TONGFANG GK7CN6S / GK7CP0S / GK7CP7S

on sale again. 999

 

Does anyone have the latest bios/ec fur the 17+? I think the Nov 17 manufacture date units has 1.08 bios?

 

Is it not risky to wait? I mean, Walmart has again dropped the price for the 17" to 999.. isn't it possible that they increase it again? I'm quite in the same situation as @ Krogshöj as I also live in Europe (Romania, we're neighbours ). PCSpecialist sounds a lot more appealing than Walmart to me (although they only offer 1 year warranty by default (can be increased), they actually allow you to open the laptop and upgrade anything your heart desires), sadly their price is a lot higher (~450$ higher...) I was actually considering buying from Walmart and using a delivery service that could ship from USA to my country since that would cost ~120$ and it's still a better price.

 

Hello neighbour!

It's difficult to compare warranty plans. With PC Specialist you can upgrade to Silver Warranty for $6, which includes 1 year collect & return, 1 year parts and 3 years labour warranty. For $15, you can throw in a 1-month dead pixel warranty (including labour & carriage costs).

Walmart offers 2 years of "limited manufacturer warranty", but I don't know exactly what that means and I didn't find it explained in clear terms anywhere. Plus, if you encounter problems, it might be logistically difficult to send it back from a country they don't officially ship to.

For me, the warranty void sticker on the Walmart would also be a deal breaker. Not being able to update RAM & storage in a laptop in 2019 is unforgivable.

PC Specialist seem like a decent boutique PC company where personal care goes into every build they ship. I wouldn't trade that for a workaround Walmart experience to save $120.

 

Hi, @Krogshöj ! Thank you for your reply!

I don't know what Walmart's limited warranty means either, but I do think PCSpecialist's default warranty is pretty much just 1 year (I'm not completely sure what the labour warranty is, but they sadly only offer 1 for parts).

Also, the sticker from Walmart is really terrible.. for me it may mean I'd be buying a laptop with no warranty. Not to mention I'd have to pay the transportation fee to the USA myself should I need warranty (and I assume that would also be ~120$, but hopefully not..)

PCSpecialist seem to be awesome indeed.. I actually talked to them a lot before and they were very amiable and answered them quickly ; plus, they really allow you to modify whatever you want as long as you don't break the laptop. EDIT: And even if you do break it, this wouldn't void the warranty.. but you'll have to pay extra, as far as I understood from my conversations with them I don't know how many companies actually offer you this kind of services.. I do believe HIDEvolution from the USA may be one of them.

Regarding the price, you may have misunderstood what I meant. Sadly, the price difference is more than $450 according to my computations. I would gladly pay 120$ for all the advantages buying from PCSpecialist brings, but 120 is actually the transporation fee from the USA to Romania (according to the delivery service I checked).

I was quite intrigued by @undervolter0x0309 's suggestion that we should wait for CES 2019 before ordering. What do you think?

 

Okay, I get it now. I tend to agree with @undervolter0x0309. I expect NVIDIA will announce the laptop versions of its RTX 2000 GPUs during CES 2019. From what I read, I think the RTX 2060 will be an awesome GPU (somewhere around the performance of the GTX 1070), but I am sure that RTX laptops will cost a fortune. However, hopefully the price of GTX 1000 laptops will drop significantly. I'm not in a hurry anyways, so I will wait.

 

LG will announce a 17" thin bezel too. I'm expecting more pc makers to announce 17" thin bezels. That will drive prices for 17" down no matter what.

I'm personally hoping for 18" thin bezel :^)

 

Is that feasible in terms of panel availability?

 

If there's demand then they'll make it happen. The form factor will be close or less than the non-thin-bezel 17.3" laptops.

