Official MSI GX640 Owner's Thread

Sager and the m15x in terms of cooling quality (I've had the pleasure of actually stressing the m15x and its working with heat beautifully too, so theirs no doubt about it when alienware designed the cooling to be premium.)

Its a shame the 640 doesn't feature the rear vent, because i actually block my right vent off with microfiber from time to time, to stop objects (Not really my hand) getting hot hehe, i also manaaged to toast some bread off the vent! muahaha was hillarious.

 

well, as I'm living in a cooler climate country i find the additional heating for my room quite pleasing on those cold evenings

 

Two laptops with the same components will produce the same amount of heat, and the Sager/m15x with the 5870 will in fact produce more heat.

A better cooling system can dissipate more heat at the same internal temperatures, or, equivalently, dissipate the same amount of heat at lower temperatures.

 

The Sagers are nice but too pricey imo. As far as Alienware, thee have lost their appeal for me. I used to have an m9700 with dual 7900gs cards and that was an awesome machine. The new ones though, since Dell bought them, don't really feel like boutique laptops anymore, they're becoming more mainstream. I don't know I guess I just don't like Dells. The MSI models are nice because they don't have all the fancy lighting and crap, and just focus on solid build quality and great internal components, like Sager's approach, but less expensive. Plus how many people you know with MSI laptops. I love being somewhat unique

 

Have to agree with that, i'm in all honestly somewhat dissapointed that they hardly revamped internals on the new books, they're slightly hotter for my tastes (The gt725 cooling was dam right awesome you know.)

But the build quality is solid as, after heavily dropping it twice... my machine didn't really change one bit.

 

So you dropped your GX twice? Does that mean its quality is superb?? Woohoo/No Woohoo?

 

Hey guys, I'm in the market for a new laptop and this is one of a few that I am considering. I have a few questions:

1. How is MSI's customer service and support? I like that the laptop comes with a three year warranty. Also, what's the typical process and turnaround for warranty service?

2. Are there any reported issues with the laptop, and any fixes to those issues (if any)?

3. What's a good, reputable place to buy MSI in the States? I've heard of Xoticpc, with mixed reviews.

Thanks in advance.

 

You can start by reading here, dear sir:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/msi/473766-official-msi-gx640-owners-thread.html

 

Thanks, I read quite a bit of the thread but didn't find all the answers I was looking for. I'd like to get the computer with the i7 and so far, I've only seen customizable options on xoticpc (which I haven't heard great things about) so I'm looking for some other options to buy.

I didn't see many people experiencing issues, which is good news, but I'm still not really sure about MSI's support.

 

I've heard MSI's not the best there is, but at least its 3 years... (on warranty)
But Reseller support is great (xotic, gentech)

 

I bought mine from xoticpc and they were fantastic. They responded to every e-mail I sent them extremely quickly (even at 11 at night) and were fantastic help. They also keep you updated on the state of the order throughout the entire process with e-mail updates.

Here is their reseller rating page:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Xotic_PC

 

+1 Xoticpc roxx !!!
I send them more than 10 mails and they replied to me each time a few hours after.
Normally they are going to send my computer today or tomorrow, I hope i'll get it before thursday (no school )

 

I just have done a Vantage test, and I have some low score...

I had 6300 pts GPU and 7200 pts CPU. The GPU score is too low...

I have the catalyst 10.4 driver, I'm in Performance windows mode, with stock gpu clocks... and I am in default mode in Vantage (performance).

What it can be?

Also, How can I always disable PowerPlay in CCC? Cause, when I disable it manually, it comes back later. I am tired of the black screen when I go in sleep mode or when the batterie is empty..

 

you can do a 1mhz overclock it will keep the pci-e x16

 

Thanks! I did it again with 1mhz overclock and I had 7150 pts.

CPU:7299
GPU: 7118

 

I can see you grinned when you did this!!

 

Haha! Yes of course!

After that, I did an overclock to 725/1100 and I was able to have over 8000pts. Really happy!

 

What was the GPU score? I'm guessing around 8250.

 

I don't remember clearly, but around 8300 for sure.

 

Is there space for another HDD or any more slots for RAM in this thing? I think I'm going to buy it

 

Mine freezes up while running Vantage at those clocks

 

Same here. It made it through the first 2 tests and froze up half way through the third.

