MSI GS60 Ghost/ Ghost Pro Thread

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I don't get 3k on a 15" laptop. I can't see the pixles at 1080p. In a bigger screen fair enough. I don't get 2k on phones ether..

 

Hi I am about to take the plunge on GS60 pro (GS60 Pro / 870m / 4710HQ / 2x128GB Super Raid SSD/ 1 TB HDD / 16GB).

I am a frequent traveler and enjoy gaming so need a laptop that can do both. I have a few "practicality type" questions that maybe people with the machine can answer

1) Are the reported wifi issues common to everyone with this laptop? or just some people?
Its hard to tell from feedback here - I see a few affected obviously, but its hard to tell if some users just ignore the issue or some just don't have it.

2) Does the silent fan profile from sen7inel work for browsing? desktop apps? video playback? or just in idle?

3) I understand that while gaming or doing "heavy stuff" It will make some noise However I don't tend to play a lot of the really cutting edge FPS games (mostly D3, WoW, Bioshock infinite, more recently Elite Dangerous) should I be expecting loud/full fans and high temps in every game or do some games stress the system less and therefore produce less heat and noise when FPS locked?

4) Anyone had issues with the size/footprint when travelling? I generally carry a normal size backpack when travelling - I have a slight concern over the footprint.

Finally - For those people with one - is it worth it? Would you buy again? If you were buying now would you wait for something else?

 

For now, the voltages of the "cool.rom" haven't caused any problems.

Temp MAX (on MSI Afterburner) was 85 ^oC

The heat doesn't bother me per-se, but it's nice to be at a reasonable level while maintaining a great 7k+ 3DMark11 score.

Thanks again!

 

For me, it was the glossy screen - gotta go with matte! (3k = glossy, FHD (Pro) = matte)

 

1) I had the same questions as you about the WiFi - unfortunately, mine turned out really slow (like many others). Still works, though (I'm using it now). But unpleasant, to say the least. Probably the biggest negative. On the plus side, the ethernet is fantastic - that "Killer" LAN is no joke!

2) yes the "silent" fan profile works well

3) Honestly, the noise is no big deal. I guess there are some sensitive people out there. I sit next to my (non-gamer) wife at a desk and she hasn't commented on it yet. As others have said, it's just a big "wooshing" noise, not harsh at all.

4) haven't travelled yet, but soon will - will let the forum know if the're any issues.

I would buy again - wish the wifi were better, bezel were smaller. Main competitor was Razor Blade 14 - I've already been using all my USB ports for things, and am planning on using the display port, too (Razor lacks the DP, fewer ports). Also got the internal HDD's upgraded at Gentech - all not possible (or craazy expensive) on the Razor. It was honestly a hard call, but the Ghost is overall a more useful device, IMHO.

Oh, yes - it games awesomely, too

 

I have the 860M. Do I need a modified BIOS to OC or can I just use Nvidia Inspector?

 

You can overclock core/memory just fine with Nvidia Inspector using the stock MSI vBIOS.

 

Any settings worth trying?

 

1) I've had some funky wifi issues when I tried it out, but when it's actually in my room, I have a Ethernet connection so can't comment on how it works for gaming.

2) & 3) haven't tried the fan profile, but stock fan really doesn't bother me much. I took advice of someone else and put it into "office" Eco mode and it seems to run pretty quiet. During gaming, fan def revs up, but I either game with headphones or real speakers so haven't cared much. It's def a "whooshing" sound more so than anything grating.

4) I carry it to work occasionally and size is perfect. About the same as a MacBook Pro retina, but seems lighter. Power brick is...not small, but it's still fine.

In summary, I'd def buy again and it seems more flexible and def better priced than the new Razer. I would maybe look at that new X7 or something, but still not sure it is better in any way,

 

Thanks Mardon! You make me love my GS60 even more.

 

1) I did record slower speeds compared to my desktop on speedcheck.net but after updating and letting the wifi run through the intel driver the speeds came closer to parity. Roughly 23Mbit to 30Mbit on the desktop.

2) I am not running the BIOS but I imagine the threshold for fan boot is just a lot higher. So unless the processor is pushing the temp the fan won't boot at all. You can also tweak the processor to throttle before the fan kicks in if you are not too concerned about performance at the time.

3) You will experience some noise since the fans start running at low temps but I have not encountered any high pitched whine, mostly just low hums. Most of the noise is noticable since the air intake is from the top of the unit and feeds through large holes.

4) I came from a 13" laptop so the footprint is definitely noticable but the improved performance makes it worth the trouble. Finding a bag that fits the laptop comfortably, keeps it safe, being able to fit other essentials like the large power brick, and fit under an airline seat. I am still in the process of finding a proper bag so if anyone has any recommendations they are appreciated.

