New 14 inch G-Series Notebook

Guess ill be taking mine back and ordering a 900P screen the i5 is plenty powerful for my needs only 100$ more than what i paid at bestbuy..

 

Does anyone know if these laptops are in stock at HIDevolution or if they are just preorder? No mSATA makes me sad

 

Just spoke with the guy on the phone.. Ted i believe he said they are all in stock but they basically rip open the bestbuy version and pack all this stuff in there pretty cool I asked him if i could send in my version for a panel upgrade or processor and he said yes

just need parts and labor so im hoping for cheaper than if i bought one from them.. if not ill take mine back and buy directly..so im sending him an email right now about what i want for a quote.

 

Ohh that makes sense why they don't have mSATA or TB as options. Interesting business model.

 

Raptor, it would be very easy to downgrade from windows 8 back to windows 7 correct? Like the drivers for windows 8 are compatible for windows 7 right?

 

Should be fine.. I think they have drivers on the website even if not there isnt much that wouldnt be compatible..

 

Should I get this laptop with an i7 - 3630/900p screen? And should I upgrade the wireless card?

Is it better to just wait until April when the new processors come out?

 

@Lizarrdo,

It all depends the new CPU processors although will be an improvement wont really make a difference. Today's mobile CPU are honestly in my opinion are more then enough to handle today's everyday tasks. It's just the GPU that's most important. Upgrading to the i7/900p screen should be perfect with the 660m since it's better compared to the 650m that the m14x has. Asus also utilizes a dual fan system 1 for CPU and 1 for GPU, which basically means that idle and load temps should be significantly better in terms for cooling compared to the m14x. The wireless card it all depends on you, if you want a wifi card with wimax with is basically having cellular data then yes go for it. But if it's just regular b/g/n wifi for home or hotspot then the default wifi should be decent enough, even for gaming.

Thanks just my .10 cents my .02 cents is free

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Has anyone ordered one of the laptops from HIDevolution yet? Offer is very tempting but don't know if I want to skip on on the mSATA and go purely with an SSD.

 

Yeah it seems legit. It kinda looks like they bought a crapton from bestbuy, throw an extra $100 on the starting tag and upgrade whatever. Really smart on their part...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

Curious, and sorry if this has been asked, I skimmed through posts but its a long thread... would this g46 from Best Buy be an upgrade in performance from my G73 in signature? It is the old Best Buy model with the 5870 and i7... not sure how the i5 and 660 would compare. They have one in stock locally, thinking about picking it up tomorrow and consolidating down from both my 17" and 11" to a single 14".

Thanks!

 

Wait for the HD+ screen versions or the G75VW is a better choice.

 

I just got 300$ for christmas.. guess where thats going HD+ upgrade for my current so I dont have to wait!

 

This might be a little early but has anybody made a guide on how to crack open this laptop yet?

Changing the hard drive seems to be a challenge.

I just got this laptop from Best Buy.

Thanks,
--Ken

 

It's very likely the included cable is only single channel LVDS, so you will most likely need a new display cable to upgrade the panel.

 

Well they are going to replace my display with a HD+ panel so it must be possible.. and upgrading to an i7 is going to be so nice!

The cooling can handle all of it

 

If they are doing the upgrade for you then they will sort out the cable too.

 

YTMND - Star Wars: Cosby Strikes Back - UPDATED PIC AND SONG + BONUS My fav thing to play on my G46 xD

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

Any chance we can see some gaming vids on this badboy.
I don't mind the low screen res but It needs to be a good quality screen, any chance someone can post vids of new games running with fraps would be a huge help, my local BB does nit have tem in stock for me to see myself but the hidevolution might be an option.

 

id really like to see how planetside 2 runs on this. on my g53 on med/low im getting max 20-30 fps. granted at 1080p.. any other res on this laptop makes the game look odd.

 

Just picked one up at Best Buy, I'll report in later with thoughts and impressions. Didn't have one on display and I was in a hurry traveling and happened to find one in stock so this will be my first impression when I unbox it. Screen resolution doesn't bother me as I've enjoyed my 1600x900 G73 for years as well as the Alienware m11x 1366x768. Other laptops have had 1280x800 or 1440x900 so have yet to be spoiled by a high res screen ha. Quality is important though I agree. And I am also of the school of thought that gaming at native resolution always looks better than a higher res screen running a lower resolution when needed for framerate.

My biggest question is still how the g46 will compare to my current g73 in performance, as that's my main gaming rig and I'll only keep the g46 if it can replace and hopefully improve upon the g73.

 

Runs planetside 2 on default res on High runs really well id say about 50FPS maybe? Looks fine to me..

 

So I ordered the laptop from HIDEvolution, sadly their panel upgrade wasnt compatible so I had to stick with the stock 1366x768 I did upgrade my processor to the i7 though. Free IC GPU/CPU also, they did say that if in the future if they have a panel upgrade I can send my laptop in and get the panel upgrade but at this time it isn't possible because he said that the ribbon corrector wasn't matching up with the pins.

