** MSI GE62 Apache (and Pro) Owner's Lounge**

Welcome to the MSI GE62 Apache (and Apache Pro) Owner's Lounge!

(First, thanks to -=$tR|k3r=- as I'm generally following his example on how to make one of these threads and copied much useful information from his GT72 Owners Lounge)

Available models:
GE62 2QF Apache: MSRP 1399.99

GE62 2QF Apache Pro: MSRP 1699.99


Specifications:

2QF Apache-002:


CPU: The 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7 4720HQ (Soldered on) Processor
OS: Windows 8.1
Chipset: Intel HM87
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600 MHz SDRAM, 8G x1 SODIMM up to 16GB
LCD Size: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare Display
Graphics: GeForce GTX 965M (Soldered on)
Graphics: VRAM GDDR5 2GB
Storage: 1TB 7200rpm 2.5" 9.5mm Hard Drive SATA III 32MB, 2x M.2 SATA slot available
Audio: Sound by Dynaudio Support 7.1 channel SPDIF output Exclusive Audio Boost technology Creative Sound Blaster Cinema
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Card Reader: SD (XC/HC)
LAN: Killer Gb LAN
Wireless LAN: 802.1 ac
Bluetooth: 4.1
HDMI: 1(v1.4b), Support 4Kx2K Output
USB: 2.0 port 1
USB: 3.0 port 3
Mini-DisplayPort: 1, Support FHD 120HZ, 4K 60Hz
Mic-in/Headphone-out: 1/1
Line-in: 1
Keyboard: Full-color backlight SteelSeries keyboard
AC Adapter: 150W
Battery: 6-Cell Li-Polymer(60Wh)
Dimension: 383 x 260 x 27mm
Weight (KG): 2.4kg(w/ battery)

2QF Apache Pro-055:


CPU: The 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7 4720HQ (Soldered on) Processor
OS: Windows 8.1
Chipset: Intel HM87
Memory: 12GB DDR3 1600 MHz SDRAM, 8G x+ 4GB SODIMM up to 16GB
LCD Size: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare Display
Graphics: GeForce GTX 970M (Soldered on)
Graphics: VRAM GDDR5 3GB
Storage: 1TB 7200rpm 2.5" 9.5mm Hard Drive SATA III 32MB, 2x M.2 SATA slot available
Audio: Sound by Dynaudio Support 7.1 channel SPDIF output Exclusive Audio Boost technology Creative Sound Blaster Cinema
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Card Reader: SD (XC/HC)
LAN: Killer Gb LAN
Wireless LAN: 802.1 ac
Bluetooth: 4.1
HDMI: 1(v1.4b), Support 4Kx2K Output
USB: 2.0 port 1
USB: 3.0 port 3
Mini-DisplayPort: 1, Support FHD 120HZ, 4K 60Hz
Mic-in/Headphone-out: 1/1
Line-in: 1
Keyboard: Full-color backlight SteelSeries keyboard
AC Adapter: 150W
Battery: 6-Cell Li-Polymer(60Wh)
Dimension: 383 x 260 x 27mm
Weight (KG): 2.4kg(w/ battery)

2QF Apache Pro-056:
Same as 055 but adds 128MB M.2 SATA SSD. Only seen in Canada thus far.

Where To Buy Your New MSI GE62 Apache (And Apache Pro) Notebook:

Friendly, reputable, and highly respected resellers, who freely volunteer their support to forum members:

1.) GenTech PC | Website | MSI 15" notebook site page | Tel#: 1-800-990-7945 | email: [email protected] | Contact: Ken Lee

2.) PowerNotebooks | Website | MSI notebook site page | Tel#: 1-877-711-1777 | email: [email protected] | Contact: Donald Stratton

3.) Xotic PC | Website | MSI notebook site page | Tel#: 1-877-289-9684 | email: [email protected] | Contact: Justin Nolte

Where To Buy MSI Notebooks (U.S. & Canada) | Global

GE62 Reviews:

Professional:

Bit-tech: GE62 Apache (002 Non Pro)

Trusted Reviews: GE62 Apache (002 Non Pro, light hands on review)

User:

Will add more as they come up.


