new Gigabyte P35K

I'd like to buy a new laptop and I'm looking at this one. However, does anyone think it's due for a price drop anytime soon? Not sure how long it takes for a laptop's price to drop. I know it's only been out a few months.

 

I too have been considering purchasing the p35k and installing Linux on it. I stopped by Xotic PC headquarters and gave it a go using a Ubuntu 13.10 live USB disk. It wouldn't boot. In retrospect, this was probably because of the NVidia card being detected, but not properly supported by the live image. There is a nice report on how to install Linux on the Gigabyte p34 which I would imagine would be similar to the p35k. I wrote down the IDs for some hardware (e.g. webcam and wifi card) to check their Linux compatibility. If you need these, I can post them here.

 

If I can get the webcam hardware info, that would be great (touchpad too, if available). The Ubuntu image not booting due to the X server thinking it's on Nvidia is really interesting, I have a laptop with Optimus but the X server works fine without fiddling around with Nvidia drivers..

There seems to be an issue with the touchpad for the P35K. Hope it only happened to the particular user, another user claims a kernel update fixes it.

While at XoticPC headquarters, did you get a chance to test out the fan noise? I'm curious about how loud they are. Don't want the fans to get loud in a library when I'm just browsing the web, I do tend to open multiple tabs/programs.

 

Thank you! I had the same problem and this worked for me, although I did not need to reinstall the NVIDIA drivers.

I was on the verge of complaining about the laptop - 35 FPS in CS:GO wasn't really good enough for a £1k+ laptop!

 

Webcam: VID 1BCF PID 2C11 RV 1216 (i.e. 1bcf:2c11) This webcam appears to also be installed in the 14" Razer Pro and is probably one of the 1.3 MP cameras made by SunPlus IT. If this is true, then there are issues, but they are fixable.

I didn't pay too much attention to the touchpad beyond that it was an ELAN PS/2 Port Smart-Pad with DEV 0A02. (Perhaps 1667:0A02 then?). I guess if that guy says it is fixed in 3.11, we're in luck.

I'm not entirely convinced this was the problem. If anyone on this thread could try booting into a Ubuntu live USB image it would be appreciated.

I didn't get much of a chance to play with the machine as I didn't want to take up too much of the sales representative's time. I didn't find it particularly noisy, but I'm also use to a fairly old and easily audible MSI GX 700. Somewhere I remember reading the p35k can get up to 49 dBA under a full load. If the cooling systems are similar the p34g can get up to 50 dBA which is probably too loud if gaming in a library.

 

Why did Gigabyte skimp out on the webcam they totally couldn't put a 2.0MP webcam on a $1300+ machine.. Hope I don't have to contact Gigabyte support for a firmware fix

There was one Youtube video posted in this thread that compared the P35K with another laptop using the Sound Meter app, and it showed a 65 dB reading. Then again, these readings also depend on the phone's mic strength/quality, so I doubt it actually reached 60dB.

Gaming in a library!? Man, that's too ambitious XD I just wanted to make sure the fans aren't loud when not gaming, which seems to be true (even in the youtube video).

 

Can confirm the fans are loud when not gaming, it isn't consistent for me but regularly ramps up to full speed/noise. Seems like the kind of thing that could be fixed with better drivers/software for the fans.

 

How long does it stay at full speed? Does it ramp up and down very frequently? Is it possible for you to check the BIOS version? The newest one I see on Gigabyte's website is v309 with EC F208, it was updated on 2014/01/24. The P34G had a BIOS update on January 8, which seems to solve similar fan issues.

I was about to order this laptop, now I might have to go find another one

 

Looks like BIOS thermal policy issue that the fan is been running at low speed for too long which generates more heat, therefore, the fan has to kicks in at high speed to reduce the heat.

 

Is this something that can be (relatively) easily fixed or changed? I'm just about sold on buying this (probably from Gentech), however this is one of my few remaining reservations about the P35K. Thanks.

 

Turn your intel GPU's power option to Balanced, it actually helps a lot. You won't use intel GPU for gaming so performance loss is not a problem.

 

It's funny, it hasn't happened to me. I have Power Mode and Fan Tweak set to Auto, and during non-gaming use, fan speed never goes to medium, much less full blast. Maybe you're running some graphics or CPU-intensive software in the background? Can you share what apps you are running when this happens?

I've installed all the latest updates in Smart Update, by the way, including the BIOS.

The only time the fans ramp up to absolute full speed, for me, is when I set Ultra Boost to Performance. Then it sounds like a helicopter. If Ultra Boost if Off, then even when gaming, the fan varies between medium and 80% of full speed.

 

Yes it can be fix but it has to be done by Gigabyte to change thermal policy in BIOS, we can't change their BIOS.

I've seen many times form different manufactures that engineers trying to make laptop run silent by make the fan run at lower RPM, however, if the fan runs at lower RPM for too long it actually builds more heat and causing fan speed to spike since the sensor sees the temperature going up.

the easy fix for their engineer is increase the idle rpm for the fan and I'll let Gigabyte know about this.

