BestBuy's Gateway MT3707

Hi guys! i'm looking for a good notebook and found this model on gateway.. any feedbacks please? i need to know if this is good in performance and quality coz i know its very good in specs.. i need replies ASAP coz im leaving the US soon.. so please do reply.. thanks in advance!

 

My cousin bought it and said it was really fast. A good deal I think.

 

I bought mine when it was still on sale for $599 in best buy. What's great about it is that instead of a dual core T2060 my notebook is packing a core duo T2300 1.66 processor and yeah it is fast. So what I did is order a core duo sticker and vista premium stickers on ebay (coz the notebook has a vista basic sticker) just to complete the package. Oh, it has very spongy keyboards, and the usb hubs are all on the left side while the lan and modem are all on the right so if you're right handed and likes to use a mouse on your notebook you'll find this feature a little bit irritating, but nevertheless it works great.

 

I have the MT3705 (3 to 4 weeks), but I voted anyway (high satisfaction) since the 3707 seems to be a slightly upgraded version of the 3705. I'm very happy with the performance of the notebook. The keyboard is definitely low quality, but I don't do a ton of typing so as long as it doesn't break, I'll be fine with it. Like the previous poster said, for some reason it comes with a Vista Basic sticker, even though it definitely has Premium and runs the Aero Glass theme just fine. Also, it has a Pentium Dual Core sticker and is advertised as having the T2060 chip (even on the box) even though many of these have nicer Core Duo chips in them.

I'd say the review on this site is dead on. If you're happy with what you read there, I'd say go for it.

 

My friend bought the MT3705 with the T2060 processor. He said for the price he paid ($599 at Best Buy) it is an excellent system. For basic tasks like word processing and internet, it should be pretty good.

 

I bought a few weeks ago at Bestbuy @$599. High quality plastic cover (IBM Think Pad type). High Quality aluminum palmrest, no worry for discoloration of palmrest areas. @160GB HDD, almost top! Good Wireless G and very good design on removal/replacements of RAMs, HDD and DVD+-RW drive. Screws are retained on removal covers. Its now on sale again in Bestbuy and buy quick!

 

I was just wondering if anybody else got the T2300 1.66 core duo processor instead of the T2060 dual core on your MT3707?

 

I bought mine in May of 2007 and it has the standard T2060 processor.

Here's my contribution to the information about this machine:

Pros:

o Good speed performance for the money.
o Light/portable.
o Sound is fairly good (but absolutely no bass - probably cuts off around 500 Hz (read - good for vocals, but you will miss some of the music when playing through the speakers)
o Mine DOES work with my existing 802.11b WLAN. The thing says 802.11g (which I am sure it has, but it did not mention "b". A look at the system info once I got the machine showed a Realtek 802.11b/g. Moreover it works - and I am talking to an 802.11b as I type this
o Seems to run Aero Vista interface fine, even though the performance reports as only 2.3. I'm beginning to like Vista
o Comes in and out of Standby mode in a few seconds
o Hybernation takes a bit more (but maybe about 20 seconds - at least after I cleaned out all the junk software that came on the machine and in the tray ;-)
o Cheap (got mine on one of the $599 weeks)

Cons:

o As others said, the keyboard feels cheap and is quite "clunky" as you type.
o I don't like the touchpad feel (but you can judge for yourself in the store...)
o The fan runs all the time !! So much for "speedstep" on the T2060. I have an older Gateway computer that is completely silent and I was hoping this one would be too. Alas it is not (even after I have tried adjusting settings/etc.). But - it is not very loud, so I guess I can live with it.
o Had a bit of wierdness getting the wireless LAN working (and seeing the LAN light sometimes not come on, even when it _was_ on). But this seems to have settled down.
o The gamma of the display is a bit not to my liking. Too much contrast. But the ATI driver allowed me to adjust it and I think it will be OK (still nothing like my 200 dollar NEC 19" monitor on my desktop for viewing photos).

All in all - given that it is a sub $600 laptop, I am happy. It is allowing me to learn Vista and will be a good "knock-around" machine to take whereever I want and not worry so much. If you're looking for a small, light, laptop, this one may be a good choice !

