MSI GS70 Stealth Pro Theard

So I just unboxed my new GS70 Stealth Pro (the one with the 3 128GB ssd's in raid0, 16GB ram, and the gtx870m.) Mine is repasted with IC diamond, everything else is stock. Some really quick initial thoughts:

Windows 8 is really, really awful. Going to take some getting used to.

The build quality is beautiful! The videos and pictures online don't do it justice.

I have no problem with my touchpad. I like it, even the button clicking by depressing the whole pad in the lower corners. It's perfectly responsive and not overly sensitive. I find myself using two hands - keeping one finger from my left hand resting on the pad and not moving where I would press for the left button, and my finger from my right hand sliding around the pad to move the mouse pointer. If I only use one finger for the whole thing, when you lift your finger to move it to the corner to press the button, it might register the movement and can throw off where the pointer was. I can see that being very annoying.

Windows 8 is really, really awful.

I love the keyboard. The feel and layout, anyway. The font is kind of weird.

Fans seem very quiet to me. Browsing they are off or are on very, very low. At its worst it sounds like a hard drive spinning

I just installed 3dmark and ran the benchmark. My Fire Strike 1.1 score was 4263. That's what I was expecting (I think earlier someone from gentech posted a score of only 1000 or so.) Cloud Gate 1.1 was 17,035. Ice Storm 1.2 was 107,053. I also installed CPUID HWMonitor to watch the temps. Unfortunately, I don't seem to see the GPU temp reported anywhere? Is there a different version I need to install to see GPU temps? My CPU temps looked really good anyway (IC Diamond helps maybe?) Would love to monitor the GPU.

Core 0: 75 C
Core 1: 79 C
Core 2: 81 C
Core 3: 78 C
Package: 81 C

When I have more time I'll try to check out some more things...

 

That is great to hear! I may want to do this in the next week or so on mine.

I asked for a IC diamond repaste with my order from GentechPC and something tells me they didn't actually do it. This is because I also chose the option to remove the 1TB HDD for the -40$ discount since I wanted to use an SSD I bought, but when i got the laptop, it still had the 1TB HDD in it. Therefore I am assuming that since they didn't bother to take the easily accessible HDD out, they wouldn't have bothered to actually go in and do the repaste. If there are any records from Gentech or some proof I might have missed I would like to know.

I could also be wrong and the person processing my order was feeling generous and wanted to give me an HDD for free.

For those new to windows 8/8.1 and having difficulty adjusting here is what I recommend. Download the program StartisBack. It costs like $3 for one computer, but it was the most valuable purchase i have ever made. It made my interface exactly like windows 7, while retaining all the speed and power advantages of windows 8.1. I also disabled all the trackpad edge swipe functions so I never get the charms popup menu anymore either.

I have not see the metro screen or any windows 8 apps since I did this and could not be happier.

Also for HWmonitor to monitor your 870m temps, make sure you have launched a program that turns the dedicated GPU on before running HWmonitor. If you launch HWmonitor with your power button glowing white, you wont see your 870m info.

Hey jackdafool, have you run 3Dmark11 benchmark? My score was 6856 on it with GPU temp at 89C and max CPU temp at 84C. This was pretty much identical to the video that gentech posted, which also makes me wonder if my unit was repasted or not.

 

Just use this its free....

Classic Shell - Start menu and other Windows enhancements

 

Windows 8.1 is amazing when you take the time to tweak it properly with built-in settings.

 

Thanks for the suggestions about Windows 8. My intention was to use Classic Shell if I absolutely couldn't stand 8.1, but I want to force myself to give it a chance for a while. We'll see. Wonder how Classic Shell compares to StartIsBack?

So I reran 3dmark to see how the GPU temps were. 89 C was the max. My CPU temps were a hair lower for some reason - only one of the cores made it up to 79 C. Scores were pretty much the same.

I installed and ran 3dmark 11. Score was 6944. Max GPU temp was 88 C. CPU temps were 77, 79, 81, 77, 82 C.

The benchmarks were performed with the notebook flat on a desk, no external peripherals attached, connected to power. Ambient room temperature is about 73F.

So I'm thinking I'm pretty happy with the thermals as far as benchmarks go...

 

Hey there is a new EC firmware for the GS70 Stealth pro on the msi website. The description is "Modify CPU and GPU fan RPM up/down timing"

Any fan modifications should be for the better so I'm going to go ahead and install this when i get home.

Edit: The instructions say to unplug the power cord and remove the battery for a few minutes. Do we really have to remove the battery on a GS70? I didn't think you were allowed to remove it...Will it work if i just leave it unplugged for a few minutes?

