Gigabyte P34G

Well great news the updated SmartManager no longer seems to give me wifi problems. v3.7.2 available through Smart Update.

 

Smart Manager 3.6.1 Beta is the only version I see on Gigabyte's site... do you have a link to the 3.7.2 version by any chance?

I am running Win 7 and my Smart Update shows my 3.6.1 version, but tells me I should update to 3.4.5....

 

Hey!

So I got my p34g today, very happy with the machine so far. Just have one questions - I know it sounds dumb, but...how do I access my 750g hdd? When I go to my computer I can only see the ssd and everything installs there as well

 

Hi All,

After a lot of research I think I've settled on the P34G and am very excited to get my hands on one to try it out. Two quick questions I had before I take the plunge are:

1) What is the OEM warranty on this bad boy if any? Surprisingly I was unable to find any kind of warranty info on Gigabytes own site. I've heard some bad things about Support/Returns with Gigabyte in general so this makes me a bit nervous.

2) How much of a performance bump do you think I would get coming from an MSI GE60-ONC-006US?
Basic Specs are:
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7 3610QM @2.3GHz. Intel® HM76 Chipset.
6GB (1x4GB + 1x2GB) SO-DIMM RAM, Max. 16GB. 750GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
15.6" Full HD (1920x1080). NVIDIA GeForce GTX650M 2GB GDDR5

Obviously a lot of the allure of the P34G is the small form factor and lightweight, but I wonder if it's that much of an improvement on what I currently have.

In any case thanks in advance if you get the chance to answer these questions. Much appreciated

P.S. Bonus question would be if anyone has some recommended reseller. Only been able to find this sold at NewEgg and XOTIC PC for ~$1399. Thoughts?

 

Checkout Gentech but I thought newegg had 100 off?

 

I think the wifi problem was never really there at least for me. I was being stupid and not waiting long enough for the wifi card to turn on.

 

For me it takes around 45seconds for the wifi card to turn on after sleep mode, but it used to be almost instantaneous.

 

Any regrets or recommended upgrades on this laptop?

 

I love this laptop. The only upgrade for me was to add max out the RAM and swap out the 2nd drive for a 1TB Hybrid. While I recommend maxing out the RAM, the drive makes little difference...

Anyone else sees a 3.7.2 version of Smart Mgr (as stated above)?

 

So three months in to my P34G, my screen has developed a dead pixel. It might actually be 4 in a tight group. Trying to decide if I want to try an RMA...

In the mean time, running UDP2.2 and might try the heat method...

 

Hi guys! I'm thinking of getting this laptop or the Sager NP7330. Which do you think would have a better build quality? and are there any other issues concerning the P34g? thanks!

 

i think if you search this thread it's a frequent question. The np7330 is frequently compared to P34G as they are both gaming laptops; however, you just have to weigh what you want more. I had the same issue but I think what was more important was weight, panel, and screen size. 1080p on 14in is already pretty small. Sager does have more expansion slots and better graphics card and maybe smaller in dimension (definitely not thinner). Sager may have better build quality or more people report it does.

 

My pick was the P34G due to the weight plus preferring the slightly bigger screen. The build quality of the P34G is pretty solid - the weakest point to me is the keyboard. It's not as good as reviews made out though I can cope with it when programming.

 

i don't think any reviews i ever saw said anything great about the keyboard. it's just a standard chiclet keyboard. sucks when things get underneath. i haven't figured out if you can pop them off safely

 

Spoke too soon I still cannot connect to my home wireless tried turning on and off SSID broadcast and encryption and nothing. Maybe there's something up with my home AP but doesn't really explain why prob goes away when I uninstall SmartMan.

3.7.2 was what Smart Upfate gave me but I'm on W8.1 I guess it knows the difference and shows respective versions. I don't have a download link sorry.

 

uhh after reading alot more reviews the keryboard seems to be really a problem. I'm living in the Philippines and if I order online from the US I'll having a hard time with the warranty and all if I'll have problems with it so really looking for a laptop with a good build quality laptop. If only 14" workstations have better discrete graphic cards..

 

Have you tried to disable the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option in the "Power Management" tab of the Wireless adapter properties? It resolved my issues with wireless. It does take 45sec to connect to the internet after sleep mode though...

 

I have 0 problems with the keyboard. I like it actually.

 

To anyone who maxed out the RAM in their rig, what did you use? Also, after installing the dimm, do I need to do anything OS wise?

 

The only real problem I have with the keyboard is the tray is a little loose on the top and bottom center edges. But when typing on the keyboard, I don't notice it at all. This could be a simple of a fix as tightening screws holding the keyboard, but I haven't felt the need to open her up again. It's no Steelseries keyboard, but I think it's just fine for normal productivity and gaming.

