The MSI GS65: A Thin and Light Gaming Laptop Redesigned for Perfection

As we take a closer look at the MSI GS65, it's evident that this thin and light gaming laptop has undergone a significant redesign. Gone are the days of sharing the same chassis as its predecessors; this latest iteration boasts a brand new design that's both stylish and functional.

One of the most noticeable aspects of the GS65 is its build quality. The laptop feels slightly better than its predecessor, the GS63, with a more premium feel to it. The black and gold theme is subtle yet effective, giving the laptop a sleek and sophisticated look that would easily pass as a high-end business laptop. The logo is flush to the surface, making it almost unnoticeable, and the hinge design on each side of the laptop is a unique feature that MSI hasn't seen before.

The interior of the GS65 is where things get even more impressive. The power button is strategically placed in the middle of the laptop, and there's talk of a fingerprint sensor being included in future models. However, this engineering sample doesn't have one, but it's clear that MSI has put a lot of thought into its design. While not a unibody build, the GS65 uses paneling to create a solid and well-built laptop that's sure to please even the most discerning users.

As we take a closer look at the GS65, it becomes apparent that there are some minor issues that need to be addressed. The build quality is not perfect, with some panels having a bit of flex due to perforations. However, these are minor quibbles in what otherwise feels like a masterclass in design and engineering.

One area where the GS65 truly shines is its keyboard. As expected, it's a standard MSI SteelSeries backlit keyboard, but with a unique layout that takes some getting used to. Once you adapt to the layout, however, the keys become comfortable and responsive, making for an enjoyable typing experience. The trackpad, while not perfect, feels good in the hands and has a nice tactile feedback.

However, there are also some areas where the GS65 falls short. One notable issue is its accessibility – MSI's thin and light laptops have never been easy to open, and this one is no exception. It takes a bit of effort to get into, even with the engineering sample we're looking at. Another area for improvement is the drive, which feels slow compared to what we'd expect from a gaming laptop.

Despite these minor issues, the GS65's display is where it truly excels. The 144Hz screen is fast and responsive, with an excellent color gamut that's sure to please gamers and graphics enthusiasts alike. The bezels are thin, making for an immersive viewing experience, and while the top bezel does have a bit of a chin, it's hardly noticeable. The webcam, located up top, takes some getting used to, but its angle is great and its image quality isn't bad.

One final note on the GS65 – it doesn't come with G-Sync technology, which might be a deal-breaker for some buyers. However, this omission also means that the laptop's fast screen and processor combination can reach frame rates of over 100 FPS in games, making for a smooth and responsive gaming experience.

