MSI GS66 Stealth review: Stealthy looks hide a mountain of power

MSI has made quite a name for itself in the gaming PC space, with everything from motherboards to graphics cards and laptops. The latest powerhouse from MSI is the GS66 Stealth, a laptop that certainly delivers on that moniker. Not only does it look sleek, but it includes a bevy of powerful specs and an impressive 300Hz display.

Of course, backing up those specs is a pretty hefty price. Is it worth the $2,799 MSI is asking for it?

If you're shopping for a new gaming laptop during Amazon Prime Day, then the MSI GS66 is worth considering. However, since its launch, the price of the high-end model reviewed here has dropped a fair amount to around $2,650. If you don't see a price lower than that, then you may want to hold out until after Prime Day for a sale.

MSI GS66 Stealth 10SGS-441 technical specifications

What you'll love about the MSI GS66 Stealth 10SGS-441

The days of chunky laptops are mostly over, and gaming PCs are catching up, even if they're still thick by the standard of Ultrabooks that are on the market. At just under an inch thick, the GS66 Stealth manages to pack in a ton of ports while keeping things looking and feeling sleek. The matte black finish, which blends in without screaming "gamer," makes it easy for you to take this laptop out and about without drawing a ton of attention.

That isn't to say it isn't a little on the large side, however. You're dealing with a 15.6-inch laptop with a 16:9 display that weighs in at over four-and-a-half pounds. However, that also gives the keyboard and trackpad plenty of breathing room to work with.

Speaking of the trackpad, it's delightfully large on the GS66 Stealth. Wider trackpads have become more common on laptops nowadays, and the GS66 Stealth takes that cue, giving you plenty of room to work with (even if you'll switch to a mouse for gaming). Likewise, the keyboard is plenty spacious, with a good amount of key travel.

The keyboard is where you'll find the only traditional "gamer" flourish as well: RGB lighting. MSI has partnered with Steelseries for its laptop keyboards, relying on the company's software to control RGB lighting. This partnership has resulted in a keyboard that both looks and feels great for both gaming and general productivity work.

Image 1 of 3

One of the best aspects of the GS66 Stealth is its screen. MSI went all out with its panel choice, fitting in a 1080p display with a whopping 300Hz refresh rate. While you're not going to push that refresh rate to its limit with modern games, it opens up a lot of breathing room for older games to push framerates to the max. With a 3ms response time, you'll get a very snappy experience as well.

Beyond the refresh rate, though, the screen just looks phenomenal. Colors are very vibrant, and the anti-glare coating is fantastic for cutting down on glare. Combined with the refresh rate, it just feels very snappy and downright looks excellent, whether gaming or getting some work done.

The internals, of course, are the real draw here. MSI hasn't spared anything when it comes to this configuration. For reference, MSI sent the GS66 Stealth 10SGS-441, which comes packed 32GB of RAM, a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, and NVIDIA's RTX 2080 SUPER with Max-Q graphics.

As you'd expect with such beefy specs, the performance here is excellent. In games like Overwatch and Destiny 2, I was pushing frame rates in excess of 100 frames per second (FPS) at high settings. Running older games, like World of Warcraft or CS:Go will result in even greater framerates.

3DMark

Time Spy (Higher is better)

3DMark

Fire Strike (Higher is better)

CPU

Geekbench 4.0 Benchmarks (Higher is better)

PCMark

PCMark Home Conventional 3.0

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)

The SSD in the MSI GS66 Stealth is among the fastest we've measured. This should translate to speedy performance, whether gaming or doing general computing work.

What you'll dislike about the MSI GS66 Stealth 10SGS-441

While the MSI GS66 Stealth looks excellent and feels like a solid laptop, there are a few downsides with its build quality. Despite a largely metal chassis that doesn't show any bending or squishiness, MSI has included some plastic in the build that distracts from an otherwise premium feel. The entire hinge mechanism, while not super distracting, is plastic, for example. Likewise, there's a plastic strip at the front edge of the laptop where your wrists rest.

The trackpad and keys didn't bother me while using the GS66 Stealth, but they could represent a sticking point for some. If you're used to clicky mechanical keys under your fingertips, then the GS66 Stealth's keys will feel a little soft by comparison. Likewise, the clicking action on the otherwise excellent glass trackpad is a bit on the mushy side.

It's worth noting, too, that the typical cautions when buying a gaming laptop apply here. Battery life is just okay; I was hitting between six and eight hours in general use with the GS66 Stealth, which isn't great but is expected. For powering back up, you'll also have to carry around a somewhat bulky power brick. Again, this isn't anything unexpected with a gaming laptop, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Lastly, there's the price: this is definitely on the premium end of gaming laptops. The particular model MSI sent me comes in at $2,700, which is a lot to drop on a laptop. It's certainly not alone in this space, but you'll want to seriously compare it to other options on the market before making a decision.

Should you buy the MSI GS66 Stealth 10SGS-441 gaming laptop?

With gaming laptops gradually getting slimmer and more stylish, there are a lot of options out there nowadays. The MSI GS66 Stealth certainly turns in a high performance that makes it worth the money, but it also has some stiff competition. Its bigger cousin, the GS75 Stealth, however, made our list of the best gaming laptops alongside entries from Razer, ASUS, and others.

If you're planning to do more office work than game, you'll want to turn your attention to the slew of great Ultrabooks out there for better portability and battery life. If you have the cash to drop and want to get one of the best portable PC gaming experiences out there, however, the MSI GS66 Stealth is worth snagging.