How would this Asus G51 stack up against a MSI 1651 ID2?

OK I'm debating with getting this Asus G51 and a MSI 1651 - ID2. Here's a link to the Asus.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...s+G51&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218092150636

And here are the specs I'd be getting with the MSI.

-15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
-Intel® P8700 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
-nVidia GeForce GTS 160M 1024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to utilize 4GB+)
- 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)

Now the really real difference here is the processor, which is a step down with the Asus. But would I still get better performance with the Asus when playing games because it has a better graphics card, or would the CPU be a bottleneck?

By the way, the Asus is about $400 cheaper with those configurations.

 

the G51's CPU is easily OCable, it can usually reach 2.3-2.5GHz stable, and the 160m would be the bottleneck in most games played with it on the MSI.

 

You'll get better performance with the G51.

I'd also suggest taking a look at the G51VX-X1A. It's $400 more than the BB RX05, so it's closer to the price of the MSI. It gets you a higher resolution screen than the MSI and the same P8700 processor.

 

Wow it looks to be more clear cut than I thought, which makes my decision much easier.

Thanks for the suggestion about the G51VX-X1A too Bob, I"ll definitely think about that. Just not sure if it's worth the extra $400 or not, but the higher res screen would definitely be nice.

 

First off, the MSI has a turbo button that enables an automatic OC of the cpu.

Second, the msi has much better cooling system.

Third, The 160m is very overclockable and is no slouch. it gets 10-11k easy in 3dmark06.

With that said, they are both awesome laptops (i would have gotten the besty buy g51 if only they supported quads).

 

That's the one thing I'm worried about with the Asus, its overheating problem. And while it's still not a quad, I think the G51VX-X1A with the P8700 would be plenty fast enough for what I'm going to do.

 

if its cheaper, get that instead. If you look at the asus forums here, you will find most people are very happy with the laptops.

 

Yeah I really only see good things from the owners on here from people who have it and I guess that's the bottom line. Thanks for your help.

 

Lets get this straight, it gets hot. it does not overheat. no GPUs have died due to heat, the GPU has never downclocked because of heat. it gets hot- and it takes it like a man. if you get a G51, I heavily recommend getting the X1A as it has a 1 year accidental 2 year parts and labor warranty, free of charge. Also, the G51 has Power4Gear Hyrbid, 2 clicks and you can get an instant 15% overclock.

 

Hmm both of the machines are no slouch,

But the gts 160m is basically on the same level as 260m

And the MSI's cooling and quad support is awesome. (And duals can overclock crazy.)

And i always expect my laptop to pass tests like this,

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6195/furmark000000w.jpg (G51)

 

Tests like this? (Granted, this test does have the results skewed somewhat since I was running Furmark in an ambient of about 68F. But hey, winter's coming around.)

Anyway, a GTS 160m has 64 shaders, and 600/1500/800 clocks. The GTX 260m that the Asus packs has 112 shaders and 500/1250/799 clocks. Even underclocked, the Asus will show a definite superiority in games.

And I'm not trying to knock MSI or the GTS 160m. The 9800m GTS is a great gaming card. It's just that everytime I see "The GTS 160m and GTX 260m are on the same level" it just doesn't make sense to me.

 

True but concidering the gts160m gets alittle under your 3dmark score without hitting 97C, i'd still not vouch for an asus right now.

 

That reminds me, I should run a new test.

Wait, damn, I don't have an external monitor with me. Eh, just for giggles I'll see how it treats 1366x768.

And like I said, I'm not doing this to knock on the MSI or the 160m.


EDIT: Ran a test. Settings as shown. Ambient 69.3F.

 

The performance gaps between high end cards are not as big as many people think, 50% more shaders doesn't translate to 50% more performance. Paying a few hundred more bucks for just a slight FPS boost aint worth it imo.

Check out the difference between 9800M GTS(GTS 160M) and 9800M GTX(GTX 260M) in real world performance:

 

True, the difference between the cards isn't going to be earth-shattering. I never did imply that.

However, also by that token it's incorrect to say that the 160m is on the same level a the 260m. They're not. They're close enough that I would recommend against upgrading from a 160m to a 260m, but if I was choosing a raming laptop I would choose the one with a 260m because it is superior.

 

Agree with all said here, and I do have the Best Buy model in question by the original poster.

Fantastic machine, can't recommend it enough, especially for the money. Bottom line.

Also, just because I do see this a lot, my machine has never overheated, and runs quite a bit cooler than my Toshiba that it has replaced. Gaming, my GPU with an overclock is currently showing a max temp of 89C. Thats just sitting here, no extra coolers or mods, simply sitting on the desk, plugged in, gaming for a couple hours with the CPU and GPU overclocked, running current games. That to me seems like a completely adequate cooling system, and nothing to see a negative for the machine.

