MSI GX640-098US Review

ta da confirmed!
check my sig

 

1333mhz?
fully working on 1333mhz or jus goes up to 1000?

 

1333mhz, dual channel - all the happy stuff you want.

 

can u tell me the rating for ur ram and graphics using windows experience index?
you can find it if u right click computer and open properties *just in case *

 

Looks like you made the most out of your GX640!!

I really want your ram!
Could you post a link to buy the same ram?
I want to know exactly what you got in there.

 

Haha yup, I've had quite a bit of fun maximizing this thing.

The default RAM is already 2x2GB 1333Mhz sticks so I just bought 1x4GB 1333Mhz. Make sure it's a 9-9-9-24 latency stick so it matches the RAM already in there. I went with the cheap and easy G SKILL
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Laptop Memory Model F3-10600CL9S-4GBSQ

Here's the WEI:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I'm not done quite yet either. Gonna put in an SSD soon, either next week or around Christmas, not sure yet

 

bloody awesome

 

I think I'm going to order that ram now, because thats an easy and cheap way to get a big performance boost! (cheaper than getting an i7 lol)
Best bang for the buck upgrade, thanks!

I thought about getting a SSD like a month ago, but then decided to get this:

Amazon.com: INeo I-NA306UE 1.5TB 64MB Cache 7200RPM USB 2.0 & eSATA External Hard Drive - Retail w/1 Year Warranty: Electronics
Saves $, battery, weight, heat, and will lower the chances of getting fragmented files in your laptop! It spins the same speed as the GX640's hard drive (7200rpm) and makes great use of the e-sata port! etc... lol

Quick question:
Do you have ArmA 2:OA or Crysis: WH? Can you play them totally maxed out with over 30fps?
I'm fine playing them on "high" and not "very high", but just curious

 

unfortunately your ram will only run at 1066mhz with a i5/i7 dual core, you need an i7 quad to get 1333mhz performance

 

I didn't know that, but what about if the i5 was on turbo?

I'm most likely going to buy it still(1066, 1333 is a small difference), becasue it has the same timings, speed(1333), and 2GB more will be great!

If I think the i7 over i5 is worth $500 or it gets a lot cheaper, I'll get the a good i7 that will have a big enough difference in speed(for games)!
I wouldn't want to replace the ram 2 times if I get the i7 lol!

 

fair enough, the actually difference in real world performance between 1066 and 1333 is negligible

 

You might want to consider something like this

I bought mine like a month ago!
http://www.amazon.com/INeo-I-NA306U...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1283032975&sr=8-2
Saves a lot of $, battery power, weight, heat, and less chance of getting fragmented files in your laptop(less you have on it, the better)!
It also spins the same speed as the GX640's hard drive (7200rpm) and makes great use of the e-sata port! etc... lol


Quick question when you have time or even have one of these games:
ArmA 2:OA or Crysis: WH? Can you play them totally maxed out with over 30fps?
I'm fine playing them on "high" and not "very high", but just curious

Also:
I just bought the same ram from new egg!
I'm all about "best bang for the buck"! Cheap and very effective upgrade!

Sadly it will mess up all the videos i'll make from when I upgrade lol!
For the people that want to see the GX640's stock performance, or maybe make others also want to upgrade...

 

in gaming there isn't much difference between the i7's and the i5's unless the game is extremely cpu demanding i.e gta4 and starcraft 2. I dnt c the need to upgrade just yet. Also g4mer1337 what frames do you get on sc2 at native res and high settings? because i only seem to get around 25-35 fps which is absolutely playable but i expected more :/

 

I play on the 1680x1050res maxed out (over 30fps). If I play to long without a fan, the heat will slow it down.

You should read the comments and answers on my youtube channel:
YouTube - g4m3rleet's Channel
(pages 2 and then 1)

I helped someone(on my channel) else with the same problem and most of the time, that they forgot to update there graphics card driver. But this guy was a little different, so the information I gave him, might help you to

Here's the first step I gave this guy:
"I can't get lag with that game or StarCraft 2 maxed-out.
Do you have too many things running at the same time? The only thing I run in startup is the anti-virus. When I'm not playing anything, my cpu uses only around 1% to 3%.
Also make sure to update your drivers from the msi website."

Continued...
"Try to reinstall windows 7, which will reformat the hard drive.
Then dont add to many things to start-up automatically!
Update drivers from the msi website(easiest)
If you have an external hard drive:
Try to put everything you can on an external hard drive, to free up space on your laptop. This will lower the chances of getting fragmented files and will help the speed of your hard drive! I'm only using about 130GB on my laptop."

Most importaint thing is to make sure your drivers are up to date!
Link to all the drivers for the GX640:
http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=nbdriver&maincat_no=135&prod_no=1998

Here's the videos of my GX640 playing starcraft 2 (graphics maxed-out) with no lag(over 30fps), without any upgrades or overclocking done!
YouTube - StarCraft 2 Epic Battle - GX640

YouTube - StarCraft 2 Zombie Defence - GX640

 

hay i am thinking of buying gx640 my average room temp is 30°c-34°c in summer. I am from Pakistan, will temp be a problem or not??

