The MSI Gaming GS63 is a powerful gaming laptop that offers great performance and features. It has a sleek design, and its hardware is able to handle the most demanding games. The battery life could be better, but overall, it is a great option for gamers who need a portable device.
MSI Gaming GS63 Review
The Stealth Pro GS63VR is another thin, lightweight MSI laptop. The Stealth Pro GS63VR is actually a refresh to the Ghost Pro GS60. However, MSI decided to use the Stealth name for some reason. This is the 15-inch version of their light and thin series, and it is a stunning machine.
Pros
- Slim, attractive chassis
- Graphics and performance are excellent
- Transfer speeds are rapid
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Gaming is hot
- Subpar battery life
1. Specs MSI Stealth Pro GS63VR
- Screen: 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution, IPS, 60 Hz, Wide angle
- 15.6 inch, 3840 x 2160 resolution, PLS, 60Hz, Wide angle
- Processor: Intel Skylake Core i7-6700HQ CPU quad-core 2.6 GHz (3.5Ghz boost).
- Video: Intel HD 530, NVIDIA GTX1060 with 6GB GDDR5 RAM
- Memory: 16 GB DDR4 2400Mhz (2 x DIMMs)
- Storage: 128 GB or 512GB M.2 SATA + 1TB 5200rpm HDD
- Connectivity: Killer Wireless AC 1535, Qualcomm Bluetooth 4.1 (Intel for the model -001)
- Ports: 3x USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 1.4b, mini-DP, USB 2.0, mic, earphone, ethernet
2. Display
The Stealth Pro’s matte 1920×1080 display is an excellent choice for such a secretive name. This flat panel measures 15.6 inches and displays vivid colors, especially red. Immediately after watching the Hidden Figures trailer, I was drawn to the many red lipsticks worn chiefly by women. Janelle Monae used her shade to highlight her warm cocoa complexion and contrast her taupe trench coat. It was easy to see the finer details, such as the flyaway strands glistening in midday sunlight.
During The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, I began to head downstream with Geralt. We trudged through waist-deep water, making tiny ripples in the blue-green liquid with each step. Once the water was deep enough, I dived down and admired the ashen hair of the warrior.
The Stealth Pro’s vibrant colors are due to its ability to reproduce 111 percent of the sRGB gamut. This is much better than the mainstream 90 percent average. Equinox was beaten by the Stealth Pro (110%) and the Alienware 15 (60%) by the Stealth Pro (110%).
The Stealth Pro measures 1.9 on the Delta-E benchmark (0 ideal). However, its accuracy is not as good as the 2.5 average. The Equinox and Alienware 15 have a much higher 1.4, 1, or 0.5, respectively.
The Stealth Pro also failed to pass the brightness test. It averaged 242 nits and missed the 264-nit mark. This was still higher than the Alienware 15, which averaged 222 nits. However, it was not as good as the Equinox (293 or 321 nits) or the P55W (321).
3. Audio
Although the speakers are small, they pack a powerful punch. They filled my bedroom with Sade’s sweet yet simple “No Ordinary Love” tune. I could hear the electric guitar strumming and the piano chords. The audio was clear enough. The bass was not as straightforward as it should have been, and the drums were left behind.
When I started playing Witcher 3, I achieved a better result. I found the meaty sound of my sword cutting through the flesh of drowners to be just as satisfying as the handclaps, staccato drumbeats, and violins that make the game’s battle music.
Nahimic 2 offers many presets that can optimize your listening experience. You have Role Play and Shooter options, Strategy, Racing, and Strategy. Multimedia settings include Music and Comms. You will also find many cool features in the app that allow you to get ahead of your gaming opponents. SoundTracker, for example, uses sound to pinpoint the location of your enemies. Audio Launchpad will enable you to quickly highlight a sweet move by mapping sound effects to keyboard shortcuts.
4. Keyboard
MSI and SteelSeries are a great team. It is a great keyboard, with firm feedback and enthusiastic feedback. The 1.9-millimeter essential travel, combined with 59 grams of actuation, helped me easily reach my 65-word per-minute mark on the 10FastFingers typing exam. Bright backlighting lit up my keystrokes even when the lights were off.
The keyboard is much more than just a collection of glowing caps. SteelSeries software allows you to assign one of three zones on the keyboard with one of 168,000 colors or four effects. This makes it possible to create a unique creation. GameSense allows you to map the keyboard zones to specific games. CounterStrike Go profiles have the left keyboard representing your health. The middle and right maps are linked to your Armor or Bullet inventory. When there is a significant change in your status, each section will light up.
The keyboard is much more than just a collection of glowing caps. SteelSeries software allows you to assign one of three zones on the keyboard with one of 168,000 colors or four effects. This makes it possible to create a unique creation. GameSense allows you to map the keyboard zones to specific games. CounterStrike Go profiles have the left keyboard representing your health. The middle and right maps are linked to your Armor or Bullet inventory. When there is a significant change in your status, each section will light up.