 

GenTech, do you know what Gigabyte changed in their recent BIOS update 309? Gigabyte seems to list only the latest BIOS on their downloads page, and they do not provide any change logs. Just want to know if the fan profiles were updated in that update, because the P34G got a BIOS update that fixed their fan loudness issues. Much appreciated.

 

Reponses to the questions asked after I commented about the loud fan issue:

1. How long does it stay at full speed [when not gaming]?
A. It varies, but usually less than 10 seconds.
2. Does it ramp up and down very frequently?
A. Again it varies, but rarely more than once a minute.
3. Is it possible for you to check the BIOS version? The newest one I see on Gigabyte's website is v309 with EC F208, it was updated on 2014/01/24.
A. My BIOS version is v306, dated 2013/10/14. I'll update to the latest version and see what happens, thanks for letting me know about it.
4. Maybe you're running some graphics or CPU-intensive software in the background? Can you share what apps you are running when this happens?
A. Other than updating to Windows 8.1 and running Steam and Firefox or Chrome it is pretty much as it came out of the box.

So I'll update my BIOS, change the Intel GPU option to balanced, set Power Mode/Fan Tweak to auto and report back once I've had a chance to play around. I would like to be able to recommend this laptop to people as I do like it. The only real issues I've had so far are graphics card not being recognised, loud fans, shocking touch pad - but I use a mouse whenever possible.

Thanks all.

 

Hi, I am about to buy this laptop but I wish to know if your BIOS update has made any difference regarding the fan issue. Thanks!

 

I'm currently running the latest BIOS with a clean install of Windows 8.1. I have Opera web browser open with about 15 tabs and several applications open in the background.

I'm in bed with the laptop on my lap (fan intakes mostly covered) and my temps according to CoreTemp are (50, 45, 43, 43 for each core respectively). The fans are inaudible. My Smart Manager settings are Stealth with GPU boost off.

Now when I game...WIND TUNNEL!

 

Just bought one of these for my son. CPU seems to run hot. Has anyone replaced the thermal compound on their own? Any guides?

 

Define hot - and under what circumstances / load

It will void your warranty - removing the HSF is one of the forbidden bits!

 

Are these units still arriving bent? I had 2 units both bent, one so severely that it would not sit flat on a table it wobbled. If they are not bent, how did they fix it?

 

I bought two of them. One was fine and one had a 1/2 mm bend in the middle. It works great so I didn't do anything about it, just sitting ont he 5 year warranty provided for issues arising from the bent body.

 

Just doing updates I was seeing mid 60s. :'(

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

60 is not hot for laptop CPUs. Fans on laptops only speed up after reaching a certain temperature (60, 65, etc.), and it's normal for the CPU temperature to rise during updates. I don't think replacing the thermal compound will have significant impact on the temperatures.

 

Well it runs hotter than my 34 gigabyte...oh well.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

 

Everyone!!
Theres a review up

Gigabyte P35K review | Expert Reviews

 

900:1 contrast ratio? Did Gigabyte update the displays again or is it an error in the review?

 

Anyone here getting random freezes?
My son's has frozen up twice for no apparent reason...used smart update to update all drivers before this happened...

Thanks.

 

Mize, since it seems like you have experience with the P34G and the P35K I was wondering if you prefer one over the other? I'm personally leaning towards the P34G just because of the overall dimensions/weight. The P35K seems like it has the edge on aesthetics and battery life though. What about performance wise? Thoughts? Thanks in advance to Mize or anyone else who might be able to answer my questions!

 

Hey mrdbar. I like both. Mine is the P34G owing to my travel schedule and the massive difference between a 14" and 15.6" when trying to came in premium economy on the way to China (yes, there are AC outlets). My son's is the P35K as he does not travel but regularly goes unplugged to work on homework in a more comfortable locale (kitchen table, etc.) so the battery life is great for him. My P34G seems a bit faster, but that's because it's 100% SSDs whereas his has the 128GB OS SSD and the 1TB hard drive. I also have 16 GB as opposed to his 12 GB of RAM. If I were not traveling as much as I do I'd go P35K just for the larger screen and longer battery (and 765 vs 760).

 

Thank you! That was extremely informative. Last question I'll bug you about: What about fan noise? Since I'm considering bringing this into the office this might be an important consideration as well.

 

35 is noisier after updating the 34 BIOS.

 

Well just ordered the P35K. Decided I would miss the larger screen coming from the MSI GE60 if I went with the P34G even though it seems like an amazing option. I feel like I made the right decision. We'll find out this weekend!

 

One question. Which screen is better?

P34G's AHVA or P35K's IPS

 

I ordered a P35K from Amazon about two weeks ago and it arrived cracked and warped. So, I ordered another from GenTechPC which arrived in perfect condition. They double checked it's condition before shipping it to me and I'm very happy with it.
If anyone is considering a P35K I strongly suggest ordering from GenTechPC.

I was very nervous about how solid the notebook would be considering the problem with the cracked case above the optical bay, however, in my experience so far it feels solid. I am able to lift the notebook with one hand without any flexing of the top case.

 

Tough call on that one. I'd say the 35's is ever so slightly better...

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

I thought the P35's shipped with the AHVA now?