 

Typical MSI's bull**** as we all know there's a warranty sticker on MSI's GS units and most people won't cross it. That's what happens when a company doesn't take the proper time to think it's products through when preparing general instructions... You should go along with the EC firmware, SirSavien, it was recommended on MSI's User to User HQ. If you don't want to remove the battery, you should be quite fine just unplugging the laptop for a while. If you want to follow the process as is, then you should know you don't have to actually remove the battery, just unplug it from the board, which you'll be able to do without removing or unscrewing anything but the access plate.

Well repaste is done. I'll post about getting there tonight I think, but I'll need a while to sort the pics through and post them along with explanations.

 

its MSI fault yes, but only in the description on the site...
because all other models i think of MSI need just to remove the batterij (which i guess is easy for pretty much all the models)
But the GS laptops do have a small hole on the right side just besides the usb port.. You just have to put a needle or something in it and press. Thats the EC reset (the same as you would pull the batterij, i guess they then just "cut" the wires for a moment)

 

That's nice to know thanks!!

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The GS70 Stealth Pro also has a little reset/battery disconnect hole on the right hand side of the chassis just in front of the USB port.

Has anyone been having difficulties getting there touch pad to work with Win 8.1 64bit? What driver version do you have ? Driving me mad !


F.

 

I've been following both the Stealth and Ghost for almost 6 months now. My original hero, the GS70 was supplanted by the GS60 due to the former's inferior screen.

Can anyone, please, give me some first-hand details or opinions (either as retailer or consumer) on the quality of the optional glossy screen being offered by retailers such as GenTechPC or XoticPC, etc.? I'm so tired of bouncing back and forth, and no one seems to be focusing on the actual displays.

 

I was impressed by both models stock screens when doing the video reviews. Color and viewing angles were really good. Not really a fan of glossy but thats my personal opinion.

 

Thanks! I tend to prefer glossy for my environment, but a light AG/semi-gloss is acceptable without cross-hatching.

But I was curious as to the specifics of the aftermarket glossy screen option you offer. Could you give us some details on the specs/model of the glossy 90% colour screen?

 

I'm pretty new to Windows 8.1 but kind of like it. I have no idea what to tweak though. Could you be a little more specific as to the things you've tweaked or refer me to a guide?

And I must admit, I'm waiting quite anxiously to see your photograph report of applying new thermal paste . Could you also elaborate on the effects it has had? Are they measurable effects, such as preventing throttling, or is the incentive based on providing a better longevity for the laptop? I'm curious!

 

Good to know the MSI paste job isn't the best. I'll be doing my gs60 this weekend now I've found a strip down manual.
I'll be using liquid metal so hopefully will see some decent results. Arkham the idea with the repast is using a better compound with a higher thermal conductivity will result in lower temps as the heat will pass to the heat spreader and be dispersed quicker. If the lower the temps the better as the throttle point is around 90c.
Im running an undervolted bios (thanks Sen7inel) as well so should hopefully get a bit of an overclock as well. I'm some for stock 880m performance.

 

The 90% screens we currently are using are AUO B173HW01 V.4

 

All in good time...

Seriously sorry but I couldn't manage to find the proper time to do all this. I will have some tonight and tomorrow though.

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I HATED windows 8 at first. Now I like it. I'm tweaking the metro start screen and now even boot into it and just have my most frequently used things on there.

 

Thanks! That's very helpful. I was able to look up a lot of info on it, including the fact that it's actually a TN panel. For some reason I thought it might be something else.

 

You're very welcome. I dont know of any IPS upgrade options available, just as pre installed in select models.

 

That screen looks good from what I've seen so far. Thx.

One thing that still really bugs me is the power plug placement. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to put it on the right side? Do you know if the additional AC adapter option has a right-angle plug? I can't see myself adjusting to the cable sticking out and interfering with my mouse hand.

Has anyone purchased a compatible adapter that isn't so intrusive?

 

If you place your mouse hand near enough the case that a straight adapter gets obtrusive, then probably the case itself will obstruct, right angle plug or not. Based on a desktop use I don't feel much comfortable if there's not about 10-15 inches distance between the keyboard and the mouse at least.

Just saying that I wouldn't worry about it all that much for THAT reason, although I'll admit a right angled adapter is more tidier and much preferable.

 

Can anyone please tell me if the MSI GS70 with the 860m/870m have a Chimei screen or better yet a LG lp or Auo?? I really need to know this!

 

Anyone here use this for Premiere or After Effects?

 

To avoid thermal throttling I'm using two 80mm fans on top of air intake holes.
I've also applied Liquid Pro but that didnt make any noticable difference (maybe didnt put enough of it so might do it again).
But yeah fans on top are the way to go for gaming...

