Looking for a portable gaming laptop(MSI GS63VR ?)

[naveenr2112]

I am looking for a portable gaming laptop with a 1080p display and a GTX 1060. I was pretty much sure of getting the base model of the Blade 14. But unfortunately the 1080p models are not available now. So now I am inclined towards the MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro.? Will the build quality of the MSI be too bad when compared to Razor ? I am expecting it to be at Razor's level but I don't want it to be too bad. Are there any heating issues with the MSI.? 

Also any idea about the new XPS 15? It know it only has a 1050Ti but is it worth it when I could get a 1060 around the same price.? I have spent a brief time with the XPS 15, so can anyone rate the build quality of MSI in comparison to the XPS.? Kindly drop in your suggestions and help me out. 

[RadiatingLight]

XPS has good build quality, but you really can't compare a 1050Ti to a 1060, the 1060 is simply way better.

MSI build quality is good. I've never personally owned an MSI laptop, but I've heard no complaints. Razer has great build quality, and i would suggest that if you like the blade 14 (2017) a lot, just wait for the 1080p model to come back in stock, although the MSI will do you very well also.

[Visordo]

I remember reading somewhere that the MSI, it's kind of hot and that the fans are kind of noisy. but If you can leave with that It is a very good quality laptop. as mentioned above if you can wait, get the Razer, If not get the MSI.

[Emberstone]

I own a GS63VR and I am overall pretty happy with it. My two cents is just to avoid the Best Buy model because that one has a TN panel with a pretty poor color gamut that will likely need to be manually calibrated out of the box. Mine was pretty green-washed, but after a few minutes of calibrating the colors in the onboard Intel graphics software (it uses switchable integrated and dedicated graphics) while using my desktop monitor as a reference, I got it looking fairly solid for what it is. The non-Best Buy models will have a great IPS panel as far as I know.

 

Good all-metal build quality, thermals are about what you'd expect for a tiny laptop but still much better than ASUS's GL502 series (I haven't encountered any throttling whatsoever), and performance is fantastic with the i7-6700HQ and GTX 1060. As someone whose last laptop used an i7-840QM and a M-Radeon HD 5850, the performance of these new laptops is really something else. The speakers are pretty tinny, but that might also have to do with me owning the Best Buy model as reviews I've seen don't really complain about them. Fans are also pretty loud under load, so you might want to bring earbuds or headphones where you take this thing.

 

Overall, good laptop. Just avoid the Best Buy model IMO. Honestly, I wouldn't buy a Blade over this. The form factor is the same, it still has good build quality, and the price is much, much lower.

 

Edit: One last thing I want to add. Even though the device is solid with its all-metal construction, the metal itself is fairly prone to scratches which can show the true silvery color of the material underneath. Simply dropping a quarter off of my desk by accident and onto this thing which was leaning against it was enough to put a tiny scratch in the laptop's body. So keep that in mind.

 

If you want another opinion, here's a pretty solid review of the device:

 

 

[Pendragon]

55 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

Razer has great build quality, and i would suggest that if you like the blade 14 (2017) a lot, just wait for the 1080p model to come back in stock

no it doesn't have great build. it's really hit or miss. the 1080p model won't be coming back up. It will come back when the Kaby Lake models are launched. Skylake stock is no longer in production.

 

31 minutes ago, Visordo said:

I remember reading somewhere that the MSI, it's kind of hot and that the fans are kind of noisy. but If you can leave with that It is a very good quality laptop. as mentioned above if you can wait, get the Razer, If not get the MSI.

 

Um, the Razer is way hotter and louder than the MSI. Objective facts here provided through testing on NBC. 

 

1 hour ago, naveenr2112 said:

snip

There's new MSI models coming up for the GS63VR. In the meantime if you still want it pick up the whitebook version: http://www.hidevolution.com/new-laptops/thin-light-laptops/evoc-msi/15-inch-laptops

 

no ugly MSI branding. just nice sleek and black. 

[naveenr2112]

@RadiatingLight  Thanks for the response. As said by @Pendragon and few others the blade 1080p won't be up anytime soon. So planned to go ahead with the MSI.!!!

@Visordo Thank You for the response. Noisy won't be an issue.. Headphones to the rescue.. Regarding the heating issue.. I will be using a controller mostly.. But is there any throttling issue when gaming for longer hours.? Will the heat reduce the life of the GPU or CPU .? 

 

[Visordo]

@naveenr2112 this is the site I read the info from the laptop, there's a ton of analysis. Apparently it does not throttle but give it a read, so you make a more informed purchase .

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GS63VR-6RF-Stealth-Pro-Notebook-Review.179761.0.html

[naveenr2112]

@Emberstone Hey Thanks for the response. I think I might have watched all the available reviews. Just wanted to hear from someone personally and since you own one, just a few more questions. Is there any throttling issue when gaming for longer hours.? Will the heat reduce the life of the GPU or CPU .?  Will the 5400rpm drive reduce the performance while gaming?