Panels for (bulky) 18" laptop do exist and are in circulation.
https://www.ebay.com/b/18-4-Laptop-Screens-and-LCD-Panels/31569/bn_627666

 

Looking to do a fresh Win 10 install. Is it just the standard USB stick install and updating the drivers from the OP3 folder when needed? I've heard some issues when attempting to install the dual video card drivers. I know GF Experience needs to be done forr the latest nvidia drivers. Also, can I reuse the same key from what came with the Home build on the 17? Enjoying the laptop very much. A big thanks to the community here.

Thanks

 

That should work. And your Windows will automatically activate. No need to enter the Windows key again, just skip that step during installation and it will take care of itself.

Does anyone else here have extra options in their NVIDIA Control Panel? The last gaming laptop I used with the same drivers had options for custom resolutions and such. That was, however, a GTX 1070. I am on version 417.35.

 

So just download the Windows 10 Home version from the USB creator and install? Sweet.

 

After exhaustive testing with OP Gaming Center 1.2.2.8 and MyAPP 1.6.1.0 and 1.4.11.0, I wanted to post information about my findings. If you are happy with the lighting and fan controls of your current Control Center/Gaming Center, then disregard this post.

Using MyAPP lighting and fan control software on Tongfang GK5CN4, GK5CN5Z, GK5CN6Z, or ZGK7CN6S model laptops:

MyAPP is a lighting and fan control software designed for previous generation of Tongfang laptops, but I find it superior than later Control Center / Gaming Center programs that are distributed by various companies such as Eluktronics, CyberpowerPC, OVERPOWERED, etc. It has a cleaner, lighter user interface, and simplified controls which accomplish everything I need. Caveats of using this software include: no lightbar control with MyAPP and dedicated fan control button will not work (looking for fixes).

SPECIAL NOTES
-Lightbar settings must still be controlled with OEM Control Center / Gaming Center. I have not found a way to control my lightbar with MyAPP. This is "set it and forget it"; you may set your preferred lightbar color in the other software, save, then reboot and it will stick forever. [EDIT: some users are reporting success with lightbar controls using MyAPP, but you must still keep Control/Gaming Center installed]
-It is recommended that you disable Control Center / Gaming Center on startup. There will be a duplicate "OEM" task on startup you can disable.
-OEM Control Center / Gaming Center normally runs with higher privileges than MyAPP. Thus you will encounter issues when running both simultaneously.
-You must save after each change you make to "lighting effect" and "welcome effect". The most recent save will stick through reboot, regardless of which lighting program is used.
-Use version 1.6.1.0 or later. MyAPP version 1.4.11.0 will work with the Tongfang laptop models listed, but has issues:
- User mode lighting is missing several keys (they will not illuminate)
- Color calibration is off (orange looks yellow, yellow looks green, etc.)
- Fan smart mode seems to run at higher fan rpm's on idle

Download link to ZIP file (of MyAPP version 1.6.1.0)

Outdated tutorial:

Spoiler

INSTALLATION
Not having the installer for MyAPP 1.6.1.0, here is a workaround to get this integrated into your Tongfang GK5CN4, GK5CN5Z, GK5CN6Z, or ZGK7CN6S model laptop.
If you do not want to follow the steps below, you can simply launch MyAPP.exe at startup, manually or with Windows task scheduler, but it will not launch to the system task tray.

1) Download https://www.eluktronics.com/content/Drivers/MECH-15/MyAPP_1.4.11.0.zip
2) Extract folder and install .exe
3) Disable "OEM" on startup (ctrl + alt + del - select task manager, then startup tab)
4) Reboot
5) Browse to default installation folder - C:\Program Files (x86)\OEM\MyAPP
6) Delete all files within MyAPP directory, using administrator privileges
7) Deleting LaunchServ will require you end the process TODO: <檔案說明> in task manager (ctrl + alt + del)
(step 7 is probably not necessary, but I wanted to be thorough)
8) Copy files from this MyAPP folder to C:\Program Files (x86)\OEM\MyAPP
9) Enable "OEM" on startup, then reboot

MyAPP version 1.6.1.0 should now launch on startup and will be located in your Windows system task tray.