 

You should get a notebook cooler together with gx640 for that kind of ambient temperatures.

 

If your looking for a laptop this powerful, there's always going to be a heat problem.

I use a fan on the left side of the laptop to help blow the hot air to the right. You need a good air flow!

 

thx for the reply
other things that have to be kept in mind?
change thermal paste, update bios and drivers
as i am in Pakistan might as change windows to ultimate for free

 

Here's some more things to keep in mind:
I dont think changing the thermal past will do anyting, because it already has a good one.

Don't update bios unless you find that you need to.

Why would you want windows ultimate? Are you into businesses and an IT person(fix computers for people)? If your not, then the added stuff is useless.

Here's something you dont need to know lol.
I lived in Peshawar, Pakistan for 2 years. I have a lot of great memories, but in the summer, the temp felt like it was 140F I remember! (After adding the humidity)

You will need a good fan(air flow) and I would never play a game on high settings without one(in the summer atleast) lol!

I know there's a lot of dust there, so you'll need to try your best to keep your laptop clean. Dust can make the laptop get a lot hotter!

 

i do full system clean of my PC every 3 months

yeah cooling pad is needed

well will see if there is a need to get paste changed or not due high temp

btw i am from Lahore

 

Another great hardware demanding game, the GX640 can play on "very high" settings!

YouTube - Napoleon Total War - Epic Battle on "very high" settings - GX640

Edit:
NEW video

Napoleon Total War gameplay on "very high" settings - GX640
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJzuysLVvt8

These will most likely be that last videos I'll make on stock performance, before I upgrade the ram to 6GBs

 

raining pakis
great
just what i needed
lol

 

the guy who recently updated his processor/ram
temme.. did u notice any difference btwn the previous and new settings?
can you measure fps of crysis/bad company2/metro 2033/mafia 2 at full?
i'm curious on how big of a difference did it make..

 

I'm also waiting for an answer from "NotEnoughMinerals". He's probably playing to much StarCraft 2 and hears his name being said 100 times lol!

But if he doesn't, when I get my RAM from the mail. I'll be sure to let you guys know how much better that small upgrade can do!



I wrote this 2 times on my youtube and for those that dont know:
YouTube - g4m3rleet's Channel

"If you want a small laptop that can play every game on high or very high settings!(see the videos I made on my channel)

The GX640 is a great laptop!

You should look at all the videos I uploaded on what the GX640 can do! Look for the new ones I made, because they were made after I updated my drivers!"

 

dont bother unless you have an i7..
coz i5 wont support 1333mhz so you'll be running on the stock 1066mhz
i know.. it even made me go -___-

 

lol, that small of a difference is negligible! It's adding 2 more GB that will make the difference!!

 

i coulda sworn i wrote :S
and fair enough
lol

**edit
w.t.f
man
seriously
w.t.f :S

 

NEW video I made:
YouTube - GX640 Review - by g4m3rleet
It would be cool if min2209 would put this on his review!

This was very fun to make and I hope you all liked it

---
next videos to come:
-upgrading the RAM to 6GB

-Crysis: WH being maxed out, it finally runs great now!!!
Look at my Rambo style of play! It not only shows how fast the GX640 is now, but it's also fun to watch

-Crysis: WH being maxed out, it finally runs great now!!!
Look at my Rambo style of play! It not only shows how fast the GX640 is now, but it's also fun to watch

ACTION PACKED!!!
Title: Crysis WH maxed out - GX640 upgraded to 6GB DDR3 RAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcbrSZuGIHA

The Rambo adventure contines in pt2...
Title: Crysis WH maxed out - GX640 upgraded with 6GB RAM pt2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0wOw5sGBw8

 

sorry i've been busy with work lately. How much you feel the extra RAM really just depends on how you use your computer. I need to run a bunch of adobe bloatware (captivate, photoshop,...) so I need all the RAM i can get, and if you don't use all 6GB, superfetch will make use of it.

 

how good is the performance compared to 4gb and 6gb?
sorry, i dont have crysis
can u compare the frame rates pwweezzee?

 

If your gaming it wont make such a big impact.

 

i'm jus wondering what the limiting factor is.. in terms of games
suspicious about ram..

 

also g4mer1337 what frames do you get when u max out crysis? I only get around 30fps on all high @ native res. I cant imagine how playable the game wud b at wen i crank the settings up to enthusiast

 

Anyone know how to get the fans to stay more revved down if you're ok with some more heat? My heat tracking software shows that a tleast with what I play it never breaks 65 but the fans all run like crazy.

Never really played with this aspect so if anyone has any ideas I'd be very appreciative.

