MSI GS60 Ghost/ Ghost Pro Thread

If a reseller has NB in stock, then he should be able to pull that info out for you if he's willing to. The only reason that they may not do it because they will have to break the seal for the box which many do not want to temper with.

 

Thanks Kevin. I will try to catch you later this week to configure a 3x 256gb ssd raid 0 (largest 3x raid ssd size in 1130 gb max of gs60 intel pc card.) And maybe those 1866 ram if it goes up to 16gb (that's new to me!) w/ win7 pro of course.

Except for the cost, which you can hopefully guide me to minimize, why would they make them any other way?

Thanks Again! Your company has like a quality site.

 

You can't use 1866 because CPU doesn't support that kind of clock speed, so if you insist to use it then there will only be 2 results.
1. No POST, black screen.
2. POST, but RAM clocks at 1600MHz.
See below for official spec on the processor.
Intel 4710HQ

3x 256GB should be reasonable enough for most of common applications.
If you have any questions, feel free to let us know.

 

OK Kevin, but your site has them and 4720HQ processor now too!
(I had to take a double look, but it's good timing for me to buy the perfect laptop!)
The 1600 will help me save $$$, and it's fast enough.

http://ark.intel.com/products/78934...Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_60-GHz?q=i7-4720hq

The fastest GS Ghost Pro processor and largest Vram in 3 x ssd raid 0: sweet.

http://www.gentechpc.com/config.asp?config_id=GS60-GPro-064

 

4710 & 4720HQ is just 100MHz difference, but memory frequency support is identical.

 

thanx again. i'm new here, and from my local experience in my country it should be a large enough store with over blown prices to begin with. but I tried MSI due to overall great reviews. It's not great to find out that there are quality differences in the panels. it's still a 1,000$ laptop.
why isn't there a thread for gs60 owners, especially for sharing detailed specification per model, aka screen panel and other differences.
i don't care about starting anything new, but does anyone own 800-1000$ gs60 model and willing to share the model of the panel?

 

Did each reviewer indicate the type of panel used on their review unit? Generally, it can't be too much of difference from one supplier to another, unless it's really intended due to premium level.

 

I don't know, in NOTEBOOKCHECK and maybe 2 other sites. there are a lot of reviews out there.
i haven't looked on the screen model itself, but i recall seeing an important difference between the 2 screens in the GS60 review. i think they were gs60-2pc and gs60-2pl.

but in relation to your remark, i guess it will be fine enough if the owner would specify GS60 model number, country of purchase and screen model or other specifications as he like.
to my knowledge you can find reviews for specific screens apart from MSI itself.

 

it's even more significant when it is the low budget GS60, since it's a TN screen.

 

Most likely it's gonna be either a TN panel, or PVA panel.

 

GS60 Keyboard testing (sorry for my English):


This is a painful issue for me. but for overall use it's a good keyboard.
this review is for people with demands.

Today I visited in the MSI distributer offices in my country. Their representative kindly allowed me to test the keyboard. Therefor I'll be sure to mention the pros, cons and the unknown.

Disclaimer: I tested the keyboard for 5 minutes. This review is mainly relevant for prolific typists that types a lot of text and appreciate the fast typing capability in the keyboard. I think that for gaming proposes this keyboard is good, besides the small palm rest that is not suitable for people with large hands, but maybe it's not an issue.



Key travel is 1.8 mm

I didn't notice any flex in the keyboard, and the keyboard felt very solid.
At first the keyboard felt a bit shallow, but I got used to it in a few minutes.
The pressure point was good, the tactile response was great and the amount of force needed to press the keys was just perfect and was similar to the keyboards in Acer aspire e1,e5 (1.7 mm) [by the way, Acer e1/e5 is great for fast touch typing, but I did had some typing errors) and Lenovo Y50 (1.3 mm or 1.5 mm I think, also good for fast touch typing – but too little key travel for my taste).

Asus N551jk has 2 mm key travel but pressing the keys demands to apply more force and is tiresome and I couldn't reach my usual typing speeds. In comparison the Asus typing experience feels like claiming on buildings (buttons) and I couldn't glide on the keys at all.

In terms of touch-typing/fast typing the keyboard in GS60 was good, the key's coating was smooth but not too much, and the spacing between the keys was right, and I successfully managed to glide on the keys without missing any key.

Palm rest: big enough to comfortably place the hands (I have medium size man hand (17 cm long).
Big handed people won't be able to place their hands comfortably on the palm rest.

From some reason the keyboard felt a bit crowded comparing to other keyboards I tried.