 

Yes. No difference.

Keyboard is fine. Mouse pad really annoys me though. Too big/sensitive, keeps registering accidental thumb/palm swipes, false presses, accidental scrolling, and the buttons sink over time.

 

Updated SmartManager to 3.7.2 today, is there a changelog somewhere?
The only difference I see is the auto-brightness is WAY too dim in medium incandescent lit rooms.

 

Ok, now I'm starting to have a problem with the flex of the keyboard. The bottom of the keyboard tray seems to press against the screen when the device is closed. Every time I open it up, I see marks on the screen as if they had been scraping together. Anybody else have this? The marks seem to wipe away, doesn't look like permanent damage. Not the type of thing that would appear if the screen was on, but still not something I should have to deal with...

 

I haven't noticed that on my P34G but I did have the same thing happen with my Macbook. Are you sure it's actual flex? It may be by design to keep the laptop slim and most likely won't damage the display. It's also probably why the laptop has a microfiber cloth across the keyboard when you get it new.

 

I mean, the bottom of the keyboard tray definitely is not flush with the palmrest. It's worse towards the top of the keyboard, but that doesn't leave any marks.

I suppose this is a minor problem, since everything else about the laptop works (and works great).

 

Is it uncouth to reply to your own post? Oh well, all in now.

The heat method didn't work to fill in the dead pixel. I've become tired of constantly re-enabling the wifi card, and the keyboard has started to produce double characters. I'm sending it in for an RMA - wish me luck.

I'm reinstalling the stock SSD and wifi card before I do, though. don't want to take chances.

 

I went with these Patriot sticks on NewEgg. Don't need to do anything with the OS.

 

Probably grease/oils from fingers on keyboard. If it's from compression in backpack that happens with all laptops. If such a case make sure you have laptop in a case. I have a backpack with padding and a laptop case with more padding. I don't use the cloth anymore.

 

Hi guys,

I'm experiencing some troubles with my touchpad. Every time I reboot my laptop, SmartManager revert mouse speed to 10 while I set it up to 20. Any solution? Thanks!

 

Thanks. That seems to be sold out, but I can find RAM with the same clock speed. Shouldn't be any issues with using different 8GB RAM DIMM's as long as the clock speed is the same, right? Like this one, paired with the stock DIMM in the P34G?

PNY 8GB 1.6GHz PC312800 DDR3 Laptop Memory MN8192SD3-1600 - Best Buy

 

Just be aware the one that comes with the P34G is 1.35V.

 

compatible ram MUST be DDR3L, not DDR3

 

I have had this computer for several months and I just have to vent. This is a horrendous piece of crap. I have an hp elitebook 2540p, an alienware m11x, a custom built desktop and this gigabyte p34g
I bought this thinking that this would be very good for gaming, boy was I wrong

Looking at the compoonents and comparing them to my other two laptops.
1- the touchpad is sticky, and innacurate.
2- nvidia optimus is the worse piece of forcefully fed garbage we endure without a choice. , no wonder amd is taking over the world, optimmus messes everything up, it DOES NOT WORK.
3- the keyboard is horrible, its like typing on a flat surface
4- the battery is hilarious, literally will last 1 hour or less, even when not playing, this is garbage
5- overal looks of the machine is cheap, looks like a cheap 200 buck laptop from radioshack
6- when not plugged in, it wont play games, the cpu clocks down too much in a pathetic attempt to "save power" cmon , really? what is the point of buying a "gaming" laptop if you have to be plugged in to play?
7- when you finally wrestle optimus , plug the computer to the wall, and are able tosit down to play, it overheats like a freaking stove in no time, cpu gets up to 84C, this is absurd, forcing you to turn it off and save your ridiculously expensive piece of crap laptop
Seriously, im not a fan boy, and I know the "i hate whatever's popular makes me cool"attitude , but if you are looking to buy a "gaming"laptop, just buy alienware. specs arent always all there is to it, and this computer is a living example. or better yet, if you have a desktop, just buy a good gpu and thats it.

I want to get rid of this and get a good desktop gpu.if this review does not scare you, I am willing to trade my p34g for a high end desktop gpu and some cash back.

(ps I wrote this while very angry, might come back and edit it)

 

oh yes to make matters worse,

now optimus has completely crashed on it.

some games will not recognize the nvidia chip,

- dxdiag will not recognize it either

- yes i verified in control panel that the vnidia chipset is selected as preferred graphics chip, I also specified each game manually as well.

- disbaled / enabled nvidia chip in device manager

- disable/enabled nvidia chip in BIOS

- verified latest drivers are installed

- contacted NVIDIA (and was advised to contact manufacturer)

- contacted GIGABYTE ( and still waiting for reply)




Screw logic

 

Sounds like a windows issue. Rebuild from recovery. Many other happy users here.

