• Glossy all-black design
• Beautiful excessive refresh price show
• Sturdy gaming efficiency
• Surprisingly lengthy productiveness battery life

Cons

• A smudge magnet
• Annoying plastic-y accents
• No G-Sync

Key Specs

• Evaluate Value: £1699
• 15.6-inch Full HD, 240Hz / 300Hz
• As much as Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU
• As much as Nvidia RTX 2080 Tremendous Max-Q
• 16GB / 32GB RAM
• 512GB / 1TB SSD
• Home windows 10 House
• Dimensions: 358.3 x 248 x 19.8 mm
• Weight: 2.1kg

Succesful gaming laptops that don’t break your again or the financial institution are having a second proper now. With competitors as fierce as ever, MSI might want to knock it out of the park with its new GS66 Stealth providing.

The MSI GS66 Stealth sees some large adjustments from its earlier iteration, wanting remarkably totally different and sporting the newest and biggest {hardware}.

Because the identify suggests, MSI’s new laptop computer is trying to give players a extra on-the-go choice for gaming. Sadly for MSI, this space has lengthy been occupied by the robust Razer Blade 15 whereas additionally that includes a brand new contender, the Asus Zephyrus G14. Can the MSI GS66 Stealth compete? 

Palms-on: Razer Blade Stealth 2020 evaluation

MSI GS66 Stealth design – Ups and downs

The design of the GS66 Stealth is the prime speaking level for the brand new gaming laptop computer, providing a blended bag of fine seems and impractical hindrances.

Beginning off with the nice, this model of the MSI Stealth is available in black and is unquestionably one of many best-looking gaming laptops round. Assume just like the Razer Blade 15 however with an excellent subtler look resulting from a black embossed emblem reasonably than Razer’s garish inexperienced take.

MSI’s Stealth vary kicks off at 15-inch in measurement, that means that you just received’t actually wish to be hiding it away in a day-to-day work bag.

As an alternative, the dimensions of the MSI GS66 Stealth is extra outfitted for shifting from room to room in your home or, perhaps, the odd journey to a pal’s home.

When it comes to seems and high quality, the MSI provides off an important first impression. The all-black steel chassis seems wonderful. Open the laptop computer up, and the theme continues – no-frills however super-premium.

Nonetheless, when you’ve first opened the laptop computer, the design’s greatest downside could have most likely already emerged: this laptop computer is a fingerprint and smudge magnet – greater than some other laptop computer I’ve reviewed. 

Even in case you attempt to keep away from touching the machine all that a lot, you’ll find yourself with an ugly and smudged machine quickly sufficient, so maintain a material helpful.

The opposite snag comes within the type of a bit of plastic stretching from edge-to-edge on the underside of the machine. The plastic appears to be there as an angled ledge to your wrists to relaxation on extra comfortably. 

Sadly, it provides a little bit of cheapness to an in any other case premium design. It’s additionally reasonably sharp to every facet and is unquestionably one thing to be cautious of knicking on something.

For ports, the GS66 Stealth isn’t shy. You get two USB-C (one options Thunderbolt 3 and Energy Supply charging), 3 USB-A, an HDMI, an Ethernet port and a headphone jack. An honest choice, nonetheless, some could also be disillusioned by the shortage of any microSD/SD providing.

The underside additionally provides quick access to inside ports for upgrading RAM (as much as 64GB complete) and SSD storage (NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe Gen 3 / SATA-SSD Combo slot and NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe Gen3).

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MSI GS66 Stealth keyboard and trackpad – Gaming goodness

MSI has carried out a stellar job with the GS66 Stealth keyboard, offering one of many high gaming laptop computer typing expertise in the marketplace. 

As at all times, these gaming laptops can’t match as much as a top quality mechanical keyboard, however MSI has given it go. You’re given loads of journey at 1.5mm, and the expertise is tremendous clicky.

MSI has gone an attention-grabbing route with some key placements, nonetheless, with the perform key on the suitable and solely as a half-key shared with the right-ctrl.

The perform row can be chockful of gaming-related options that means brightness and quantity toggles are shifted right down to the arrow keys – which positively takes some getting used to.

