Ranking this Laptop for Gaming: MSI GX740-434US

Hey guys,

I'm in the market for a new gaming laptop but I'm trying desperately to keep it under $1100 or so. Also, while I was considering refurbished at one point, I decided its just not worth the risk, especially given I live in Tokyo.

This morning, I stumbled across this little gem:

Newegg.com - MSI GX740-434US Notebook Intel Core i5 460M(2.53GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870

This is the first time I've ever seen a brand new laptop sporting a high end graphics card like this for under $1000.

So my question is, given the rest of the specs, how would this thing perform in terms of heavy gaming? Thanks!


MSI
GX740-434US
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
4GB DDR3
CPU Speed 460M(2.53GHz)
3MB L3 Cache
Turbo Boost up to 2.80GHz
Chipset
Intel HM55
Display
Screen Size
17.0"
Wide Screen Support
Yes
Display Type
Wide XGA+
Resolution
1440 x 900
LCD Features
Glossy
Graphics
GPU/VPU
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870
Video Memory
1GB GDDR5
Graphic Type
Dedicated Card
Hard Drive
HDD
500GB
HDD RPM
7200rpm
HDD Interface
SATA

 

It will serve you good, especially at that resolution. The 5870m is.a very capable card, and also a great overclock I've heard. I don't think the processor will hold you back either.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I'm still looking for the catch. I mean, there are absolutely no laptops on the market under a $1000 (at least new) that are sporting a high end card like this.

Even comparable models on the MSI line are at least 1500 or so. How the heck is this so cheap.....

 

Isn't the catch that it's 1440 x 900?

 

The screen resolution might be considered a catch by some, by it is better than the standard 1368 by 786 (or something like that). I think it will be good for gaming as well as everyday computing.

You might want to check out the msi forum for user reviews.

 

You're paying less for older tech and Newegg probably want's to clear out the stock so you're paying extra low for it.

 

How is it older tech? Many $1500+ gaming rigs still sport the 5870.

And actually the laptop just became available on the 7th of July, so its a new model.

 

Quite possibly it's a combination of a 2 core CPU with a lower resolution and 'only' 4GB RAM.

Many laptops that have a 'high-end mobile gpu', and are considered mostly 'high-end' usually come with 8GB RAM, a quad core CPU and higher resolution.

Prices easily go upwards due to mere increase in screen resolution.

It's probably a combo of factors, coupled with the premise of new models on the market, and this one is considered 'previous-generation'.

Newegg is rather reputable, so I doubt we are dealing with a scam case.
I'd go for it.

 

It has an Arrandale processor instead of Sandy Bridge (no USB 3.0, SATA 3, etc.) and a 5 series (Evergreen, iirc) GPU instead of a newer 6 series (Northern Islands) one. Like I said, it's last gen tech.

But that doesn't mean it's bad... Still probably the best performance you can get for $800.

 

It'll be solid, its a good price. The catch would be the resolution, dual core processor, and 4GB of RAM.

 

Well, some brands will give you more then you expect, some will give you less.
MSI is a good working horse -- build quality, size and technology isnt on the edge but its definitely very good value for money i doubt you can get any better at this price range.

 

I have the E7405 which is basically the same as the GX740... and well just look at my sig

 

I owned the GX740 last year and I can assure you that the screen is absolute junk. An Asus G53/73/Sager/Alienware has x2 more brightness and better colours (I've owned them all).

Avoid this laptop at all costs. The screen looks worse than my 10 year old dinosaur monitor.

For 1100$, here are your options:

- Delloutlet.com ...you can grab a M14X, M15X or M17X-R2 (wait for coupons which generally run 1 week per month)
- GenTechPC.com ...Sager 5165 (nVidia 555)
- NewEgg.com ...G53 is 1199$ ...100$ over your budget

Overall, the best bang for buck is from the dell outlet for under 1100$.

Great specs, great screen and 1 business day warranty.

I promise you that you'll be extremely disappointed with the GX740's screen if you've been exposed to Asus/AW/Sager laptops before. I hated it so much I sold mine (I've never done that with anything I've ever purchased before).

Edit: Just realized you were in Tokyo so the US-Outlet will not work for you. Unless you want to import or use mail-forwarding services, I recommend that you find something else.

The GX740 games very well, but what's the point of gaming if your experience is a visual disaster (washed out colours and terrible brightness?)

I also checked international shipping rates under 15LBS for you from US to Japan. 159$ (cheapest UPS) and 249$ (fastest UPS) if you were considering ordering from a US reseller. There's also a 229$ option with UPS which is mid-range.

