Gateway M-6864FX

I'm taking it back to Best Buy tomorrow because it just went down $100, so it's now only $750!

Pros:
-Sleek FX Design
-Fantastic Graphics Card
-Unbeatable Price
-4GBs of RAM
-Vista Premium 64bit

Cons:
-Slight Flex On The Left Side Of The Keyboard
-Doesn't Fit Properly On My Desk Because One Of the Rubber Feet Is Smaller
-Only 200GB Hard Drive (Although It Is Fast)
-A Weak 1.3MP Web Cam
-A Weaker CPU (Not Slow But Not Too Fast Either)

I just ran 3DMarks6 and it scored around 3,700. This laptop is a steal, if your interested in buying a cheap but good gaming laptop, this is the one for you!

If you have any questions at all please feel free to ask me!

 

You don't have to take it back. Just take the receipt to customer service and they will give you the difference on the spot.

 

Ok now I have one question. Here in Canada, on Bestbuys website there is 2 model, the FX one and the HFX one. For the FX its says Mobility Radeon HD 2600 d’ATI and HFX Mobility Radeon HD 2600 Pro d’ATI.

So one is nothing and the other is Pro. Is there a diff? Pro mean XT?

Thanks!

Edit: Here is the links:
HFX http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=FR&sku_id=0926INGFS10107932&catid=25253
FX: http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=FR&sku_id=0926INGFS10107933&catid=25253

Sorry its french...

 

Its the same machine.

I can promise you neither of those will have the XT

 

I just got one of these lappy also on a whim because of the $100 price drop but did not open it yet.

I also ordered a studio 17 from Dell that being delayed because the possible backlit keys as an option. This machine is customized with a T8100 processor, 3 gbs of ram, ATI 256mb 3650 video card, 320gb 5400rpm HD as well as the WLED screen at 1440x900.

I tend to game a little but I am no means hardcore. The Dell is also approx. $200 more inc. tax.

which do you think is better for gaming?
Thoughts...

 

The cards are about similar, altho the one in the studio is probably better. the screen is obviously better in the studio, as is the processor. But is this worth 200 + tax more? I dont think so. Especially if you plan on carrying it around.

 

I agree just picked one up myself. Is an awesome deal. Couldn't ask for more

 

Does yours sit flat when closed, but when you open the LCD, the front left palmrest area is about 2-3mm off the desk?

The M-6851 I ordered, and FINALLY received, sits all crooked when open. With the lid closed, it's perfectly flat though.

Decent enough machine - 1280x1024 (external LCD) stock T5550, stock HD2600 clocks, it does near 3300 3DMark06. The 2600 is overclockable out of it's mind! I was running 648/748 for core/mem clocks, and it was stable under ATI Tools 3D view, and running multiple consecutive 3DMark06 tests, and got near 4000 (3982, I think).

3DMark06, stock clocks, got 73c for CPU, and 71c for GPU temps. Undervolting the life out of the T5550 (.985, I think) got the CPU to 38-39c idle, and maxed on 3DMark06 at about 61c, and the GPU at 69-70c OC'd to 621/720 (about 3800 3DMark06).

Seems like the heatsink is transferring ALOT of the CPU heat over to the GPU, because when you undervolt the CPU, and overclock the GPU, it remains stable, because the overall temps are lower, on both the CPU and the GPU.

Nice machine, but the "short leg" syndrome is driving me nuts. Using the keyboard (and yes - flex around the 'Esc' key area like CRAZY) it rocks around while typing.

These tests were done with a clean install from the DVD, x86 Vista HP SP1,
latest catalyst drivers, Mobility Modder modded, using AMD GPU Clock Util to OC the GPU (ATI Tool doesn't work, and neither does RivaTuner).

BTW, my factory HD2600 clocks were 500/600 - specs say 500/400 (DDR2 maybe?) is 500/600 what you guys are seeing for factory GPU clocks?

Undervolting was done with RMClock, as Notebook Hardware Control doesn't see the voltages, and can't seem to find the ATI GPU either.

