Official MSI GE60 & GE70 2012 Owners' Lounge

I got the same overclock problem with the stock drivers but upgrading to the latest GPU drivers from MSI solved the problem (295.xx no overclocking, 296.31 overclocking). What drivers do you have?

I have read that some kepler GPUs have increased overclocking levels with the 304.48 beta drivers but by modifying the .inf in this way does not unlock increased overclocking (at least not for me). So I recommend that anyone that cannot install the 304.48 drivers without modifying them posts a "Notebook Display Driver Request" in NVIDIAs forum Official NVIDIA 304.48 BETA Display Driver Feedback Thread For NVIDIA Geforce Desktop/Notebook/ION GPUs - NVIDIA Forums and then we can only hope that we to will be allowed to overclock further

 

Would you guys recommend the MSI GE60 for a college laptop? I'm looking here and here.
Main things I'd like to know are:
Which of the above models is better?
Are there any widespread problems?
Would this work well for virtualization?
Can I upgrade the RAM? What's the maximum amount of RAM supported?
Will it last through 3 years of college(with proper care, of course)?
Is the touchpad and buttons a deal-breaker?
I read on link1313's review that he had a problem with the ODD wiggling around. Is this a known problem? Is it a deal-breaker?
Thanks guys.

Aslo, does anyone have pictures of the power brick for the GE60? I want to see how large it is.

 

The second model has a little faster GPU.

Easy to upgrade ram. Can handle 16GB.

Power brick is 15cm wide x 6cm wide x 3cm high

 

Thank you kind sir. +rep
EDIT: Given too much rep. Tomorrow.

 

Yes, which is an absolute scam because they crammed the hard drive in there with no other access to it.


Anyone know the best video drivers to get? My driver version says: 8.17.12.9631

 

This disturbs me slightly. My plan was to buy the notebook now with 8GB RAM and double it in September, as my plan was to buying a pre-configured model and avoid resellers and outrageous extra fees. I'm probably going to avoid this model now.

 

I just bought an upgraded warranty on it from amazon to cover it. Definitely frustrating but it is a good computer for sure, I will say that. I did the same thing you were thinking though, got it from NewEgg.

Does anyone know what drivers are otpimal though?


Right now on High setting with battlefield 3 I am getting between 26 and 33 FPS and my GPU is sitting here at 93C on max fan. That seems like poor performance and very hot doesn't it?

 

Could you perchance point me in the right direction?

 

Check with your countries law, some countries law demands that the consumer can access some basic hardware in the computer.

I would recommend drivers from the 300 family as I think that those are the only ones that really support kepler cards. I'm using the 304.48 beta drivers now and I think that they are working fine so I will get the 304.48 finished drivers when they are available.

 

Breaking the sticker does not void your warranty. Replacing the HDD with a SSD does not void the warranty (per correspondence with MSI). Messing something up on your own when you have the case open voids your warranty.

 

- Which of the above models is better?
The more expensive one has higher performance, but is more expensive. So it depends of your performance to price demands.
- Are there any widespread problems?
Personally I would say 1. the software image 2. the keyboard, 3 the touchpad
1. Extremely covered in bloatware. I recommend a clean install. If you cannot do that I think that uninstalling everything that you do not need (EVERYTHING) and performing a register clean up will be enough for most.
After boot the computer was using between 1.5 and 2 GB of RAM, anywhere close to 1 GB is ok if you ask me.
2. Coming from a quality HP notebook I would rate the keyboard only one notch above unacceptable. The keyboard has massive problems with registering clicks and is shallow but if you are willing to accept it for what it is I think that you can figure out how to use it. One thing that is sure is that I will not be buying a steelseries branded keyboard for quite some time.
3. The touchpad easily one finger clicks when dragging a finger over the surface. Maximizing the sensitivity makes it a little better. We should definitely demand new drivers from MSI.
- Would this work well for virtualization?
From Intel Core i7 3610QM Notebook Processor - Notebookcheck.net Tech "Except VT-d and vPro the 3610QM supports all functions of the Ivy Bridge core like VT-x, AES or Trusted Execution."
- Can I upgrade the RAM? What's the maximum amount of RAM supported?
Yes. 16 GB 1333/1600 MHz
- Will it last through 3 years of college(with proper care, of course)?
Impossible to say but I hope that it will last at least that long for me.
- Is the touchpad and buttons a deal-breaker?
This depends on how much you can adapt to things that are not perfect but might work ok if you work a little with it.
- I read on link1313's review that he had a problem with the ODD wiggling around. Is this a known problem? Is it a deal-breaker?
It wiggles a little when you press up at the ODD hatch. The hatch extends about 1-2 cm inwards at the bottom of the laptop.

