Time for a new laptop

Windows index of 4.5 just won't cut it anymore.

I'm looking at this MSI rig for approx. $1,100.: http://www.adorama.com/MSIGE606US.html

Anyone have any experience with MSI? Good/bad? Is it worth the money?

What's your current system, and what are your goals / needs, performance-wise, from a replacement?

Presently, a Gateway P-6860 FX.

Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz
4 GB RAM
NVIDIA 8800M GTS 512 MB
2 HD's: OS 250 GB, Games and media 500 GB.

I'm looking for a gaming system but in a smaller form factor (17" and 9 lbs. is too big) and I'd like to stay at around $1,000 or lower.

Needs? Well, Saint's Row 3 chugs on lowest detail settings and Diablo 3 on medium works the CPU so hard it will overheat and force shutdown if I forget to plug in the laptop cooler after about 30 minutes. I survived Crysis 2 and the Mass Effect series on this machine with reasonable settings but even less pretty games aren't optimized for this behemoth anymore.

Looks like you're wanting to game on it a bit since you picked one with a 650m. That's supposed to be a mid-ranged laptop GPU. You have to be careful with the laptop GPUs because sometimes some of the 600 series are just rebranded Fermi parts. The 650m is actually Kepler, though.

IF you want to use it for a lot of gaming, I'd go with an Alienware just because the build quality will likely be much nicer. You can get an M14x (base model) for $1100. The things you will sacrifice probably won't matter too much. The 650m will have 1 GB of memory instead of 2. That's not a big deal for most games, especially if you are playing below 1080p. That MSI has a 1080p screen, so the 2 GB might be worth it in a couple games (like GTA IV). THe M14x would have a lower resolution. You'd have to check reviews to see if this would be a deal breaker for you.

Anyways, I've had a M11x R2 for a couple years and it's been very nice. Also, Dell doesn't install bloatware on the Alienware stuff. Arrives clean with only Steam installed. I don't really like the flashy colors and stuff on Alienware, so I just turn everything to a plain white which ends up being pretty subdued. I don't know what the build quality is like on MSI laptops.

So, I guess that's my fanboy 2 cents.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the CPU isn't as beefy on the M14x, but it's plenty for pretty much any game and would probably be better on the battery than the i7 in the MSI.

Looking at this pretty detailed review on the GE60, there are things about the build quality that would bother me. Also, those advertising stickers on the inside are horrendous looking. The screen and performance would be great, though!

That review should answer any questions you might have. I don't think MSI laptops came up in the recent GWJ find-me-a-laptop threads.

Tuffalobuffalo has good advice.

Unless you're doing very CPU-intensive tasks (compiling, video editing, etc.) I'm wary of using an i7 in a laptop unless it's a high-end rig where the rest of the hardware measures up. Laptop form factor and the trade-offs for miniaturization aside, the main laptop bottleneck for gaming tends to be the video chipset. If there is a budget, you want to hit a sweet spot where that video chipset is kept busy while the CPU is also - all while operating at the resolution you prefer. An imbalance one way or the other usually means you're wasting cash on a component that will be underutilized.

I've been wondering if an i5 would be a better choice for the sake of balance. That's the problem with being out of the market for so long, I'm out of touch with the recent Intel lines.

gains wrote:

I've been wondering if an i5 would be a better choice for the sake of balance. That's the problem with being out of the market for so long, I'm out of touch with the recent Intel lines.

Here's another interesting thing about laptop CPUs... they are generally set to be throttled whenever they reach a certain temperature. So, that i7 might be getting throttled to the point where it's basically performing at the level of the equivalent i5.

I've used throttle stop and overclocked the CPU a little bit on my M11x R2 with an i5. The laptop gets much hotter (still within reason), so it's better if you don't actually have to put it on your lap. There were a couple games where that little laptop would be CPU bound with it's ultra low voltage core i5. This was the generation right before Sandy Bridge. That should give you an idea of how much CPU you need... not a lot. That little ULV core i5 will pretty much run everything. You don't need much more than that. The GPU is where pretty much everything gets bound.

