*** The Official MSI GS65 Stealth Owners and Discussions Lounge ***

they're only for the HIDevolution Gaming Team

 

What's that?

 

That is, for people who buy from HIDevolution, they are the HIDevolution Gaming Team. The tweaking session takes 2-4 hours so I don't have the capacity to do it for everyone as much I would like to.

 

I did purchase my gs65 through Hidevolution. Does that make me a part of the team?

 

Yes but copy/paste my signature and edit the specs to match your laptop and also use this image:

Code:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/oQoZhC7.jpg[/img]

 

The more i read this thread, the less i want to sell my laptop actually. Guess both msi gs65 and aero 15x have their problems on their own, and none of them are worthy of replacing my AW 17 at the moment. I hope that the next generation of these machines have these problems addressed. I wonder for how long MSI will keep producing these flipped motherboard laptops which takes surgery to upgrade...

I don't know how accurate but this comparison i made pretty much sums the case for me:

 

It's a tough comparison...thin and light is a far cry from the AW 17. I've owned the GS43VR Phantom Pro with 1060 and currently own the Razer Blade with 1060 (before that had the monster ASUS RoG STRIX GL502VS-DB71 with 1070) - all have heat/fan issues but it is way worth it for me for the 4lb size. I ordered from HIDEvolution hoping that the Conductonaut will help. Temps don't seem too bad, really.

 

yes buddy

 

I think it's just the GS that's like that. Pretty sure the GE are accessible from the bottom, and the GT it's only the top RAM that you need to remove the board for.

 

I believe the BIOS will detect the RAM settings from your SODIMMs and apply them accordingly. The BIOS will not allow you to set a higher frequency than what the processor supports - so if you stick in 2 DDR4 3200mhz sodimms into the laptop, the BIOS will run them at 2666mhz. Similarly, if you stick in 2400mhz ram, the BIOS will run it at that frequency.

This article is worth a read: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005657/boards-and-kits.html

Since all mobile processors prior to Coffee Lake H have only supported ram speeds up to DDR4 2400 MHz, the vast majority of sodimms produced now run at this frequency. DDR4 2666 exists (e.g. crucial ballistix), but it tends to be much less common than DDR4 2400. You won't see much of a difference in performance between the two frequencies, providing you're running dual channel ram.

 

That clarifies a lot, thanks!

 

Done and Done

 

Hi guys,

Hope all is well

I was wondering does any one know if and how easy it is to turn off optimus on this machine ?

This is the only thing holding me off getting one.

Thanks in advance !

 

Isn't Optimus good as when you are playing high graphic games it uses discreet. But for basic stuff it just uses on-board to save battery!?

Is it bad for overclocking? -I'm interested to know why you would want to turn this off.

 

Another q, I saw someone mention -120 as a good undervolt starting point for the 8750H, is this correct?

I'm used to pushing - 125-ish with the 7700HQ so I was wondering if CFL-H is better (or worse) in this regard.

Of course, silicon differences notwithstanding.

I don't think you can, but I can be wrong.

AFAIK the Asus Zeph is probably the only one of these new CFL-H thin and lights that come with any form of "switching" (in this case Gsync and Optimus).

@JetFn1 Optimus is good, when it works. Sometimes all it does is mess up with "pure" graphics performance - though personally I do like Optimus regardless (considering the notebook I do have would have its tiny battery absolutely murdered by the dGPU otherwise).

 

There is no 'correct' starting point because every CPU is different. The best thing to do is start at -100mV, and slowly work it up until your start to see any instability. Give it a fair amount of testing time between changes...you may not see instability right away. Undervolting correctly takes patience, but it will be worth it to get it fine tuned.

It is actually MSHybrid now, Optimus has been dead for a couple of GPU generations.

Regardless, it cannot be turned off, but in the NVIDIA Control Panel, under Manage 3D Settings, you can lock any application or game onto the dGPU. Do that, and you won't be messing with the iGPU when you don't want to.