I can add that writing this on a GE60 was not exactly fun, but I have only had about 2 weeks to adapt to the keyboard and touchpad.

 

thank you for answering everything. I'll +rep you tomorrow when i have more rep to give . I had never seen that about the 3610 not supporting VT-d, thank you for pointing that out. I've been trying to find notebooks with the 3720, but I'd kinda given up and started settling for the 3610. I don't think I'll be getting the GE60 now.
I'd be reinstalling windows anyways, so bloatware isn't an issue. However, the keyboard bugs me that it isn't backlit, and if it's really that bad, in conjunction with the touchpad and VT-d, I just can't see myself buying it. thanks for your help.

 

Why break it;just peel it off!

Put the tip of a cutter under a corner of the sticker and carefully peel it off.

Put it back on if you need to send the notebook in for sevice if you're worried.

Then put it onto a non stick paper that a previous sticker was removed from.

 

Just downloaded this file 304.48-notebook-win7-winvista-64bit-international-beta for my ge60 with gtx 660m an it said it couldn't install because it couldn't find a compatible device.

 

Aah! Then go here Official NVIDIA 304.48 BETA Display Driver Feedback Thread For NVIDIA Geforce Desktop/Notebook/ION GPUs - NVIDIA Forums and make a "Notebook Display Driver Request" for the final release. Just follow the guide in the first post.

Note that these are beta drivers so performance will not always increase as it should from previous 30x.xx drivers and there are a couple of bugs. Someone said that 301.42 works fine at least on a m14x R2 with a kepler GPU.

If your GPU is in the list of supported GPUs it is possible to modify a .inf file in the drivers so that you can install them even if it first says that it can't find compatible hardware. I posted a guide for this a few pages back, I don't remember exactly where but if you want to I can post it again. Or you can use laptopvideo2go.

 

Yeah I thought I used your guide but you had 650m drivers not GTX 660m drivers correct? I modified the INF file and it still said it wasn't supported for some reason.

Also just tried to install the 42 drivers and it gives the same error, so frustrating.


EDIT: By powers of deduction I figured it out, needed a different device ID and mine was section 019 not section 025.

 

Seems like these 304.48 drivers aren't doing too well on the GTX 660m. Check out the crazy change in performance using 3D Mark Vantage, very weird.

The higher performance I got from using the drivers on the MSI site. However, I am disappointed with those drivers as well, they seem to be very limited and definitely not optimal but I can't believe the 304.48 beta drivers are so bad, unless I am missing something.

I was going to install 304.42 drivers but can't find a file called NVMI.INF anywhere to modify it.

Spoiler

 

PharmD is this useful:
"NVMI.inf is found in C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\Installer*\Display.Driver.*\
(the stars are numbers) open the folders with the highest number.
The naming convention of this file is NV**.inf (the stars are capital letters) this
is the only file named with four capital letters in that folder
(in the MSI graphic drivers there are only one NV**.inf file but in NVIDIAs official
drivers there are several such files)."
This means that NVMI.inf might have a different name on your system.

 

Yes, that helps thanks, any idea why the benchmarks I posted above were worse with the new drivers? The 3042 drivers yielded SLIGHTLY higher scores than stock drivers so I will keep them but it is probably more by luck than anything. On another note during BF3 with no overclocking I am hitting max temps of 95C which seems extremely hot for a GPU though I may be wrong. I am running high settings with 1080 resolution. Getting around 26-32 FPS at that rate but that seems a bit low too. Trying to figure out where we can get more performance, I know it is capable of way more.