The games that are barely unplayable because of that CPU are Diablo III (I could only ever get 10 fps out of that game for some reason), The Witcher 2, & Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (actually, those are fairly playable using throttlestop).

Things like Civ 5 and Shogun 2 actually worked pretty well, surprisingly with that little dual core CPU. You don't need much, these days. Pretty much any Ivybridge would rock your games' worlds. Hell, Ivybridge will run lots of games all on its own with the integrated graphics. With Nvidia's Optimus, you can set games to use either the integrated graphics or the discrete Nvidia graphics. So, you could set a lot of them to just use Ivybridge's integrated graphics and save on battery life. Ivybridge can even run things like Portal 2.

If you want something as small as the M11x, which sadly is no longer in production (you can still get the r3 though), check out the recently launched Clevo I posted about here. It doesn't use the ULV CPUs found in the M11x, so they're much more powerful (and have quad-core options), and it also uses the 650m (only DDR3 though, as the resolution is lower). It will run just about anything, and apparently overclocks quite well. Downsides include no back-lit keyboard, unimpressive battery life, and some not so well designed keys on the right side.

It's resold by a number of different retailers, but I've heard mythlogic, lpc-digital, and xotic-pc are among the more trusted.

Well, there's this juvenile part of me that wants to go for the alienware laptop just because I wanted one years back but was talked down.

I've found a refubished one on the Dell outlet site. How much am I losing out if I go with the m14x R2 instead of the R3? The big difference I'm seeing is in the processor. Intel Core i5-2450M Processor (2.5GHz) instead of the newer i5-3210M.

gains wrote:

Well, there's this juvenile part of me that wants to go for the alienware laptop just because I wanted one years back but was talked down.

I've found a refubished one on the Dell outlet site. How much am I losing out if I go with the m14x R2 instead of the R3? The big difference I'm seeing is in the processor. Intel Core i5-2450M Processor (2.5GHz) instead of the newer i5-3210M.

Probably not... Ivy Bridge really just upgraded graphics over Sandy Bridge. It shrunk the process down to 22 nm (down from Sandybridge's 32nm). So, they might run a tad cooler and use a tad less power. Performance-wise, though, it's probably not a huge deal.

GameGuru had the R2 and loved it IIRC. I think he sold it and upgraded to the R3. He could let ya know for sure what the differences are. Just send him a PM to let him know about this thread. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to chime in.

Do they both use the Nvidia 650M?

Yeah, same graphics card.

Well, you only live once. Submit Order.

gains wrote:

Yeah, same graphics card.

Well, you only live once. Submit Order.

Nice. That'll be a sweet machine. I often wish my M11x had a bit more power for when I hook it up to the TV for couch gaming. That M14x will chew threw anything. I ordered some new GPUs for my desktop today, so that makes two of us impulse buying.

It probably has a 720p display. I'm actually a fan of this because it forces you to choose a lower resolution for the games. That way, you can crank some of the other settings. I suppose that doesn't work if you hook it up to a TV.

I imagine that even the refurb will come with the 1 year warranty. They're actually pretty good about fixing stuff, although, it's hard to make sure you get to the dedicated Alienware customer support versus standard Dell customer support. It's sort of a long story and mostly my fault, but I managed to get a new display out of them. Mine ended up getting these weird burned in keyboard marks because I put this styrofoam packing pad in between the keyboard and the screen thinking it would help keep the screen clean. It was strange. Anyways, it's been running great ever since it went out of warranty. Hopefully, I get a couple more years out of it.

Also, get Quantum Conundrum during the Steam Sale. I actually played that on my M11x and the light colors are tied to the game so they switch whenever you change to the different dimensions. A little silly, but I thought it was cool. Initially, I thought my computer was having a problem because it had never happened before. They must have worked something out with Alienware.