In terms of build quality, portability, and display the laptop has a lot to offer. It's not quite as solid as a MacBook Pro but it's close. It's hard to get that solid feel without a unibody. The keyboard has good feedback and very little flex. If you are away from home 80% of the time I would definitely say it is worth it. Performance notebooks are approaching a more streamlined formfactor, now laptop manufacturers just need to figure out how to shrink down the power bricks. The bezel is noticable to me so if someone figures out how to get a thin and light laptop out there with the same or better specs into a smaller 15.6" formfactor I would definitely jump ship but until then this laptop works very well.

One other thing that kind of bothers me is that this thing is a fingerprint magnet. I don't know if I just have oily hands or what but the sheen on the lid and palmrests leaves me thinking I should be handling this laptop with cloth gloves.

 

I'm having trouble with my wifi, too - could you explain how you let "the wifi run through the intel driver"? Doesn't it do this out of the box? I updated to the latest 17.0.3 Intel driver - is that what you mean? Did you do anything else to improve Wifi speed?

Thanks!

 

Anyone use this laptop for rendering/3d models etc? How does it runs? Thanks

Im between gs60 or lenovo y50

 

My 3k was just delivered... Too bad i'm not home from work until 9 hours from now..... hate long days.

 

Hey guys I am between the MSI GS60 & DELL XPS 9530 what are your honest opinions? I mean from what have read so far in this forum both have their pros and cons. But what would you suggest over all?

Also i think i will be more than happy with the 860. So I don't think I will go for the pro version.

 

Well from what I found the model on dell.com starting at 1999 has a 750M and is touch screen... for 1600 the MSI is a much better bang for your buck with a 860M.. Unless you absolutely need the touch screen I would say the MSI. The dell is just very overpriced. Unless I'm looking at the wrong model on their website?

 

The Intel PROSet Wireless tool wasn't running when I started using the machine I had to install it manually. It should show up as a green WiFi icon on your taskbar.

 

That is what i am thinking also, you are right the highest specked xps is the with a 750M. I am only thinking between them because of build quality issues. I am not a fun of touch screens either so I guess the choice is very clear then.

 

What is the opinion on Gigabyte P25W V2-CF2 15.6" 8GB 1TB Core i7 Laptop against the MSI GS60 Ghost?

 

Hey there, I have been posting in the "what notebook should i get" section, but I want to phrase my question here as well. How many heating issues are there with this machine? I have heard a lot of very mixed opinions on it - some are saying it's beyond tolerable espacially on the downside of the laptop, others have said it's okay considering how thin the machine is. I'm kinda torn between going for this model or the XPS 15 - I do like gaming, however I also got a PS3 and PS4 where I am playing most of my games, but I will pick up a Steam sale title every once in a while if it is cheaper. So while I play stuff like Skyrim, The Witcher 2, it is not the single most important thing for me with my new laptop. I also need it for writing my MA thesis (most important right now), so it's basically running 24/7 for university, entertainment and gaming.

Also, the Inspiron 15-7000 series seems to be a lot cheaper than the XPS 15, but the bad keyboard is turning me off, and quite similairly, the GE 60 Apache is a lot cheaper than the GS 60, but apparently its heating is even a little bit less good? I do feel like a multimedia laptop might suit me better, but I'm not entirely sure.

Any recommandations, espacially when considering my priorities? I've also looked at Schenker, but I just don't like the design of their notebooks all that much.

Thanks espacially for comparing the GS and GE series for me.

 

Does anybody else have extremely hot ports?

I just took delivery of my 3k today and the headphone ports were extremely hot, so much so that I feel like I would burn myself if I touched one of them for longer than a few seconds.

 

Are you running Win 7? I tried installing the Intel 17.0.3_e164 (driver & program) and all I got was the driver and "WiFi Advanced Statistics, WiFi Event Viewer, and WiFi Manual Diagnostics" programs. None seem to manage the WiFi signal directly. I tried looking online and it seems Win8.1 just controls the WiFi itself, or am I missing something?

I remember in Win 7 through control panel/networks, you could un-check or check a box for Windows to manage WiFi - I can't seen to find this option in Win 8.

Thank again for your help!

 

Just plugged in a USB WiFi adapter and got 18+Mbps on 2.4 Ghz - was just getting 3-4Mbps on the Intel 7260... wow.

Anyone else have luck figuring this out?

