52 PCWorld NOVEMBER 2019REVIEWS MSI GE65 RAIDER
pounds. This much power at this weight
comes with a compromise, though, which
we’ll get to later. First up, the full specs:SPECS
CPU: Intel 9th-gen Core i9-9880H 8-core CPU
RAM: 16GB DDR4/2666
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
Display: 15.6-inch IGZO 240Hz 1080P
screen with Optimus
Storage: 1TB Samsung PM981 NVme SSD
Battery: 51Whr
Ports: Mic in, Speaker out analog ports, 1
USB-C 10Gbps, 1 USB-A 10Gbps, 2 USB-A
5Gbps,1 miniDisplayPort 1.2, 1 HDMI 2.0Networking: Killer E2600 Gigabit
Ehthernet and Killer Wi-Fi 6SIZE AND WEIGHT
The laptop measures in at 14 inches wide,
9.76 inches deep, and 1 inch thick. It weighs
just a shade over five pounds alone. Throw in
its massive 280-watt brick, and you add
another 2.18 pounds to your backpack.
We should point out we actually found the
size of the GE65 to be very appealing. It’s not
anywhere near as slender as its GS65 Stealth
sibling, but it feels and looks amazingly
compact considering its performance.
That same thickness also lets MSI jam in up
to seven heat pipes inside. The CPU
gets two dedicated heat pipes and
two more shared with the GPU, while
the GPU gets three dedicated pipes.UPGRADE OPTIONS
First the bad news: There are neither
ports nor doors on the GE65 Raider.
And you’ll probably want to look up
some YouTube videos before you
split it up.
The good news is pretty good,
though. Inside the GE65 Raider you’ll
find two M.2 slots (one used), two
SO-DIMM slots, an M.2 wireless
module, and a spot and cabling for a
2.5-inch drive. Unlike those thin gaming
laptops, you can access it without
having to remove the motherboard.