---> The Official MSI GT60 and GT70 870m/880m Owners Lounge <---

If you click on a user name you can view all their posts. You can see my answer to his post in the gt72 thread.

 

Hey guys,

I have bought a GT70 (jesus, the problem that I'm going to report have just happened) well, I have bought a GT70 2pc Dominator thought XoticPC. It has arrived around 1 mounth and half ago, and it started do make a weird "flickering" in the video around 1 month ago. It is hard to explain and it does not last for too long but I was able to film it. I uploaded it on youtube:

GT70 Dominator Video BUG - YouTube

The problems occurs until second 2 or 3.

Please guys, i don't know how to proceed! Should I tell xotic or try to re-install the drivers?
If I have to tell MSI do you guys know if they are coming to my home or will I have to send the laptop to them?

 

That's a strange issue. For the best help I'd request contacting our support team. They have a 24 hour line that can help you over the phone or if you wanted to send an email it's [email protected]. They should be able to help you get fixed up. If you haven't yet tried, reinstalling GPU drivers is very easy and likely going to fix your problem. If you wanted to try that and see if it works then it will likely save you time troubleshooting with us and will likely be the first thing they have you try anyways.

 

Hello,

Every time I purchase a new laptop I immediately disable adaptive brightness. It was disabled on my MSI GT70 just fine, but then out of the blue a few weeks later it started dimming the screen constantly, even thought adaptive brightness was still shut off. Does anyone know why or have a solution? I google'd but wasn't able to come up with anything useful, just seems like a few people have had this issue as well.

Thanks

 

I am unable to find this response anywhere - will the GT70 with the 880m support the 980m? And if not now perhaps in the future?

Thanks!

 

The current known model that is eligible is GT72, but it is assumed that other models may be able to handle the upgrade, however the heatsink will be an issue.

 

Yes some people and shops have got very confused about what models have an MXM slot and what can and can't physically fit.

With the heatsink from the 970M models the card will physically fit just fine, the question is will there be any bios issues?

 

If it's a Nvidia card then it should fare better than an AMD card.

 

Hopefully at worst it's just a bios update to the latest 9xx models or just plug and play at best.

 

I have recently purchased two GT60 Dominator laptops (870m version), and I have a question about the physical power button light. First, I am already aware of the fact that the light is white when using the integrated GPU and orange when using the dedicated Nvidia GPU. However, I am experiencing two different scenarios with two identical laptops.

Laptop A: When the laptop has been shutdown and is off, the physical power button light is off.
Laptop B: When the laptop has been shutdown and is off, the physical power button is a light orange (lighter than it is when powered on and using the Nvidia graphics).

I would like to know which laptop is normal and which one is defective.

In case I am not being coherent enough in my inquiry, I am talking about the actual power button you press to turn on the laptop, not the status LED indicators under the touchpad.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could kindly chime in on whether or not their power button on their GT60/GT70 Dominator is lit orange or off when the computer is completely shutdown. Thank you.

 

In my GT60 the power button is completely off when the notebook is turned off. The first case should be the norm. The second case means that there's a leakage somewhere on the circuitry that powers the led and forces it to stay on (even though on a lower voltage than normally). The owner of Laptop B should send it back for a check-up. That leakage could prove fatal in the future.

 

Hello.

I just bought an MSI GT70 2PC.
I've tried to overclock the 870m, but it is only by adjusting the memory I notice a difference. 941/2500mhz @ 941/3000mhz
I use Furmark v1.15 to test with and it does not notice the adjustment of the core... Afterburner says 1000/3000mhz, Furmark says 954/3000mhz
If I only clock the core, and leave the memory with stock speed, I don't notice any incressement.

Someone who has the same problem?

 

Seriously do yourself a favor and don't ever use Furmark again. What is the point exactly? Other than showing your GPU can get really hot what does it prove? Unless you want to accidentally burn up a new GPU just don't.

Install 3dmark 2013 and run FireStrike. That seems to be the standard for benchmarks these days.

 

Well it has a quick benchmark 1080p that runs in 60 sec. Its not to prove how hot my GPU can get..

Got any idea why i cant clock the core?

 

I believe Nvidia throttles GPUs during FurMark test.

That program has been known to wreck perfectly good GPUs. Why not just go run FireStrike, and monitor your temps/frequencies with an On Screen Display/OSD while the bench runs. This allows you to detect any abnormalities in real-time and cancel the benchmark anytime you find an issue.

Running a trust worthy benchmark like that will allow you to see how your GPU is performing and rest assured you're getting the performance you should be.

 

Actually, even MSI uses Furmark to stress their systems during R&D stage as well as RMA process to ensure quality.
Furmark is a very important software that sets the bar and standard in GPU stressing and testing. Also, it helps MSI to determine the maximum amount of power draw that may be needed.
When Furmark first came out, lots of GPUs failed the test due to mfgs cutting corners, but things have been different for many years since Furmark's release.
You are right that Nvidia may also help to "throttle down" the GPU when driver detects Furmark so it serves as a protection mechanism to prevent GPU failure caused by overheating.