The only real downside to the keyboard is that the keyboard is totally flat and not sunken in the laptop like in other laptops, and this is probably due to the overall thickness of the gs60.
Unfortunately due to the keyboard structure I had to lift my thumb completely the entire time, and after a few minutes of typing I felt a painful pressure in the base of my thumb. I don't know if you can get used to it. I'm only counting on the first few minutes impression to determine if the keyboard will be comfortable, and feeling pressure in the first few minutes when typing is far from ideal.

Mostly the typing comfort has something to do with the sitting position. I was sitting near a desk in a straight angle.
When typing in a different angle from above, like when sitting on the bed, the keyboard feels a little better, and the typing speed increases. It is probably because the hands are in a different angle and maybe resting on the knees.

MSI representative told me the keyboard is the same on the G series (build and structure – not backlight etc.), so perhaps the same keyboard experience in the GP/GE is better because it is sunken.

 

That is a Professional review, and your English is great. Very thorough anthropometric assessment, beyond most writer's education level. You must be from Taiwan (?)

The main thing to me is if the keyboard flexes, and pops cap(acitor)s off the circuit board. That is why I will always have an aluminum body casing (backside plastic ok like GS60) with no exceptions. They will last virtually forever, so no matter how bad the keyboards are designed, you will have time to adapt (at my 25 wpm anyway, ha ha) if you are not at the far end of the scale from the mean that the keyboard was designed for. It should be pretty uniform by now for key sizes though. I had never seen the analysis done on the depth of keys from an expert typist (a thing of the past in most cases), so that is great.

Keep a bow in your neck and your shoulders pinned back (for correct Chiropractic adjustment)!

+

 

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software Version 17.16.1.2 WHQL

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/intel-7260.716325/page-100#post-10008846

 

thanks dude! it feels retarded really but i touch type, i think its the term used for typing with all fingers without looking at the keyboard. but I doubt fast typing is a thing of the past now days. it really concerns anyone that types fast and tend to glide on the keyboard. amount of force applied and other things i mentionesd are also a concern. the one sure thing I can say is that most reviews are lacking. this keyboard was great before I tried it. but who knows. my ideal equsion is key travel: 1.7 mm+, amount of force used to press the key (I think it's called actuation force and LAPTOPMAG site usuallt mention it in their reviews, key coating (not too slippery to grip) and tactile response. a bit spongy is ok.

i didnt managed to fast type and glide on thinkpad edge also.

 

Hey guys,

MSI representative in Germany gave me the following information about the PANELS used in GS60-2pmi581:

This model costs around 800 euro.


" GS60-2PMi581 can have either of these:
15.6 inch,FHD,1920x1080,ANTI-GLARE, INNOLUX/N156HGE-EA1,LED
15.6 inch,FHD,1920x1080,ANTI-GLARE, SAMSUNG/LTN156HL01-102,LED"


the representative was really informative, so I suggest that anyone that wants to know or to make sure that he is getting a decent screen, to contact MSI local service (where you plan to make the purchase) directly and ask about the screen model, and than look online for the screen's specifications or youtube reviews for the screen.
be sure to also ask MSI what is the screen model that is used for a gs60 model you saw in a review.

I understand that the screen may differ due to the local manufacturer/country etc. so pay close attention to that also. some stores and countries import the laptop from different countries and manufacturers, so be sure to ask the store about the laptop origin.

MSI local service contact by E-MAIL list is on MSI WEBSITE

 

You could contact the reseller also if they are not a big box retailer.

 

Yeah, so you don't really know what you will be getting unless the reseller helps you.
But sometimes they may end up with one type of panel in the entire stock.

 

guys I am having a serious issue with my gs 60 (970 m), seems like I received a lemon as the screen has flickering and (thin) black horizontal lines that intermittently appears.

I already sent it in for repair but I'm very nervous, anyone get this issue repaired? I've noticed several posts and youtube videos with the same problem.



my symptoms look exactly like in that video!

fyi I purchased this in the US but I moved to China. Even though its been less than a month I can't return it to amazon (international DHL is expensive, and there's possibly a customs tax even though I'm just returning it).

I'm relying on the international warranty right now. I hope the service center in China can repair it.

 

Sorry to hear about this. The best option is to service the unit in China using international warranty as you had mentioned. The issue is possibly caused by a defective screen.

Can you also try hooking up an external display and see how it behaves on it?

 

Yes I have hooked it up via hdmi, on the TV it seemed to be normal. Then again I only observed for a few minutes.

What worries me is that similar posts regarding this specific issue were never resolved. multiple people sent it in several times, and they still had this problem after several repairs.

One thing I am optimistic about: the service center said if they cant solve the issue in 3 tries, or up to 2 months then MSI will probably send me a new machine. But that's a lot of wasted time... I hope they get it on the first try.

 

I think everyone here can empathize with you.