MSI Helpful Links:

MSI U.S. Gaming

MSI Dragon Army

MSI AfterBurner

MSI Dragon Army Forum

MSI HQ User Support Forum

MSI Customer Service | Global

MSI Notebook Warranty Information

MSI Notebook Product Registration | Global

Official MSI GE62 Apache (and Pro) Downloads:

Bios

Drivers

Firmware

Utilities

Manual

Other Downloads:

Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU)

NVIDIA GeForce WHQL Drivers

NVIDIA GeForce Beta Release Drivers

NVIDIA Control Panel User's Guide

Latest NVFLASH for Windows & DOS

MEMTEST86 Free Download

MSI AfterBurner

CPU-Z

GPU-Z

NVidia Inspector

HWMonitor

HWInfo

FutureMark's 3DMark & PCMark8

Unigine Benchmarks

AIDA64 - System auditing, diagnostics, monitoring, and benchmarks too!

Atto Disk Benchmark

HD Tune

Svet's Fermi / Kepler VBIOS/EC Tuner Version (2.86e) and now supports the GTX-880M! The Maxwell GTX-980M Soon!

Treexy Driver Fusion ( .....replaces the ever popular, Phyxion 'Driver Sweeper')

Piriform 'CCleaner'

Magical Jelly Bean (product key finder)

How To's:

Are 'start-up' screens too fast to enter bios? This is how to enter the Legacy / UEFI BIOS.

Unsatisfied with audio sound quality? Try THIS!

Windows 8 Tutorials, Quick Reference Index

Guide on how to install the NVIDIA Display Driver under Windows 7/Windows Vista

NVIDIA Driver Rollback/Removal Instructions

Clean install of Nvidia drivers, NVIDIA Forums> Graphics Technology> GeForce GTX & ION Drivers


Problems and solutions:

Won't boot from USB:

1. Enter the bios by pressing "DEL" during boot.
2. Go to the boot tab using right arrow.
3. Change the Boot List Option to Legacy.
4. Make sure USB Hard Disk is first in the boot list.
5. Reboot!

Windows 7 won't install to the M.2 SSD with Error 0x80300024 :

The only solution I've made work unfortunately was to remove the main HDD.

To do this you have to

1. Take all the screws out of the bottom cover.
2. Pry starting at the back corners to get the bottom cover off.
3. Remove the two screws holding in the 2.5" SATA hard disk.
4. Remove the Disk.
5. Boot and install windows as normal.

These are just the issues I've encountered and the soutions I've found but I'll add any here that people post in the thread.



Pics:





Inside:

My Inside pics:

Main:


Stock SSD:


Intel wireless card:



Stock 12GB of ram:

 

Just ordered mine! Apache Pro. Figured I'd create a Lounge thread.

 

Thanks for taking the time to make this.
I have a GE62 that I will be doing a video review on this week and will update this post with it

 

Great. Added the two pro reviews I've found and will add yours to those when it's up.

Also will add any user reviews. Laptop is pretty new so looks like any info is slow to come out so far.

 

Congratulations on your purchase and thank you for posting a post with such great amount of details!!

 

Hi guys, I also just placed an order for the MSI GE62 Apache Pro, hopefully will get it by early next week.

 

No problem! Figured sometimes the best way to get information flowing is to get the ball rolling yourself

 

Same here, I'll provide as much information as possible since I'm quite finicky about testing a laptop out once I receive it.

Can't wait to run some benches and play some BF4.

 

I took delivery of the pro last week....pretty solid...i'm not a hardcore gamer anymore just wanted a decent laptop since i'm travelling overseas and my old laptop was a pos haha.....

Quick qu: does it matter to leave it always plugged into mains? Or should i drain the battery fully once in a while?

Never owned a decent laptop before so i have no idea on maintenance....

Also the link in the OP about improving sound quality goes to a link about another laptop lol?

 

You should drain your battery every few days to maintain it in optimal health. Also, if you're not gonna be using the battery at all, don't charge it past 80% or so (but still drain it every week or so). MSI may have software to automatically do this.

 

Draining the battery every few days is cycling it, that cycling will wear the battery faster than storing it.