I realize this is a ridiculous workaround, but I was not able to figure out how to create a custom installer out of the file folder. I do not have the original installer, as it came preinstalled on my CyberpowerPC Tracer III 17. I have checked CyberpowerPC's driver support page and contacted them directly for the most recent version of this software. I am awaiting a response from them.

I have the Tongfang 17" so if someone wants to test this method on a 15" that would be great. [EDIT: tested and working, thanks @ZaiArgylle ]

 

Before I fresh install Windows, should I be upgrading the following?

BIOS - N.1.03
EC - 1.07.09

The box came pre-loaded with Gaming Center V1.2.2.1

Thanks

 

Not sure if anyone is bothered by the PWM flicker but I've been able to eliminate it using the IRIS Software, https://iristech.co/. So far so good! Just thought I'd share my experience.

 

Did you swap out the battery haven't seen anyone done this for the GK7CN6S?

 

In most (if not all) U.S. states, it is illegal for an OEM (and likely vendors, too - i.e., Walmart) to refuse to honor these warranties if the laptop is opened by the user, and the warranty sticker is broken in the process - as long as it was for "reasonable" upgrade (i.e., adding memory, swapping / adding SATA M.2 SSD for nVME SSD, for example). This is established law. You may open up the laptop and do *minor* parts upgrades (as above) to this laptop as you see fit, without fear of voiding its warranty.

 

Had the 17+ for 2weeks now. Running all the latest drivers. Laptop works great. Still deciding is lack of gen2 usb port will be a deal breaker.

Also, I feel the screen makes me feel tired. Do you think this is an effect of PWM? I can't use 100% brightness because I use my laptop in a dim room. Also lowering the brightness through software just makes the blacks blacker.

 

From a forum on Slickdeals “bidzer”: “try https://iristech.co/ to completely remove any PWM screen worries”

 

He ( @bidzer ) also mentioned it here (just a few posts above, on this same page) . Thanks to you both for sharing (altough I'm not an owner of such laptop)!

Side note: it seems the 17" laptop is out of stock at Walmart right now..

 

Yup, sold out!

 

From what I've been able to research on the product it uses the graphics card brightness instead of the display brightness to dim. So leaving the display at 100% eliminates the PWM flicker. I'm happy with the results for sure. Is there any black level loss doing this? I can't tell, but having no flicker is a trade off I'm willing to make. There are a couple interviews with the developer on YouTube which go into much more detail. The software is free for a week to try and the price is reasonable if you're going to keep the laptop. I've used F.Lux for years but Iris is much more feature packed. Hope this helps.

 

What are you guys seeing for your GPU frequency? On BF V and Overwatch the most I get is 1560/1620Mhz, overclocking has zero affect. I'm also seeing wattage pulled by the CPU upwards of 65w. Temps during BF V are hitting 97c.

Settings:
Gaming mode - Active
Power settings - Equilibrium and Balanced
Undervolted. -.130 core and cache

I'm hesitant to repaste in case I decide to return and Bob said it had little affect on the Mech G2, but it appears people are having positive results. I attempted to order a second one to compare, but Walmart keeps cancelling my orders, and now there put of stock.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Thanks for your insight but 100% is just way too bright for use in a dim room. I'll give Iris a try and see how it goes. My guess its the same as going into the Intel graphics control panel and turning down the brightness (which just causes dark colors to blend). The $999 was a steal, but wondering if the Asus gl704 or msi ge75 would be more suited for me which has no PWM.

 

I've never dimmed using the Intel Control Panel. Iris gives me the results I'm happy with but it's definitely a personal choice. Would kd like to hear your perception after trying it. Shopping for my kids Christmas gift is probably stopping at this machine.