 

can you find a free signal-to-noise ratio software analyzer and run it using both wifi sources?

i'm guessing it is interference with the internal components of the intel 7260AC and the USB wifi sitting outside the laptop is not affected

another possibility is that it is software related since the intel 7260AC is really designed for the AC band which is 5ghz (it is dual band meaning 2.4 and 5 are supported) and it has legacy compatibility with older bands on 2.4ghz, and the USB wifi i'm guessing is A/B/G/N right?

 

actually can you simply move laptop next to router and connect with the intel 7260AC but choose the 2.4ghz if you have that option and see what speeds you get?

 

For the guys who are interested in an modded vbios for the 860M Kepler Variant:

I found this:
NVIDIA Kepler VBIOS mods - Overclocking Editions, modified clocks, voltage tweaks

Its unlocked so you can play with it

 

Will heat still be a problem even if I use a cooling stand?

 

I use a cooler, Repasted GPU and a custom vbios and the 3 combined ensure I have no heat issues and can even overclock if required.
On a standard table just the repaste and vbios is enough to keep temps down at stock settings.

 

Perfect, thanks very much. I've read that I should be careful with flashing the Bios (That's what you're talking about, right?) not to brick my laptop. Do you have a good "how to" for changing the paste and flashing the Bios?
Cheers

 

I'm going to grab GS60-2PC (non-pro) today or tomorrow.
If i'm not wrong, GTX 860M Kepler is cooler than GTX 870M, isn't?

 

Correct, there is no 870m Maxwell so far (which would be able to run at lower temps), so regarding Kepler 860m is probably a good heat/performance compromise. You might still reconsider if you want up to 30% more performance with the 870m.


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Yeah I have a how to video a page or two back. It's really easy just make sure the laptop is plugged in.

 

I'll check it out. Thanks!


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Well I got my 3k in yesterday and got about an hour of set up/play time with it. I wish it could have been more but the WiFi would connect and not work. So most of the time I was playing with network settings.

I did find out what may be conflicting and this may help others also with their WiFi problems.

The AC card after reading a bunch of Intel support documents does not agree with TKP security settings on a modem/router. Mine was set-up as TKP/AES encryption. Once I switched over to just AES I am getting my full 50Mbps down and 12 up. With no drops for the hour I got to actually play with it.

Initial impressions:

The IPS screen is beautiful and the color reproduction is much better then stated in the one German review. I did not actually test this with software.
The IPS screen also has an insane amount of light bleed on a fully dark screen(may just be mine) I will give this a day or 2 to see if it bothers me in normal use. If it does I will return the laptop.
Windows at 3k is way too tiny haha.

Build quality as well as the packaging was superb.
Backlight is brighter than the GS70 I had which is a positive.
Fans are loud/ can be fixed with the mods posted in these forums so that's not an issue.
Heat seemed good during set-up and driver installs but of course that isn't a real test.

Overall I am happy if the WiFi issue is actually fixed and the screen bleed dulls out(I know sometimes the screen may need a slight burn in)

Any questions and I will try to answer them either today or tonight after more play time.

 

thank you for taking the time to write up about your new gs60 3k
i am still waiting to see which gs60 screen ends up being better (3k vs 1080 ) in terms of colors/contrast/etc... before i decide, i rather have the higher res screen but if its lacking ill just stick with 1080.

The german review did not praise the 3k screen so ill wait for more reviews and opinions .

 

Is there a specific program you want me to run to check it with? I am no graphic designer that's for sure. But I can try to check for RGB or other contrasts for you and others.

 

thanks, Honestly i don't think i am any better . i know how to read the screen specs in a review but i have no idea how they get them.

 

The 3k screen is finally glossy or mate?

 

Been stated many times. Glossy. The glare is not as bad as the German site made it out to be though, as the screen is very bright and vibrant.

 

WQHD tends to produce some bleed at first, especially at this early stage of developing smaller high res screens but like you said, it will probably fade out a bit after a burn in. Please let us know how it looks in a few days/weeks! Thanks for your quick review!

I will receive my 1080 version in some weeks I guess. A friend of mine had ordered the 3k as well so I plan to post a short (and rather unsophisticated) comparison soon.
Cheers


MSI GS60 2PE
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Addition: you might want to try to reduce your brightness a bit if it bothers you in the beginning. It sometimes works with UHD screens by boosting the contrast that are washed out by the backlight bleed.


MSI GS60 2PE
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think you're on to something. I changed my router (ASUS RT-AC66U) security settings and saw a HUGE improvement in WiFi speed on the GS60 Pro! (was and still am on latest Intel 17.0.3 drivers)

I changed both my 2.4 and 5Ghz networks to WPA2 (AES) (the 2.4 Ghz was in TKIP before), then in "Wireless Options" changed the "Mode" to Auto (was in Legacy), then changed the channel bandwidth to 40Mhz (was in 20/40/80).