 

I bought this on sunday from Bestbuy...The display model had the T2300, but I got the T2060 procs...kinda pissed, even though it is spec'd as a T2060, I was hoping that I would get the T2300 like the other lucky folks ...It seems to run Vista dog-slow, but I don't know if that's because of all the crapware installed, or maybe because I really wish I had got the T2300 and I am exaggerating the slowness ...Anyway I love the build, but it does run HOT!!!

 

Hi guys. Glad to have found this site.....very informative! I just purchased the MT3707 for $599 at Best Buy and am now reading the posts on this computer. A couple of quickies...

1. Have not opened the box yet but the box does say T2060 processor. I understand a few of these actually have the T2300 processor. Not really a techie so please help me find out what processor is in my machine. Is there an easy way to tell?

2. A friend told me that Vista Premium does MUCH better on at least 2 gigs of memory but this machine only has 1 gig. Can anyone familiar with Vista verify this and if an upgrade is important? Also is the Memory under the keyboard or on the back of the machine? I guess this would determine if this is an easy upgrade or not.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Marc

 

i've never owned a gateway before but it seems like a good deal..one thing though.... i noticed you mentioning you were going to be leaving the US with it.....that alone should be a big "no no" for this laptop...it doesnt have an international warranty (nor does it have repair centers outside the US) so if anything should happen to it you'll be stuck with a $600 paperweight, gateways aren't exactly notorious for great build quality so that should be something to consider.
Brands that DO offer global (international) warranties are lenovo, toshiba & HP, might be others out there but these are the ones i know of...i'll take it your budget is around $600 so to get you started here are 2 links to laptops at compusa, one's a toshiba and one's an HP (which i'de recommend over the first), slightly lower on specs and price but still great deals none the less, plus you get the international warranty. You can look around and/or post in the "what notebook to buy" section of the forum for some help.

http://www.compusa.com/products/pro..._code=343679&Pn=Satellite_A135_S2286_Notebook
http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...uct_code=343922&Pn=Pavilion_dv6205us_Notebook

@gores95:
1- Right click the "my computer" icon, go to properties, your processor type and some other info should show up in the small "properties" window.

2- I'm still using XP, but from what i heard, it's functional with 1GB...maxed out (eye candy and all running smooth) with 2, RAM is cheap nowadays (2GB would cost you around $70)

 

I want to buy the Gateway MT3707, how easy is it to delete vista and install office 2003 professional. I hear vista is a memory hog, can the same be said for office?

Im new to the laptop world, thanks TBC

 

I bought this early May 2007. It had the T2300 processor which was a nice surprise. Overall, this laptop RULES. The thing that annoys me is the HD seeking sound sometimes and perhaps maybe the keyboard (although I have no preference for keyboard really)... This laptop is amazing for the price ratio.

 

I'm assuming you mean delete Vista and install XP. I just did this. Here is the info you need.

The audio driver can be found at:
http://support.gateway.com/support/d...&uid=159771792

The wifi driver is at:
http://support.gateway.com/support/d...&uid=159770957

All other drivers are at:
http://support.gateway.com/support/d...param=2905898R

Drivers you need:

D00584-001-002.exe - Realtek Wireless LAN Wireless Network Driver
version 5.1060.0413.2006
D00516-002-001.exe - Marvell Network Driver Version: 8.50.1.3
D00671-001-001.exe - ATI Chipset Driver version: ATI 5.10.1000.7
D00620-001-001.exe - Realtek Media Card Reader Driver version: 2.0.9.3
D00670-001-001.exe - Agere Modem Driver version: 2.1.72
D00669-001-001.exe - Synaptics Touchpad Driver version: 8.3.7.0
D00680-001-001.exe - ATI Video Driver version: 8.283

D00560-002-001.exe Sigmatel Audio Driver Version: 5.10.4946.0

I believe these drivers also work for the MT3705

 