@JetFn1 @lb2593

 

Well, I do understand that (and yes, I'm all for careful UV, believe me).

So, let me rephrase that question then: Do you guys think is it too early to judge (in a purely blanket assumption kind of way) if MOST 8750H units can take more or less the same level of UV as a 7700HQ?

In a purely blanket assumption kind of way, of course - putting aside the sheer randomness of the silicone lottery.

 

Could we get a disassembly video of the GS65 @Donald@HIDevolution or from @Derek712 ?

 

We are working on it and will have it up on YouTube shortly. I will post a link once it is up.

 

Yes, it probably is too early...but I will leave it to others to make such speculations.

 

Hi Phoenix,
I am very interested in purchasing this laptop from HID. To get the NBR discount and your tweaks - I need to e-mail Donald before purchase to get discount then 'tag' you to get the tweaks ? Just confirming as I am on board with what you've shared here.

 

That's correct,

Once you get it, when you first turn it on and get the initial Windows 10 Setup Wizard, it will prompt you to connect to a Wireless Network, click on SKIP on the bottom right otherwise you will be forced to login with a Microsoft account which I strongly advice against.


Also, when it prompts you to enter a password, leave the blank for now as during our tweaking session, we will need to reboot a lot and that will just slow us down.


First thing I want you to do to save us time is to right click on your start menu button, then choose SYSTEM, from there,, hit Rename This PC and choose a name for your computer. (ie. I name mine TITAN). The name should be in capital letter. Some of the tweaks are tied to the PC name and thus, you want to name it properly from the get go rather than keeping the default random name which Windows assigns it ( DESKTOP-999-BLABLABLA)


Next, go to PC Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and perform all the Windows updates. After rebooting, check for updates again just to make sure there aren’t any more updates


The moment you are in Windows, go ahead and do all the Windows updates which will take a long time, then download and install TeamViewer then run it, it will give you an ID/Password which you could pass on to me via a PM so I can connect to you.


You won't be able to PM me unless I PM you first so what you want to do is, when you get it, just tag me by using the @ sign then type my username right after it with no spaces and I will PM you then

 

I use a particular media server software called Resolume arena and I know that it causes issues when it tires to speak with the Nvidia cards due to optimus.

It's to make sure there is no framerate spikes / drops when using it.

 

Thanks, do you recommend purchasing with clean install of Windows?

 

yes but when ordering, put in your customer notes that you want the latest Windows 10 Redstone 4 which was just released otherwise you will have to spend not less than an hour updating from Redstone 3 to Redstone 4. The factory image is bloated and has Norton Security which requires many steps to clean up and you'll never have a 100% clean system with the leftovers it leaves behind.

 

I have already got the bloated version installed. I have already signed in with my windows account. Am I now screwed? I tried to get rid of Norton and it kept re appearing on the desktop. I do like one drive though, is that bad?

 

The first thing on my GT73VR was to show Uninstall Tool to Norton; happened to own an unused key for F-Secure. Revo Uninstaller, IObit Uninstaller are good, too to get rid of bloat.

 

Super excited! Spoke to @Donald@HIDevolution on the phone the other day... I have ordered the GS65-053 with the best thermal paste and pads option! Super excited to get it.

Thank you @Iandv @Ricky Santos @Phoenix for referring HID Evolution and leaving great testimonials. Donald was very helpful and informative!

@Phoenix , Could you please PM me whenever you have a chance so we can go over what exactly I need to do, if anything other than your above post, that would make your life easier when you login. Also do you offer this service for free for HID members and members of this forum, or do you charge a fee. I just want to make sure we are on the same page. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

The tweaking is free for HIDevolution Gaming Team Members which you are.

The PM is not for any chatting. It is only to get your TeamViewer ID/Pass for the tweaking session. Once you have your machine, feel free to tag me and I would then PM you.