Oh yeah if you notice in their website they removed the display upgrade option

 

Interesting to note that on the screen upgrade from HID thanks for the info... as far as I understand they are simply buying the G46 from Best Buy, putting $100 on it, and offering upgrades to that machine themselves. Pretty cool concept for those that want a ready to go upgraded G46 right now. Guess this does answer the question that's been asked a few post back about the video cable... good to know.

Curious though, was playing on the HIDevolution website a bit and they state the drive installed in their machines is a 750GB 7200RPM HDD... and I just got home with the Best Buy G46 and it's the same model as they list on their website (BHI5N43) and clearly states it's a 5400RPM drive. I'm assuming this is an error on the HID website and they aren't really taking out the stock drive and installing a 7200RPM drive?

Still pondering what I want to do storage wise if I end up keeping the machine (and at this point while too early to decide it sure is a well built fun little package!). I've got a spare 750 GB 7200RPM HDD and I've also got a new 256GB Samsung 840 Pro I recently installed in my G73... assuming I keep the G46 I'll pull the 840 Pro out of the G73 before I sell it, but not sure if that will be enough total space being the only drive... I always assumed my next machine would be a big boy with two drive bays.... but I'm liking the 14" form factor. Anyhoot plenty of time to decide while I put it through it's paces. :thumbsup:

 

Your sir are very attentive, so I called HIDEvolution and they said that they will remove my 750GB that comes stock and replace it with the 7200RPM 750GB version, but to be honest only way to be sure is to have the product hands-on and do some tests. I only paid $1170 for the upgraded processor and better thermal compound which is free. Good price considering the sales tax on a $1000 system in best buy can run up to $1150

Seeing that you have the device already hands on be77solo, how is the screen quality?
Temps are good also right?
I'm assuming the performance of the 14'' is pretty much bar none because of the 660m and the low resolution 1366x768

 

Cool, sounds like they are good to work with. I'll keep you posted on performance and temps, installing Steam and a few games now to test... Far Cry 3 will be first as that's what I'm currently playing and enjoying. Very curious myself how she performs.

Screen isn't an issue or deal breaker... screen guys that take their screens really serious will object I'm sure, but I've been running Best Buy models of the G series for three laptops now (G51,G73, and now G46) and they've all been known to not have the best screens. I'd put it right in line with the others, only difference being it is matte, which is great without all the glare, but it does mute colors a bit and doesn't "pop" quite like a glossy screen. For a different brand comparison, its at least as good or better than the screen on my Alienware M11x for what that's worth. Color calibration in windows did liven things up and I'm sure gaming will look great. Screen res as previously mentioned in my last couple posts isn't a priority and I'm totally fine with the 1366x768.

The best screen I've seen lately hands on has been the Ideapad Yoga, which was gorgeous imho... it's nowhere near as vibrant or pleasant as the one I played with in the Yoga. But then again that's a glossy IPS and reflections were a problem, so not a totally fair comparison.

Initial thoughts are great feeling build quality, feels solid, and will know gaming performance shortly. Only downside thus far that's annoying is the slow HDD. I haven't run a 5400rpm drive in years, and while they say there isn't a huge difference, I disagree... feels like molasses at times ha. I'll definitely have to do something about that. Even the 7200 in my G73 before the SSD upgrade was worlds faster.

 

Just upgraded my best buy version G46 with Samsung 840 Pro and the difference is night and day compared the the 5400RPM drive.

Cracking it open is scary at first but once you figure it out its a breeze; I can do it all over again actually.

My question is..is it possible to upgrade the CPU on this laptop from Core i5 to i7? or is that a new motherboard altogether?

 

Great to hear! I've got the same SSD sitting here, was curious how much of a PITA it was gonna be but I have to do it.. the stock drive is just too slow!

CPU upgrade should be a simple disassembly, swap new for old, repaste and re-assemble. It's not soldered or anything.

 

That's reassuring! So the same motherboard can be upgraded from i5 to i7?

 

Yeah I'm like 99% sure that they use the same stock mobo that comes with the laptop.

 

Yep, motherboard will take all of the following... in fact all these guys do is take a Best Buy model which you've got and swap in the parts you want for you and then sell it to you already upgraded. Take a look at this link and it shows what they say all work in your laptop/motherboard:

Asus G46VW-BHI5N43 2GB NVIDIA GTX 660M 14" for $1,099.00

 

99%!!

I am on the fence whether I should pull the trigger on this Core i7 3610QM CPU.....mehh..

 

Thanks for the tip!

That makes a lot of sense..not sure why I didn't think of that earlier on.

--Ken

 

Are you ordering the 3610QM on ebay or something separately and just going to install the CPU your self?

 

Yes, once I find a good deal on one, I will be installing it myself....granted that everything is straightforward swapping.

doing my research here first!