Who games on battery?

Who games on the touch pad?

There was a qc issue on some machines where the kb was not properly screwed in. Open her up and check screw tightness.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

 

I have a somewhat capable desktop that will run everything in triple displays, the reason I bought a "gaming" laptop is precisely to PLAY while on the go.

You might not realize this, but some people buy laptops labeled as "ULTRA LITE GAMING NOTEBOOKS" FOR PORABLE REASONS.

So,, I happen to want to play games on battery power,

And YES, I run games just fine on my old alienware m11x r1 ON BATTERY and they run like a champ!! no fps drops, no cpu/gpu underclocks. Obviously this old hardware has its limitations. That is why I bought this laptop.

- I dont play on the touchpad too often, but I happen to USE the TOUCHPAD for everything when MOVING the PORTABLE LAPTOP. It is not a matter of gaming, it is a matter of general USAGE. When comparing that touchpad to my other 2 notebooks it is clearly inferior and less-responsive.

. I will verify this asap. Thanks you for providing some actual advice

 

I'm by no means a hater of this model or gigabyte generally, but I wouldn't recommend this laptop, unfortunately.

Whereas it overall is a very nice computer with fantastic screen, great performance and high build quality, the keyboard is absolutely horrible. I feel it's not emphasised enough in many reviews, but it actually forced me to go for an RMA.

1) Keys feel extremely plasticky, flimsy and cheap. Perhaps coming from Lenovo I have somewhat high expectations, but even my gf's old HP pavillion has a keyboard that's much sturdier and pleasurable to type on.

2) Typing on it is noisy. And I mean noisy in a cheap way, not in a 'pleasant tactile feedback' way. I was literally looking anxiously around if it catches anyone's attention whenever I was taking notes in my uni classes.

3) Keys have lots of flex to them (especially j and h) and the j key also made a horrendous popping noise whenever pressed strongly. The entire tray has some flex as well and is slightly unevenly aligned.

For a laptop that costs circa 1000 quid, this is unfortunately unacceptable.

 

Sorry to hear about your issues. I agree that the initial setup was a huge PITA and definitely lots of little issues, but once you fix things it is the laptop many of us were looking for. I have been on this thread since 20-30 pages back (?) and I don't believe anyone has mentioned an issue with the directx and the gpu. I myself had headaches with reinstalling drivers over and over. If I did it over I would've done a clean 8.1 install.

Keyboard is cheap and so is the touchpad. No one will argue with you there. I don't think I'll find a keyboard as good as the original thinkpads but my expectations were realistic from the reviews. A Bluetooth keyboard and mouse may remedy this.

Maybe you didn't realize that the CPU is capped on battery before your purchase. It is mentioned in most reviews. No one has cited this as a major issue as it was expected, and if anything most of us are likely waiting for a smartmanager/bios with an option to control the clock on battery.

Many of us purchased this laptop for what it offers over other laptops, and of course it has its own list of cons. Really comes down to what is more important to you. From what I remember, Alienware's current model has great hardware specs but it is significantly heavier and larger. Does it even have an IPS screen? You seem to define a portable gaming laptop as a machine that can game on battery. I recommend checking out the clevo 13.3 or msi ge40 as they have the longest battery life in this class. If this is highest priority consider the clevo 14" with iris. You take a hit on performance for battery life.

No offense, but it's silly to denigrate this laptop based on known design limitations. It's like buying a Ferrari Modena and ranting about the abysmal gas mileage. I would understand if you didn't buy this laptop because of these limitations...

I think you are very frustrated with primarily the driver issues leading to a nonfunctioning laptop. Please give this laptop a chance with all drivers and software working. I have played many games on this laptop (bioshock 1, 2, 3, league, titanfall) and have been very happy with this purchase.

 

In addition, the reviews all lauded the unique venting design to control temperatures. It can get hot but it won't get hot under your palms like its competitors. One reviewed showed the temperatures all the laptop.

 

I think I would agree with azreal.
The laptop has "quirks". I went through 2 or 3 weeks of what felt like hell with this laptop with drivers failing to install, getting over permissions issues with second hdd, bluetooth turning on automatically on startup, poor trackpad response, noisy fan and numerous others issues. These were mostly driver issues which were fixed by firmware updates and searching for solutions.
I have gotten over the poor keyboard - it still makes the occasioanl cracking sound (particularly the ctrl key for some reasosn) but this no longer concerns me. The single most problematic thing left is the trackpad - I just hated the slightly rough feeling it had on purchase (it felt to me a bit like the screeching on a blackboard sounds - this is obviusly a peronal thing). However it is starting to wear down now with use and become silky smooth to touch and I much prefer this.
Yes I woudl like better battery life, a better keyboard and trackpad. However for the portability and weight over performance I'd need to spend considerably more money.
So all in all am happy.