Once you get it, when you first turn it on and get the initial Windows 10 Setup Wizard, it will prompt you to connect to a Wireless Network, click on SKIP on the bottom right otherwise you will be forced to login with a Microsoft account which I strongly advice against.


Also, when it prompts you to enter a password, leave the blank for now as during our tweaking session, we will need to reboot a lot and that will just slow us down.


First thing I want you to do to save us time is to right click on your start menu button, then choose SYSTEM, from there,, hit Rename This PC and choose a name for your computer. (ie. I name mine TITAN). The name should be in capital letter. Some of the tweaks are tied to the PC name and thus, you want to name it properly from the get go rather than keeping the default random name which Windows assigns it ( DESKTOP-999-BLABLABLA)


Next, go to PC Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and perform all the Windows updates. After rebooting, check for updates again just to make sure there aren’t any more updates


The moment you are in Windows, go ahead and do all the Windows updates which will take a long time, then download and install TeamViewer then run it, it will give you an ID/Password which you could pass on to me via a PM so I can connect to you.


You won't be able to PM me unless I PM you first so what you want to do is, when you get it, just tag me by using the @ sign then type my username right after it with no spaces and I will PM you then

 

@JetFn1

Feel free to copy/paste my signature including the logo and edit it to your laptop specs since you are now part of the MSI Gaming Team

 

Was already in the process of updating my signature when you were posting!!

Will PM you once it arrives.

 

Hi @Donald@HIDevolution please PM me so I can get the NBR discount and purchase. Thank you

 

Thank you to @Donald@HIDevolution for the ultra-fast response!

 

For those who purchased from HIDevolution and optioned the "Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut on CPU + GPU, and Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads on heat sensitive surfaces", would you please convince me whether or not this option is worth the money?

Do you have any thermals before/after to show the difference in CPU/GPU temps under load and also the surface temp of the hardware itself, to see whether or not the "on lap" experience improves or if there is no difference?

Thx

 

I ordered mine with the Grizzly and Fujipoly. I will give a review and post once I receive the laptop, I should have it sometime towards the end of next week hopefully.

 

Hi

My first post here!

I’m really interested in this laptop (16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 1070) but this is my first time buying a laptop online and I plan to purchase it on May 17th and there’s a couple of options that do international shipping I live in Oman and my budget is 2400 $ including shipping which usually comes around 160-180$

1. eXcaliberPC: they’re selling it for 2199 $ + shipping 256GB version with a free upgrade to 512GB. Also a ton of MSi assesories
2. HIDevolution: they don’t seem to have the SKU I want, they do have a 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD version for 2499 $ + shipping which I can’t really afford but they also give some MSi assesories
3. GentechPC: they have it for 2065 $ + shipping
4. XoticPC: they sell it for 2129 $+ shipping but it’s 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD SKU also give a free Notebook Cooler (-_-)

So guys I need some advice on how to proceed here


eXcaliberPC seems like the good choice they offer a great SKU for a good price and they also sell through amazon.


HIDevolution seems to be the preferred company here and they also accept PayPal but they don’t seem to have the cheaper SKU and I can’t afford the SKU they have with added shipping


I dunno much about gentechPC but looks like a decent choice and xoticPC has too less SSD space and RAM for the price


Thanks

 

First off welcome!! You'll find a lot of great info on this forum and a lot of really skilled folks who know the insides and out of these MSI models and are always willing to help. I'm a couple weeks new here and have already had a lot of questions answered. Now my turn to help you!


To answer your question, it is really a matter of reviews, preference, price, and if they have what you are looking for. So I'll tell you my story and maybe it will help answer some questions for you. I'll warn you now, this will be quite lengthy lol, but I want to give you my whole opinion as I feel it will help you on your quest.