Went from my 3-4 Mbps to 22 Mbps (internal network speeds, but internet speeds saw the same change to 20+, too).

 

This is good, but what about routers that you have no control over!

 

Can any GS60 owners comment on the build quality?

- How does it feel in the hands.
- Does it feel like a premium notebook? ( E.g close to Macbooks )
- At what point is the notebook subjected to some sort of flex.
- How bad is said flexing?
- Is it tough enough to toss into a backpack and travel on a consistent basis with it?
- How is the hinge construction on the display?

 

Yeah I went through a good amount of intel support documents last night and used my knowledge of the subject to adapt it. Yay my Computer Engineering degree was useful for something haha.

Well... Most let you change between AES and TKP. From what I read the main problem is with TKP I don't know how it would handle a 2 stage login as I don't use this laptop for work. Otherwise unfortunately I don't know any other way.

Sure, I handled some of this quickly on my review last page:

It feels very good. Solid. The screen has some flex when open as it is so thin.
Feels very premium, I would consider it equal to Macbook feel in my eyes.
Stated above, screen only when open. Nothing on the base...unless you want to put a very high force onto it.
Not terrible, but noticeable.
No, be very easy to do. It also comes with a protective zip case if you decide to use it.
Hinge feels very strong, no flex in mine on the hinges.

This is all from the 3k model.

 

Can anyone run MetroLL benchmark on his GS60nonpro and post here screenshots with settings and results?
Results without any overcloking!

I'am still thinking about changing my GE60pro to GS60nonpro, because heat is unbearable and even CoolerMaster NotePal U2+ doesnt help

 

hi all, i managed to get transport buttons when i raised lowered the volume. Next to the volume fader there were windows media player controls like play pause and next track. They dont seem to show up anymore does anybody know how to access them?? thanks in advance.

 

Damnit was really hoping the AES TKIP change would help, but alas my ASUS RT-AC56U was already set to AES, etc. Still, no disconnects since the latest beta drivers 17.03, but frequent lag spikes and 2-3 second lockups. Very strange.

 

Hi Guys, first post on this great forum and I'm hoping someone can help.
I've been running the GS60 non pro now for about 2 months and overall its been pretty good.
I didn't find the build quality quite as nice as I would have expected (the screen flex, slight gaps in the lid corners and creak when any pressure is applied to the frame are however tolerable). I also haven't found the trackpad to be the best but then wasn't expecting it to be.
Everything else was great though and the screen is a joy so all in all, pretty happy.... until now.
Until Monday this week I had only applied the fan tweak which seemed to work pretty well. I don't need absolute silence or overclocking so hadn't used the other facilities kindly provided by other forum members.
I, perhaps stupidly, decided to upgrade the BIOS to the latest version. I now find that my CPU idle temps (web browsing etc) stay around 40 degrees, however, when playing Football Manger 2014 they shoot up to 60 degrees +. This may not sound like a lot but I play with the GPU disabled to give battery battery life and noise levels. I also play with medium or low settings, again to keep the noise down. I've probably put in 200 hours now on the laptop and prior to the BIOS update, I was getting low noise and temps (perhaps maxing at 50 degrees). I now get the increased temps, increased fan noise and worst of all, stuttering gameplay!
Has anyone else experienced this since updating and does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this?
I'm not sure which version of the BIOS is the original but have found version 103 on softpedia and did think about downgrading but I cant afford to brick this laptop if it all goes horribly wrong.
Any suggestions?

 

I had to send my 3k back for incessant speaker popping issues but I will give my first impressions from my few hours of use:

The Screen:
-Gamut is lousy for any sort of photo/video editing. It's a shame, because I bought this to replace my old 15" MBP with a 95% sRGB screen
-Uneven light bleeding was distracting and unacceptable for a premium screen
-Viewing angles are great and the pixel pitch is fine and leads to a pleasant viewing experience.
-Look at the screen too closely (~1ft) and you will have some contrast issues, likely due to the smaller pixels' light not hitting both eyes the same
-Significant flex is possible at the base near the power button. Otherwise, the flex is acceptable and likely won't be an issue
-Very glossy

The Chassis:
-No serious heat problems on the top (mine had some sort of audio chip problem, so the left side ports were burning hot. I don't think anybody else has this issue). Mine had the repasting from GentechPC and playing Thief I didn't see any temps above 80's
-The black finish attracts greasy fingerprints a whole lot
-Keyboard feels nice, but the backlighting could be a little brighter
-No significant flexing on the body
-Speakers (before failing) seemed louder than those on my 15" MBP

I was looking forward to enjoying my $2k notebook, but it looks like I won't be seeing this for another month