Bought one a week ago, I did some preliminary research on this site, which did help. I returned the first one, do to a stuck pixel issue, and the replacement is perfect, even has a notably quieter keyboard. (BTW the people in the Best Buy stores, in my area are very well trained and gave me no hassle at all on the exchange)
Here are my impressions... This is a good size for a notebook, having previously a Toshiba 15.4" and my wifes ACER 15", I find the size/form factor quite suitable as a desktop replacement for my needs, and yet easily managed while roaming thru the house. I think that many second or third time laptop buyers will migrate downwards in size from the 15.4 s. I like the ATI graphics, the GAMMA is easily adjustable, as the default settings do not do the display justice.I Do not believe the Windows user experience ratings give a real world eval on this at 2.2, the Intel 950 rates at 3.2 yet the ATI solution blows it away in my personal opinion. The notebook is quiet, not silent. The size of the keys and the lack of dedicated function keys are a real plus, compared to my Toshiba this keyboard is actually wider! The touchpad is very good, and has programable functions hidden deep within the Synaptics menu which are very usefull.(I suspect many users will not get any benefit from this, do to the enabling process) My laptop has the 2060 processor, I have removed most of the bloatware-anti-virus, and this thing runs quick enough. The build is very good, the appearance will stand the test of time. $599 WOW! There are a lot of laptops out there that are slightly cheaper, that do not come close in specs. There are many that sell for double that offer only marginal, if any real world improvements. This is a GREAT Value

 

Nice review Dave. I love mine as well. I wish it had XP, but other than that it is a very good deal. I just ordered 2 gigs of ram from ZipZoomFly ($45.00 a stick for a total of $90.00 , + shipping(free 7 day shipping). As soon as I get that installed I think it will be an awesome little performer. Even as it is with 1 gig it runs all my apps just fine. I even put a few games on it and it runs those quite well.

 

I just got this machine and am happy with it so far.


Zarono:

I'm also thinking of upgrading to 2GB. Would you happen to have the company and SKU# of the memory that you purchased. I'm pretty new to computer upgrades was wondering how to pick the correct type of memory.


Thanks a lot everybody.

 

Here is the memory I ordered from ZipZoomFly. I found it at this price from Corsair's Memory Config utility:

http://corsair.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?vcode=PGCRS&partnum=VS1GSDS533D2

My memory isn't scheduled to arrive until Monday afternoon (according to FedEx), but at $45 a gig it is an awesome deal, provided it works in my 3707 . Since this is Corsair memory, I have no doubts that it will perform quite well.

 

Thanks for the links. How does your notebook perform with XP installed versus Vista? I have been considering doing the same thing, but Vista is kinda growing on me (like a fungus ), and even though I know XP will perform better, is it worth it to reinstall XP when vista is working fine now? Keep in mind I don't use my notebook for gaming, so squeezing the last bit of performance out of it is not really an issue.

 

I can't really compare Vista and XP because I've only used Vista for about 2 days and in a limited fashion. That being said, I didn't have any major problems with Vista and the learning curve wasn't bad. My motivation for using XP is that the laptops I bought will be used in a network environment and I need the group policy settings available with XP Pro. We could upgrade to Vista Business (or whatever it is called), but the users are already familiar with XP and our other computers are XP. Eventually we will upgrade all computers to Vista, just not yet.

The hardest part of installing XP was finding all of the drivers, which is why I was happy to post and hopefully help others.

 

I also want to mention that the left side of my laptop where the 3 USB ports are. It seems they are cheaply made (at least for me), one USB port has the silver (looks kinda like aluminum or something) foil coming off, but it's no concern. The USB port themselves don't look 100% straight and kind of forced job. Maybe it's just with me. Hopefully, they'll last. Elsewise, this laptop is nice.

 

I see what you mean about the USB ports, but as a long time system builder I wouldn't be too concerned about it. On a desktop the I/O shield that covers the ports on the back of the machine is usually just a flimsy piece of tin, and I've seen quite a few high-end boards that the ports don't really line up all that well.

 

@nsholland: thanks!!! really useful list.

I did more or less the same, except I added a partition for XP, instead of just deleting Vista, and after much trying and failing, it seems your driver list has me going in the right direction.