 

Now I installed Firestrike and ran it. P5080 at 1010/3100. And I noticed an improvement by raising the core speed
So you probably right that Furmark throttle down the core.

 

What was the temperature readout during benchmark?

 

Hey guys!

A new poster to this forum and am after some sound advice, please. I purchased an MSI GT70 2PE Dominator Pro about 6 months ago as I am a gaming enthusiast.

I was really wanting to know from people more experienced and knowledgeable than myself as to whether this gaming laptop was in fact a good purchase for the ~$3500 AUD I spent on it. Now I know that asking a question like this in a forum dedicated to the discussion of this model of machine might meet the eyes of MSI enthusiasts but I was hoping to receive an honest answer from you guys.

I saw the purchase of this machine as me being then able to run current generation graphics on Ultra or at least higher than normal graphical settings with no problem and so far I have tried Dragon Age: Inquisition and DeathTrap, both of which had serious frame rate issues at graphical settings above pretty much Normal. I have to admit when this happened I was quite disappointed...

I am hoping to spur you informed forum contributors to provide your opinion on the GT70 2PE Dominator Pro so I can have a point of reference to acknowledge my gaming machine as being a beast as it has been called in some reviews that I watched prior to purchasing, or something else.

Lastly and just as importantly, I am wanting to purchase a Laptop Bag or Case for my MSI. I want the Bag or Case to provide me with absolutely certainty and confidence that whilst transporting my machine (overseas by plane at some point), it will be completely protected and have the most reduced risk of being damaged in transit. Do you guys have any recommendations as to a bag that would provide ultimate support and protection for the GT70 2PE Dominator Pro? Slim line or bulky - it doesn't matter. If you think it is the best, let me know and, if you can, provide a link to where I can view its information and possibly purchase one that would be really helpful, too.

I truly appreciate all of your contributions and help!

Syn

 

It's more asking if it was a good purchase after the fact, it would seem you are the ones best able to tell us this.

No machine is capable of providing more performance than the chips it has inside it are capable of, if your clocks are normal, your GPU usage is consistent and your drivers up to date then it will liklely be performing as fast as it is able.

Be aware certain settings in titles have large impacts in performance but less in image quality, see what settings the geforce experience program sets, it can help more inexperienced people find the best ways of tweaking more quickly.

If you are super paranoid about protecting the machine a hard case will provide the most protection, otherwise a decent bag like the evereki series will provide a good level of protection.

 

Between benchmark tests it was max 71 degrees and at the end 67 degrees.
Thats without cooler booster.
I get artifacts at 3150mhz on memory and driver failur at 1041mhz on core, but allready at 1020mhz on core I get FPS drop.

 

I just got my 870M version. Does anyone know how to have the keyboard backlight automatically timeout (turn-off when not in use)? I thought that was fairly standard in backlit keyboards. But mine just stay on the entire time the computer is awake.

Side note: Some of the keys (right arrow, for example) are a bit odd color. So, for me using the default profile, the right arrow key is obviously greenish instead of blue like the other keys around that one. Is this normal?

 

With that overclock, can we expect that GTX 870M perform as GTX 660 Ti? Almost everything is pretty same at this level. To me, stock GTX 870M already looks like a cut version of desktop GTX 660 Ti.
Note: The photos don't belong to me.

 

Any backpack that will contain this monster?
Any web community where I should ask instead?

 

Should be something that most 17" capable bags can accommodate. The dimensions are listed as, 16.85" (w) x 11.34" (d) x 2.17" (h), and bag specs should indicate the thickness they can work with. So find one that you like and go from there!

 

Yes any gaming 17" backpack should work, the belkin slim series will too

For capacity the evereki titan lets me pack my beast and clothes

 

Thanks for the replies but it doesn't fit in my swissgear made for 17''. That is why I'm asking. In fact amazon reviews on multiple backpacks say this doesn't fit properly and I have never seen thickness spec for laptop compartment of a backpack.

 

You will be about 5% behind due to the boost clock of the 660ti reaching up to around 1050mhz. Factory overclocked desktop cards will be faster of course.

 

I see, although I found 1020 MHz core clock version of GTX 660 Ti. I am not an expert about this but its tech specs look almost identical to GTX 870M OC version.


And there is 1015 MHz base core clock version:


So I think at least will 980 MHz or 1000 MHz versions (if we take these max boost clock of course) of GTX 660 Ti be the same as GTX 870M oc version?

Also, how much this oc will shorten the life of my card? No extra voltage given. I of course planning to upgrade my card to GTX 9xxm series at some point but not in next 1-2 years.