 

I have the OP 17+. Installed the Realtek audio drivers from the OP site, then newer ones from from tenforums. With both drivers I'm getting a popping sound from my left speaker occasionally. It seems to be when my audio initializes or something, like when I start a game or a video. I used the Realtek Audio Console to turn off power management, thinking that might be the issue, but it's still happening. Has anyone else had this issue? Not a huge deal, as the audio works fine otherwise, just slightly annoying.

 

I was getting ready to pay the $15 for Iris, but decided to try f.lux. I think I like it a lot better and don't need half the stuff in Iris. Thanks for the suggestions, happy to fix the flicker.

 

Yes i have the same issue after i did a fresh Windows install. Have not found a fix yet for it . It is my left speaker that pops as you describe .

 

Cool, then it's likely a driver issue and not hardware related. That makes me feel a little better.

 

Sweet, nice to see you've found something that helps you. There's also an Iris Mini that I'm going to try out.

Cheers

 

My laptop came with Bios 1.03. Is there a changelog to see what's changed in 1.04?

Not sure if it's worth upgrading. I've searched around and couldn't find any info the threads.

Thanks

 

My left speaker occasionally pops. Doesn’t really bother me though.

 

So I tried out Iris and can confirm the brightness control on it is different than the Intel control panel. All the colors seems to still check out, buts it's a bit odd looking. Almost like a grey overlay.

 

I've read it lowers the white point of the video card. You can see the grey as you gwt lower in thr brightness setting. 80 is great for me at night time. Has made me keep the laptop as I don't mind the dimness as it's only during a portion of day on the whole.

Thanks for sharing you experience and feedback.

 

Just a curious question, has anyone by any chance tried to install Windows 7 on this thing and if they did, how would you go about with the drivers? If no one tried installing it before, I'm willing to take up the challenge, since I like the look and feel of Windows 7 better than Windows 10, and thought of it as an interesting project to do.

 

I emailed them about it, and they gave me a download to it. Here you go: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k0bBzOYEH0xQbyIrfAY_quRMktBVXdZg/view?usp=drivesdk
It doesn't seem to include the EC section of it, though.

 

Ultra Male has a guide to tweaking Windows 10. One of the steps is to make the Windows 10 Start Menu look and feel like WIndows 7:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/windows-10-tweaks-and-fixes-index-post-1.779394/

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...xes-index-post-1.779394/page-82#post-10832541

 

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/recoil-II-rtx-17/

So this chassis is getting an RTX 2060 and, amazingly, an RTX 2070!

Comparing this model directly with the previous generation from PCS, you will be paying $169 before VAT for the RTX 2060 over the GTX 1060, and an extra $325 for the RTX 2070. I bet this thing will cool a RTX 2070 pretty well with a repaste also!

I am posting from an American perspective, but I realize they do not ship worldwide. I will keep an eye on CyberpowerPC and Eluktronics for more on this model in the US.

 

I didn't expect a non-mainstream manufacturer to upgrade so fast. I expected a price drop for the 1060 model instead, but with only a $169 premium for the 2060, it's not a bad deal considering the performance of the GPU.

The only thing is, the Recoil II now is not that cheaper than a similarly configured, new MSI GS75 Stealth. Which is lighter, looks great and probably has much better battery life.

Prices for 17.3'' FHD 144Hz, i7-8750H, RTX 2060, 16GB 2666Mhz, 256GB NVMe, Win 10, wo/shipping

MSI GSI75 Stealth @ GentechPC: $2100
PC Specialist Recoil II 17.3: $1960

https://www.gentechpc.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MSI-GS75-Stealth-204
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/recoil-II-rtx-17

 

Some more pricing just released:

 

Guys seeing these new releases any idea as to by when these RTX 2060 laptops will drop to the $1000 price range ? Considering of returning my 15 " OP . Will we see these low prices by Christmas this year ?

 

I wouldn't expect RTX prices to drop significantly anytime soon, unless AMD ups their game and comes up with something comparable, which I think is unlikely. However, I suspect we'll see some new entry to mid-range GPUs from NVDIA without the RTX branding and ray tracing (GTX 1150 Ti, 1160 or something similar) during 2019, first to desktops, then to laptops. Thoughts?