The only problem I'm having is with the USB ports - "no high speed hub installed" or something, therefore, only getting 1.1 speed... any idea of where I might try to get the right ones for 2.0 hubs? Thanks!!!

 

I installed XP as well but I am having trouble with the audio driver and the modem driver. Did these work ok for you guys? At the moment my comp has no sound. Any info as to what I could try next? Thanks.

 

NSHOLLAND, very nice tips!!

I have the Gateway 3708 from CircuitCity, and I´d like to use XP. These drivers will work??

3708 haves T2080 and HD 120gb (4200rpm).

If someone knows if the driver´s list will work to me, please help!!

thanks

 

These notebooks are an excellent deal. As for it being slow, that really depends on what you are using the system for. If you are running Vista with the standard applications (MS Office, etc) I would definitely not call this system slow, even with one GIG Ram and Vista. A lot of folks use computers outside of their intended use and consider them slow if the system falls short of this. Trying to use this for certain games, overclocking..forget it, that's not what these systems are for. I'm a software developer and it runs plenty fast for my various application's IDE's. Vista is a resource hog anyway, no matter what system it is installed on.

I removed Vista and installed XP Pro. If you go to Gateway's website and download the XP drivers for the MX3702, you will have all the drivers you need to make this system perform well with XP, it works beautifully. The MX3702 is the same Notebook before it was released with Vista. Gateway just changed the model number, but they will not give you support with XP installed on it. I replaced the RAM with 2 Gigs, although for XP I could have gotten by with 1. For $599 its a bargain. I purchased another one this last week for my daughter.

 

If you go to Gateway's website and download the XP drivers for the MX3702, you will have all the drivers you need to make this system perform well with XP, it works beautifully. The MX3702 is the same Notebook before it was released with Vista. Gateway just changed the model number, but they will not give you support with XP installed on it.

 

is the wireless working well?? all functions are running as using vista(touchpad, USB 2.0)??

 

Everything works as it should, wireless, audio, card reader, USB ports, Video, no problem whatsoever.

Use the MX3702 drivers at:

http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/search.asp?param=mx3702&st=kw

You should install the D00671-001-001.exe - ATI Chipset Driver version: ATI 5.10.1000.7 before you install the other drivers for proper detection.

I don't think I'll ever put Vista back on this computer unless Microsoft comes out with some major fixes.

 

Thanks a lot for the heads up on a good deal. Even with my CA sales tax, it's still a great bargain. I'll most likely order 2 modules as well.

I hope it works. I'll chime in again after I upgrade.

 

I have been using vista since february and got really acquainted with this OS. For those who has a 2.3 WEI score I got my windows experience index up to 2.6 by giving a little bit more memory to my ati graphics card through the bios. I then turned aero off and set the lowest resolution when i tried to reset my WEI score. It seems that this helps improve the score a bit. What I like about vista is the search box in the start menu where you just type the program or file or anything that you want to find and open in your harddrive. It really saves a lot of time. I also like how vista handles files. I have read a lot about vista being a resource hog, but i think that the 1 gig ram in MT3707 just works fine. I mean, i think it works great even though i'm multitasking. I also read in some website that regardless how much your ram is that windows will try to use as much as it can. I think this is one good quality of this new os from microsoft because it tries to maximize it's functionality with available resources. So this means, adding ram will increase functionality of the system, but the percentage of ram that will be used will still be the same. But, hey guys correct me if i am wrong. Could anyone download the multicore gadget and look at the percentage of ram being used on 1 gig of ram versus 2 gigs of ram and please enlighten us about this.

 

I bought this at BestBuy at the very last day of their weekly sales for $619. The sales clerk who helped me said it was the best notebook deal they had that week. So far I'm pretty satisfied with it though I haven't used it all that much (I'm still using my old laptop).

I do have a question for those who have bought this. Is it just me or does the adapter get a little too hot? Even the laptop itself is a little hotter than I expected but I'm more surprised by the adapter. I was working both with it and my old laptop (a 5-year-old Sony VAIO) and while my old laptop has been turned on longer (by an hour), the MT3707 and its adapter were significantly hotter. All I was doing was random online surfing.