 

I just flashed Klem's vBios for GTX 870M and so far so good. I got 8105 GPU point in 3Dmark 11 test (I disabled Intel Turbo Boost)

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/9578024

Temperature doesn't exceed 87celcius same as before but of course it hits that temp quicker than before. Maybe I should repaste with proper thermal paste in order to lower the temp, the current paste is a stock one.

Although max TDP usage is %75 at full load which I found it strange. I already had throttling due to max TDP limit reach with lower overclock before. Should I raise Power limit %100 to %105 or %110 or just leave it at %100? I get sometimes instant fps drops in AC Unity but I don't know this is related to overclock or TDP rather than the game itself.

 

Desktop GPUs boost above their rated boost clocks, check a review from the likes of anandtech.

 

I already did. They also used 915 MHz core clock version which is up to 980 MHz with boost for their benchmarks. See:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/647?vs=550

 

In this review like I suggested you would see the real world clock you get:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6159/the-geforce-gtx-660-ti-review/18

I suggest reading through the review to understand how the clocks work.

 

I see. So 1058 Mhz max boost clock is actually the reference card's value? Then why NVIDIA specify 980 MHz to the specification of the GTX 660 Ti? That makes no sense

 

I have the same odd color at "alt Gr" "Right ctrl" and "right arrow"
It seems greenish

 

May be it's normal then.
Do you know how to set to backlighting on "auto"? Or is it supposed to stay on all the time?

 

Have no idea..
I just turn it off manualy. I think its supposed to stay on all the time.

 

I haven't seen a feature on it where it will automatically turn off then back on once it detects your hands are back. I've seen it on other brands, but not MSI.

 

Nvidia guarantee a certain level, over that is a bonus and will vary by chip quality.

 

The boost clock performs about the same as everyone else, but the GPU could be bottlenecked unless the battery is high on charge.

 

Thanks for the explanation. Well, then I'm certainly not gonna try to get same level as GTX 660 Ti. That must be required extra voltage to the GPU for the stability. I'm happy what I've got with this OC.

I say NVIDIA's vBIOS is worthless one. The GPU's boost clock cannot maintain its clock stable because of the original vBios. When I OCed my GPU with original vBIOS, it was throttling even if the temps are between 65-80C. I can never get 1006 MHz boost clock in the first benchmark of 3DMark 11. The core clock speed was staying at 941 Mhz. GPUz's PerfCap Reason was saying that the power is limited by TDP. At least the memory OC didn't throttle. Then I flashed unlocked vBios (thanks again to Klem at Techinferno) and I get no throttle, no power limit at the very same circumstances. The OC is very stable and it never pass 87C at max load same as before.

 

Ran 3DMark (2013) today and got 5482 graphics score with overclocked GTX 870M. It is surprising for me that this score is little higher than OCed GTX 660 Ti's graphics score (5432) according to Notebookcheck. Not sure if it is comparable to gaming performance but still
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/6446946
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-660-Ti.110056.0.html

 

Hi again, I just ordered Noctua NT H1 and going to repaste both CPU and GPU in a few days. The temps are okay but I believe they still can be lower.

How should I proceed? My laptop's brand tech service said they use business card method and they probably used on my laptop too which is an awful method to alot people. I was disassembled my laptop and saw that there are alot air bubbles.

I plan to use the pea or the line method. Which method give the best results? The line method on the CPU and the pea method on the GPU? Or both the pea or the line? The CPU is not exactly square, in fact it looks like rectangle. The GPU is however is more like square. I use GT70 barebone with i7 4710MQ and GTX 870M. Thanks in advance.

 

I had to reverted GPU OC to its stock clocks because it's already getting hotter in here (damn penthouse, the ambient temp is 27c!!!). I saw 90C for the very first time with GTX 870M. Although no throttle besides horrible fan noise, I kinda scared so I reverted it back to original stocks. I didn't flash back to stock vBIOS by the way, that would be horrible. I just use MSI Afterburner to minus core and memory clock values (Apply overclocking at system startup is checked).

 

Are you running at the limit of stable voltage? You could try lowering it a little with nvidia inspector and see if you can run it a tad cooler. Also have you repasted and are you running with 0.5mm thermal pads?

 

Yes, the voltage is always at its stock clocks, 1.000v. Should I lower voltage at overclock speeds or stock? Yes, I repasted both CPU and GPU. It seems it had a great effect on CPU but can't say it changed anything on GPU. I don't know thermal pads' mm but they are stock ones. Do you know how much conductivity they have? I consider to replace them with the good ones. I will be greatful if you can give me recommendation.

 

For best results when overclocking the voltage should be matched with clocks, the voltage should be no higher than that needed for stability, anything higher is wasteful (with a small margin for chip ageing).

 

If you want an easy way to get the best OC result out of your system, ask Svet for help as he will be able to boost CPU & GPU performance altogether.