 

Yea and considerably more money (ie blade) is actually not that much better considering you don't get IPS or 1080p.

 

I've not found this - touchpad is smooth for me and as accurate as any other I have ever tried. I'd say it's as good as any other I have ever used. Have you tried cleaning it with maybe some glass cleaner?

Sounds like a windows problem - I've been using mine with a fresh install of Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu and optimus has worked perfectly - I don't even notice it's there.

I agree the keyboard isn't the best - I have found though that I've got used to it. I haven't spent a long time on any other ultrabook chiclet type keyboards though so I don't know if keyboards have just generally gotten worse in this product category or if this is just a ppor example.

I get about 4 hours when not playing games under Ubuntu (no idea about windows) which is inline with what all the reviews I read prior to buying said. Not tried gaming but tbh most laptops of this class will tank their batteries in an hour or a bit more when gaming.

I wouldn't agree - in fact its had unlooked complements that its very smart and "too expensive to be a company laptop" (I'm a contractor and use my own machine on jobs).

I've not noticed too much of a problem with this but I had heard about it before buying. I tend to be doing light tasks like web browsing when on battery and only doing the heavy stuff plugged in.

Why turn it off? The chip is designed to run this hot without damage - it's extremely common for modern mobile chips to run at this temperature all the time - I've had laptops from Lenovo and others that run hotter than this for a long time and none have ever died.

It sounds like a bunch of your problems could be fixed by a re-install of the OS. Personally I always find the factory images on PCs to be junk with driver problems etc and much prefer to re-install and only put on what I need.

 

buahahaha I have none of these issues, so maybe it's operator related.

I'll buy it off of you for $500 since it's such junk...

Good luck!

D~

 

My SmartUpdate 1.9.5 doesn't show a new SmartManager... still on 3.6.1 and Gigabyte's website shows the same: GIGABYTE - Notebook & Netbook - Notebook & Netbook - P series - P34G

Can someone plz provide the link to this 3.7.2 SmartMgr?

 

Hi,

Just acquired the P34G notebook not to long ago. Kind of in need of help on installing Windows 8.1 on it. FYI I have a Windows 8.1 Enterprised edition license and would like to do a fresh install of it. I'm using AHCI mode on both hard drives. When I try a fresh install of the Windows 8.1 to the notebook, Windows prompt me to insert the proper drivers before I can proceed on installing it. Attached is the image of the windows prompt. As you all can see I have already inserted the Intel chipsets drivers on it but still the installation would not proceed and windows keep on prompting on inserting the correct drivers into it. Any ideas on why is it so?



I know I can upgrade the existing Windows 8 to 8.1 by just installing on top of it but I prefer a fresh install. Really puzzled on the above problem. Btw I have set UEFI on the BIOS since I'm installing it through USB. Would appreciate if I can get any help from here as I have tried contacting Gigabyte but their answer was very general and not helping at all.

 

I installed Win 8.1 fresh without the need for any driver disk, it was regular 8.1 not EE but that shouldn't have any driver differences. I was also installing direct to the hard disk not the SSD as I wanted to reserve that for Linux but as far as I remember the SSD showed as an option. Try resetting your BIOS to optimised defaults perhaps?

 

Hey guys,

a few questions:

-Is there a way to put a touchscreen in this?

-is the fan noise annoyingly loud?

-how does the touchpad compare to one on a macbook pro 13 (what I have now)

thanks!

 

Probably not

In desktop and undemanding use it's silent - when gaming the fan is certainly audible though I've heard much worse.

No idea - I don't mind the touchpad but others seem to hate it and say it has a sticky surface which isn't what I've found at all. Its quite possible that different brands of touchpad are used

 

I doubt it would be practical to do so.

The latest BIOS update seemed to help out the fan spinup thresholds so it's gotten better. Personally I only notice it right after a game starts or ends cause they ramp up. In game, you don't even notice it.

I came from a 13'' Macbook and it's a bit to get used to only mostly because the touchpad isn't one giant button. The touchpad isn't as sensitive as the Macbook one but you can tweak the settings to make it VERY close to the Macbook sensitivity levels.

 

My P34G just started acting up. After putting it to sleep and then awaking the machine again leads to the screen being extremely dim (almost completely dark). Can't adjust it with brightness controls. Tried reinstalling all graphics drivers which hasn't helped. Restarting helps but only temporarily. Problem usually comes back after it has been put to sleep again. Any ideas? Or has anyone else had this problem before?