MSI GL65 Vs GE65 Gaming Laptops

Rating: 8.0.

You’re getting two MSI 15.6-inch FullHD laptops in a double-header today. The MSI GL65 is a budget model with GTX 1660 Ti graphics while the GE65 packs some RTX 2070 grunt. Both laptops use Intel Core i7-9750H because, yes, we’re still waiting for Intel to release its family of 10th Generation 45W CPUs so these are the cream of the current crop.

MSI GL65 9SD

The GL65 9SD is a budget model that uses the same Intel Core i7-9750H as the GE65 laptop. The chassis has the same dimensions and the same layout of ports and connectors and also packs the same Cooler Boost 5 cooling system for CPU and GPU so the two ranges of laptops have a great deal in common.

One significant feature is that the GL65 boasts a 120Hz panel from AU Optronics however the specification is fairly basic with 250 nit brightness, 800:1 contrast and 25ms response.  This version of GL65 uses GTX 1660 Ti graphics so we expect competent 1080p gaming but have no illusions the GL65 will set the world alight in regards to performance.

MSI GE65 9SF

GE65 steps up to the mid-range of MSI laptops (GT is the upper range) with a number of changes to the quality of the hardware. This model packs a 1TB SSD where the GL65 uses a combination of small SSD and bulk HDD storage, so the storage is all solid state with plenty of room for future expansion. The screen in the GE65 is a 240Hz panel from Sharp with 300 nit brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio and speedy 8ms response which is a decent combination of features.

Graphics are RTX 2070 however there is some dispute whether these are Max-Q or Max-P. MSI assures us they are Max-P however the performance we saw during testing matched other laptops we have tested with RTX 2070 Max-Q such as Razer Blade Pro.

Specifically the graphics boost speed we observed fell in the range 1500MHz-1550MHz which screams Max-Q to us, however we have to accept the possibility these are Max-P graphics that have been slowed to the equivalent of Max-Q. If we receive further information we will update this page.

Opening the two laptops to reveal the innards is an easy job and we are confident you will have no trouble upgrading your GL65 or GE65 in the future. With the innards exposed you can spot the minor differences between the two models (although you may have to look closely) such as the speaker bar in the GL65 has two speakers while the GE65 has a 2+2 arrangement.

In a similar cost cutting manner the GL65 has one less M.2 expansion slot than the GE65 on its motherboard. When you look at the broader picture it is obvious that both laptops have a great deal in common and are based on the same chassis.

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