 

With 6GB of RAM:
YouTube - Crysis WH maxed out - GX640 upgraded to 6GB DDR3 RAM

The Rambo adventure contines in pt2...
YouTube - Crysis WH maxed out - GX640 upgraded to 6GB DDR3 RAM pt2

The FPS Im getting now is about 25fps(most of the game). It will peek around 29fps and lows to about 18fps(With deconstruction, look at the end of my pt2 video)


These are from before I upgraded my RAM to 6GB:
This one shows the FPS in the video:
YouTube - MSI GX640 maxed out Crysis Warhead

YouTube - MSI GX640 Crysis Warhead on Gamer(high) and enthusiast(very high)

Updated drivers and no RAM upgrade:
YouTube - MSI GX640 high(gamer) settings Crysis Warhead new

BIG difference for only $91 I think!
Like I said, this will be the best bang for the buck upgrade!

 

But 4gb ram should be enough for gaming? I dnt see how an extra 2gb could make such a big difference

 

i'd test crysis myself but i need to install it
and it takes ages -__-
but fine..
i'll post the results here
gimme a couple of hours.. LOL!

BTW, g4m3r1337
the vid with 4gig is without the new drivers
and the one with new drivers is on.. gamer settings?
so whats that like.. high or ultra?
*i played warhead long time ago, forgot* xD

 

@g4m3r1337
Try to do some benchmarks, it's better to see improvement (if there is one )

 

I gave you what I had, but taking my RAM out to see the difference in fps is not worth the trouble lol.

I played on gamer(high settings) before I upgraded, because it would lag way to much on enthusiast(very high settings)!

With my eyes, I remember it and there's a BIG difference!

 

lol
not worth the trouble?
like dexter said, "In the name of science!" xD

 

I could spend hrs doing that, but I have other things I need to do!

Windows rating from before and after is in this video I made:
YouTube - GX640 Review - by g4m3rleet

 

nah
i was kiddin'

btw, can i ask you something?
assuming you're not paki,
why did you go to pak?
and memories?
do tell, what kinda "memories" do u have from pak?
pak doesnt seem like the most interesting place to be..

 

Im not from pakistan, but my parents are Christian missionaries that work for MAF, and we were there for 2 years(tell 9/11).
MAF Home

They were allowing quick transport in and out of Afghanistan. Sending food, meds, and other missionaries. It was only safe to keep the planes for over night in Pakistan.

 

owwwwww
nice

 

hey, can i ask a favor?
can u take the cpu/gpu test for crysis and temme the frame rates?
i got 4 min, 15 max for gpu.. average was around 10-12
and 7min, 17 max for cpu.. average was around 13-15
and all settings maxed, dx11, 64 bit, anti aliasing *whatever* 8x and native resolution..
in gameplay, it was ok.. playable..
actually it was awesome
i'll upload the vid and post the link
*do remember, nokia "middle fingered" n900 and the camera is laggy, not the not the game.. while in plane, the conversational dialogues are quick.. not lagging and match the face expressions too*
and oh, its hard to play with mobile in one hand and keyboard on the other xD

 

YouTube - crysis maxed out

 

There's the FPS I get now.(in the first quote)
The CPU and GPU are good, for Crysis WH, it looks like you just need a bit more RAM.

Keep in mine, the added RAM doesnt help every game. Like ArmA2 OA is still the same. I think that one needs a hair better CPU(a good i7).

What I saw in your video:
Keep in mind that there wasn't a lot of action(1vs1 or 2 enemys at a time), screen movment(no fast movment), or things that would use a lot of RAM in your video, it was at night time, and it was Crysis(Not Crysis: WH).

Your camera looks fine, because I see smooth movments outside of the screen. (edge of screen and mouse movments in the menu)
I would quess your camera filmes in 24fps, like mine

Compare it to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcbrSZuGIHA

 

if the game is lagging, the audio is lagging too.. there is a longer gap btwn the dialogues.. difference btwn subtitles.. and mouth movement.. etc etc
and i didnt film it, but later on, went close to a few explosions.. it looked about average..
and the camera should be 30fps.. i'm still working on the overclocking the mobile thing.. thats kinda why the video was laggy...
i'll get the saved games and test it out on more demanding levels..

 

What?
The audio stays the same, even when the video lags! Before I upgraded the ram and drivers. My game lagged like yours and the audio was also perfect.

I didnt know you overclocked your GX640? Was it overclocked in the video or are you going to do that?
Can your temps handle a little more or are you using a laptop cooler?

I didn't overclock anything, but use the turbo boost(CPU) from the ECO button.

 

i didnt know what the eco button was for or how to use turbo boost,
can u teach me that?
and no, in the first vids, i didnt over clock..
right now, i jus made a vid and realised that i had overclocked -__-

i was referring to overclocking my cellphone btw
lol
the DSP *Digital signal processor* controls the camera.. and i didnt calibrate the dsp/voltage yet..