Gigabyte P34G

Side-by-side, both running Uniengine Heaven benchmark on extreme preset, the P34G is noticeably louder (Asus is pretty close to silent or at least compared to ambient noise in my house) and, sadly, slower. I guess because the 660M in the Asus has faster memory...or maybe I need to update my P34G drivers...

I wouldn't call the P34G "loud," but it is certainly louder than the Asus.

 

@Mize Thanks man I really appreciate your input (Have an upvote). Your sig has a typo I believe it should say G46 instead of G45

Also for my Asus G46 in particular you know you have OPT for the 1080p IPS resolution now right?
I have that and the upgraded i7 processor. To be honest the only downfall imo on the G46 was the crappy screen. But the upgrade fixed it and was well worth it.

Anyways excellnt purchase on your P34, seems like a really power laptop considering it's form factor.

I'm sad on what AW did with their new AW14 model, fans sounded like a hairdryer to me so I decided to return it and keep my G46 for longer

 

@Nivaku - Ouch! Thanks for correcting my sig. I knew about the G46VW upgrade, but haven't gone that route yet. Like the P46G so far though...just wish that 760M could keep up with the 660!

 

So what your saying, the 660m is faster then the 760m? That's impossible, update your driver. Am I missing something here?

 

660m is 970 MHz Clock (835MHz default), 1425 MHz Memory (1250MHz default) with 1085 MHz boost (950 MHz default)

760m is 628 MHz950MApparently the higher clocks overcome the higher shader count...even after a driver update the 660m is faster at the Heaven benchmark

Also GPU-z lists the 660M as GK107 vs. 770M as GK106

 

760M is absolutely faster than a 660M. Unless the 760M is throttling due to poor cooling

 

I just try to get into the Intel display properties to create a custom resolution but I cannot find the advance option for the Display setting. Can anyone help?

 

Yes this is Intel's fault. Run C:\Windows\system32\CustomModeApp.exe

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

 

Well the problem was that boost for the nv GPU wasn't enabled. I'm running a clean w7-64 install...loaded up Afterburner and cranked boost on GPU and memory and now it's faster than the 660m.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

I don't know German, but the machine translation gave me the gist. I haven't seen people in this thread mention such ridiculous idle noise levels - maybe notebookcheck got a bad unit (seems unlikely)? 35dB is unacceptable. The worst I've read here is the fans are on and you can hear them if you put your head close, similar to any idle notebook with always on fans.

Either way this is a very disappointing read, I trust notebookcheck a lot as a resource, as much as I do the forums here. I may need to reconsider my planned purchase if the noise levels, especially at idle, are so high.

 

I think all the measures from the review are quite accurate, except maybe for the temperature, which I think could be even lower.
I didn't consider 35db that high, it's a normal computer fan. You get used to eat. Besides it's a peak value I think...
But like I said before...I'm not sure it's worth the premium value with the alternatives we have.

 

Which do you mean specifically?

All the alternatives I've seen seem to have their own glaring problems though - be it horrible screens, fan profiles, build quality, etc.

 

Well, the MSI GE40 barebones are much cheaper. I think temp problems are due to bad thermal pasting (there are some reports on the forum), besides undervolting makes a huge difference and I haven't heard of anyone trying it. And noise levels are lower than the P34G (on notebookreview).
edit: Forgot to say, HIDevolution is selling it with the same panel the p34g has. So it is compatible.

 

You might be correct, but looking at the internal layout the P34Gs cooling solution do appear to be superior (although not quieter). The GPU and CPU be at the rear with two fans venting exhaust out backwards. The GE 40 have the GPU? placed under the handrest, where your WASD hand lives, and appears to exhaust to the left (could have been worse, i,e. to the right). Overall the P34G internal layout looks more tidy. Obviously, the P34Gs limited battery capacity is partially caused by this design, since the battery almost have to be fully internal and quite small (only 4300mAh/47wh). A click-in solution as seen on many larger laptops would probably have take too much space. The folks at Gigabyte have clearly prioritized size, weight, performance and cooling over battery capacity and noise.

