The MSI GS66 Stealth is the latests GS-series laptop computer from the corporate, and it continues the custom of pushing the envelope on thin-and-light gaming machines.
With the GS66 Stealth, MSI redesigns the trend-setting GS65 Stealth to be, properly, a bit stealthier—and trendy. Gone are the red-and-black logos that screamed ‘gamer,’ in addition to the gold accents of the 2 earlier designs. The new GS66 (at the moment $2,999 on Amazon) is designed to slide proper into these boring company conferences with different sedate black enterprise laptops. Once you’re off the clock, it screams with all of the would possibly you’d count on from an Intel 10th-gen, 8-core Core i9-10980HK and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU. Keep studying to seek out out extra about this trendsetting gaming laptop computer.
This overview is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best gaming laptops. Go there for data on competing merchandise and the way we examined them.
MSI GS66 Stealth Specs
As you learn by means of the specs for the GS66 Stealth, do not forget that this is among the thinnest gaming laptops accessible. The GPU is a power-efficient Max-Q design, however in any other case there are few compromises packed into this slender physique.
CPU: Intel 10th-gen, 8-core Core i9-10980HK
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
RAM: 32GB DDR4/2666 in dual-channel mode
SSD: 1TB NVMe Samsung PM981
Networking: WiFi 6, Killer NIC 2.5Gbps ethernet, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery Capacity: 99.9 Watt-hours
Dimensions: 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches
Weight: 4.6 kilos, add 1.9 kilos for the AC adapter
The finest approach to describe the beneficiant port choice on the GS66 Stealth is with images. On the left facet, as proven beneath, you’ll see (left to proper) the devoted charging port, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, and SuperPace USB 10Gbps Type-A.
The left facet of the GS66 options (left to proper) a devoted charging port, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, and SuperPace USB 10Gbps Type-A.
One factor the GS66 Stealth lacks is an built-in SD Card reader. But we perceive area is at a premium. When you add up every thing on the fitting facet (beneath), we like what you get as an alternative: two extra SuperPace USB 10Gbps USB-A, a SuperPace 10Gbps USB-C, analog headset jack, and nicest of all, a Killer NIC E3100-based 2.5Gb ethernet port.
Gordon Mah UngThe proper facet options analog headphone jack, two SuperPace USB 10Gbps USB-A ports, a SuperPace USB 10Gbps USB-C, and a pair of.5Gb ethernet.
The 300Hz show issues!
Most notably, MSI has outfitted the GS66 Stealth with a 15.6-inch 1080p (1920×1080) 300Hz panel with a rated 3ms response time. Yes, you heard that proper. Your 144Hz gaming laptop computer display screen is mainly out of date.
We’re largely kidding, however instances are altering. While we used to consider that high-refresh-rate gaming displays have been solely helpful for these with bionic imaginative and prescient and lightning reflexes, we’ve since discovered that higher refresh rates make a huge difference for anybody. The extra data you see on the display screen, the higher likelihood you’ve got of constructing the shot in a sport. Actually, any content material that’s scrolled on the display screen and refreshed can profit from a discount within the blurring we’ve all simply gotten used to with LCD screens.
IDGThis photograph take a look at at Blur Busters testufo.com scrolls a photograph at most refresh of the panel. It was almost tack-sharp on the 300Hz MSI GS66 Stealth’s panel.
To see if our eyes may inform, we went to Blurbuster’s Testufo.com. Blurbusters has lengthy been a pioneer within the push to cut back blurring throughout movement. For comparability we arrange side-by-side with the GS66 Stealth a 15.6-inch gaming laptop computer with a 144Hz panel, and a 15.6-inch 4K 60Hz gaming laptop computer. We then used Testufo.com to scroll a easy, 80s-era-like UFO animation on all screens, in addition to Testufo.com’s Moving Photo take a look at. (You can run the exams your self by utilizing Chrome and going to Testufo.com).
The 4K, 60Hz display screen was the blurry mess we anticipated. The 1080p, 144Hz panel was markedly higher. But sure, the 300Hz, 3ms panel within the GS66 Stealth put each to disgrace, displaying the scrolling photograph with close to tack-sharpness to our eyes. Our eyes say it’s value it in case your enemy is blurring.
MSI GS66 Upgrade paths
One sin of earlier 15.6-inch GS-series laptop computer designs was using inverted motherboards, which needed to be eliminated completely to entry the SSD and RAM. With the brand new GS66 Stealth, no such gymnastics are wanted—simply pop off the underside panel, and the 2 SO-DIMM slots and two M.2 slots are proper there.
Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard on the GS66 is barely mushy, however total we’d say it’s nice. The trackpad is outsized and continues to be centered just a little too far to the fitting for our fats palms. Palm rejection, nonetheless, is kind of good. The Microsoft Precision-enabled trackpad is works easily and responsively.
Gordon Mah UngThe keyboard is per-key lit and incorporates a wide-aspect Precision trackpad, which is among the many smoothest our fingertips have ever touched.
Speakers and Camera
MSI likes to spotlight that the GS66 Stealth’s audio system characteristic vents aimed on the consumer, whereas different laptops select to fireside the audio to the facet or bounce it off the desk. Unfortunately the audio continues to be fairly mediocre. We understand it’s arduous to jam all this {hardware} into a skinny laptop computer, however MSI appears to have shrugged off the audio.
MSI does one way or the other match a Windows Hello biometric digicam into the GS66 Stealth’s slender bezel. Most gaming laptops select fingerprint readers or quit on biometrics completely, so having a Windows Hello digicam in a gaming laptop computer is welcome. Image high quality to your Zoom video conferences is truthful—it’s a 720p video digicam, the identical decision you’ll discover on the overwhelming majority of laptops on the market.
MSI GS66 Stealth Performance
With the GS66 Stealth we have been actually involved whether or not you can jam a Core i9 with an RTX 2080 GPU right into a sub-5-pound, 15.6-inch laptop computer with out compromise. After all, these have to be a motive why so few distributors have tried this earlier than.
As fashionable efficiency laptops are sometimes tuned to be quieter and cooler out of the field, we examined the GS66 Stealth utilizing each its default “Balanced” efficiency mode and its “Extreme” setting as properly. You’ll see the outcomes from each settings beneath.
CPU Performance
We’ll kick this off with the now-elderly Cinebench R15 take a look at, which measures multi-core 3D modelling efficiency. Note that the default Balanced efficiency of the GS66 Stealth (the shorter purple bar beneath) is a bit underwhelming. That’s as a result of MSI reduces the fan noise on this setting to maintain customers blissful, which forces the laptop computer to throttle CPU efficiency to maintain cool. In this case, MSI performs it maybe too conservatively.
Note that once we first obtained the GS66, default multi-core efficiency was much better—but it surely additionally kicked followers on far sooner. The firm pushed out a BIOS and firmware replace to handle complaints, and the outcome on default is the shorter purple bar you see beneath.
IDGFortunately, once you set the GS66 Stealth to Extreme, it begins to come back to life—see longer purple bar above. While it doesn’t push apart the 2 far bigger Intel laptops (nor that pesky AMD one), it’s about what we’d count on for a laptop computer this skinny with an 8-core Core i9 inside.
We used Cinebench above to get a normal really feel for multi-core efficiency, however the overwhelming majority of purposes are single-threaded—and Cinebench can measure that, too.
The story here’s a bit completely different: The GS66 Stealth pulls its weight and is outpaced solely by three 17-inch laptops. But as you possibly can see, the outcomes are all so shut, it’s be arduous to inform the distinction primarily based on single-core CPU efficiency for many duties. The shorter purple bar beneath is the Balanced outcome, whereas the longer one is the Extreme outcome.
IDGWhile the “Extreme” setting creates extra fan noise, we noticed that the Gigabyte Aero 17, when set to its high efficiency setting, is even louder than the GS66 Stealth.
Because the Cinebench take a look at is temporary—mainly a dash, we run a second CPU take a look at that’s extra of a marathon, so we are able to see how the CPU performs beneath prolonged load. For that we use the free HandBrake video encoding utility to transform a 30GB file utilizing the Android Tablet preset.
IDGIn this take a look at, shorter is best. The result’s once more good when set to Extreme (the shorter purple bar above), however considerably much less so when set to its default Balanced. The GS66 Stealth additionally struggles to maintain up with the Gigabyte Aero 17, which is an 8-core chip however a step decrease (Core i7-10875H). That Ryzen 9 4900HS doesn’t assist both.
Overall CPU efficiency for the GS66 Stealth is respectable when set to its fan-heavy Extreme setting, and simply OK when set to its default Balanced setting.
The GPU issues extra for gaming, so maintain studying for graphics outcomes.