 

The panel in mine is a Chi Mei CMO1720. The full details are below.

I very much wanted the AUO B173HW01 V.4 panel that xoticpc and gentech seemed to offer as an upgrade (that's the model they both said they used for their high gamut glossy screen upgrade.) After quite a bit of research it seems to be an excellent panel if you are ok with a glossy screen.

However, it seems AUO stopped manufacturing that panel a number of years ago. From everything I read they are pretty much impossible to find nowadays. Many distributors claim to sell the panel but always state "or equivalent" in the product description. I believe they give you a Chi Mei or some other panel that is compatible (it works) but that doesn't have nearly as nice a picture as the AUO V.4.

In the off chance that gentech actually had the AUO panel, I ordered the upgrade with my GS70. I wasn't surprised that they called me when preparing my system to tell me the AUO panel was out stock with no ETA on getting them in the future. So I went with the standard panel, which it turns out looks plenty good to me.

If someone succeeds in getting an AUO B173HW01 V.4 panel I'd very interested to hear about it.

My panel's info:

Monitor
Windows description...... Generic PnP Monitor
Manufacturer............. Chi Mei
Plug and Play ID......... CMO1720
Data string.............. N173HGE-L11
Serial number............ n/a
Manufacture date......... 2011, ISO week 2
Filter driver............ None
-------------------------
EDID revision............ 1.3
Input signal type........ Digital
Color bit depth.......... Undefined
Display type............. RGB color
Screen size.............. 380 x 210 mm (17.1 in)
Power management......... Not supported
Extension blocs.......... None
-------------------------
DDC/CI................... n/a

Color characteristics
Default color space...... Non-sRGB
Display gamma............ 2.20
Red chromaticity......... Rx 0.640 - Ry 0.333
Green chromaticity....... Gx 0.303 - Gy 0.613
Blue chromaticity........ Bx 0.154 - By 0.060
White point (default).... Wx 0.313 - Wy 0.329
Additional descriptors... None

Timing characteristics
Range limits............. Not available
GTF standard............. Not supported
Additional descriptors... None
Preferred timing......... Yes
Native/preferred timing.. 1920x1080p at 60Hz (16:9)
Modeline............... "1920x1080" 138.700 1920 1968 2000 2080 1080 1083 1088 1111 -hsync -vsync

Standard timings supported

Report information
Date generated........... 5/24/2014
Software revision........ 2.80.0.995
Data source.............. Registry-Active
Operating system......... 6.2.9200.2

 

Typically with thermal compound you just want an extremely thin layer, just enough to fill the gaps in the metal to increase surface area.

 

I've been thinking about applying fans as well but struggled to find the right ones. I'm thinking that USB fans should be the way to go, right? Is that what you've used? Would you mind sharing your fan setup?
Thanks.

Sent from my LG-V500 using Tapatalk

 

Man I wish there was a 17" gaming laptop with high resolution screen &/or IPS...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

Here's my setup:




This is after playing Crysis 3 for 10 minutes and as you can see temps stay well below 90 Celsius.
They are USB fans that I have removed from my old laptop cooler.
I think I'm gonna do DIY cooler from four or five fans running at 12V to keep it really cool and also to cool CPU.
This also keeps my keyboard nice and cool when gaming...
I have also tried modyfied vBios provided here by Sen7inel but in both cases -0.75 and -0.50 crysis 3 crashed within seconds so i had to go back to original vbios.

 

My Gs60 runs at around 86c without a fan but with COOLABRATORY Ultra and - 62mV. Are you undervolted?
Good shout on the fan. I'll give it a go.

 

Where do you live.? Southpole.?
I got Coolaboratoty Pro which suppose to be better than Ultra but that didn't give any noticable improvement but maybe I'll try again using slightly more of it.
Did you try demanding games like Crysis 3 with your undervolt.?
Mine crashes within seconds even with -50mV.
How did you undervolt yours.? because I have used vBios provided by sen7inel which was -75mV or -50mV but I might try -40mV or so..

 

To anyone interested in buying the GS70 Stealth Pro, I did a benchmark video on it. Do check it out and leave comments if you have any questions.

 

I'm having problems with temperatures on my GS70 to, think i will send it to warranty.

here is a video of it reaching as far as 96ºC.

 

My benchmark 3dmark11

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4700HQ,Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-1772

I think ur benchmark too low p6400+

Anyone from here can get p7100+ I dont know how >.<

 

I only saw one report where the Pro was better the rest said ultra was newer and better.
It's all down to the chip someone on the GS60 thread can run at - 85mv with an overclock! Unfortunately looks like your unlucky. :-(

 

The usual problem of the CoolLaboratory Ultra is not that it's not on par or better than the pro, it's that it doesn't seem to last all that long before temps start to creep up again.

