Official MSI GX640 Owner's Thread

The difference in CPU speed is around 5%, while the difference in GPU speed is enormous. The HD 5850 has a whopping ten times more shaders than the HD 5470.

The wireless is indeed Intel 5100, and the display is CCFL, although at full brightness it's quite good and I wouldn't really want it to be brighter.

 

I guess I should say that within the context of just these two laptops (GX640 and Studio 15), I am most concerned about fan loudness. Just how loud is the GX640 fan outside of games, and inside of games?

 

Well the GPU increase is huge whereas the 430 -> 520 difference isn't as much. If the Dell had an i7, this might be different. I really don't think you'll see a noticeable difference in compiling times and whatnot compared to the difference in FPS you'll see while gaming.

I'm receiving my GX640 tomorrow.. but I've been monitoring the issues so far. Right now it only seems there are a sleeping/hibernating problem, a PCIe problem (solved), the occasional defective laptop, and the (internal) temps are probably going to be higher than the Dell.

However, the sleeping/hibernating problem seems like it will be fixable with an update through MSI at some point. The PCIe problem is solved by installing the latest ATI 10.3 drivers. The temps can be lowered a lot (almost 10 degrees Celsius) by underclocking the GPU... and there have been no reports of the palm rests getting more than mildly warm while gaming. Apparently the bottom of the laptop only gets warm too.. never hot.

 

I was spoiled by the Envy 15's screen to a degree. I would like the GX640 to be brighter (but not have the same reflective, hard to read text, glossiness that the Envy's screen had).

I just wished the GX640 didn't skimp on the wireless adapter card by using the Intel 5100. Using an Intel 6200 or 6300 would have been great.

 

I don't find the fan loud at all. I would have no problem taking into the office or using it in a conference room meeting.

You want loud fans? You should have heard my old HP Pavilion ZD7000 desktop-replacement laptop. That was a really loud fan (embarrassingly loud).

I have to admit that the Envy 15's 3 fans combined were still a touch softer than the single fan of the GX640. However, the GX640 is so much better as a laptop than the Envy 15 if gaming, having many different types of ports, and a screen lid with unrestricted range of motion is your thing.

 

Just so you know, I have posted this exact same problem a few pages back on this thread. It happened to me the same is happening to, and right out of the box. I have already returned my to amazon (where I brought it from) and I talked to MSI before that since they needed a case number as proof of a defect on their part. I suggest you also return yours because this problem isn't going away. I had been trying to fix it the entire weekend I got the laptop, talked to MSI techs and such but no luck. I also think you should call them and let them know there is a problem going on, so that they look into that and other people don't get a bad laptop with these same symptoms.

Frustrating, I know... . now I'm waiting on amazon to refund me so that I can get another one from a different store!

 

What is the advantage of the better wireless cards? More range? Better signal? I don't really know why I would want a better one, please fill me in

 

if its important to you get an atheros card. this 400 acer i use has an atheros card it gets about 50% more range than the intel one in the gateway i had.

 

Do any of you guys know if there is footage for games on the Gx640? i've been looking like crazy... Record your gaming sessions! and post them on youtube for me to see

 

Anybody know how I can keep my customized underclocking for the GPU? I had it set to 100/300 and it brought my temps down by almost 10 degrees. When I shutdown the computer and start it again, it goes back to the default values and the temp is once again higher. Thanks.

 

you might want to add the shortcut to startup programs?

 

But even if I put a shortcut for the AMD GPU tool, I still have to set my desired clocks when it opens up. There is no way to set up a profile or have it remember my settings.

 

No, you can actually just pass the clocks as command line arguments to the GPU Clock tool.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\AMD GPU Clock Tool\AMDGPUClockTool.exe" -eng=300 -mem=300
is an example

 

or that 10char

 

Just updated my drivers with the ATI 10.3b preview driver on a whim. Then ran Vantage. The new driver increased my Vantage P score by 153 points.