Spoiler

 

As I said the 304.48 are beta drivers, for now, and there are many known problems. Judging by the length of Official NVIDIA 304.48 BETA Display Driver Feedback Thread For NVIDIA Geforce Desktop/Notebook/ION GPUs - NVIDIA Forums NVIDIA has a lot to do before the final release.

95C sounds very warm if you ask me. The highest temps that I have recorded on my 650m gddr5 (core 969 MHz, memory 2750 MHz) is 93C and that was when I run MSI kombustor DX11 for over an hour at 100 % GPU load. At 93C the GPU heat throttled and canceled the kepler overclock until it reached 90C, then it reactivated the overclock. When I pushed the fans to 100 % the temperature dropped to 85C. Other than that I have mostly played Empire Total War with Dart Mod Ultimate Commander and then the max temp has stayed at 82C without pushing the fans to 100 %.
Have you tried any monitoring program to see if the GPU stays at 95C a long time?

 

Yeah I kept afterburner open and it sat at 95C throughout the entire game, the second the game closed it came down. I had the 100% fan going as well the entire time. No idea why it is running so hot considering MSI typically has such good heat control, wish I could get some confirmations from other GE60 owners with the GTX 660m.

 

for those worried about voiding the warranty by opening the computer, I've attached the response I received from msi.

it seems opening the back does not void the manufacturers warranty.

 

Did it not even clock down from the kepler overclock frequencies? If it didn't it didn't heat throttle which sounds really odd, at that temperature I would think that it would really want to lower the temperature. One thing that I can think of that would cause high temperatures is if the cooling system is not properly attached

Awesome! :

 

No I meant I had the turbo fan button on the whole time so I just kept the fans maxed at 100% and it was still sitting around there. I know BF3 can be graphics demanding, wish we had someone else to test out there temperature on this game at High settings and 1080 resolution.

 

hey i wonder how is GE60's screen quality?
Is it comparable to Apple's Macbook pro(non retina)?

 

Well I can't comment on Macobooks as I can't stand Apple's and none of my friends have one but the screen quality is fantastic on this. I was pleasantly surprised and was really excited that it was a matte screen, I hate glossy. I have some high definition videos I took recently wakeboarding and they looked amazing on the screen.

 

95C looks a bit troubling. And at stock clocks with the turbo fan going?

Interesting, interesting.

You know, if you're brave enough to try this, try Furmark or Kombustor and see how long it takes for you to get to 90C (or whenever you feel uncomfortable with the temps). Screenshot right before you abort would be swell, as well.

I'm very close to demanding Ken take my money, so I'm interested in thermals on this guy.

 

Interestingly Futuremark Vantage didn't get it even close nor did Kombustion them again Vantage is not DX11 like Battlefield 3. I'm interested to see if this is a driver issue.

But others didn't seem to have this issue I didn't think. This is the only DX11 game I have or I would try another. Microsoft Flight, Heroes of Newerth, and some other random games don't even get fan spooled up all the way.

I love the computer though, thing is a powerhouse, just disappointed that I had to mod drivers to get away from msi branded ones.

 

Hello guys, is MSI updating the GE60 laptop with a backlit keyboard?

How does this laptop stackup against Lenovo Y580?

Does the screen look too small with 1920x1080 resolution?

 

Haha. It was like that back in my 9800m GS and GTX 260m days. But they were great machines, though.

Just think of it like this: drivers will only get better.

Also, for your particular issue, try looking at your thermal paste if you're comfortable enough.

The motherboard doesn't have a power connector. Also, considering this is a budget gamer, I don't see them adding backlit in the future.

For "size", you can always increase DPI. For example, I use 125% DPI zoom.

 

Anybody know how MSI makes the GE60,70 series particularly light?
I was looking at the comparable ones from other conpanies likevLenovo and ASUS. They are all quite a lot heavier than those 2.........

 

I would buy this laptop hands down, but DAMNIT MSI!!! Y u no put backlit keyboard MSI??? That is such a deal breaker for me.

 

Haha. I've been living with a non-backlit keyboard for about eighteen months now. I'd like to have one, but it doesn't kill it for me.

And speaking of similar models, did Asus make one comparable? I know the G55 has similar components, but the basic "look" is more in line with the GT60. It also has a very robust cooling system, like the GT60.