5. Gaming, Graphics, and VR
Stealth Pro has the Nvidia GeForce 1060 GPU and 6GB of VRAM. It is the thinnest VR-capable gaming notebook on the market. The laptop scored 7.4 in the SteamVR Performance Test. This was higher than the P55W’s 6.6 but still below the 8.4 category average.
Nvidia Pascal is also a great addition to classic games like Witcher 3. During my travels, I was surrounded by wild dogs. I managed to escape the wild dogs by rolling away, switching between fire spells and sword strikes, while still maintaining an average of 42 frames per second on ultra. The frame rate increased to 56 frames per second by lowering the settings.
The Stealth Pro achieved 58 fps in the Hitman benchmark at Very High (1080p), which is not enough to match the 70 fps average but is still better than the P55W’s 57%. The MSI maintained its lead in Grand Theft Auto, scoring 49 FPS. This beat the 33 fps of the P55W, but not the 49-fps average.
6. Upgrade options, hardware, and performance
Stealth Pro features a 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor and 16GB RAM. This is comparable to many gaming laptops. The notebook streamed an episode from “Stranger Things” using 14 tabs in Google Chrome while running a system scan.
This laptop scored 13 339 on our synthetic performance tests, higher than the 7,780 average. The P55W, Equinox, and Alienware were equipped with Core i7-6700HQ processors. They scored 13,530, 13.525, and 13,494, respectively.
Stealth Pro’s M.2 PCIe SSD of 256GB, paired with a 1TB 5,400-rpm hard disk, passed the File Transfer Test. It duplicated 4.97GB multimedia files in just 9 seconds, resulting in a transfer speed of 565.5 megabytes per sec. This surpassed the average of 294.9 MBps, and Equinox achieved 424.1 MBps using its 256GB SSD. The Alienware 15 (256GB SSD PCIe SSD) reached 201.1 MBps, while the P55W (128GB SSD M.2 SATA SSD) achieved 124.1 MBps.
The Stealth Pro was able to pair 20,000 addresses and names in just 3 minutes and 38 seconds during the OpenOffice Spreadsheet Macro Test. This is well ahead of the average 4:40. The P55W won at 3:37. Equinox and Alienware 15 finished at 3:50 4:40, respectively.
7. Battery Life
All that power comes with a price. In the Stealth Pro’s instance, it was the battery life. Our battery test, which involved continuous web surfing over WiFi, showed that the laptop lasted only 2 hours and 54 mins. This is well below the mainstream 6:32 average. The Equinox lasted 3 minutes, while the Alienware 15 stopped working after 7:13.
The tradeoff for a 4k screen would be poor battery life. I would prefer the screen but not having 2 hours of actual work time.
The 180-watt charger brick is also included. It measures approximately 6.1 “x3.0”,x1.2” and weighs 1.5 pounds. This brick is much smaller than the 150-watt brick with my GS60. I appreciate it.
8. Heat
After 15 minutes of Witcher 3 questing, the touchpad reached 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The system’s center earned 96 degrees Fahrenheit, just below our 95-degree comfort threshold. The notebook’s undercarriage was 123 degrees, so don’t balance it on your lap.
Even when doing simple tasks such as watching a video, the Stealth Pro can get a bit hot. After streaming a full-screen Hulu video for 15 minutes, the notebook’s bottom measured 103 degrees. The spaces between the G, H, and touchpad keys were slightly more relaxed at 92 degrees and 86 degrees, respectively.
9. Webcam
The integrated webcam captures 30 frames per second video at 720p. This will be useful for streaming. The webcam doesn’t have a lot of detail. I could see pixels in my test shots which almost obscured my eyebrows. My salmon shirt was neon orange, and the color of the wall was bright.
10. Software and warranty
MSI has redesigned the Dragon Center app, making it an accessible hub that places useful apps like SteelSeries Engine and Nvidia GeForce Experience under tabs.
The System Monitor tab lets you check the status of your system, while LED Wizard allows you to create custom indicator lights. System Tuner enables you to create profiles to control VR optimization, display temperature, and other functions. Tools & Help is where you will find software for Burn Recovery, Battery Calibration, and more.
Flipboard, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Twitter, and Magix Music Maker are a few examples of third-party apps.
Two-year limited warranty on the MSI GT62 Dominator Pro.
Final thoughts
The MSI Stealth Pro GS63VR, in general, is a great successor for the Ghost Pro GS60. Both the design and build quality of this package has improved. The hardware inside is also great. MSI has reduced the footprint and bezels without sacrificing thermals or performance.
This model’s most notable feature is its balance between power and portability. It was easy to use as a productivity tool, and I didn’t have any issues with it during my time. It’s capable of handling heat and gaming.
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