3DMark Vantage: P 7211; CPU 7278; GPU 7189
GPU temp: 79*C
PCIe x16; stock clocks (625/1000)





Basically a more consistent connection, which supports bandwidth.

I've heard some reliability issues regarding Atheros cards. They're good, but I prefer Intel.

Once I finish my Windows 7 clean install, BFBC2 will be installed, benchmarked for FPS, and videoed (courtesy of Fraps).

I think you have to create a shortcut with the desired clock speeds via AMD GPU tool. The prior posts a few pages back describe how to do this. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than nothing.

 

For OC'ing I strongly recommend MSI AfterBurner.

I use it on my PC to OC my 5850 ~ 50% above stock.

You can also down clock.

 

MSI Afterburner seems reasonably user-friendly, but it doesn't allow you to downclock as far as the AMD GPU Clock tool.

 

Actually, supposedly there is a way in one of the configs which can bypass this?

Something like
overclocklimit = 1

Probably changable to 0, i shall take a look when i get in.

 

My laptop doesn't want to start in normal mode after the night. "Loading Windows" and then black screen. In safe mode everything is ok. what's the problem???

 

What setting do you have for PowerPlay?

 

I think "Max performance". I can't get access there while in safe mode. It says that "Driver is not installed correctly" and besides I get "the audio service is not running"

 

Most likely you updated the driver to official 10.3, isn't it? Thats the cause then. Otherwise, no idea.

In the meantime, after I did some serious gaming (Crysis), I can't get my GPU lower then 50C anymore... even @ 75/250. CPU is running @ 1,2Ghz and also 5 degrees higher during idle. Could it be that the paste has finally more set by taking the temps to the limit (by serious heat), and now it is not as good as it was? I did not game at all, before I tried lowering the stock temps with underclocking. My lower temps were significant better then yours then, bu not anymore. Kinda annoying, fan sometimes turns on again, doing nothing. Hate that!

 

what should I do? I can't delete it in safe mode

 

Restore to last good known config , then try to pin down the issue.

 

I did some fiddling with the PowerPlay settings earlier, and I found that if I set it to "Maximum Battery Life" I couldn't boot into Windows 7 due to the screen going black (This was with the 10.3 drivers, 10-3_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc.exe).

The only way I could get Windows to boot after doing that was by using System Restore.

I highly recommend disabling PowerPlay altogether until the issues get sorted out.

 

thanks for the advise. it is a pity but restoration has been disabled. i think now only windows reinstall can help

 

With PowerPlay disabled, it seems to have no trouble waking up from sleep or hibernation.

 

With powerplay enabled you can still use sleep and hibernation. All you do is:
-put it on sleep while lid is open
-close the lid
-open the lid
-wake back up using the power button

I noticed for some reason it doesn't like to wake up unless you close and open the lid in between.

 

I'd still rather have PowerPlay off, really. It seems to cause problems (like the previously mentioned failure to boot) and when it does downclock, it doesn't downclock the memory so it doesn't make as much of a difference.

 

True I rather just use AMD GPU clock tool.

Question I still have is switching in between 16x and 1x when you actually want 1x

 

I don't know if you would want 1x; it doesn't seem to have that much effect on idle temperatures anyway.

 

*suspicious face*
What kind of temperatures are we talking about when you say "taking the temps to the limit" and "serious heat" ?

 

Yea.... serious heat, I would think 95+?

With the 820 clocked at 1.19 on 4 cores and gpu at 300/300 I hover in the low to mid 50s

Funny that i'm so wary of temps on this thing where my toshiba would be around mid-high 80s doing everyday tasks

 

95+ even with the i5-430m?

Gee Whizz, here in Honduras we have constant 30~38C degrees all day... and 25C @ night...

Even with the best thermal paste, these temps are normal?

I guess thats the downside of single fan cooling solution...

 

Oh I wasn't reffering to actually hitting 95. I'm just trying to interpret what he meant by the heat limits. I don't think a 430m would let you hit 95 unless you decided to play a game with furmark in the background

 

I C WUT U DID THAR

thanks

 

I thought I remember someone getting the gx640 with an i7-720qm upgrade? Did I dream that? I'm curious abou the temps and/or benchmarks with upgrading to an i7-720qm.