Temps were monitored with both RMClock "monitor" graphing, and hardware monitor.

Overall, nice machine, and if it didn't have the not-sitting-flat issue, I'd keep it. But, I see it annoying the heck out of me! And that's not even mentioning that the 6864FX is now $50 less than what I paid Costco for the M-6851.



T

 

That's actually a feature. It's called Tactical Feedback.

 

Since I was eyeing this laptop, any ideas if it can be downgraded to XP?

 

Are people STILL stuck on downgrading? Unless you're having a serious issue in Vista that cannot be resolved, I recommend sticking with Vista. Contrary to popular belief, Vista works great and IS actually better than XP.

 

exactly. i havent had a SINGLE issue with vista. and is also why i didnt reformat the computer i was working on last night to xp, even though they practically begged me to.

 

I work with XP computers for the government and prefer to use XP. I was simply asking if this model is able to be downgraded. The Gateway website doesn't help me any

 

Yea. I came off kinda harsh and that wasnt my intent. Downgrading to XP is getting harder and harder. Tho some have done it on the 6850(the older brother to the 6864, but with practically the same hardware), it seems to me there were audio driver problems, as well as media button issues.

 

So I might have some luck then using the 6850 info then?

 

Yeap. Most likely since none of the backend hardware has changed.

 

LIES!

ZSKNFAC

 

OP - Thanks for the heads up on the $750 price on this....

Picked one up on the way home. Put it in the closet with the receipt for the next 14 days, just to see what else happens, but it was a deal, that if nothing else comes out, I'd kick myself for missing later...

I got a heads up that something is going to be on sale at Costco starting 8/25 I believe, but I don't know what yet. T5750/4GB/320GB/802.11a-g-n/15.4" is all I got....$799 was gonna be the price.

Doing some detective work, there isn't much that's NOT x3100 with the above specs, so more than likely I'll keep the 64FX, unless something ELSE goes on sale.

Wouldn't mind the Asus F8Va, nice 14.1" with HD3650, but it ain't going on sale THAT low (norm is $1200-1300; my budget is no more than $900)

T

 

Shark, the 64(and 50 for that mattter) is actually a really nice machine, so long as the buyer understands what hes buying and doesnt expect more out of it than its capable of. The only reason I took mine back is the 6860 was on sale for $200 more and it made sense to get a much more powerful machine for that price. I think you'll be happy with it.

 

How's the battery life on this machine?

 

Doing everyday tasks it lasts pretty well but it barely lasted 2 hours when I was playing Crysis.

Still no issues with this machine, I have got it running Crysis on LOW-MEDIUM at around 20-40 frames so it's great so far.

 

Normal, I was getting (on an M-6851) about 2.25-2.5 hours, using WiFi, surfing around, ATI PowerPlay enabled.

Undervolting it with RMClock, ATI PowerPlay still on, and lowering the brightness to 3/8, I was able to get near 3 hours - technically, I USED it for about 2.5h before I plugged it back in - it was getting to about 9-10% battery left. Oh - and that was using a USB optical mouse, again with WiFi being used for surfing.

Not too bad for the specs, and being a 15.4".
I can tell you my wife's Compaq C712US does about 3h on a charge, and that's a T2310/2GB/15.4"/X3100, so these GW's aren't too bad...

T

 

Shark since you have the M-6864FX I was wondering what is your 3dMarkScore? and what frames do you get on Crysis? You can download the Crysis SP Demo off the internet.

 

Heh - haven't opened it just yet....making sure nothing else pops up in the next 14 days.

However, the M-6851 did near 3300 on 3DMark06, and that's with a T5550/4GB/ATI HD2600, all at stock clocks/voltages.

I was able to get JUST under 4000 3DMark06 overclocking the GPU, and undervolting to reduce heat. Max heat on the GPU was around 70c, stock was about 71c. Max CPU temp stock was about 70-72c, undervolted was about 63c max.


T

 

how do you do all that!?

 

Hmm, I'd really been considering the 7811 FX for the past couple weeks, but getting something like this for half the price sure does sound nice.