As for comparisons, I ran my Toshiba X205 with SLI 8600GT's HARD for two years, and regularly saw mid-upper 90's, occasionally low 100'sC, and never had a problem with the machine. These things just run hot. All research I could find said 112-115 was the max before issues, so why all the stress and worry with 80-90?

 

Those are perfectly fine temps...have you tried undervolting though?

If they were the same price, I'd say go for the MSI...but for $400 cheaper, I would get the G51.

 

Awesome, thanks for all the info, way more than I expected to get.

So am I right in saying that the processor will make a minimal difference when gaming? The only time other than that I'll be using my processor intensively is when playing YouTube videos in HD.

 

if you like to benchmark (which i doubt you do), then the processor will make a difference, esp a quad core. Some games do prefer a better cpu, like RTS games.

 

Mmm, I do like to play RTS games. I don't have to be on the cutting edge with getting all the new ones, but I do enjoy playing them quite a bit. Specifically I've been looking at picking up Empire: Total War when I get my new laptop. Maybe I will go for the P8700 upgrade then.

Would that be good enough to run that game you think?

 

Also keep in mind that the MSI is thinner, lighter, cooler, higher resolution, has a 16:10 aspect ratio and much more low key in chassis design. For the price difference I might still lean ASUS but absolute GPU performance is often times the only thing ever compared on the forums and I think that's a very narrow view to have in concerning a notebook computer.

 

ASUS G51 is a good machine.. certainly more likely to play games better than the MSI.. although i would say that the MSI has better cooling system, the GTS160M cannot match the GTX260M.. go witht the ASUS... a lot of undervolting of CPU and GPU and nice thermal paste reduce temps by a lot.

 

If you are considering a laptop $400 higher than Bestbuy G51, meaning $1400, might as well wait a couple of week for Asus G51j n MSI 640, should be out before the end of the month. But wait for reviews to be out to see how it will react to new cpu.

 

I would go for the WSXGA+ MSI ID2 if the prices are similar.

If not you will enjoy the G50.

 

If you are looking at those two machines I would assume you mean to play games. I will keep it simple.

For gaming the g51 is better. It WILL play games better. It may get warm but it isn't a big issue as it runs fine. It is built to take it and does take it quite well. The lower res screen will max games out with ease while still looking good. Take the msi and its high res, combine that with the 160m, and see how much gaming you can do at max native res with max settings. Oh, and the g51 is cheaper.

For a general all around lappy the msi is a good system. The 160m uses less power I believe equaling longer battery life, and the higher res screen gives you more real estate for browsing the web or other multimedia functions. It will play games quite well and it will run cooler. It does cost more but is still a great system.

If you intend to game, the smart choice is the g51.

 

i have no problems maxing my games, but I don't use AA because at that resolution, I find it pointless.

 

That's one thing that I was worried about with getting the higher resolution screen, the performance drop I might get get on some games. Looks like it isn't really much of an issue and is well worth the trade off from what I've been hearing. Good to hear that and I never thought that you wouldn't need AA at higher resolutions either, so I guess that will help with the frame rate.

 

What this man said! The G51J will come out soon, pre-orders will be available on October 18. It packs Core i7 720 along with DDR3 so I recommend waiting for that if you can.

You can check out the pre-order from GentechPC, they are the best!

It may not be the fastest quad core yet, but that i7 720 is already more powerful than any dual core available, and will help with games by not being a bottleneck any time soon. Plus you still get the benefits of dual HDD, DDR3 RAM, 1920x1080 res screen etc.

 

For a little below 1400 bucks, this retailer is selling the gt628 with a quad q9000 cpu. Can't get that in the best buy asus g51

http://btotech.com/config.asp?config_id=ms-1651-custom
(change the cpu to q9000 and pick an OS)

free shipping on ebay version http://cgi.ebay.com/MSI-MS-1651-ID2...iewItemQQptZLaptops_Nov05?hash=item33567c7b64

 

With shipping it comes out to about the same as the G51J which has a higher resolution screen, an extra 320GB of HDD space, a GTX 260m card, and the more powerful Core i7 720m.

 

I never said it was better then the g51J. That's obviously a better deal, but I was just pointing that out in case he decided to pick the gt628.

 

and I was just letting him know his options in the same price range. You might want to stop being so defensive.

 

Didn't you know, the Internet is a serious place

 

Thanks, I actually was looking at that MSI for a while, but I can't get it right now anyway, and with the G51J coming down the line soon I think I'm just going to wait for that. As long as I don't hear of any major problems with it from owners like overheating or anything, it looks like that's going to be my next big purchase.

 

Good decision, the asus looks to be a great laptop for the price.