P34G



MSI GE40


Mac

 

Well I have the P34G and my friend has the GE40 and despite the issues I have had he has already traded his GE40 in and ordered the P34g. He had upgraded thermal paste and cooling pads. No matter what he tried it sucked. Not to mention they are just ugly looking laptops.

Noise wise not a huge difference.

Obviously the looks comment is subjective.

 

Thanks a lot for the help. Found it.

 

What cooling pad did he have? Did it get to hot on the "wasd" keys zone? Did he try undervolting?
Sorry, just curious.

I agree. I thought the same thing, but when you look at the numbers and the final result I don't see a huge temperature difference. And, although there are some complaints about keys getting hot for the MSI, I'm not sure they had repasted (repasted temps are like -5`c, with undervolting that's at least another 5c...).
On the other hand it is true that the has only one heatpipe for the CPU, which contributes to rather maintain the GPU cool. I'm not saying it's better or even good, but I understand why MSI engineers decided to do that. In the end, if you're going to play, you don't really need to push the CPU to the turbo limit. And if you're going to do CPU intensive tasks, then I'm gussing you're not going to push the GPU.

Weight difference is negligible, a MSI barebone without ODD is like 1.9Kg. Size difference well...width is 22-29mm for the MSI (21mm for GB).
In battery life on the other hand, there is a huge difference, plus is removable. Keyboard seems better to me (dedicated home/end keys, better placement for the Fn keys, more key travel, etc).

What I'm trying to say is: maybe the P34G's advantage is not as great as the initial numbers and the marketing lead us to believe. The MSI got bad rep right from the beginning. In the end, the P34G design should be better, but then again, the MSI design is old and has already worked in the past.
Of course, I've never seen the MSI. I'm going to test it in a few days but, considering the price difference, I think I'm not going back to the gigabyte.

 

Temperature "scores" is always wise to take with a few grains of salt because there are many variables impacting air cooled devices. I've built, overclocked and customized computers since the 90s and have had my share of disappointments when coolers, dooodas and near magic-sounding substances met reality despite almost inhuman attention spent on detail and application For instance, temperatures, unless measurements having made in strictly controlled conditions, are not comparable back and forth between reviews or proud declarations made in forum posts. A few degrees of air temperature difference from you and the next man, air moisture, inaccurate/uncalibrated temperature sensors, termal paste/pads and so forth are all examples of things that play a huge part in this. What I'm attempting to point out is that you can at best get a rough idea from reading forums and reviews, in reality you have to use the device in your own environment. We can of course attempt to make guestimates

Now, had things been different I might as well have reached similar conclusions in the research phase as you. For one the reviews I read in my research phase didn't divulge that the GE40 now exist with a better panel. Secondly the GE40 is only sold through a store (nationally) I'd rather not deal with. Thirdly, the price of the highest spec'd GE40 sold here (i7 4702mq/8gb/128ssd/750gb hd) is ~200$ more than the P34G with 8gb/128ssd/1tb hd. As the P34G is sold sans OS and I have licenses it was an easy choice. Remains to see if I'll be satisfied with this piece of hardware. Fingers crossed that the GE40 works out for you!

Mac

 

Hey all, I just used the SmartUpdate to update the bios to 303A, and now my laptop only boots up to the aptio setup utility, and i can't get past that even after exiting. Any help on what I can do to fix this problem? Thank you

 

Do any photos of the P34G and GE40 next to each other exist for a size comparison?

 

According to the manufacturers specifications the GE40 is 339mm x 239mm x 22.1mm while the P34G is 340x 239 x 21mm. In other words, they are practically identical in size. Dunno if a pic will tell you much more...

Mac

 

They say a picture's worth a thousand words.

 

Just now read that the GE40 doesn't have a backlit keyboard? What?

 

Actually I think that's the minimum. For the MSI GE40 it's like 22mm-29mm on the wider side.

 

I'm not sure the difference you want to find. With same specs, the GE40 is not cheaper than Gigabyte p34g. In addition, the GE40 have a 900p screen and not a good one at all. And also the keyboard is not backlit and is arguable bigger in size and single fan for cooling. So are you telling me the GE40 is a better buy? Unless you are talking about the build quality but I doubt the MSI is any better.