But at stock clocks I got CPU: 7122 and GPU: 7246

and at 700 / 1000 I got GPU: 7796

 

After countless hours of debating, I'm pulling the trigger on the GX640. I basically narrowed it down to this. MS-1727 has a shorter warranty period and some have no label on the front plus its annoying finding parts especially since bing cashback is down. Even though I had found all my parts it ended up being roughly 1100+ish, but that was with bing. The GX740 is the same exact fan setup(single) as the 640 so I cannot understand why the cooling would be better, maybe the dual exhaust helps I guess? 1400 is a bit too much anyways and the barebones 640 is just out of the question. 5850 is a downclocked 5870 when it narrows down to that. You can get rid of the i5 for real cheap and use that money in the effort to purchase an i7. Thats basically what I narrowed it down to.

PS: I hope this helps the people like ben and whoever else have trouble deciding.

 

LOL.
I made my choice.
I'm going for the 17.
But until I get more funds! haha

If for X, Y, or Z means I cannot get the funds, I'm pulling the trigger on the GX640.

I feel honored you referred to me as an example of undecisiveness

 

Don't get too cocky, Ben. You've got nothing on dookie.

 

My undecisiveness vs. dookie's SC2 fixation
haha!!

 

For your undecisiveness: Rock-solid! This lappy is awesome.

For dookie's SC2 fixation: I play the beta, all Ultra is impossible, though.
( I have a WUXGA screen.. and it lags a bit when i use ultra )
So I use Ultra textures, but High settings + Shadows + Ultra Effects.

Pretty much rock solid again with stunning SC2 graphics.



HA

 

WHAT you're going for the 17!?!!!?!? Omg, ~_~. Now I think I'm gonna change my mind as well, but 1400 makes a big hole in my pocket .I'm actually going to wait for a legit review to see what type of temps it gets on load. JW, why did you decide to go for the 17?

 

i7 + 5870 for just $200 more (if i order from gentech and remove the bluray, i get it for $1303)

But it all depends.. because its not even released yet...
I kinda have an advantage since I dont have the money with me as OF NOW... so... I got time...

I'm gonna jump ahead dookie and ask you: define "lags a bit", what FPS difference, etc..?

 

1920x1200 32bit High w/ Ultra texture, Shadows, Ultra Effects – 45 ~ 100 FPS

1920x1200 32bit Ultra – 30 ~ 75 FPS ( Shows stutters between screen scrolling, can’t play )

1680x1050 32bit Ultra – 45 ~ 100 FPS ( Shows stutters between scrolling )

Hmm. Dunno why but the ultra option must really tax more than the high with some ultras added.

Mind you, WUXGA high is so much better than WSXGA+ graphics Ultra…
Swap out your panels guys-

 

God, I love this guy. And you guys too, of course Those F-ers at gamestop/gamespot decided to change the released date to July instead of June, dammit.

That gives me some buffer time to decide on my purchase though. A new challenger(s) appears though: Acer 3820TG, ENVY 14, and GE600. Someone in the GE600 thread confirmed that SC runs "really really" well on High settings.

 

Hi guys,

After a whole day reading through all 114 pages of thread, i still couldnt decide between gx640 and sager np8690.

The gx640 wins in price if we go with stock config, but if iwe're willing to spend couple hundreds more in upgrades, the np8690 will win in price/performance ratio. I mean for $250 more in xoticpc you can get the better cpu i5-540, the 5870, fullhd screen, 500gb hd, and blueray. Prolly another 100 for windows, but most of us here have our own and gonna do fresh install anyway.

Granted, the only differences we can tell is the 5870 in games, but still, i think its the best bang for the buck config for 2-3 years to come, i dont mind spending another 350 for a happy 2-3 years in gaming.

The very selling point of gx640 to me is the weight, thickness, and battery life, since i travel and commute quite ofter. I read in Sager thread that the battery can only hold is about 1-1.5 hours (some even report 45 mins -_-!), while the gx640 about 2-3 hours, and i dont see anybody post less than 90mins, so i guess no debate in battery life, the gx640 is the way to go for me.

now the question is, does anybody ever experienced both laptops in terms of weight and thickness? in travelling or commuting between close places maybe? does the extra 1.5lbs pounds off really helpful? is it nicer to carry a 1inch thinner laptop? or these 2 factors are negligible?