1. Which exact model did you get?

2. Was it a 4k (or 3k) resolution screen with less than 3gb (or what specific size) VRAM?

Statistically speaking, I would think some configurations may be more susceptible to difficulties from component combinations, but of course any case could be random chance error alone. However, I'd want to identify my product specific grouping so that any possible correlations could be made in an effort to eliminate any risk possible.

I hope you have a backup pc!

 

i actually have the 1080p model, with 12 RAM and 970m3gb VRAM.

hope its a simple fix such as replacing the ribbon, but I just have a bad feeling. doing a search online it seems others never figured out the issue (esp on youtube).

anyways I'll keep you guys posted. I actually read about the issue before I bought it, and never thought that I would be this unlucky!

 

Hello guys!

One question, is it possible to upgrade the display for a working Touchpad display?

 

There's no panel/digitizer that will currently fit the GS60. This isn't common enough of a laptop for someone to make an aftermarket one either. The lid size is a larger footprint than most 15" laptops, so it likely wouldn't be compatible with anything else. The only chance of getting one in the future is if MSI somehow releases a newer model with one that uses the same chassis.

 

Is possible to get the Gold GS60 with a non 4K display & 970m anywhere?

 

So just an update, got my laptop back from the repair center after 5 days. The only component they changed was the screen, and so far the problem has disappeared. I've used it all day today for movies and games and there's been no issues, so hopefully that problem never occurs again.

I just wanna say that the international warranty is a godsend, and I was fortunate to have a good technician who listened to my problems and followed procedure.

One tiny complaint is, having switched out the lcd, the front bezel around the bottom of the screen seems a little loose, with a lot of flex, like its not adhering. Is that a problem in your model or was it not reinstalled properly?

 

There's probably double sided tape on the reverse side of the bezel that holds the bezel to the frame around the screen

Otherwise the bezel snaps onto the lid at several points around the edge.

Just run your thumb along the bottom edge to prees the bezel to the screen frame.

A thin guitar pick,plastic picnic knife or plastic artist's palette can be used safely to remove the bezel.

This is what I use to disassemble my notebook parts that snap together
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Richeson-Plastic-Palette-scotty/dp/B004BNDMC0

 

There's definitely tape. I had a ton of it when I removed my bezel. I ended up replacing it with 2mm cell phone screen tape, which worked pretty well. The clips are not enough because the bezel is so thin, it practically flaps in the breeze.

 

I had that problem before and no one could solve it. The problem lies with the screen cable itself. When they assemble the screen, they tend to pull the cable tightly around the hinge corner. I took out the mobo and loosen the cable at the corner. They flickering stopped.

 

They do listen to what the user says at least in europe so if you say the LCD cable or LCD itself needs replacing most likely it may help.

 

Hey guys,

I'm hoping to buy an MSI GS60 soon but unfortunately i'm having trouble finding one within my budget of £900. There's this nice 2PC on Ebuyer for £850 but i'm not sure whether the 860M it uses is the Kepler or Maxwell version?

www.ebuyer.com/675959-msi-gs60-2pc-ghost-gaming-laptop-9s7-16h212-485

If the GPU turns out to be the Kepler model then i will perhaps leave it, which will be a shame. Are there any other places in the UK offering this laptop within my budget, which use ideally the i7-4720HQ and 960M?

Many thanks!

 

The 860m is Kepler.

 

This was probably one out of many units that had tight assembly on the cable.
If the cable becomes bad in the near future then it's best to contact MSI directly for service.

 

Just wanted to raise an interesting question about this laptop. I posted here the other day asking about an 860M version which i had found cheap on Ebuyer, but since then i have come across another one called the CyberPower Fangbook Edge S 4K which is based on the same chassis.

https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/system/FANGBOOK_EDGE_S_4K_Gaming_Notebook

The photos on the website show the keyboard in red, and i have contacted CyberPower who said that the keyboard will only light up in this one colour. This is different to the MSI GS60 which can light up in various colours across three sections.

Do you think that the restriction to red on the CyberPower version is a hardware or software limitation? For example, i'm just wondering whether flashing the MSI BIOS or using MSI's drivers and the SteelSeries Engine program would allow me to access the full colour functionality of this keyboard? I don't really know how these keyboards work but i imagine it would be exactly the same underneath.

 

Only way to know is to try it and see. I'm guessing it's hardware though because I can't imagine a company would intentionally disable such a feature. There are a few other versions of this laptop that have subtle hardware differences, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that this keyboard is totally different. Most don't call it a steel series keyboard either.

 

Thanks for your response. I've just been reading through a thread about the keyboard on another GS60 based laptop, called the Digital Storm Equinox, which isn't available any longer. It says that the keyboard has the functionality to display any colour, but Digital Storm are forced to lock the keyboard to blue because they aren't associated with SteelSeries or promoting their brand with the laptop. So maybe this could be a similar thing with CyberPower. However it could also be like you said, and CyberPower could just use a different keyboard despite them looking the same.