In conclusion, the MSI GS65 is a masterclass in design and engineering. With its sleek and stylish build, excellent display, and comfortable keyboard, it's clear that MSI has put a lot of thought into creating a laptop that's both functional and fun to use. While there are some minor issues to be addressed, these don't detract from the overall experience – the GS65 is a gaming laptop that truly deserves its place in the spotlight.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey, how's it going? Dave2D hereToday, we're looking at the MSI GS65This is their latest thin and light gaming laptopIt's running the new six-core CPU from Intel with the GTX 1070 Max-QIt's a completely decked out thin and light laptop that just-It's awesome, as you could tell by the titleIt's been redesigned this year, completely redesigned.The previous generation and the one before that all share the same chassisThey just kind of switch the internalsBrand new everything this year. The build quality on this new design is goodIt feels slightly better than the GS63 to me. It has no red on it at allI think this is the very first gaming laptop from MSI that wasn't black and redIt's got this black and gold theme going onVery subtle, it actually looks really goodYou can bring it to work or a coffee shop, and no one would think anything of it.It's super stealth, it honestly looks like a premium black and gold laptopNow in case you're wondering, the logo up here is completely flush to the surfaceIf you're inclined and wanting to mask this logo out,You could probably get a skin for it, and it'll look even more murdered-outThe hinge is on each side, so it doesn't run along the whole lengthBut it actually feels really wellbuilt, and this kind of hinge aesthetic is just not somethingwe've seen from MSI before, I really like itInside, we have the power button in the middle of the laptopAnd there was talk about how there's gonna be a fingerprint sensorThis engineering sample does not have a functioning oneBut it might in the future. The build quality of this whole thing is good, very goodIt's not perfect, like this isn't a unibody build or anything like thatIt's like, not milled from a single piece of aluminumIt's using paneling, but it's pretty goodThere are some panels with a little bit of flex from the perforationsBut it is a well built laptop. Okay, before I go any deeper into this videoI feel like I should bring something up with you guys. I really like this deviceIt's a great laptop, and there are some issues with it, but I had to dig pretty deep to find themAnd I think a lot of you guys might think that I'm just like nitpicking, and I really amI feel like that's what you have to do when it comes to productsthat are really well built and just good...You just got to dig deeper than normal to find something that you can kind of use as a reasonthat some people may not like it but...You'll see. Okay, let's go with the keyboard first. I feel like that's like a good place to startIt's pretty much your standard MSI keyboardIt's SteelSeries backlitBut the keys have this layout that takes a little bit of time to get used toOnce you do, you'll be comfortable on itThe trackpad is, well technically it's a Windows Precision trackpadIt's running Windows Precision touchpad, but it's using Synaptics software underneathIt feels good, it's just not perfect. Gestures are on point,but there's something with the tracking that feels off to me. It's like the accelerationIt's just a little bit too fast. Um, I can't really describe in wordsIt's just- it doesn't feel like your standard Windows Precision software to me. It's goodJust not perfect. The button mechanism is a little stiffBut it's tactile and I like the feel of the trackpad overallOne of the first things that I didn't like about this laptop is the accessibilitySo MSI's thin and light laptops are never really easy to get intoLike, I've never had a lot of problems, but there's just not, you know, one screw and remove itIt's always a little bit of work. This one is very difficultI'm not saying it's impossible, but I couldn't get in there, and I've opened quite a few laptopsSee, this isn't even my unit, it's like an engineering sampleAnd I'm already a little bit more aggressive than it would be if I purchased this with my own moneybut I just can't seem to get in here easilyThe other thing is that the drive in here is a little bit slow,and it's okay when companies put in slow drivesBecause like it keeps the cost down and you can upgrade it, but in this case,It's pretty difficult. I'm sure you can get in there, it's just not an easy thingThe display is excellent, I really like itIt's bright, it's fast. It's 144 Hertz excellent color gamut. There's nothingI really have to complain about it. The top bezels are thin, the side bezels are really thinThere is a bit of a chinBut I mean if you're gonna put thick bezel somewhere, the bottom one's probably the bestWebcam's up top. Image quality isn't amazing, but at least the angle is goodand it's just really nice to see laptop companies put in faster screens because,Last year, we were seeing really high end laptopswith something like GTX 1080s in them, but they're capped with 60 Hertz screenswhich just didn't make sense to meThis is the way to do it. Fast screens with fast processors and fast GPUs. Good stuff all aroundOne thing to note though, this display does not have G-SyncAnd I think for some people they're just like ''hey dealbreaker, no G-Sync?\"but the truth is I actually like that it doesn't have itHere's why.Number one: it keeps the price down. If they had a display that waslicensed for G-Sync, this would be like an extra 100 or 200 bucksThe other thing is battery life. By not having G-Sync, you get to use Nvidia OptimusSo you can use the onboard graphics to keep your battery consumption down when you're just not playing games and stuffBut the main reason for me is that G sync is only really useful at like60 frames per second or slower the moment you bust like six seventy eighty frames per second it just doesn't it's not as usefulI'm not saying it's not usefulIt's just not as useful as it would be when you're at lower frame rates at144 Hertz this thing can shoot way beyond the frame ratesWhere g-sync is clutch in terms of connectivity the port selection is quite goodThere's nothing I feel like this thing's missing it even has an Ethernet port if there's one thingI would add it would be like an extra Thunderbolt three USB-C port, but that's basically it nowI don't love that the location of the AC adapterHole is just kind of in the middle of the side here, and I think some people won't carebut it just doesn't look as clean to me when it comes out the middle and the cable can kind of cover the exhaust inSome circumstances, it's a minor issue, but I thought I'd put it out there the speakers are located on the bottomAnd I wish they weren't located on the bottom because they actually sound okayThey get really loud just the location is really poor when you have these things playing in a normal positionthe audio gets really flattened out by the table or the desk or whatever you have your laptop sitting on it justLoses so much clarity because of its position that I just wish it was positioned elsewhere the battery inside here has beenSignificantly upgraded from the previous generation it's now 82 watt hoursIt's a six hour battery for regular use with the screen at 250 nits. The AC adapter is 180 wattsNothing special kind of like your standard MSI adapter the performance on this laptop is straight-up excellentIt's the six core i7 8750HAnd you're gonna see great performance numbers if you want more details on this particular CPU you can check out the video that I'll linkBelow, but for multi core applications, it's a big step up from last gen the GPU is awesome 1070Max-q really good performance for basically any kind of game at 1080p and you'll be able to take advantage of that 144 Hertz screenIt's a really good combinationThe fans can be controlled in Dragon Center like you can crank up the fans if you're doing with a 3d renderOr if you want like the best gaming performance possible you can crank it upIt'll be loud, but you'll get great performanceor you just leave it on auto and just let it do its thing on idle its silent andOn load, it gets a little bit louder, but you get great performanceYou can slow down manually if you wantBut on a thin and light laptop like this with a six core processor and a 1070 max-qyou kind of wanna let the fans do its thing and I think they do a really good job with the thermals theExterior temperature is also pretty good on the top surface. It gets a little warm on the bottom, thoughI'd play games on a table or a desk and not so much on your lap so overall I feel like MSI did a reallyGood job on this deviceThere's some one about this thing that I feel like people would appreciate there's so much they did right about this thing umThe only real complaint to have about it is seriously the accessibility. That's somethingI really wish they just I don't know why they made it so difficult to get in thereBut it is the pricing at eighteen hundred dollars in the base model isFair it's not great. This is never gonna be cheap a six core desktop replacement. It's never gonna be cheap right now, butIt's reasonably pricedI feel like there's gonna be way more expensive models that do something similar to thisAs for whether you should upgrade if you're running a 7700 HQ and all you do is play games and probably notBut if you do anything that can take advantage of the multi-core stuff like the six core CPU. This is a good oneOkay, hope you guys enjoyed this video!Thumbs if you liked it, subs if you loved it!See you guys next time!\n"