Best Buy - GS65 or GS63?

Hi! I'm currently looking to replace my 2012 Lenovo and narrowed it down to MSI or Gigabyte Aero. I read a lot of QA issues with the screen and other pieces which pushed me to the GS65. I went to Best Buy to check out the versions they had. I really wanted to like the GS65, but it did feel flimsy and the keyboard didn't feel great. The GS63 felt a little bit more sturdy and the keyboard felt 'better', it would also let me put my current SSD in it as well (I'll be taking out the 1TB). I guess I'm wondering why I shouldn't go for the GS63 Best Buy version? I do like the look of the GS65 more, but it doesn't seem worth $500 extra for my situation, unless the battery is that much larger. The 1060 would be plenty for the random times I'll need to game on it. What am I missing?

$1500
MSI - 15.6" Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 - 1TB Hard Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-15-...-drive-aluminum-black/6211744.p?skuId=6211744


$2000
MSI - 15.6" Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 - 512GB Solid State Drive
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-15-...with-gold-diamond-cut/6211741.p?skuId=6211741

 

GS65 weighs .2lbs less.

GS65 has the GTX 1070 Max-Q which performs about 10-15% faster than the GTX 1060.

GS63 has a "regular" 1080p screen (60Hz) not 144Hz like the GS65 one.

If none of those things bug you, then yeah, I'd say the $1500 laptop is a better buy for you.

 

ASUS & MSI have good quality if you want to check out their reviews.

 

Comparing the specs I think I'd lean towards the 65, but it comes down to whether the differences between the two are important to you.

 

I'd go for the GS65 based on specs, though it depends on you what you like about the machine. While the GS65 is slimmer and slicker, it lacks numpad which is not an issue for most people, but I tend to like it.

That being said, I think I would still go for the GS65 even if it lacked a numpad, because I like it more than the Gs63 haha

 

I've been using a shorty keyboard since my desk isn't wide enough to really have a full keyboard and mouse on it, doubt I'd notice. That said if someone uses numpad a lot I can see it being a problem.

 

I use it about 30% of the time, but in that 30% of the usage, when I don't have it available, it can become very annoying haha. the only machine I have that does not have a numpad is a microsoft surface pro 2. And it gets on my nerves from time to time

But I know a lot of folk don't need it or use it, in that sense the GS65 makes sense perfectly.

 

I generally won't be docking this laptop and will be using it's keyboard & track-pad most of the time. The GS65 felt really mushy compared to the 63 at BestBuy. One thing that concerned me is that BestBuy didn't have the 63 on and it wouldn't turn on, they didn't bother to move the counter to see if it was really plugged in.

 

There could be a lot of different reasons why the 63 didn't /wouldn't turn on. I wouldn't let that deter you if that one seems like a better fit for you.

 

never buy from best buy


you have resellers in NBR that don't charge tax and offer additional services that best buy can't ever offer

 

I do occasionally miss it, whenever I get a bigger desk the first thing I will do is get a full size keyboard.

 

I'm not worried about the demo not working, the only reason I was looking at BestBuy is because they have unique versions only available there, ie the GS63 with a 1060 @ $1500 or the GS65 with a 1070 @ $2k. Unfortunately reseller prices are about the same as the BB unit's with tax.

 

I recommend going with Best Buy (as much as I dislike them) - going for resellers that offer things like re-pastes and "pixel perfect" guarantees to make more $$$ can be a waste of money, especially if you are good with the specs of the stock model. You can get similar/better thermal results by using Intel XTU to undervolt versus re-paste - so don't worry too much about that.

I am happy to help you with configuration if you get a GS65. I bought one from HIDEvolution and I regret opting for them versus the Best Buy model. They gave good service but the add-ons turned out to be mostly unnecessary from a thermal perspective (which is the only "upgrade" I opted for).

 

which reseller is that

usually BB models have downgraded panels or crap SSDs

I know because the GS63 1060/6700HQ had a bottom of the bin IPS panel while some of the reseller model have better screens


might want to give the resellers a call to see which exact panel you will be getitng with the laptop

 

This is just a bunch of FUD. The specs are listed out. The $2000 GS65 does have a slower SSD, but nothing that would affect gaming.

The resellers can tell you the exact panel and do tests (backlight bleed, dead pixel guarantees) and everything but all for $$$. You can buy at Best Buy or wherever and if you're not satisfied, return it the same day.

It all depends on what you're looking for. Some don't mind spending $150 or so for the guarantee of a no backlight bleed, dead pixel panel.

 

He might have some gift certificates and rewards points to use towards it. Even possibly a Best Buy credit card.

 

Exactly. I hate Best Buy myself, and will never buy from there again (long story) - but if they have the best bang/buck option - then why not?

 

Not defending but you do realize that bestbuy's GS63 STEALTH-010 isn't sold on the resellers right? So you're looking at a different model.

 

Same with the GS65 model...but that’s on purpose so the different retailers/vendors can attempt to differentiate. Watch the specs, check the return policy, and make the purchase...