At the moment i'm just waiting for a response from CyberPower about some other things and then i should be ordering one, so we'll see what happens sometime during the coming weeks!

 

MSI gives HIGHLIGHTED warnings about flashing a bios with the wrong model number. Do it!

 

So does anyone know where I can buy the 5th Gen GS60 shown on the website?
They have them in Red Or Gold. http://www.msi.com/product/notebook/GS60-2QE-Ghost-Pro.html#hero-overview

 

I believe XoticPC has the colored versions.Not sure if its 5th generation but they do have them.

 

Shame that they didn't say what they did as I'm having the same issue. I'm about 99.9% positive it's not a hardware issue as I run 2 win8.1 Pro OSes on two separate drives, and one has the issue and the other doesn't (so the only thing that could be causing it would be some obscure issue with the driver/drive connection). With that said, I've tried installing various graphics drivers (dedicated and integrated) and the problems still persists and seems to be getting more frequent on the one OS (but never persists on the other image). I'm going to try and disable almost all services/startup apps (keep just what I need to do work) and see if the issue persists. Looking for input if anyone has some.

Oh and just some more info (which is inline with what akapine006 was seeing) the display stays on, but is just black (no cursor). There are no issues with other displays connected via hdmi or display port. The fix is to turn on and off the build in display (so sleep/wake cycle, or if you have multiple displays through windows display resolutions or the Fn+F2 shortcut, or just disconnecting/connecting a display). Since the display is still on, windows continues to believe the display is on and displaying the content (aka, if other displays are plugged in, nothing changes when the screen goes blank (like it would if you disconnected a display) and window's 'display resolution' continues to show all displays as active....furthermore, I can scroll to the display with the mouse, it just doesn't show up on the blank display). Oddly enough, closing the lid and reopening it, which turns the display on/off does not fix the issue.

 

Have you tried using the chipset drivers on the msi site?

 

I've downloaded it yesterday, but haven't installed it yet (tried the graphics drivers first). I'm currently running with all the graphics services disabled and so far no issues....but it's only been about an hour and sometimes it takes a day before it starts acting up (though once it does, it's usually quite frequent)

Update: Still happening after disabling all the nvidia and intel graphics services, as well as after reinstalling the chipset drivers..... I'm starting to run out of ideas.... I can only think of uninstalling all the drivers and reinstalling them...but I believe the other member that had this issue said that they even tried a clean install of windows and it was still happening....which would point to a hardware issue, but again, I have no issues on my other windows image.
Also, anyone know of a good tool/utility that will scan the machine and report back all the drivers and their versions (so I can easily compare my two windows images and see what's different, without going through each device via device manager)?

 

Well, it has now started to do it on my other windows image, so it does indeed seem to be hardware issue (odd that it wasn't happening before on my personal image....maybe I was just sitting on the other image that much more....but not it's actually worse than ever). Time to take the laptop apart and see if anything is loose.

 

Be careful while working on the notebook since internal connectors can be fragile.

 

Ya, I've taken it apart already some 50 times so at this point I can do it blindly (but thanks for the warning). After taking everything apart, cleaning any debris out (there wasn't really much dust or anything), I couldn't find anything that seemed loose or disconnected. However, after putting everything back together, I haven't had any issues with the screen since (3 days so far). I can only think that a connector was loose, and I didn't notice it....but hey, as long as it all works

 

Hello... I'm new in this section... I'm having GS60-2PC and I'm thinking to upgraded my RAM.. If i try Kingston HyperX 2133MHz what is the maximum speed that i can have? And do the 22£ extra worth that speed? (1600MHz vs 2133MHz) MSI say that the maximum RAM speed is 1600MHz..

 

Pretty sure 1600 is the max. The ram might still work but it will cap out at 1600 because that's all the cpu will support.

 

Yes but as i know from Desktop PC, Ram can have more speed than the CPU support and i see that @Svegetto has install 1866MHZ on it..
Also as i see the SSD that it has is M.2 not actual mSata (mSata is smaller than the one in the GS60) and also has more PINs that normal M.2.. Does anyone try Samsung M.2 PCIe SSD? that can give speed 3-4 times the SSD...

 

These are sata m.2 slots, not pci-e. It's not cross compatible

 

I'd stick with 1866mhz unless you have an unlocked system bios to help tweak memory settings if you have issues. 2133mhz will work if it's by standard settings (SPD) and not xmp (I think all modern sets are) but not all cpus can run the IMC that fast.

Also pci-e drives are faster at sequential yes but not faster on the more common small file speeds.