Is this something that I should be concerned about? Should I buy the Geek Squad warranty thing (I still have a few days to buy it before it's too late)?

 

If i'm charging my notebook while using it, the adapter does get really hot, but once it has fully charged, the heat tones down a bit. If you you feel you need the buy the PSP then indulge yourself, better safe then never, but then again adapters cost only like 30-50 dollars online, depending on the model. One bad thing about gateway notebooks is that it really gets hot, but with precautions you'll be alright. Just like don't leave your notebook on top of fabrics, it traps the heat. If you're planning to use it overnight i suggest you buy a cooling pad. It's probably because of the poor vent construction of the computer. In toshibas, they have cpu vents on the side and under, and one thing that contributes to the heat is that this notebook's bottom directly touches the ground, because of this the heat gets trapped contributing to the hotness of the machine. You could avoid this by buying this little sticker pegs in stores just to elevate the notebook a bit from the ground if you want. Anyway, congratulations for your purchase of the machine, i really like mine.

 

Hey guys, help me here. My model is the MT3708 from Circuit City, and i´d like to know if the drivers listed a few posts before mine will work to install XP.

the dif. are: processor: T2080 and HD 120gb 4200x. I´m really afraid to do something wrong and i want to avoid this.

thanks

 

Anybody tried upgrading the RAM to 2GB for this notebook? I tried using Best Buy and Gateway's memory locator service but they can't recommend me anything.

This system is just crawling for me since I have some development apps (e.g. Visual Studio, etc.) installed.

 

there was a post before by somebody in this topic about a corsair, here is the link of the ram. http://corsair.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/vcode=PGCRS/partnum=VS1GSDS533D2/ You need to buy two of this if you want to upgrade to 2 gb because the MT3707 uses two 512 pc4200 rams, so you will need to replace that with two 1gb to get 2gb.

 

I bought the memory in the link above, works like a charm. Depending on what aps you use, it can make a huge difference in performance. I bought my 3707 to handle light 2D CAD operations in the field, but I tested it on some 3D drawings (which are way more of a load for the system than 2D drawings) and with just 1 gig it could not run CAD 3D drawings well enough to use. After installing the 2 gigs it handled the 3D drawings much better, even surprising me as to how well it runs.

If you want to search using Corsairs memory locater, just use the MT 3705 model number, as its pretty much the same machine (I may be wrong but I think the 3705 has Intel instead of Radeon integrated graphics?) and uses the same memory.

Overall I'm very happy with my 3707, I would highly recommend it to anyone. My only complaint so far is the shiny screen, I really wish it had a duller, less reflective surface, and I see no benefit to it being shiny. But from what I've seen most notebooks have the shiny screen, which to me is nothing more than a gimmick to help sell machines in stores to make the screen "appear" nicer to the average laymen. Much like how some TV manufacturers (notably Sony) send their TV's to stores intentionally out of adjustment, with the contrast being cranked up overly high, just to make them appear better in the store while sitting next to their competition. Shiny things sell.....


And I'm growing accustomed to Vista, I was dead set against it at first but after using it a while I kinda like it. It may be somewhat of a resource hog, but it also has some performance advantages over XP that make it able to run very well while using those resources. I really like how little time it takes to start/shutdown, and some aps actually seem to run as good or better than XP. And Aero is quite a good looking interface. I now have my desktop in a dual-boot config and I find myself using Vista more than XP now, even for games !

 

I have a question for those who have the MT3707. I've noticed 2 things:

1) Has anyone been able to figure out how to remove the SEARCH BAR from IE7 with this laptop? They already included Google Desktop, so there's no need for 2 search bars... but I can't remove it.

2) Is it just my computer.. I noticed in my registry... I have no "INTERNET EXPLORER" folder in the policies folder... (this could explain why I can't remove the search bar through a registry edit)... It's usually located in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer.. but there is no "Internet Explorer" folder after that. However, there is an IE folder somewhere else not in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE... maybe they changed it for Vista or is it just me?