 

That might be market segmentation strategy used by MSI by creating special SKUs for various of markets.

 

You might also take a look at the MSI GE63 Raider RGB-010. For the same money as the GS65, it would work with your existing SSD. The screen is a 120hz TN, but I think it has better response time and color gamut than the 144hz IPS used in the GS65. I think the keyboard deck should be solid but you would want to double check the owner's lounges or reviews. That model is available from resellers so you can order it repasted which will likely give you a better experience out of the box than from Best Buy.

If you want to keep things cheap you could also look for open box Alienware 15 R3's being clearanced at Best Buy, I see them at most stores around here for ~1300 + tax for a GTX 1070 and 7700HQ. Be sure to boot it up in store and also verify how much warranty remains of its initial 1 year so you can have them knock some extra off the price.

 

1. BestBuy's GS65 is a cut down Best Buy exclusive model. I ended up getting mine from BB only because I had gift certificates. The 512GB drive is SATA based and not NVMe.

 

I actually think it's a real good buy, because any of the GS65 with NVMe with 512GB cost a lot more. I upgrade laptops myself (very straightforward with teardown videos on YouTube), so I just added the newly released Samsung EVO 970 1TB NVMe SSD (great price at $399 MSRP). With Samsung Data Migration to clone over the boot partition, I now can use the slower SATA SSD for secondary storage.

 

Yeah it's the best GS65 value for sure.

I opted for an authorized reseller for a couple of reasons:

1) Wanted upgraded thermals - turns out that after tweaking my fan profiles the Conductonaut liquid metal + Fujipoly pads installed by HIDEvolution made a big impact.
2) I have a personal ban against Best Buy so I do not shop there, and even if I did the sales tax pushes the price to $2,150.
3) Didn't want to deal with upgrading (even though I'm comfortable building PCs and have upgraded countless laptops before - this one looked annoying) - so the $2,500 model with 32GB RAM (sigh, so unnecessary and just there to charge more $$$) and the 512GB NVMe was a good balance (I mostly play 2-3 games at one time, use USB 3.0 external to bring Steam library).

Well, I guess that's a few reasons.

Enjoy your laptop. I think I will upgrade my storage eventually - good to know the process isn't too bad. Those EVO 970s look awesome. I am pretty sure the Samsung NVMe that is installed in mine is the OEM version of that, essentially.

 

how loud is this thing? Is it as loud as the Razer Blade?

 

Working normally where GPU is idle, the laptop is silent. When CPU is very loaded, I read somewhere around 40db which make sense. When GPU is running and using default fan curve, fan noise is about 43-44db. But fan stays that way to 90C so it can throttle. Turning on Cooler boost drops temps by 20C but I would think the fan noise go over 50db in a high pitch. No thin gaming laptop (or any gaming laptop) can be quieter, except for Zephyrus. But that has less usable keyboard placement for 1080 Max-Q and embarrassingly short battery.

By undervolting CPU, curve GPU voltage/frequency, GS65 stays cool, quieter and don't throttle. By applying liquid metal paste, it's even quieter and cooler.

 

So how is the warranty, i just bought the laptop I love it, but within minutes the control key fell off and i cant get it back on

 

Can be louder. I just sold my Razer Blade v5. Initially I thought the GS65 was way quieter but that was because the “Auto” fan profile seems that way but in the meantime it’s not cooling sufficiently. Once I tuned that (don’t use “Cooler Boost” for every day it’s crazy loud) all was good and acoustics are similar to a fully updated BIOS Blade (they’ve tuned their fans over time). Just game with headphones.

 

Whoa!! Did you buy it locally (e.g., Best Buy)? If so, return it and either they can fix it or exchange it. If you buy from Amazon (via Prime), then good chance they can just send you new one while you return existing if they have in stock. Any others call them up for help. They can offer suggestions such as return/exchange.
If you just need help first to see if it can be replaced back on, you can try contact / request MSI support from their website after registering the laptop to get help.

 

Anyone have problems with flimsyness? At best buy now about ti buy the 65

 

Some have concerns but the beauty and specs overshadowed it. It's thin metal that flexes, but doesn't mean it's not strong. It might be able to survive some impacts better than more rigid chassis by absorbing it. No right or wrong. Doesn't make a difference when you use it. In your backpack, best is to sandwich between books or notebooks. That's true for any $2000 laptop. Even my Macbook Pro gets dented in my backpack for reasons unknown to me..

Good thing about Best Buy is you still have 15 days for return. If problems, you can exchange it too.
If flimsy is concern, buy protection that covers damage. It's actually a very good investment.

 

I decided and bought the GS63 to try out if its not good enough Ill get the 65.

 

One of the reasons I went for GS63 is the SD Card slot. MSI is bad about changing the SD card slot speed year to year. The Best Buy model has
UHS-II slot. I'm getting 260MB/s from my sony sd card.