I say - depends on who is applying, and how, and on what. I have both of them and got pretty much the same results on my delidded 4770K using one and the other.

 

So I just applied the -75mV to CPU, which did noteably lower max temperatures. From 92°C in the Intel XTU stress test to 87°C.

Also I applied the -75mV vbios.

Benchmark at 0mV:
Firestrike: 4227
Cloud Gate: 16579
Icestorm: 106070

Benchmark at -75mV:
Firestrike: 4282 @ max 90°C
Cloudgate: 16708
Icestorm: 106202

So, it didn`t do much in terms of Benchmark results. Sadly, I didn`t monitor temperature and throttling closely while the 0mV Benchmark, but I think I hit 92°C.
@-75mV I did see some throttling to 940 to min 920MHz. But that appeared very rarely.
E.th. was stable for me. Didn`t do any gaming though.

Thank you Sen7inel for taking care of the community!

 

I'm really glad there is a comunity here to test this out. Even with the heat problems I am still thinking of buying, because it is light and I travel, and is cheap as chips in Germany.

Now, what I want to know is, can there be any gaming at all on the battery? I know some of the heavy duty DX11 games might fall over, but what about older DX9 games?

Bottom line, does the Nvidia card work running on battery?

Thanks to all testers.

 

As long as I think of it this evening, I will give it a shot and try some games while not plugged in.
There shouldn't be any hinderance, though don't expect more than an hour of disconnected gaming.

 

Left 4 dead 2 works fine on Nvidia card on battery.

 

Many thanks! I have a 2 hour train ride, one way, every day. I need something that can play at least a little bit.

 

What kind of issues were you having?
I believe there's some kind of movement and clicking restriction, but it's caused by Win 8.1.
You can try without the touchpad driver to verify.

 

After the 8.1 install I had issues too.
I deleted all touchpad drivers in the device-manager and reinstalled them after a reboot.
Works now.
The 8.1 install seems to interfere in some way, since the touchpad worked fine before.

 

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of purchasing this today, but I have a few questions:

1. Can you play games like Crysis 3, Battlefield 4, COD Ghosts, Titanfall without throttling. If I have to repaste are there any videos on how to do this anywhere?

2. Does a laptop cooler work with this laptop? I can place the fans on my cooler master laptop cooler anwhere on the bottom of it, they reposition.

3. Is the bios unlocked, i.e. can you manipulate the settings for OC?

4. Is the wireless speed issues resolved?

5. Would you buy this laptop over an ASUS with a 880m?

Thanks,
pctechmc

 

Also, one more question can you install Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate 64-bit edition on this laptop?

 

A cooler doesn`t work that great since the air is sucked in from top, not bottom.
I didn`t have wireless speed issues that far, but there are Intel beta driver that resolve this issue.
Any notebook with an 880m is a totally different class. This thing ist thin and light, not a single notebook with an 880m is or even can be thin and light.
Most games work on high or very high settings and decent frame rates, but don`t expect crysis 3 to run on ultra with decent frame rates and no throttling.
You can install Windows 7 after changing from uefi to legacy in bios.

 

From reading the thread here:

1, and 2. No, you will get throttling. Air coolers provide minimal help from below. The best help has been to apply extra air flow from the top. The best mod will be when someone can cleanly cut holes on the top to provide more ventilation.

3, and 4. Probably not as unlocked as you will like, but you can switch from UFEI to normal BIOS and back. Windows 7 is not fully supported. At least the sound would not work 100%. Other drivers have been reported to be "iffy".

5. I personally will, because for me it will be cheaper and more portable. But based on your criteria, I would seriously consider the ASUS.

 

can someone please clarify for me: when I ad a second mSATA ssd to the 128gb installed and the regular HDD (1) does the second mSATA have to be the same size? why? or can I add a 240 gb mSATA in the second slot? (2) if the laptop comes with 1 mSATA and 1 HDD already and I add the second mSATA, is a BIOS update required? why? and what implications does this have?

ordered the 2PC-036US version and have a 240 gb Crucial M500 mSATA to add to it when it arrives -- well that's the plan! Hence my questions. Yhnaks

 

You can add whatever size of mSata you wish to, but bear in mind you can't Raid them unless they actually ARE the same size. Still, if Raid is not your goal, then it's up to you as for size. No need to update anything. Just add, boot, and you'll be asked to initialize the new disk by Windows.