Suggestion and comments are welcome ^^
thanks

edit: i miscalculated, its $250 more, but still, i think its the better bang for my buck ^^

 

Did you answer your own question? If you're stuck btw the Sager and our beloved MSI, you should go for Sager since you're willing to shell out the dough. I'm in a stuck-ier position than you are. I'm still deciding between the GX, the GE600, Acer 3820TG/4820TG, or the ENVY 14.

 

I wouldn't bother with the GE600. Battery life and portability won't be as good as the TimelineX or Envy, and the HD 5730 isn't much better than the HD 5650.

If the Envy 14 or 3820TG was out when I made my purchase, I would've given them serious consideration, though.

 

Just got my GX640 this evening, looks amazing so far. Will go into more detail later.

i5-540m and blu-ray reader are the only things I added.

CPU Temps on idle were 49-54c

GPU temps through CCC were registered at 60c

Ran the cs:source test and had everyhting maxed out with 2x filtering.

245 fps.

 

Test everything , more demanding games and post temperatures while gaming

 

true, im leaning toward sager since im willing to upgrade, but like i said, portability is quite important to me since i travel and commute alot, thats why im asking if the difference in weight and thickness between the two negligible, or the lighter and thinner gx640 is actually a big plus? is there anybody here who had the chance to compare them side by side?

 

Hey everyone!

First post here, just bought the GX640. Did all the recomendations in this thread (expect for the slight overclock), ran the Vantage software and got a 7224 (7236 GPU, 7187 CPU), thats the score I should expect, right?

 

Affirmative.

 

Yah, I'm like you also, cuz I am planning for grad school, and its gotta fit in a backpack+not weigh like a 12pack of soda (notice how I didnt complain about 5lbs lolz)...

@lackofcheese, I think you might be right about the GE600. I really like the option of switchable graphics though. I wonder how the 5650 compares to the 5850 with regards to SC2 on high/ultra though. Btw, anyone know which GP for sure will be in the ENVY 14?

 

For those who got the Blu-ray drive...have you played around with it yet? Can you tell the difference between a DVD and a Blu-ray disc on the laptop screen itself? I think I'd end up watching Blu-rays on my laptop more than I would connect my laptop to an HDTV.

 

I will test it out tonight or tomorrow. When I got the laptop the side didnt say blu-ray so I thought maybe they forgot to install the drive as it only said dvd.

But I checked the drive itself and popped in a bluray just to see if it would work and it did.

I was worried for a moment.

 

Sorry to change the subject but has anyone tried out MSI tech support yet? I decided to try them out to see what level of support they offer. I decided to make up a problem with a simple thing like my keyboard so I told them that it keeps typing by itself after I let go of a key. I also told them that I plugged in a USB keyboard and it worked fine. Anyway, on to the phone call. It was actually quite hilarious. I got a guy with what sounded like a Russian accent. It was weird because it sounded like he was talking on a cell phone because his voice was not clear at times and I could hear what sounded like street noise in the background. He was cordial over the phone but after explaining my "problem" he agreed that it was probably a bad keyboard. So what was the next step? He said I had two options: 1) Return the laptop to the reseller, or 2) RMA the entire laptop to MSI. I asked if they could just send me a keyboard to swap out and he said they can't do that. I even offered to buy a new keyboard, and he stated that MSI does not resell spare parts, only authorized resellers do. Wow, I hope I never have to use their support for real.

 

Uh oh. Now it's a question of whether I want bad service and an awesome rig, or a Dell with half the Vantage score and excellent service (for significantly more money, of course).

 

blu ray looks nice, there is a slight noticeable difference in quality. about as much as the difference on the 1080p lcd tv.
for me anyways :/

 

I kinda agree with this. MSI is only like 10 miles away from home though (City of Industry). I wonder if they'll let me drive over there and drop off a broken laptop rather than mailing it.

 

I'm calling Xotic and MSI now to see whether or not they can do a parts-only-service kind of thing if my keyboard or something like that breaks. I'm basically going to say something like this... I know my way around computers very well, and the lack of a parts-only-service component might make me go with Dell. I'll see what they say. I really want this to work haha. I'll post an update soon.

UPDATE:
So Xotic says that the warranty is through MSI. So I called MSI, and there's no way to RMA an individual part. This is ridiculous. I think I'm still gong to buy, though. Apple is like that, and so is Toshiba (for the most part), so I guess I'll just hope it doesn't break. What do y'all think?

 

does MSI send conformation once they receive the warranty info?
also, do you just have to send the Receipt-invoice and the MSI form? No UPC?

thanks