So I originally had my order through ExcaliburPC as I was going to get the same version you are looking for and all the accessories. I have just switched and placed an order through HIDevolution. --The reason for my switch was a couple of factors:

#1: Many people on this forum, and online reviews show them as excellent customer service, excellent craftsmanship, and reviews. Many of my questions were answered quickly by @Donald@HIDevolution. And I called and spoke with him and he was able to take the time to speak on the phone and go over some concerns and question I had before ordering.

Being able to pick up the phone or get in touch via forum, email quickly, etc.. is super important to me from wherever I make a purchase. I would gladly spend and extra couple of bucks for a company that stands behind its work over saving a few bucks and getting less of a customer oriented business. This is my opinion. While I can't speak for some of the other stores you have mentioned I should note as well that many of my questions were also answered quickly on this forum by @Kevin@GenTechPC and @Tanner@XoticPC.

#2: The model you (and I originally wanted), only has 16gb of ram. The problem with this is it won't run @ DDR speeds. MSI decided to only use 1Dimm slot for the 16gb model and both Dimms for the 32gb models. While I would normally say "Ill just upgrade in the future," the memory slots, and extra M2 slots, are ALL ON THE UNDERSIDE of the mobo on this laptop model lineup! Not running DDR speeds will greatly impact performance numbers. You really want DDR speeds.

What this means is you need to take pretty much the whole laptop assembly apart just to add more memory or HDD space in the future. Its not as simple as just taking a few screws out to open the bottom, upgrade, put the bottom back on and Walah! -It's quite a lot of work to upgrade in the future-. Something I don't really want to do personally. For someone that doesn't take apart laptops everyday, this could be a real pain in the tuchus! (As my grandmother would say.)

This is why I personally decided to shell out the extra $300 for the 053 model with the upgraded memory and SSD space. To me having the DDR speed, full memory capacity at 32gb, and extra SSD space is worth the relatively little extra money up front to save any headaches in the future. Something you may want to consider.

#3: I had decided to do some mods to the Thermals on the laptop for cooling, and saw that HIDevolution had this option at a good price. So for me the decision was a no brainer. I was at first hesitant to have someone work on the laptop but after all the good reviews, other members of this forum giving their experience about the work done, and speaking with the company directly, that was all put at ease. If you are thinking of having work done, upgrades, this is a consideration as well

Again this is just my experience, you have to figure what is best for you based on what you are going to do. I would STRONGLY recommend getting the 8RF-053 model. You'll shell out a few extra bucks today but it will be worth it in the future as you won't have to deal with the headache of upgrading down the line as it has 32gb utilizing both Dimms at DDR speeds and upgraded 512gb SSD. Also HIDevolution gives a $50 discount to active members on this forum and free Fed-Ex Ground, so that'll knock the price down a little as well. The other stores you mentioned may offer discounts as well for members, so inquire directly with whoever you end up choosing to purchase from first before you order!

And again welcome and hope this helped!

 

Hi
Thanks for replying!
I was planning on upgrading a year or closer but I did some checking based on what you said and it would seem it’s very hard to upgrade and it’s better for some professional do it for me

I guess I’ll get the 32GB Ram and 512 GB SSD option from HIDevolution
Including shipping it will be around 2680$

Also I won’t be able toafford the thermals upgrades as this is already more than what I originally planned

Don’t think I would qualify for the discount as these are literally my first posts in here, I just lurk a bit here and there as I’ve never been able to afford these laptops before
And no free ground shipping for me as I’m not in the US I’m in Oman which is in the Middle East

Thanks

Also is the SSD in the laptop SATA or NVMe?

 

@Donald@HIDevolution
Are there any plans for HIDevolution to allow for configuration of the Best Buy Exclusive Model? I want the 1070 Max Q but the cheapest configuration available with it is the $2499 one and I don't really need the 32 gbs of RAM.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-15...with-gold-diamond-cut/6211741.p?skuId=6211741

 

Can't wait for the tear-down video guys It's gonna play a HUGE role on making my decision so please be quick !