At this point, I'm trying to decide between a GX640 with the i7-720qm processor, or the Sager 8690 with an i7-720qm. They are are both around $1450 in price. The sager has the ATI 5870 (faster) and better cooling, but it's a lot bigger and heavier. The GX640 is a little slower in the graphic card region, but it's much more portable, and I prefer the 16:10 by a long shot. However, heat issues are a worry, although the 3-year warranty gives some peace of mind with that.

Any suggestions? In particular relative to upgrading the CPU in the mx640. I've decided I want to go with a quad core.

EDIT: The gx740 is still an option too, but I'm worried about the screen quality . . . I hear it isn't that good. Even though it's a 17", it's nearly the same size/weight as the Sager 8690.

 

List your top 3 priorities (no ties allowed) among the following choices:

portability (weight, form-factor)
power for gaming (CPU/GPU)
usability for tasks aside from gaming
warranty
heat management
price/cost-efficient (i.e. best bang for the buck)

 

I WAS gonna do that (put a thread up about the heat concern), then I started reading too many 720qm vs 620m threads, was gonna change it out, then wondered why I was spending so much money when I could do the upgrade later.

 

Please don't make me do this

usability for tasks aside from gaming -> SCREEN QUALITY + RES
heat management
power for gaming "LONG TERM"
ADDED: Build Quality
warranty
price/cost-efficient
portability

That's the order. The nail-bitting problem I'm having, is that for any of those topics, it's a damn near tie. Let me qualify the order/choices a little:

usability for tasks aside from gaming -> SCREEN QUALITY + RES
Do a lot of graphics work, including AutoCAD, Illustrator, some rendering, etc... As such, a high quality screen is really important. I prefer the 16:10 aspect ratio (of the MSI's) over the 16:9 (of the sager). The GX640 sounds like it has a nice screen, and the semi-gloss coating is supposed to be better in working / higher light environments, which is a plus. However, my eyes aren't the best, so having the 1680x1050 res on the 17" would be nice. But, from what I've read the gx740's screen isn't all that great in terms of contrast, good color display, etc... The Sager screen isn't my preferred resolution, but it is an LED screen with great even lighting, so that scores points.

heat management
All three choices generate a lot of heat / fan noise. Which is going to handle that heat the best, and the quitest? There are a lot of folks on the site here reporting heat issues with the gx640 and the gx740, with the fans running a lot (but how loudly?). The sager has the better cooling system, but the fans also run a fair amount. Any input on temps, especially with upgrading a gx640 with the i7-720qm would be great.

power for gaming "LONG TERM"
I'd like my next laptop to work well with games for upwards of 3-years. I'm only going to consider the i7-720qm CPU (which also equalizes the prices of all three choices) as I feel more and more games are going to take advantage of quad core + CPU's. All three options are in the $1400-$1500 range.

The only question is about the GPU. The 5870 get's a GPU vantage score ~7800, the 5850 get's ~7100. Not a huge difference through, so I'm guessing these will all last a while.

Build Quality
the sager appears to have better build quality, and I like the understated looks more. Even so, the MSI's both look nice to me as well, and aren't too flashy. How do MSI's hold up over the years?

Warranty
The MSI warranty is amazing, which is great, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter "that" much. With the sager I get 3-year labor + 1-year parts, and that isn't too terrible.

Price/Cost Efficient
Not too much of an issue, these all come out about even in terms of price/cost in my book.

Portability
The Sager and the GX740 are about the same in my book. Both are around 7.1-7.4 lbs. The GX740 has a bigger footprint, but it's noticeably thinner. The GX640 is the most "portable", but an extra inch dimension + 1.5 lbs less weight isn't a huge bonus, so this isn't a big decision factor.

HOWEVER, don't suggest the Asus G73, etc... as that IS much heavier AND much bigger. The MX740 is really the only 17" I'd consider buying.