Has anybody been able to run some other gaming benchmarks on it? Google's not given me much so far, but I'm anxious to know soon; it'd be great to jump on this price if it really does suit me well enough (modestly powerful gaming laptop). Cool to hear that Crysis can run on it (on low, maybe, but life.

Thanks for the info guys!

 

The 7811FX is a way more powerful system but your also paying $700+.

I can run Crysis on 1280x800 resolution and with shaders, water, sound, and a few other things on MEDIUM while the rest being set to LOW. I get anywhere from 13-40 frame rates depending on settings.

I've been told if you update graphics card and change some other stuff around you can get this laptop to around 4,000 3DMark but I have yet to figure it out.

However if I did have the $$$ to spend I would buy the 7811FX over this.

 

Basically, not hard. A few write-up exist on here, lemme gather 'em up in one place for ya:

Get RMClock Here
Get Hardware Monitor here
IKovac did a REALLY nice writeup here on undervolting and lowering power/heat, but ATI Tools doesn't overclock this GPU, yet.

Blackbird made a nice write-up on RMClock here - Notebook Hardware Control didn't work on the M-6851, so I doubt it will work on the 64FX - however, it's monitoring function on battery charge/discharge rates is nice. However, it can;t "shift" the CPU speeds properly, nor access the HD2600 - shame - that would be a NICE all-in-one tool!

Ikovac also sends you to get the latest ATI Catalyst Drivers, and to get the Mobility Modder to modify the drivers for use with Mobility Radeons. The link to DriverHeaven he uses, which send you here, has step-by-step on getting, modding, and installing the latest ATI drivers.

The only tool I've been able to use to overclock the HD2600, has been the AMD GPU Clock Util, which is here

go in small steps on core and mem freq, like 25mhz per test to start. M-6851 was stock at 498/599, and I was able to run stable at 621/725, but left it at 621/698 for safety. Use HWMonitor to keep an eye on all the temps. Once you get through the RMClock write-up and lower the voltages, the ATI GPU will drop about another 3-4c, to a max of about 69-71c after loading!!

I'll put more details in tonight - I forgot if it was "ATI Tray Tools" or "ATI Tool" that has the artifact tester, which will work the GPU at your OC'd frequencies to make sure it's stable.

I HAVE noticed, that sometimes you punch in a freq into the AMD GPU CLock Tool, that the 2600 just doesn't like, and the machine freezes. Try shifting up or down a few mhz, and see if you get past that "rough" spot. I had one at about 574mHz or so...something strange, I suppose.

Lemme know if you need more info.


T

 

Well, thanks to paid summer internships (god bless you, forthcoming CS degree), I do have the money available, but I'm not sure whether the 7811fx is just overkill for my gaming needs. I certainly do play a lot of CPU- and GPU-intensive games (or so they were 2 years ago ), and I'm hoping to get a laptop that can run most "modern" games (Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc.) at medium settings at 1280 x 800 or so.

So, yeah the 7811fx would be pretty sweet, but for almost twice the price? Hard call... I think the answer will probably vary from person to person.

 

I thought the same exact thing you're thinking when I bought my 6850. I exchanged it 3 weeks later for the 6860 when it went on sale for 1099 and couldn't be happier. I recommend waiting a couple of weeks to see if theres going to be a sale on the 7811. If so, the gap between the two should close a decent amount and blur the cost to benefit ratio.

 

fat fingers....

 

well, it looks like my studio 17 lappy shipped about 4 weeks earlier than the est ship date so the choice would be to keep this Gateway or go with the Dell.

Decisions....

 

gateway ftw!

 

So you are having a tough time passing up the performance of that 3650? Looks like a whopping 3432 in 3dMark 2006.


Maybe yours had a better card?

 

Hmmm....that's two different machines, though - 15.4" vs 17", if you are referring to the '64FX. I myself did not want a 17" (of course, that P-6860FX refurb @ $699 is an exception!), so the studio 17 was out. Now, if they had the 3650 in the Studio 15, instead of the girlie 3450, I woulda' jumped all over it.

