Gateway mx6421 Unite....

Hi, i just bought a Gateway mx6421 at Best Buy, but they were sold out and i'm waiting for mine to come in. I already purchased a ram 1gb module for it, because that's the only thing i really wanted more of out of it. However, i can't never seem to find a review for this laptop anywhere and i am finding mixed things about it on this site. Can someone who owns on of these give me the pros or cons and there thoughts on this laptop? Thanks all.

 

hello there! i just got this laptop from best buy about a week ago. despite hating best buy (and returning two compaq presarios the weekend before), i ended up liking the specs and price on this unit ($800 + tax).

i have to say, i like the machine, though it runs really hot in comparison to other laptops i've owned / used. the power brick gets really, really, really hot and it hums. my boyfriends tells me this is normal, but i don't know.

i have not been able to find a review of this laptop either. however, people kep telling me "oh, gateway sucks". i have to admit, i kind of rushed into this model, because i wanted to get the heck out of the store. i had an emachines laptop before this and was very, very happy with it, despite having a few probs with it (screen hinges/flicker). their customer service was great.

you'll have to let me know what YOU think of it when you get it. the power brick issue really concerns me, but otherwise, i like the laptop quite a bit.

 

I've had mine for a month or so. I really like it for the most part.

 

i really like mine except i think the 4500 rpm hdd is allitle slow. But im getting a new one 5400 wd.

 

i have this weird problem where the cd-rom drive chatters when i am using the keyboard. explain that one to me.

 

I can usually bs my way through any question but your cdrom problem is beyond even my bs capability. Good Luck with that one.

 

When I've had the optical drive rattling, I would open the tray and make sure the disc is seated all the way down. That has taken care of the rattling every time, except for one particular CDROM disc: the Epson Stylus Color 900 install disc, which doesn't support WinXP anyway (downloaded newer driver from Epson web).

Hope this helps you.

By the way, this MX6421 is my first notebook and I'm so happy with it, It is now my everyday and one-and-only computer. Got it on May 10th. I added 512 mb RAM for a total of 1gm RAM.

Also added a Targus laser usb mouse (love that little guy).

Had a problem with the optical drive (Toshiba), so Gate replaced it with a new one (different brand) which I installed no problem, free in-out shipping. The new one has worked flawlessly. Swapping is easy as pie.

I've been impressed with the knowlege and helpfulness of the Gate phone techs, especially compared with the awful help I got in Jan-Feb 2000 when I bought my desktop from them.

Question for MX6421 owners:

How hot does your HDD run? Mine seems to run at 43C once it steadily and slowly climbs to reach that point.

The 1.8ghz Turion runs between 53C and 60C.

I base my observations on MobileMeter.

 

when i would have the chattering in the cd-rom drive, there was NO disc in there. that's what was weird to me. i sent the machine in twice for this problem and each time, they could not duplicate it, so they returned it to me with the same problem.

either way, it doesn't matter. i sold the thing on ebay at a loss of $200. i now have a dell that i am very happy with.

 

43C is a decent temperature for a harddrive. Mine can idle at temperatures ranging from 50-58C, which is still considered okay. I just set my power scheme from "Dynamic Switching" to "Max Performance." It runs the fans much more. Right now my harddrive is at a happy 41C because it has been utilizing the fans I don't know about CPU temperatures, but that sounds about right too.

Hey Callisto, long time no talk. What kind of Dell did you get? Glad to see it's working for ya

 

hey there iowa friend! how are ya?

my gateway was an inferno. the power brick was so hot you couldn't even hold it. i ended up sending it in for service (along with the chattering cd-rom drive issue) and they did replace the power brick and cited it as defective. the laptop seemed to run really hot too, though i don't remember what temp.

i now have a dell M140. the 1st one i got fried within a week so i sent it back for a full refund. i then got the exact same model at dell outlet for $240 less ($620) with a "previously ordered new" status. needless to say, i am pleased.

 

The M140 is nice too.
As for me, I'm good. I plan to get another laptop by the end of summer. I am leaning towards the Sager NP5750. But I want to see if HP comes out with a 17" that will catch my eye. Then, if Gateway refreshes their 17", which I strongly doubt will happen, I'll also have to look at that But I'm pretty confident on the Sager.
Anyways, it's nice catching up, but it is probably best we let this thread get back on topic