CONCLUSION

At the end of this all, it looks like the GX640 with the i7-720qm upgrade will win out. It has the best screen res + good quality, is the most portable, and has the best warranty. I hope the ATI 5850 will hold up well (over the 5870). The other downsides are really my (ungrounded?) concerns about heat management and build quality. But I guess the 3-year warranty should make me feel better about that

 

Banker - Could you compare the contrast between screens of the Envy and the MSI? Specifically the black levels? The Envy is the only frame of reference I have and you're the point man on this one.

 

Well I've got the 820 which compares rather well with the 720 in terms of heat if there's any questions you want answered

 

Actually, based on your priorities, I would have picked the Sager. It wins out on usability, heat management, and power for gaming from a long term perspective.

 

The Envy has better black levels. I can see a small amount of light bleeding from the bottom edge of the GX640, whereas the Envy almost had none.

The Envy's screen was one of the best I've seen. Images and their colors were vibrant and images jumped out at you. However, it was useless outdoors because of its glossy screen (which made colors stand out very vividly and full of life when properly calibrated with JJB's ICS color profile). Even indoors, a lamp would allow you to see your reflection. Let me put it this way, my girlfriend would sometimes use my Envy's screen to touch up her makeup if she was closer to it than the bathroom mirror.

Between the 2 screens, I found the GX640 more usable since it cut down on glare, reflections, and made reading text so much more easier.

I found the Envy fantastic when I wanted to watch the Windows 7 background cycle through my collection of beautiful landscape pics from across the globe (Scotland, Egypt, NYC, London, etc.).

If they had a digital picture frame with a screen like the Envy's, I'd buy it in a heartbeat (since I knew I wouldn't use it to read anything).

 

The gx640 is really the winner for "usability" . . . I really prefer it's screen ratio, semi-gloss, and good reviews. Plus, the 2.5 + hours of battery life makes it more "usable" when not plugged in, which is good.

The sager certainly wins on heat management. It's it's close on long-term gaming, but I don't think the difference is too huge.

Thanks for prompting me to think through this . . . barring another feverish night, I'll probably go for the gx640 with the i7 upgrade. I'll get it with the IC-dimond thermal stuff, so that may help a little on the cooling side.

I can get it from gentech with the 720, IC dimond for ~$1440 (without shipping). That's not bad for a high performing laptop with quad core CPU and above average portability for 15". Can't go wrong now

 

I seem to have found an issue with the CPU multiplier dropping to x9 and locking it to that, while the notebook is in Windows when I go from AC to battery. Changing the power options seems to have no effect to unlocking it, and SpeedStep doesn't look like its kicking in when the CPU is being utilize with all cores at 100%.

I've gone through the bios to enabling and disabling combinations of C-state and SpeedStep options, and I still run into that issue.

However, if I was to boot up into Windows from battery, everything is normal. Although, I haven't tried changing power options from there to see what would happen to the CPU multiplier. When I plug the AC back in and pull it out, the problem comes up again.

I'll be back in several hours later from work to play around with it and come up with more info.

Can anyone else test their system to see if they have this issue too?

I am running with a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium, and I have tried all MSI drivers from CD and from the MSI website, and with the 10.3 ATI drivers(CCC from MSI CD).

 

Has anyone registered their GX640 yet with MSI? Regular warranty (3yrs), not an extended warranty.

Is it a matter of registering directly on MSI.com, or do you register via the place you bought your GX640 from.

Thanks.

 

Hmm..

tried my own hand at underclocking but it seems to not have too much of an effect. I can't get the temps below 54C, which is rather disappointing. I even ordered it with IC Diamond thermal paste.. would have expected better.

At 100/150 its hovering at 54.. which means the fan will go on, then off, then on, then off.

 

Underclocking doesnt do too much, although the hardware usage on the GPU will be lower, its really undervolting you want to be looking into, because it has set levels.

 

Well its just that BankerGolfer seemed to be able to get down to 49C at my clocks, and although I know every GPU is different, the temps haven't gone down at all since 300/300.