Alas - unless it's a REALLY stupid deal, 17" is just too big for me.

T

 

Does this laptop get hotter above normal? How much does it weigh?

 

Depends on what you consider normal and it weighs 6.3 lbs. The laptop is not a scorcher if thats what your asking.

 

Wow 9 pounds?

Odd..BestBuy says it is 6.3 lbs.

 

Dook: Um, you in the right thread?
This is about the HD2600 M-6864FX, not the 8800M GTS P-6860FX.
The M-6864FX is about 6-6.5lb


T

 

Its not even the size of the lappy. I just love the backlit keys option for night time gaming since I only time I ever see those are on the Alienware gaming machines.

The nicer WLED lcd at 1440x900 and faster processor (T8100) doesn't hurt either. I knew the 256mb ATI 3650 was no barn burner at intensive games so my decision is if the overall config warrants the extra 2 benjamins.

Deep down, I know that the gateway is proving to be a better buy overall so I will prob return the Dell.

 

Shark. I corrected it. I was yahooing with my roommate about the 7811 and pasted the wrong shiz in the wrong boxes. He got all excited thinking the 7811 weighed 6lbs.

 

Yanking the battery might get the 7811FX to 6.5lbs!



Now - Your comments about SetFSB and ClockGen...
Were they about the 'Tempest' ATI HD2600 units?
Or the 'Godzilla' P-FX units?

...meh - or BOTH....


T

 

LOL. Possibly. Along with the screen and the hard drive.

 

And the other question...?
DId you try SetFSB/CLockGen on the ATI HD2600 units?
Or the P-FX?

T

 

I've bought this laptop yesterday and so far it seems to be pretty good for the price. Although the build ( the cover and stuff ) are cheap, but that is to be expected, and it gets really hot, its actually pretty fast.

In Guild Wars i got similar performance as with my desktop ( P4 3.0GHz, 2GB RAM, GF9600GT ), about 200fps at low-mid settings and 60-120 on very high.

Vista seems to be pretty decent, although its pretty annoying as it asks too many questions. Can i do that, or that... need administrator that... whatever.

My last laptop was a Pavilion dv5000 w. Turion 64 1.8GHz, 1GB Ram, and ATi Radeon X200M, so the increase in performance is pretty high.

Although it offers a webcamera, the picture quality is rubbish. Also my other complaint would be that it slides on the table. Also the volume control seems to work questionably.

The overall design is somewhat okay, not too annoying, but not too nice either. The FX logo looks like from style which was 'in' 6 years ago.

Also the CD drive is tottaly the same as in my old laptop. -> SLOW

And lastly the screen. The screen is pretty good, there were no dead pixels, the brightness was good too. The problem isn't that i'd want more than 1280x800, although it would be nice, but it has only 4 possible resolutions. With only one of them being widescreen...

Well... but whatever. Was just ranting 'n stuff.

 

whats the difference between the m-6864fx (this laptop) with the m-6862 located here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8913241&type=product&id=1213399955100

This m-6862 seems to have the exact same specs, but not have the FX series branding/physical look to it. Also this m-6862 is going to be $750 starting tomorrow too (so it'll be the same price as the FX version this thread is about).

Can anyone see any other difference? Am I missing something? I think the FX styling w/ the burnt orange and logo are kind of tacky, so this might be a better physical chassy for my tastes w/ the same specs.

 

With the exception of the hard drive, theres no difference hardware wise.

 

The only thing I see is that the M-6862 has a bigger but slower hard drive. It seems has the sleek design and the other looks like a regular laptop.

 

yea does the fx have the big FX logo on the back of the screen w/ burnt orange/grey/black everywhere? im guessin the 6862 has just a piano black finish

 

also, i know the bigger a hdd's storage is, the faster it's seek times are (like a 80gb hdd at 5400rpm isn't as fast as a 250gb hdd at 5400rpm)

what would the theorhetical performance difference between a 200gb at 7200rpm and a 250gb at 5400rpm?