 

Personally if I were you since your in Cali, and HIDEvolution is in Cali I'd send your laptop to them and let them do it because for an only +$100 more you can get a 3630QM instead of the 3610QM, plus they will repaste your GPU and CPU for free

On ebay I see the 3610QM going for ~$150. What you can do is once you get your i7 installed, you can sell your i5 processor on ebay

But it's just my suggestion, it's all up to you bud

 

Great suggestion! I just sent them an email for a quote for that service.

Waiting to see what they say.

I definitely wouldn't mind a professional do it even though I'm inclined to do it myself. (perhaps if they can have some sort of discount for the part, which will be nice as well.)

 

It's wayyyyy cheaper to just get HIDevolution to do the upgrade for you than doing it yourself.

haha gonna get in touch with them when funds are available for this!

--Ken

 

Yeah bro that's what I'm saying. I talked with Ted and he hooked me up with a decent system for a good price, I can't wait for the 1600x900 reso to be available so I can send my laptop back to them and get the screen replaced. It also seems that the 660m compared to the 650m is quite a performance boost. I'm glad I decided to get this instead of the m14x, that laptop has been getting a lot of bad reviews on thermal cooling and users not being able to see their GPU when they update their BIOS

 

Right on,

got quoted a great price for the 3840QM upgrade...I am 99% there..just waiting on funds haha and I will be off my laptop for 1 week....its okay since its not my only machine.

I might do that screen upgrade as well once it is available-but at the moment I have it connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

 

How's gaming with the laptop?

Idle and Load temps are good right?
Any noticeable heat in the palm rest?
I'm assuming you dont need a notebook cooler, compared to the m14x?
Can pretty much run games on High to Max considering the power of the GPU and screen resolution right?
How's the idle and load fan noise?

Damn bro you going hard in the paint, with that processor. You really need all that power tbh?

 

I really don't need all that power...but given the trouble having the laptop shipped out and waiting...might as well aim high? since I don't want to have the "what if" afterwards.

gaming on the laptop is decent at the moment, high settings is very possible with this laptop, I've only tested it with FPS games "CS: GO and BLOPS 2" so far its good-even on an external screen.

the sweet spot is medium settings where you won't notice any jagged movements and everything is smooth.

Hopefully the processor upgrade will help with this later on.

no heat issues that I notice so far-its really well built/designed; I had an M11X before and that one was LOUD the fans are always going off and on high..its ridiculous.

Overall for 14" and the price, its very nice.

 

Yeah I play CSGO also, I played CS 1.6. for FPS games like csgo, it's best to play on lowest settings so you can get the most frames to max your rates like cl_update cl_cmdrate rate 128000 if you know what im talking about. I'll be playing sc2, I'm excited to see.

I'm assuming your external monitor is 1920x1080 resolution?

I might even do an unboxing and an initial review video but i dont know yet. Man waiting on a laptop sucks

 

The wait is a killer!

My external is just a 1600x900 20"...I'll try the 1920x1080 but I already feel that its not gonna be as good.

and yeah for CS, eye candy is not crucial...CS players know to dumb-down the graphics for best response and visuals... I still remember doing 16bit so that I can see through the smoke in 1.6.

 

Did you downgrade to windows 7 from windows 8, or you using windows 8?
If you downgraded to Win 7, it was an easy straight-forward process right?

 

I am using Windows 8, I will say that it is much snappier/faster than Windows 7.

even though it doesn't look as good as windows 7, it literally loads super fast; as soon as I hit the power button I am on the log in screen in 5 seconds tops. (I'm sure this is 90% SSD).

I tried installing Windows 7 on it but for some reason i kept getting an error before the disk even starts...That one I am not sure yet if its a CD issue or the computer just won't accept Windows 7.

..going to have to tinker with that some more when I find the time.

 

So as what be77solo said earlier, when you purchase the default HD from HIDEvolution, it will come with the 5400RPM version, I just got a call from Ted saying that it will cost me an additional +$25 for the 7200RPM version. I obviously said yes but I'm just saying for future reference. They fixed it on their website so yall should be good

 

Hey Shogunxp I gotta ask how did you setup your SSD? I'm trying to install the same drive and she won't boot... curious what I'm missing. Drive is installed, trying to install windows but it won't recognize the drive. ... bios does see it properly however. Thanks

 

Hey there,

When you are at the point where you see the list of disks to install to , I deleted all the partitions on mine (keep in mind that there is an MSATA there.)

Once you delete all the partitions, I was shown with just one un-partitioned drive.

you have to click on "new" partition to let you go forward with the install.

This creates the Windows 8 necessary partitions on the MSATA (3 mini partitions)-its weird how it does this automatically.

Then you are left with the 4th one which is the SSD that is still un-partitioned--you can pick that to install Windows in.

This is a very crude explanation.

Also I have my SATA set to AHCI and not RAID or IDE. (if that helps)

Which part specifically are you getting stuck at?