 

I recently purchased the P35K CF-2 and love it. I was able to dump my large gaming desktop for this compact model. It plays most of my older games however noticed a few that will not install or play on Windows 8. I have no problems with Windows 8 but sort of defeats the purpose of moving to portable gaming laptop if I can only play about half the games I was able to play under Win 7.

I was thinking of installing Win 7 Ultimate from a license that I have but not sure if I should try to a clean install over the 128 SSD or buy a second 128 SSB and install on that hard drive and save the Windows 8 hard drive if ever ended. Would either option work? Thanks

 

They do I believe, although the descriptions all read "IPS"

 

This guide posted by Loepan will allow you to make a recovery USB, then you don't need to but another SSD. If anything goes wrong with Windows 7, just restore to factory. IMO there's no point in dual booting Windows 7 and 8.

 

Ive managed to ruin my keyboard, spilled a drink, then an over zealous blast with a hair dryer killed about 3 keys!!

Does any one know where i can get a replacement keyboard? gigabytes UK support is awful.

 

UK service centre

GIGABYTE Authorized Service Partner
Address: Unit 17, Stafford Park 12, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 3BJ, UK
TEL: +44 (0)1952608784
Technical suppot: 0844 8804528

 

When I read this I got really upset, because I felt like Gigabyte was swindling us. However, I can confirm that the P35K's are still shipping with IPS screens. I just bought mine a little over a week ago, and checked the screen's model number.


Screen Info: View image: Capture
Screen Data Sheet: http://www.datadisplay-group.com/fileadmin/pdf/produkte/Displays/LG/LP156WF4-SLBA_Datasheet.PDF

The data sheet confirms this is an IPS screen with 400:1 contrast ratio.

 

P35K is in stock now in my country and it has same model number. I wonder that is there anybody who has P35K's AHVA screen.

 

Well hey people, its bee a while since I posted here. ever since I got my p35k a little over 3 months ago from gentech I am pleased to say I am in love with this laptop. seriously everything is perfect about it except the fan noise, and windows 7 drivers. gigabyte doesn't update drivers for windows 7 anymore, I don't know why. so I stuck with windows 8.1...... sorry to say this but Microsoft sucks balls for making windows 8
I got the p35k cf2 and right away added another msata and raid 0 both drives. then upgraded the ram to 16 and here I am today. maxing out my p35k. its actually very light, thin, and lightening fast. the screen is unreal! the colours are amazing and the viewing angles are nice. makes everything so sharp and clear pixel by pixel. for the guy who burned his keyboard. I don't think gigabyte will sell it separate. you have to send it in and they do it for you.
so yeah that me again after almost 4 months telling people what they will get.
if you have any question or requests let me know. I got a load of games and software if you want to know how it runs.

 

OK! hold on and let me tell you from experience......
first of all make sure you save the recovery of windows 8 on a flash drive..
second of all is when you try to do a recovery for windows 8, if you have the msata drive and the regular drive in, it will automatically install on the normal drive instead of msata. workaround this is, you have to unplug the normal hard drive and keep the msata. perform a recovery and then replug the normal hdd. and windows 7 runs amazing on it expect the fact that gigabyte doesn't update it regularly............ :/ which sucks

goodluck

 

I'm thinking about buying this laptop. If I order it without a hard drive from gentech (I have a 500 GB SSD to put in myself), would I need to create a separate Windows 8 boot disk on my own?

 

Possibly
how to make a windows 8 boot disk - YouTube

How to Create a Windows 8 (8.1) Bootable USB Flash Drive
How to Create a Windows 8 (8.1) Bootable USB Flash Drive - YouTube

Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive For Windows 7 / Windows 8
Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive For Windows 7 / Windows 8 - YouTube

hth good luck!

 

Same here, bought the laptop in December so coming on three months now, still in love. Quality in Far Cry 3 is unreal. To anyone still on the fence about buying it - climb over and buy it. Only two caveats to keep in mind, and I mention this in the interest of full disclosure, cause every laptop, even $$$ ones by Lenovo and Alienware, have their foibles: 1) Fan noise is loud while gaming (quiet but not silent while web browsing), and 2) Must handle with extra care. Not saying you got to handle it like crystal, just bear in mind you can't toss it around like an average notebook and expect it to hold up forever.

 

Apologies for the slow response, busy month! After updating BIOS and other drivers I'm happy to say that the fan noise levels are now consistent when not gaming - and are an acceptable level. I wouldn't worry about 'your laptop sounds like it is going to take off!' jokes if using it around other people.

Overall I am incredibly pleased with this laptop and would recommend it to others who are looking for a similar form factor. The downsides (more than offset by how awesome everything else is): Loud fans when gaming, dreadful almost unusable touch pad, some concerns over strength of chassis when holding/picking up near the front facing optical drive.

 

Yeah, forgot about the touchpad thing. It's the buttons and tap-to-click / double-tap-to-drag functions that don't work well. Three months on and still not used to it. There was a touchpad update a month or two ago which might have improved it, but maybe not and it might have been a placebo effect.

Gigabyte is coming out with a new "Aorus" gaming line. Can't wait to see what 15" laptop is going to emerge from that line - if the P35K is great, the Aorus update is going to be superb.