The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 9SD is expected to retain a long-standing history. The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE was the laptop that altered our idea of how much genuine gaming performance could be packed into a thin-and-light gaming laptop.
The laptop set the bar for the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE, which was its predecessor. The successful laptop design from the previous generation has been carried over into the new generation, packed to the brim with the most recent gizmos and gadgets from Intel and Nvidia.
When we speak about the original GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE’s wow factor, we are not embellishing the matter in any way. It weighed only a bit more than 4 pounds, placing it in the same weight class as a Macbook Pro 15 or ThinkPad X1 Extreme, although it had far higher processing capability.
The most recent iteration of the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 9SD raises the stakes by including Intel’s newest 6-core 9th generation Core i7-9750H combined with Nvidia’s present to people who simply don’t give a damn about ray tracing: a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card. Because the product cycles of Intel and Nvidia aren’t quite perfectly coordinated with one another.
The GS65 Stealth Thin will compete with laptops like Acer’s Predator Triton 500 and Alienware’s m15 Thin, both of which utilize older 8th-gen CPUs but Nvidia’s newer ray-tracing-enabled RTX GPUs. The GS65 Stealth Thin will be in a battle with laptops such as these.
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin specs
The GS65 Stealth Thin is the first laptop we’ve tested that comes equipped with Intel’s 9th-generation mobile 6-core CPU, as we’ve already said. Let’s go through all the technical details:
- CPU: Intel 6-core 9th gen Core i7-9750H
- Dimensions: 14 x 9.75 x 0.75 inches
- Display: 15.6-inch 144Hz “IPS-like” screen without G-Sync
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
- Memory: 16GB DDR4/2667 in dual-channel mode
- Networking: 802.11ac using an Intel AC9560 controller and Rivet Networks E2500 Gigabit ethernet.
- Storage: 512GB WD SN520 NVMe M.2 SSD
- Weight: 4.4 pounds
It’s important to emphasize that final bullet point. MSI has added around 6 ounces to the weight of the GS65 since we evaluated it last year. Welcoming structural reinforcements certainly contributed to some of that heaviness compared to the previous run, which we characterized as “fluid.” What is your level of adaptability? It would be an understatement to say picking it up by one corner was nerve-wracking. The newest iteration is quite sturdy and doesn’t bend much, although it is heavier than its predecessor.
Incredible as it may seem, a year ago, there was nothing else in the same price range as the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE. Even though there were other competitors to the GS65 Stealth Thin, such as the Gigabyte Aero 15X series (which was bulkier) and the original Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 (which was faster but bulkier, with compromised battery life), few were pushing the kind of performance you got in the GS65 Stealth Thin.
Nonetheless, the world seems quite different now. Thin gaming laptops, such as the Razer Blade 15, have become more competitive against machines like Acer’s Predator Triton 500 and Alienware’s m15. The GS65 Stealth Thin stands out in this competitive landscape because of its class-leading performance and affordable pricing. The novelty it once held has worn off.