 

I said screen is no longer an issue...read the whole post.
Here in Europe the P34G-CF1 is 1400 Eur. An MSI GE40 *barebone* is 1000 Eur (with 1TB, 16GB Kingston). I'm saying, for me, it's not worth the price difference (40%).
In any case, I just wanted to bring it to the table. From the results of notebookcheck.com, the P34G doesn't seem that far from the GE40.
The price situation might be different in USA. Just my opinion. I haven't even tried it yet (the GE40).

 

I think it's really kind of a toss-up between them. I have been going back and forth and can't decide on which of the 2 models to get. The latest GE40 is basically the same price as the P34G and they have the same 1080p display panels. The only differences I can come up with are for the GE40 it has much better battery life, but a bit more plastic and no backlit keyboard. The P34G has a backlit keyboard and better design (personal opinion) but the battery isn't very good at all compared to the GE40. I really can't make up my mind on which of the 2 models I think is better at all, especially with the new screen in the GE40 20C-245US model. The 2 machines are nearly identical spec for spec now, and the base prices are identical (both $1399 US).

 

I'm not aware of the MSI with 1080p. My bad. But in terms of battery, why will you need an extra hour or 2 of battery life. Don't tell me you guys are looking to game without plug in to the wall, if you guys do, Best of luck because the MSI GE40 won't do that much better. I will suggest you guys look for ultrabooks for battery life and in case you guys are looking for video editing then look for some business laptop with dedicated video editing video cards.

 

What does the barebone comes with? No SSD I'm sure. Here in the state the ME40 config that matches the P34G is $1399 with 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB but it's heavier, no backlit keyboard and a slight thicker package to the rear. You do get a longer battery life though.

 

I recently ordered mine from XOTIC PC.
And I just want to share my BAD experience with you guys who might consider ordering from them.
Mods, please moved to proper subforum if you see this as improper.

I ordered mine on Oct 21st, with Thermal Paste, AC7260, and 1TB 7200rpm.
Received it on Oct 31st in a box that wasn't properly taped up (tape doesn't cover the opening of the box all the way....), styrofoam popcorns are spilling out from the box as the ups guy was handing it over to me.
Luckily the laptop inside the Gigabyte packaging was undamaged!

So as I turned it on and setup everything, I noticed that it was not detecting the 5.0Ghz wireless network, so I checked and found out that it was a N7260 instead of the AC7260 (which was kinda weird actually, I believe both cards are dual-band, but fortunately, it did not detect the 5.0Ghz and made me check what card was in the laptop!!!)

I quickly contacted them the same day I received it and requested them to send the correct wireless card to me asap.
After several rounds of emails, and submitting a RMA form, in which I had specifically asked for the FASTEST shipping option!
They have finally shipped out the card today, Nov 11, with "UPS GROUND"!!! what the heck? really??? A total of 11days after I first brought up the problem, and you are shipping it out with UPS Ground????? At least you can ship it out with 2nd day, I will be at least a little happier.....
This is so Unacceptable!

I am so glad that I didn't pick the option for the 3 years XOTICPC warranty service, who knows how long it'll take them if my laptop needs a repair.
Maybe a year or so?.....

I have to say though, Hutsady was very helpful in helping me getting the order in, and responded to emails quickly.
But the technician, and the service department are of the opposite.

I do not think I will be a returning customer, and Good Luck to those who have ordered from them with some upgrades, make sure to check if all the upgrades are actually "UPGRADED"!

 

I kind of answered the same question you did, and in return he is not happy of what we answered. I think he wants to know if for the price he pay for barebone MSI Ge40 for 1000 USD which does not have the features such as 1080p display, no backlit keyboard, and much bigger in size and weight, etc...is it worth it than buying a 1399 USD gigabyte P34g.

The answer is very dependent of what you want. How can we give you advice?? you pay what you get. if those features you don't need, then yes, it is good. But if you ask me that this is the comparable to p34g, i will say no unless you get the same respectable specs which come to the same price as 1399 USD.

Did I misunderstand your question again?