 

Yeah i could maybe live without it, but id really love to have it since i do sit in the dark a lot and tend to tilt my screen down at my keyboard to see it.

Also I dont think ASUS made anything like a GE60, all they have are their generic models like a N76 or N56 with a 650m.

 

The Asus G55VW weighs 8.5lbs and it doesn't support Optimus. Kind of a let down, plus the price is quite a bit higher.

 

It also just seems way too big for me especially with those huge heat sinks in the back. If those weren't there id be happy with it.

 

I've updated Post #382 for the potential buyers. 3D Benchmarks are linked at the bottom of the post.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/msi/661914-official-msi-ge60-ge70-owners-lounge-39.html#post8630305

 

Size doesn't really bother me. What turned me off with the new Asus G-line notebooks was their spitting in the face of users who want to upgrade and tinker. You have to take the whole damned thing apart just to get to the heatsink. With Clevos, Alienwares, and MSIs, you just have to remove one panel.

Man, that puts things in perspective for me about how fast tech moves. Two years ago the 5870 was considered a top-dog card. Nowadays, even with a 20% overclock, an upper midrange card beats it at stock, and takes a dump over it with an overclock.

I'm going to be shooting for a stable 1.1GHz core clock, dammit.

 

Probably because Asus got tired of RMAs & warranty repairs from newbies fooling around inside their machines. Isn't that why Gateway stopped making the FX-series, or was it because they couldn't design a decent cooling system? But I agree with you, it would be nice to clean the fans and heatsinks occasionally. I needed something light-weight and portable for working with Word docs primarily and for gaming occasionally, so this looks like the best option for my needs.

Forge, are you sure you don't want to wait for the GTX 680M? I came from a 6990M but I'm only a casual gamer so I didn't need that kind of power right now since my priorities are office work. Plus the weight, battery life, etc.

 

With the price of the 680m? Nah. The GX60 with the A10-4600m CPU and 7970m looked promising, but the AMD APU looks absolutely abysmal. I'm also currently unemployed, so less is more.

I might be interested if we can transplant the 7970m into a GT60, but otherwise MSI isn't offering many palatable choices. I could consider a Clevo, but I dunno.

And, besides, a stock 660m is better than my overclocked 5870, and the 3610m will run roughshod over my 740qm, so it's not like I'm backtracking. I won't have the top GPU anymore, but hey.

 

So I tested it again OC'ed with nVIdia inspector and opened MSI Afterburner just to check the temperature:

 

What was the max temp, Ken? Though I'd love it if it were true, I don't think 41C is the max temp you got while running 3DMark11, haha.

EDIT: D'oh, never mind. Took a look in the corner. 62C. None too shabby.

 

The text is too small to read and yes, it's 62C.

Just tested OC'ed and run Furmark the max temperature is 75C, not too bad at all :

 

Wait a second. Furmark for nearly thirty minutes, overclocked +14% (and if nVidia Inspector is reliable, there's a possible +25% max), with a lesser cooling system than the GT60, with no mods... and it only hits 75C?


One last thing before I bounce off the walls: was this with or without turbo fan?

 

Not sure if you have it but can you get your battlefield 3 settings at high and run it for 15 minutes and let me know temperature? It seems to be the only game that is making me hit the 90's and I don't know why.

 

Nice clocks Ken!

Is it just me or does Performance level [1] or [0] allow for +4000 MHz overclock?

 

I've heard mixed things about the keyboard. Is it really as bad as everyone says it is? In contrary to PC trackpads (where feedback is mostly negative), I rarely hear that a laptop keyboard is terrible except in the steelseries in the GT/GE series. So I just wanted to double check before writing off what seems to be a great all around laptop..

 

It's not great - not HORRID but not great. Once you get used to it it's really fine.

 

It sounds like you are in the same position as me. Im thinking of just going with the GE60 because of price and then just OC the hell out of it. Either that or wait to see a price for the GX60, which btw when will we see that? Or release date?

 

Question... why would making the sensitivity higher, make it better? I lowered mine, because to me it seemed like it was too sensitive. I have this boxed up ready to get shipped for RMA, but now you're making me second guess this and open it back up...