[Visordo]

2 minutes ago, naveenr2112 said:

Will the 5400rpm drive reduce the performance while gaming?

Only loading times will be longer, significantly lower than a 7200 or and SSD. but once everything is loaded you should be playing fine.

[honor]

i am a big fan of the xmg p507 laptop. You can completely customize those to suit your budget and needs.

[Emberstone]

5 hours ago, naveenr2112 said:

@Emberstone Hey Thanks for the response. I think I might have watched all the available reviews. Just wanted to hear from someone personally and since you own one, just a few more questions. Is there any throttling issue when gaming for longer hours.? Will the heat reduce the life of the GPU or CPU .?  Will the 5400rpm drive reduce the performance while gaming?

I have never encountered thermal throttling on mine. Performance is about as reliable as it gets.

 

I don't believe the temps will noticeably reduce lifespan. As long as the machine doesn't get hot enough to thermal throttle you should be fine, but it can get warm. The CPU/GPU hitting 80 C isn't uncommon, but that's just how it is in laptops this small. The fans be tiny.

 

My last laptop hit those temps regularly while gaming and it is still going despite being six years old. I feel like laptop chips are generally pretty robust.

[naveenr2112]

Thanks @Emberstone .. I am convinced on the MSI.But just now I got to see the ASUS ROG GL-502 VS. I did not get to see the Asus before because I was only looking at 1060. But the ASUS has a 1070 and its a $100 cheaper. I know it is bulkier than the MSI and probably the build quality is not as good as the MSI but still the Asus would be future proofing. Let's assume I would be gaming in the Laptops 1080p display mostly, I would like to know how many would opt for the Asus with future proofing in mind ? I watched this showdown between the two and Asus was the winner. 

 

[Pendragon]

7 minutes ago, naveenr2112 said:

Asus 

Absolutely not. It's so bad. Bad thermals and the include charger can't even charge the laptop at max load. Pretty rip. 

[CreNaZ]

I am in the same situation as you. I'm debating between MSI GS63VR, Razer Blade and XPS 15 (1050).

I don't gaming that much just Overwatch and CSGO. And MSI looks too much gaming machine for me haha that why I lean toward XPS 15 (but still it's only 1050 not 1050Ti).

Will there any change that 1050ti will come with a good build quality and portable laptops?

[Pendragon]

1 hour ago, CreNaZ said:

And MSI looks too much gaming machine

http://www.hidevolution.com/new-laptops/thin-light-laptops/evoc-msi/15-inch-laptops

[Emberstone]

9 hours ago, naveenr2112 said:

Thanks @Emberstone .. I am convinced on the MSI.But just now I got to see the ASUS ROG GL-502 VS. I did not get to see the Asus before because I was only looking at 1060. But the ASUS has a 1070 and its a $100 cheaper. I know it is bulkier than the MSI and probably the build quality is not as good as the MSI but still the Asus would be future proofing. Let's assume I would be gaming in the Laptops 1080p display mostly, I would like to know how many would opt for the Asus with future proofing in mind ? I watched this showdown between the two and Asus was the winner. 

 

 

I implore you, do not buy the GL502 laptops. I have purchased two of them, and both were returned for horrendous backlight bleed and an image of numbers burned into the display right out of the box on first boot. Both had the numbers burned in, and the numbers were different on each of the laptops, so ASUS didn't just send me back the one I RMA'd. I have pictures as well. The image of the numbers has been contrast-adjusted in order to make them more visible on-camera. Along with serious back-to-back quality control issues, the temperatures can lead to thermal throttling and some of the Pascal models can't even charge under load.

 

[Pendragon]

7 minutes ago, Emberstone said:

I implore you, do not buy the GL502 laptops. I have purchased two of them, and both were returned for horrendous backlight bleed and an image of numbers burned into the display right out of the box on first boot. Both had the numbers burned in, and the numbers were different on each of the laptops, so ASUS didn't just send me back the one I RMA'd. I have pictures as well. The image of the numbers has been contrast-adjusted in order to make them more visible on-camera. Along with serious back-to-back quality control issues, the temperatures can lead to thermal throttling and some of the Pascal models can't even charge under load.

 

I'm tagging you when people don't believe me when I tell them Asus can be so incompetent their chargers can't deal with max load 1070s. @naveenr2112 this man basically just highlighted I was going to say and he's 100% right.

 

On the side note, tons of laptops have really bad backlight bleed by default. Alot of it is due to the bezel putting too much pressure on panel rather than the panel itself. It can be modded to reduce pressure and reduce backlight bleed. 

[Emberstone]

Just now, Pendragon said:

On the side note, tons of laptops have really bad backlight bleed by default. Alot of it is due to the bezel putting too much pressure on panel rather than the panel itself. It can be modded to reduce pressure and reduce backlight bleed.