 

Ah, so the catch is the screen is absolute junk. Tis a shame...was about to pull the trigger too.

Aa far as the laptops you mention, most of those have the "okay" GPU, while I really wanted one that would last a few years with more newer games (5870, 560M).

I suppose my best option at this point is to grab a refurbished G73..kind of a gamble but whatever. Oh and yea, I was planning on sending it to my folks and having them send it off to me. With the yen being stronger than Superman at the moment, it's the best time to upgrade!

 

Sorry if this looks like flame bait but never ever buy Dell.
Thats almost like throwing your $1000 out of the window, just 100 times more dissapointing.
I am not talking about AW obviously.

As for the screen on MSI -- lower resolution will give you better performance longer.
Screen is ok.

 

I'm actually okay with a lower resolution. My rig right now has a 1440 matte screen and it doesn't bother me at all.

However, if the screen is absolute crap like he describes, I rather not go for it. I do like to have a somewhat bright screen with good clarity.

 

It's not absolute crap. It's average, nowhere near the atrociousness that he described.

 

Your folks are in the US?

An M15X with a 5850 and 1080p is about 950-1000$ if you can catch one (5850 is very close to the 5870). M17X-R2's with a single 5870 are around 1100 (give or take some) with a 1200p occasionally. You just have to visit the website ALOT in order to catch them when they're posted and monitor the DellOutlet-US Twitter for coupon codes.

This is assuming your folks are in the US and will be shipping a laptop to you in Japan

When it comes down to Asus vs AW with the same specs, AW wins due to the next business day warranty service.

If you do end up getting the G73, I'm certain you'll enjoy it ALOT more than if you had a GX740, that's for sure.

 

That's not bad at all. But I can grab the G73 RBBX05 for 900 right now for similar specs. Seems like the better deal..

 

That's a good deal

All depends though. The perks of AW compared to Asus:
- Next day warranty vs weeks at a repair facility
- You can upgrade CPU/GPU; Asus you cannot
- Design is a tie. I personally think both the M15/17 and G73 look superb

If you can live with point #1 and #2, I'd say go for the Asus. If not, stalk the outlet/twitter feed for a coupon/deal.

What I like about the Asus G-Series over all other gaming laptops is the vent system, which offers an upwards tilt. It lets you game on your lap without feeling a touch of heat.

 

As Voodooi mentioned, the GX740 (this particular model series) screen is rather mediocre. It functions, but it is quite subpar.

Other than that, the specs are top notch. However i would recommend the G73, or the Alienwares. Basically the same thing as voodooi, as I have used the aformentioned machines as well.

In the end, unless you spend extra, you will end up with OK screens, but at least models like G73 from Asus have better screens than that particular MSI model.

and if you are lucky, the HD5870m you get will overclock well enough and get you the performance you need for a long while. Also, anything up to 1600x900ish resolution will give you excellent performance, higher will be playable but it takes a big hit and depending on the game, it isn't worth it. I end up playing games at 1600x900 to reach very high fps.

 

@OP: Are you dead set on 17"? You can get a new HP dv6z with AMD's fastest Llano APU, 6GB RAM, 640GB HDD, a fast 1GB GDDR5 Radeon 6700-series CPU and 1080p display for $999.99. And that's before discounts, which can be 30% off or even more. (That's $700 for the arithmetically challenged among us. )

The discrete GPU can work in Xfire (of sorts) with the APU I believe, which should mean awesome graphics performance considering the price. Although a 5870 at that price is pretty awesome too.

 

I think for me the catch is it look UGLY.

 

Personally, I think the catch is the lack of a quad-core processor (slowly more and more games require it to run games smoothly). The 'low' resolution will help give an extra boost of life to the 5870.

 

any other votes for that HP dv6z ? i'm sorta partial to SOME hp laptops i've known...

 

lol no hps... I suggest you get the Asus G73JH or Asus G53.... you can try the MSI GX660R which is 15 inch but much better then this GX740...

 

StonedZombie, I aggree I would not go refurb. This thread may be of some interest (Re BB version G74)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/598022-why-so-cheap.html

 

The gx740 has a very bad hinge problem and a weak chassis & build in general.

Nowadays you can get their newer gx660, gt660 or even the gt680 variants at the same price.

 

I know this thread hasn't moved in a while, but wanted to throw in my own $0.02...
I would rather go for a barebone system and build my own. I just built a MS-16F2 for my brother.. Look GREAT and performs Great!