There isnt an R3 for the M14x yet.. the current model is the R2. And yes the R1 used a GT555M with 3GB of VRAM and the R2 uses a GT650M with 2GB of VRAM. The R2 is faster.. but I can't exactly tell you its tremendously faster.. but I notice games like Skyrim run better than they used to. Both models are certainly powerful though for all current games. I love this laptop and its easily the best laptop in terms of size/weight/speed.

Cool. I feel better already. The monster I'm lugging around now was a refurbished floor model so I got it for half price. I think that spoiled me because I feel nervous about any laptop significantly over $1,000. Y'know, mortgages and car payments and that obnoxious need to eat food, so finding this one at a reduced price was good.

I'll be sure to check in and let everyone know what I think once I get up and running with it.

Oh, hey! I just realized that instead of buying new games I can just load up my old ones and see how much better they run! Then I don't need to spend any money on the Steam sale!
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Right.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

It probably has a 720p display. I'm actually a fan of this because it forces you to choose a lower resolution for the games. That way, you can crank some of the other settings. I suppose that doesn't work if you hook it up to a TV.

...

Also, get Quantum Conundrum during the Steam Sale. I actually played that on my M11x and the light colors are tied to the game so they switch whenever you change to the different dimensions. A little silly, but I thought it was cool. Initially, I thought my computer was having a problem because it had never happened before. They must have worked something out with Alienware.

Tuff how close do you sit to your TV? I've thought about hooking mine up to my TV as well, as I feel like I sit far enough away that if I'm playing games at 768p rather than 1080p, I wouldn't notice much of a difference. My problem is the cables that would be running across the room.

Also that lighting stuff works on BF3 as well. If you right-click on the alienware command center icon in the systray there is an option to disable 3rd party access if you don't like it. However this causes BF3 to crash on me whenever I exit the game.

Chairman_Mao wrote:

Tuff how close do you sit to your TV? I've thought about hooking mine up to my TV as well, as I feel like I sit far enough away that if I'm playing games at 768p rather than 1080p, I wouldn't notice much of a difference. My problem is the cables that would be running across the room.

Also that lighting stuff works on BF3 as well. If you right-click on the alienware command center icon in the systray there is an option to disable 3rd party access if you don't like it. However this causes BF3 to crash on me whenever I exit the game.

I recently got a 40" TV. I end up pulling an old lazy boy in front of it whenever I decide to game on it using a PS3 or that laptop. I suppose I'm about 6 to 8 feet away from it at that point. The couch is a bit far away for games (12-15 feet). It's fine at that distance for movies, though. So, at the close distance, I will notice if it is in 1080p, but at the far distance, I won't.

Ha! That's cool about the BF3 thing. I never loaded that on my laptop.

Get a laptop lapdesk thing. My Asus from a few years back gets hot enough to actually burn my leg, even when running normally. When gaming it blows so much hot air out the side/bottom it can turn an ice water into a lukewarm bath in about an hour.

Have gone through the initial setup and I'm downloading some games from Steam for testing purposes.

The cat has already turned the laptop and fan table into "Harley's Disco Hut."
IMAGE(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tlWPPFCbDho/UAnvO8pPnBI/AAAAAAAAAEE/hyVTEAxHezg/s671/12+-+1)

Nice!

Don't spend more time on f-ing around with it than playing games! Enjoy it before you overload it with programs.

Be sure to post your final thoughts after you've spent some time with it! I'm curious if you think spending a few extra dollars on Alienware ended up being worth it to you. It was to me for an M11x.

One M14x tip... Game with headphones...the speakers are crappy and the gpu fan gets noisy after extended playing

Ugh, just realized how out of date my reply was, apologies.

So far, so good. It was refreshing to see Saint's Row 3 default to ultra settings and run smooth and steady. I can make it tear if I cut sharp turns on a motorcycle but even then it's just a flicker.