 

The literature varies, but partial discharges are recommended occasionally, but I'll trust your word since you're more of an expert than me. I've personally discharged my battery almost daily as a result of mobile use and after 2.5 years my battery still holds most of its original charge. I think keeping the battery fully charged and never draining it is the most harmful thing you can do.

 

The literature does not really vary. Lithium ion batteries do not at all benefit from being drained. That is the info from old NiCd batteries which had memory. LiIon life depends on 3 things.

1. Cycles. Each discharge lowers the capacity of the battery a tiny bit.
2. Charge. The more charged the battery is, the faster it will lose capacity over time.
3. Heat. This, especially combined with #2 will wear battery out faster. This is why these gaming laptops sitting plugged in have their batteries go bad in a couple years.

Basically the best thing you can do for your laptop is keep it cool. Don't use it while it's on a bed and the ventilation is plugged. Open it up and clean it every so often. Get a laptop cooler. Shut it off when you aren't using it, rather than leave it idle. And, as mentioned above, if you're going to not use it for a week or more..drain it to 30% and shut it off.

Also in the actual opposite of the 'drain all the way' information, most LiIons get MORE cycles if you charge it from 50% rather than letting it drain all the way. For example let's say a battery is rated at 500 cycles. This means you can drain it 500 times before it is 'bad' (usually 50% of rated capacity etc). But if you charge it at 50% to full instead of letting it drain, you might be able to do that 1200 times, which works out to 600 cycles.

 

They may not benefit from it, but at least partially draining the battery occasionally is an important part of keeping them healthy. Yes it adds cycles, but it's a necessary expense to maintain its longevity. I should've been more specific in my post, that's for sure.

Speaking of batteries...is MSI making accurate claims when they say the GE62 has a ~6 hour battery life?

 

This simply isn't true. I'd be surprised if you could find a reputable source of information about LiIon batteries that says to EVER discharge them fully. Fully discharges are harder on batteries than shallow, and there is absolutely no reason to ever do it, other than if you need to when actually using the device. Sorry I know that isn't what this thread is for, but its information that is potentially, at least somewhat, harmful for people so didn't want to let it slide.

EDIT: Actually seen a few somewhat reputable places recommend it, but every 30-50 cycles..which is probably only a few times a year. And it isn't for battery life but to allow the internet battery meter to calibrate better.

As far as the GE62, it doesn't look like it gets the 6 hours that MSI claims. The only pro review I've seen though is the Bit-tech which gives the following graph:



So looks like around 4 hours at least in this review. linked the full review in the original post.

 

That's not bad at all for something quite powerful, I get about 4-4.5 hours with my current Vaio in standard use. It will be interesting to test once I receive my GE62.

 

Sweet...so basically:

- keep the laptop cool
- run it down to about 50% every few days or so
- unplug and turn it off when not in use
- try not to full discharge too often

Thanks guys

Also on minimum brightness under ECO mode with power saving, the little battery icon in the Windows notification area shows about 3 hours life remaining on a full charge...no idea how people are getting 4 hours and how MSI can claim a ridiculous 6 hours.....

 

It might sound a little trollish, but is there any reason to get this over the P650SA/E?

 

I was about to get the P650SE before jumping ship and my biggest reason for doing so was display quality. Yes you can get an IPS display on the P650SE (the stock TN panel sucks), but response times are higher than the PLS display in the GE62. If it's not a bother for you, the P650SE is just as good, if not better a deal depending who you order from. The MSI has a better U.S. warranty too at 2 years. But you can't really go wrong with a P650SE. Specc'd out the same, the P650 is about $150-$200 less.

GE62 has a DVD drive and a slightly larger battery (6-cell vs. 4-cell). Display quality is more guaranteed too. But other than that, you can't go wrong with either.

Notebookcheck reviews for both (mind that the GE62 has a 965m whereas the GE62 Pro has a 970m)
http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GE62-2QEWi781.137015.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo-P651SE-Schenker-XMG-P505-Barebones-Notebook-Review.127978.0.html

 

So basically for better response times on the display and better warranty (battery life is actually about the same if the tests posted earlier in the thread are correct). Meh, I'd rather get the P650SG, as it's around the same price but has a 980M. But to each his own I guess. Congrats on your purchase, I hope it serves you well.