 

My experience with xoticpc was basically perfect with no mistakes, quick configuration and fast shipment. I had thermal paste AC NIC, different mSATA and SSD instead of HD with w7 instead of 8 and no issues.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

The MSI barebones also doesn't comes with OS, that also help cut the price down for people who already owned a copy of Windows.

Also the MSI Branded GE series are not all plastic, the A panel and C panel are brushed aluminum but the bareones are all plastic.

 

That's pretty alarming to read about Xotic putting the wrong wifi card in and being slow to fix it. Glad to hear most people have had better experiences with them.

How audible is the idle P34G at 8-10ft? I realized I may be sleeping next to whichever notebook I pick up for a time.

 

Hello,

Thats really sad to hear...Are you sure that the default wifi card N-7260 does not support 5Ghz band...cause Even I have ordered from xoticpc and I ask Josh about the same and he replied it supports dual band.

Are there any other quality check issues and the fan noise problem. Also how is the battery life under normal usage? Please let me know asap cause I have already RMA once with xoticpc for exchange and I don't want a defective machine this time.

Thank You.

 

Hello,

Even I have ordered from xoticpc and they are telling it is currently out of stock. Can you tell me that does the wifi card N-7260 support dual band? How the fan noise under load, is it too audible? How is the battery life under normal usage? Are there any quality check issues with the machine when you receive from xotic..???

Thanks for the help.

 

Intel® Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 Plus Bluetooth*

The N 7260 only lacks wireless AC which is faster and has longer range owing to beamforming technology.

yes

 

Model I got from OCUK was the Single band 7260 N. No 5GHz support, going to switch it out at a later date and use the single band one in a PCIe card converter on my PC.

 

Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me how is the fan noise under load, is it too audible? How is the battery life under normal usage? Are there any quality check issues with the machine when you receive from xotic..???

 

802.11ac uses beamforming? I thought it was being introduced with 802.11ad

 

AC is supposed to include beamforming.

Regarding how loud it is it all comes down to the person I think. It's audible when running hard for sure, but it's not like a graphics card blow-dryer thing. In a normal office environment you shouldn't notice.
As for battery, I've not really used it much on battery. I'd guess, based on limited usage, it might get 3.5-4 hours if you were careful about screen brightness, etc. but I've not tested.

 

I just checked the intel website, and apparently, there are two version of the N7260, single band and dual band.
And I also just checked that the stock P34g has the single band version according to xoticpc...
good thing it was only single band, or else I wouldn't be able to find out that mine was not the AC

The quality doesn't seem to be an issue, just make sure all the upgrades are there.

Was your RMA experience as bad as mine? Just curious

 

Link, please.

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First Impressions – Gigabyte P34G Ultrabook | Hardware Junkies
Did a bit of a first impressions article. Might be worth a read.

 

8-10' you won't hear it. Just make sure you have your browsers closed when you shut it down for the night, particularly if you use Chrome.

 

Nice write-up. Accurately captured and fairly delineated the pro's and con's of the unit. Six weeks on and I'm well pleased with this machine other than the Bluetooth always taking 4-5 minutes after boot to kick in and pick up my keyboard and mouse. Will hold on to it for a while.

 

When I was trying to make my mind between them, I found an old post (June) on GE40 owner's lounge that had a link to a review. The review has awesome pictures, because they actually measure the laptop. That was the way I realized why the height specs are different from one web site to another. Some specs don't consider the feet.

Review MSI GE 40 Dragon Eyes Gaming Laptop (Hardware)


____ Front __________ Back

 

Hello,:hi2:

I don't know how bad it was for you, but for me they finally manage to replace for exchange and my gigabyte p34g stock will be shipped within 2 days as they are backed with there inventory. I also made a special request to check all the components well before shipping this time. Also I spoke with Josh and he confirmed me its a dual band 5ghz support N 7260 card and not single band...I also asked Ken Lee from gentech pc about the same and he also mentioned it is dual band. Can you please ask or confirmed about the same if possible? I hope you get the right machine this time cause I know this one is freaking awesome machine in its class.

Thank you.

 

Thats a great review...

 

Hello,

Thats an awesome review. Mind if you can tell the Wifi card N-7260 is dual or single band as it is not mentioned in the review...it would be very helpful.

Thank you.