 

Yeah I miss my 16L13, my desktop is rocking a 1080TI, not upgrading the the 2080Ti...yet...

What is the keyboard issue you are seeing, were you able to get it resolved.

Sorry for the late reply, have been consumed by work lately.

EDIT:

Found your post about the shift key. I was having some really weird issues with keys and as well as my mouse not being responsive. I was using a wireless xbox controller before hand. Long story short it is the XINPUT driver that was causing hella bad issues for me. Turning off bluetooth(Controller was bluetooth) immediately fixes my issues. It's a windows thing at least and not hardware.

 

But if you see the pc specialist link the 2060 is available today for $1500 . I am expecting OP to release these at their killer prices again to retain their market share ! Also that could be the reason why they cleared out their 1060 laptop dirt cheap .

Sure the 17 inch wont be available for $999 but I dont expect them to be $1500 as well.

 

PC Specialist has another narrow bezel, thin 17.3'' gaming laptop with RTX in its line-up: the Defiance. The previous 17.3'' Defiance with GTX was a different chassis with big bezels. Any idea what chassis the new one is based on?

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/defianceV-17/
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/defianceV-rtx-17/

 

It's similar to the Clevo PA-71, which I returned in favor of this model actually, mainly since the thermals were not as good. The build quality is very nice though, if you are willing to look past a sub-standard keyboard.

The PA-70 is also the same model but with red accents.

EDIT: Sorry, I am referring to the older Defiance V, not the newer. I do not know this particular model, but it looks very thin... and hot.

 

I did some digging and I think it might be the new Clevo P97.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo...models-with-Nvidia-RTX-graphics.390371.0.html

I have concerns about the thermals as well. Not because of the RTX GPUs but the i7-8750H... Probably will stick with the Recoil II.

 

Interesting! Comparing the Defiance VI RTX 2060 model with their Recoil II RTX 2060, they are pretty similar price-wise. The Recoil II is just 1.6% more expensive when specced the same (with RTX 2060), though it is also 38% thicker. The Defiance has a slightly larger footprint, however, which translates to thicker bezels.

If comparing the Defiance VI RTX 2070 Max-Q with the Recoil II RTX 2070, the Recoil II becomes the cheaper option, also boasting better performance. The Recoil II has a 230W adapter.

Only the Defiance VI is available in the RTX 2080 (Max-Q), but at a steep premium, and will the thin chassis really support it? Also, only a 180W adapter is available.

The RTX 2070 vs. 2080 Max-Q will be an intruiging comparison once the mobile benchmarks are out. The only reason I see to get the Defiance VI with RTX 1060/1070 in this case is if you needed the thinner chassis and wanted longer battery life. NVIDIA Optimus is not listed as an option for either laptop, though we know the Recoil II includes it. Perhaps the Defiance VI has G-Sync, but this would not be a sensible solution for the form factor.

 

I ended up going against what I said I was going to do and just repasted as opposed to returning. I used Kryonaut on the GPU and Conductonaut on the CPU (after watching about 100 tutorials, mind you). I'm happy to report that my temperatures are absolutely fantastic now. After reading here and in the 15(+) thread I also did some work on adjusting what I'm guessing is the TDP (under TPL in Throttlestop). With Turbo Boost Power Max set at 65 and Short Power Max set to 75, I'm achieving 1244 in Cinebench with temperatures maxing out at 58 Celsius. Seems really good to me?

*Edit: Max fan speed, of course.

 

Glad to see Eluktronics offering their Mech G2 laptops with RTX graphics now!

https://www.eluktronics.com/MECH-17

You can get a barebones RTX 2070 model for around $1500-1600, which is not bad! Throw in a 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD, and 16GB 2400mhz RAM, and that's around $1800, which isn't bad for a 2070 laptop.