It's an unfortunate reality I guess, but I still believe that a well-made laptop will have measures taken to reduce it. My Alienware laptop from 2010 has zero bleed and still doesn't to this day despite over six years of abuse (and even being stepped on once), and my GS63VR also has no noticeable bleed unless you stare at the top-left corner in a pitch-black room, and even then it's really faint and only spreads outward about an inch. Not noticeable unless you're intentionally looking for it.

 

Blatant backlight bleed is something I consider to be completely and utterly unforgivable when you're nearing two thousand dollars.

Edited February 4, 2017 by Emberstone

[NA_NotAvailable]

1 hour ago, Emberstone said:

It's an unfortunate reality I guess, but I still believe that a well-made laptop will have measures taken to reduce it. My Alienware laptop from 2010 has zero bleed and still doesn't to this day despite over six years of abuse (and even being stepped on once), and my GS63VR also has no noticeable bleed unless you stare at the top-left corner in a pitch-black room, and even then it's really faint and only spreads outward about an inch. Not noticeable unless you're intentionally looking for it.

 

Blatant backlight bleed is something I consider to be completely and utterly unforgivable when you're nearing two thousand dollars.

wow man Alienware is good.... When was this? I don't know Alienware 13 that could be good..... 

 

http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/alienware-13-r3-oled#

 

It has been almost a year since they took out OLED. so... shouldn't we start having reports about how reliable that display is?

 

 

hope all this helps.

 

[D2ultima]

23 hours ago, naveenr2112 said:

I am looking for a portable gaming laptop with a 1080p display and a GTX 1060. I was pretty much sure of getting the base model of the Blade 14. But unfortunately the 1080p models are not available now. So now I am inclined towards the MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro.? Will the build quality of the MSI be too bad when compared to Razor ? I am expecting it to be at Razor's level but I don't want it to be too bad. Are there any heating issues with the MSI.? 

Also any idea about the new XPS 15? It know it only has a 1050Ti but is it worth it when I could get a 1060 around the same price.? I have spent a brief time with the XPS 15, so can anyone rate the build quality of MSI in comparison to the XPS.? Kindly drop in your suggestions and help me out. 

Comparing Razer's build quality to dogshit would be unfair (for the dogshit). MSI GS63VR is so far above them in build quality they don't exist in the same universe. We need to open portals to a shitverse to get Razer laptops portable stoves from. Razer's only good point is aesthetics, the outward look and feel of the thing. That has nothing to do with build quality.

 

Now that that's out of the way, MSI is definitely a decent model to go to. The P650HP6 is a superior machine overall, however it is indeed thicker and heavier (if only slightly). It has better cooling too, and should be cheaper for equivalent specs. You should buy it from HIDevolution.com as well, under the EVOC line.

 

How much is the XPS 15? If you're able to get a GS63VR and a XPS 15 for the same price and the XPS 15 only has a 1050Ti, I'd grab the MSI any day.

 

15 hours ago, Emberstone said:

My last laptop hit those temps regularly while gaming and it is still going despite being six years old. I feel like laptop chips are generally pretty robust.

Desktop chips are too... people just like lower temperatures. Myself included. I used to run my 280M at a lovely 105c for hours because I could not get the damn thing any cooler and it worked for a clean 4 years until the mobo in the system died for unrelated reasons.

[naveenr2112]

@CreNaZ I think the MSI has a 1050Ti Model in their P series. But the 1050 in the XPS 15 can handle overwatch and CS GO at ease. The XPS does have good build quality and an awesome display, but when you pitch it against the MSI G63VR, the 1060 has way more performance than the 1050. and the MSI is also pretty damn good in all other aspects.. May be if the XPS had the 1050Ti it might have been a tough choice..

[naveenr2112]

@Emberstone  @Pendragon Yes.. there seems to be lot of complaints regarding that.. So Asus is out.. I wonder why Asus haven't done anything to fix that..

@D2ultima I am going with the MSI .. not a big fan of the P650HP6 .. And guys should I get it from the Xotic Pc or hidevolution, and should I add the IC Diamond Thermal Compound ? Is it required and is that known to work ?

Edited February 4, 2017 by naveenr2112

[Pendragon]

1 hour ago, naveenr2112 said:

And guys should I get it from the Xotic Pc or hidevolution

HID. If you take a look, it's actually the whitebook version. No branding, no logo. It's about more expensive by 100 for slightly better specs (slightly better storage) and liquid metal on HID. If you want price, then XoticPC, but for thin laptops, liquid metal is highly regarded because temps in these thin and lights are already really high. 

[CreNaZ]

16 hours ago, naveenr2112 said:

@CreNaZ I think the MSI has a 1050Ti Model in their P series. But the 1050 in the XPS 15 can handle overwatch and CS GO at ease. The XPS does have good build quality and an awesome display, but when you pitch it against the MSI G63VR, the 1060 has way more performance than the 1050. and the MSI is also pretty damn good in all other aspects.. May be if the XPS had the 1050Ti it might have been a tough choice..

 

Yes, if XPS had the 1050Ti, I might go for it. However, it's only 1050! that's too bad. Maybe MSI is a better choice then.