Thanks.

 

Thanks, but all the drivers seem to work well now, except for the audio - go figure. After installing the drivers and restarting the computer (MT3705), I get an error message saying "This system does not support the drivers you are trying to install". Im guessing that means I downloaded the wrong drivers... It may also be worthwhile to mention that when I run the setup to install the drivers, I get another message saying that another instance of the setup is already running and that I should finish it before I start a new one (!?). Any ideas???

Thanks!

Marcos

 

Does anyone know if there is a driver download on the Gateway website for the cd/dvd burner software after installing XP? I looked for one for the MT3702 since all those drivers work for the MT3707 but couldn't find anything.
Thanks.

 

Hey, I just instaled XP here. my XP is a portuguese version and i can´t install the audio driver, as mppareto said before.

Anyone knows what´s the right driver for us??

MY MODEL IS MT3708 FROM CIRCUITCITY

thanks

 

Hey guys.

At bforbe's link there was no D00560-002-001.exe in the list for that computer.

the audio driver is http://support.gateway.com/support/...dio Driver version: 5.10.5082.0&uid=161151987

I tried to install it here, but without sucess...

Someone please help us with the audio driver.

thanks

 

GOT IT!!

just follow this instructions: http://forums.uniquehardware.ca/index.php?showtopic=146

I used the already installed sigmatel audio driver. no realtek or other driver. works here, but i can´t see the volume control.

another thing is the battery. I can´t see the logo when it´s charging.

all other functions are working very well until now.

 

AAARRRGGGHH!!! It still doesnt work! I install the WMD380 (and 400), but I don't get the AC97 in my device manager. Could it be that my model is MT3705 (as opposed to 3707 in the title), and therefore the wrong one?

thanks,

 

forget the AC97. Install a sigmatel audio driver.

when the pc restarts, the error will appear, as always.

now go on you device manager (control panel, system, hardware).

if you can´t see Sound, video, and game controllers, search for a device with a yellow "!" (mine was called "PCI ...").

right click this item, go properties. then update driver.

select "Install from a list of specific location" and click Next (search the sound, video and game controllers on the list and choose it)

You have to always choose to search the driver, have disk, dont install anything automatic.

Click Have Disk.

Now go where you extracted the driver and choose the first file at "WDM" folder - STHDA is the name.

it will install and the sound will work without need to restart.

try with this driver: http://public.box.net/jdesants33267 <<< get the sound driver.

good luck and don´t stop trying!! cya

 

Thanks Keiser, I installed the driver (the one you specified), rebooted and got the error. I went to Hardware manager and tried to install the .inf file (the one I downloaded from your link), yet it gave me a "information for this hardware cannot be found at this location".

Interestingly enough, I tried installing the drivers automatically (Realtek) from the list and I seem to be getting somewhere - I can install the drivers and in sound properties, it recognizes it as legit. Yet, the volume is down to 0 and is grayed out, so still no sound . Oh well, at least I seem to be getting somewhere....

 

can you see "sound, video and controllers"??

before I install the driver I couldnt see it. Only another audio options with some codecs. but no SIGMATEL stuff.

now i can see the "sound, video and controllers" with the same codecs + SIGMATEL driver.

PS:I updated the XP SP2 (about 80 updates). Dont know if this matters.

keep trying. Gateway surely tried to difficult our changes, but it´s possible.

post when you get it done.

PS:Now i can see the volume control and the battery can be configured to be showed all time (even when charging), so now I have 100% working gateway notebook. (at least the functions I always use).

 

If I formated the whole drive to put XP on the MT3707 and if now I would like to take it back to factory default how can I get the restore cd.

I called gateway and they told me $230.00 for the restore cd, and that if I put xp it will void the warranty.

Thanks

 

Can any MT3707 (or similar model) owners give me an idea of how long the standard battery will last on a charge?

Thanks.

 

My battery charges in aprox. 1 hour and works for about 2,5 hours using high quality settings (bright screen, sound, video card at maximum definition, wireless working).