For followers of RGB, the keys have per-key lighting that’s customisable by way of a SteelSeries program on the laptop computer, supplying you with a spread of results to tinker with.

Whereas avid players doubtless received’t be getting a lot use out of it, the standard trackpad is unquestionably good to have for any productiveness job. The trackpad may be very huge, giving loads of room to manoeuvre, and it’s responsive all throughout its floor.

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MSI GS66 Stealth show – Refresh price increase

The MSI GS66 Stealth is sporting a corker of a show. The 1080p 240Hz panel supplies a super-smooth gaming expertise and even seems nice for productiveness and video-watching because of the correct color replica. 

The show benchmarks again this as much as, with the GS66 Stealth scoring 97% sRGB, 69% Adobe RGB and 71% DCI-P3. The stats make it one of many top-scoring gaming screens we’ve examined when it comes to color protection.

At 15.6-inch, it hits a measurement candy spot for players who would possibly discover smaller shows removed from ideally suited and larger shows simply impractical. The distinction ratio can be nice at 1174:1, controbuting to a beautiful punchy image. The height brightness stage is about common for a laptop computer, however because you’ll doubtless be utilizing this laptop computer indoors, it’s probably not a difficulty.

Some players might be disillusioned on the lack of G-Sync and FreeSync, which forestall display tearing from ruining the visuals. Opponents such because the Razer Blade 15 additionally lack this function, however the absence is turning into extra unforgivable in an more and more aggressive market. 

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MSI GS66 Stealth efficiency – Trendy goodness

The MSI GS66 Stealth is supplied with the brand new Intel tenth Gen H-Collection processors and Nvidia’s newest RTX graphics playing cards. 

Our evaluation mannequin is a SKU that’s particular to Currys PC World within the UK and prices £1699. This will get you the Intel Core i7-10750H, the RTX 2060 graphics card, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD.

The specs give off constructive outcomes throughout the board, particularly in opposition to competitors that’s priced barely larger (Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 at £1799) and the similarly-priced (Razer Blade 15 at round £1699). 

Nonetheless, the AMD-equipped Asus laptop computer expectedly tops the MSI in multi-core efficiency, giving it the sting for inventive functions. In 3DMark although, the MSI simply comes out because the winner there. The Razer sneaks forward on this take a look at resulting from its superior RTX 2070 card.

The race can be shut relating to Excessive settings body price scores from in-game benchmarks, as you’ll be able to see above. Over in Apex Legends, a sport the place the body price is especially favoured, our assessments managed to hit simply over a median of 100fps in common play.

For SSD speeds, the MSI GS66 Stealth scored 2916.25MB/s for studying and 1998.34MB/s for writing. As soon as once more, the MSI is near the Razer on this division, which we’d contemplate fairly respectable. 

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MSI GS66 Stealth battery life – A pleasant shock

The MSI GS66 Stealth is a decent-size gaming laptop computer so, hopefully, no one is anticipating to purchase this and spend a full day gaming with out cost. In case you are, then you definitely’ll be smacked within the face with a runtime of underneath two hours when gaming. Nonetheless, this isn’t stunning for a machine of this type of spec.

The place you is likely to be stunned is the battery life outdoors of gaming. Our common battery life benchmark that gives a productivity-focused take a look at say this laptop computer attain a shocking 9 hours.

In case you’re shopping for this machine, then you definitely’ll doubtless expect to spend most of your time getting the very best out of its gaming chops by having it plugged in more often than not. Nonetheless, it’s good to know that, in case you ever are with out energy and have to get some searching or work carried out, the GS66 Stealth will go for hours.

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Do you have to purchase the MSI GS66 Stealth?

The GS66 Stealth is a strong effort from MSI in a aggressive discipline. In case you are a fan of MSI, then you definitely doubtless received’t be disillusioned with this effort. 

Nonetheless, with different producers beginning you down, you might need your head turned by the likes of the Asus ROG Zephyrus and Razer Blade 15 that stand out in different areas – portability and premium construct high quality respectively.

The MSI GS66 Stealth is an effective improve from the GS65 Stealth, providing a welcome redesign and top-notch Full HD gaming efficiency. However pesky flaws imply the GS66 Stealth would possibly fall brief at a worth level that’s extra fiercely aggressive than ever.