Portal 2 ran without a hiccup but I honestly don't see much difference from my old machine. It may be that the economy of design in the levels means that there are less pixels to push.

Next. Crysis maybe? I actually prefer Crysis 2 but that did have a console version so I'm not sure if it's the benchmark it once was.

Oh, I've also spent over an hour customizing the little light show under the keyboard. I think that is a game in itself.

gains wrote:

So far, so good. It was refreshing to see Saint's Row 3 default to ultra settings and run smooth and steady. I can make it tear if I cut sharp turns on a motorcycle but even then it's just a flicker.

Portal 2 ran without a hiccup but I honestly don't see much difference from my old machine. It may be that the economy of design in the levels means that there are less pixels to push.

Next. Crysis maybe? I actually prefer Crysis 2 but that did have a console version so I'm not sure if it's the benchmark it once was.

Oh, I've also spent over an hour customizing the little light show under the keyboard. I think that is a game in itself.

It is kinda fun, isn't it? Crysis 2 is pretty brutal when you use the high res texture pack. It's also stunningly gorgeous with it.

The Witcher 2 is another graphical beauty. You might be able to run it on ultra without ubersampling.

I was directed here to ask some questions about getting a new laptop.

I'm currently studying abroad in Switzerland and am desperate to get a new laptop ASAP. I have no need to play games on it because i don't have time in Switzerland to play games and my desktop in the states fulfills all my gaming needs.

An ultrabook seems incredibly appealing. I have a budget of about 900$ (was 600 but i freed some funds up from another account) but most sites have a 120$ ish shipping/tariff charge to get it over here. If it's absolutely out of my budget i suppose i could settle for a regular laptop, but, im hopping to save money because I don't need that much HDD space and have no need for a high-end video card.

I wold buy from a website in europe, but they typically charge around 20% more,even before converting dollars into euros, for the same machine.

I was thinking about getting
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291317&CatId=927
it looks like it has a fairly good processor but i think i read somewhere that acer doesn't give the best ultrabooks.

if someone can help me find a europe website that doesn't charge a ridicules amount, keep in mind that 1 euro is worth about 1.20 dollars, that would help.

FiveIron wrote:

I was directed here to ask some questions about getting a new laptop.

I'm currently studying abroad in Switzerland and am desperate to get a new laptop ASAP. I have no need to play games on it because i don't have time in Switzerland to play games and my desktop in the states fulfills all my gaming needs.

An ultrabook seems incredibly appealing. I have a budget of about 900$ (was 600 but i freed some funds up from another account) but most sites have a 120$ ish shipping/tariff charge to get it over here. If it's absolutely out of my budget i suppose i could settle for a regular laptop, but, im hopping to save money because I don't need that much HDD space and have no need for a high-end video card.

I wold buy from a website in europe, but they typically charge around 20% more,even before converting dollars into euros, for the same machine.

I was thinking about getting
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291317&CatId=927
it looks like it has a fairly good processor but i think i read somewhere that acer doesn't give the best ultrabooks.

if someone can help me find a europe website that doesn't charge a ridicules amount, keep in mind that 1 euro is worth about 1.20 dollars, that would help.

Best way to go a bit cheaper is to try to find an electronics wholesale store. In Holland it is called 'Mediamarkt'.
As for ultrabooks, I don't know much about them. My go to brand is Asus though.

Hmm media markt doesn't seem to be much cheaper. Makes it even harder when I don't speak the language too

Likely jumping into this market again in the next month. Laptop died, was a dual core 2.0ghz 4gb nvidia 9300m system. I am mainly a console guy, but I do want my new laptop to run Dungeons and Dragons Online.

Been a while since I looked at things, so some general questions to start. What's the deal with the Ultrabook convertible I've seen advertised? Could something like that run DDO? I'm not interested in tablets alone but if I could get both in one for a bit more I could be into that. Is the MS Surface similar? Price ranges? Looking to stay under $800.

I realize some of this I should just research but browsing anything is a pain on my phone. Apologies.