 

That one has an M.2 SSD (plus even though it says 2 dimms, probably just one install so it won't be dual channel) and less RAM than the $2499 model HIDEvolution has otherwise it looks awesome. I wish I hadn't personally banned Best Buy due to some bad experiences there. It's not worth extra $$$ for the HIDEvolution model, that's for sure! (and I have one on order!)

https://us.msi.com/Laptop/GS65-Stealth-Thin-Intel-8th-Gen/Specification

 

@ghost5225225

you buy a best buy unit you get best buy quality

 

lol...it's MSI quality. All any reseller can do is upgrades, re-pastes under warranty, provide better service (if you need that) - not like they build a better laptop from scratch. They get OEM shells and sell them at markup. We will see how the whole experience goes - my first time trying a reseller/boutique shop.

 

If thats the case then, how much performance difference can I expect from a 1060 vs a 1070 max q?

Also what do they do exactly when I choose an option for the front lid logo color? Because it doesn't exactly have led on the logo.

 

That model has a sata based m.2.

 

I wouldn't mind the slower drive because I'm already used to hard drive speeds.

 

Hey guys! I'm new here too and I decided to make an account since browsing this thread all day I really wanted to ask some questions! I just bought the GS65 from iBUYpower just with the 256gb and 16gb memory (2x 8gb) for a total of $1,997 (gtx 1070 -054). It was a great price I was hoping somewhere else could match since I haven't purchased from them either. The only issue with them is they refuse to do dual drives (idk why) but at that price I really don't care and I did not get any thermal upgrade since I bring a cooling pad with me everywhere I game. Upgrading the laptop would be very easy for me in the future regardless how difficult it is (I like a good challenge) and 256 is ok for what I do now since I only game on EVE and pubg for now. I needed a light portable notebook since all i do is play those games on it and I travel a TON on airplanes, so small form factor is a must. so to my question! has anyone purchased from iBUYpower before and if so how is their customer service? does HIDevolution do any price matching with their competitors? THANKS GUYS! (PS: this thread is a wealth of knowledge. thank you to everyone who contributes)

 

Hi Candy Ninja, welcome! Feel free to email us directly with all of your concerns so that we can address them.

 

It can depend on both parties in many cases. Those "X store only" SKUs do differ in overall quality on occasion.

 

Hi!
I'm from HK and I'm currently considering between GS65 and Asus GM501.

I was originally leaning more to GS65 becuase I trust in MSI more than Asus for the quality control and customer service. My daily driver is MSI GE60 that I got in 2013, only the headphone jack died during the past 5 years and it's still doing fine for my everyday use despite of 31% CPU throttling under even just stressing the GPU with just some indie games.

I was hoping the new GS65 could have lesser thermal throttling but from the reviews I found the CPU throttles a lot, even in GPU intense gaming sessions the CPU could reach as high as 96°C. And then I found a review from a Taiwan forum with a teardown and motherboard reveal.

https://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=241&t=5449742


As the picture shown, there are only one thick heatpipe for cooling the CPU, exactly the same as my current GE60.



And during the gaming test with The Division, the CPU temp reached 96°C and 86°C for the GPU. The CPU TDP reached as high as 70W despite of 8750H is a 45W chip. Combined with only a single heatpipe, I think that's why the CPU throttles so badly. The GPU temp was just fine though.

So I'm now thinking of GM501 instead since I'm willing to sacrifice a bit on weight and battery life for slightly better cooling (tested by the same forum below), and much better upgradability than GS65. And furthermore the elevating bottom panel is better for my usage since I always place my laptop on a horizontal PS4 Pro.

https://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=233&t=5433581


But my concerns about the GM501 are the worse customer service and quality control after I've read different reviews/posts/complains online. And I was told by a retailer that GM501 will not be available in HK until late July (WHAT!?). Even I'm gonna buy from HIDevolution it still won't be available until late May. I don't know if I could wait that long...