 

Absolutely, from a price/performance ratio standpoint the P650SE and P650SG are a lot of value. Thank you! I'm looking forward to having a decently powered computer again.

 

Got mine! Just going about wiping win8 and getting 7 on there now. Have more details once I can use it more.

 

Why wiping 8? Is there any benefit from doing so?

 

Windows 8 is awful and I really don't like it...so I guess the benifet would be I wont have to use it haha.

 

Oh okay, understood. A lot of people feel that way although I've been using it for 2+ years now and it's very stable and quick. Admittingly I never use Metro but desktop mode is fine

 

Glad this thread exists I actually made an account to post here.

Just ordered a ge62 (non pro) and I would like to share that I also ordered an SSD to upgrade and a optical drive caddy to move the 1TB into there. So I can boot and run a few apps on the ssd and use the tb as storage.

I'd recommend this unless you have a dire need for a disk drive which most people don't anymore.

I have no idea how to install this yet but I'm decently confident with my ability to work on laptops. And I can post a how to after everything gets here Tuesday if anyone's interested.

 

Actually the one I ordered is the 056 model. I have only seen it in Canada so far.

But anyways it comes with a 128GB SSD as the OS drive, and a 1TB drive for the data drive. Other than that I believe it is the same as the normal 055 model Apache Pro.

 

This is the one I ordered.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-152-711

Which does not, unfortunately, have the option to add an SSD. However, like i said I've been building desktops for years and working on laptops hardware isn't new for me. So I added a 240GB SSD to my order and will be cloning the os to it and using it as my primary drive.

I honestly enjoy having to do a little extra work to customize it to me. (Next is getting the Dota 2 logo engraved on the cover.)

 

Did you order a SATA SSD ? Because the laptop has 3 M.2 SATA slots inside which you could use so you don't have to lose your main drive. They cost a bit more but not crazy.

 

I'm aware. I found out that after it was too late to cancel.

 

Ah damn. Well it is still going to kick butt.

 

Indubitably.

 

Well finally got around to really getting Win7 on here. I always install windows from a USB Stick made using Windows 7 USB download tool.

I first encountered that I could NOT get the thing to boot off of the stick. Tried the desktop, no problem.

Finally fixed it by going and changing the boot option in the bios from UEFI to Legacy.

Boots!

Then I wipe the SSD in the installer's partition editor. Then Go to install. Error 0x80300024 can't install. Googled and found usually solved by enabling UEFI (which made my stick not boot as above) or removing all other disks. Well this laptop doesn't have an access hatch so I had to remove the whole bottom cover.

Unscrewed the SATA drive. Tried again installing to the stock M.2 SSD. No problem! I'll update with further issues and their solutions if I can find them! Good luck all.

Also because of this decide to add a problems and solutions section in the original post.

This is my first owners lounge so please let me know if anyone has tips on how it could be done better etc. Thanks!

EDIT: Also took some pics of the inside while I was muckin about.

Inside:
http://i.imgur.com/mNl08iq.jpg

Stock SSD in the 056 model:
http://i.imgur.com/XIhDaxk.jpg

802.11AC card:
http://i.imgur.com/QxUBvRo.jpg

12GB of ram in the Pro model:
http://i.imgur.com/YkeXexQ.jpg

 

I know the download tool had an issue where UEFI was broken in the version you downloaded, I don't know if they fixed it.

One other advantage from MSI is they have committed to not turn off overclocking via vbios.

 

Thanks for the great photos Anathema!

What do you thinks of the potential performance hit of using 1x 8gb and 1x 4gb aka not dual channel compatible in the Pro model?

 

Unless using integrated graphics dual-channel memory is mostly a gimmick. Performance is almost never limited by RAM bandwidth unless that ram is also being used as the VRAM.

Like maybe 1fps less in a game. Ram timing is more important to performance even, and even that is negligable. Ram is just so rarely the bottleneck.

That being said one day I'll prob pop the 4 out and put an 8 in there. Cheap easy upgrade.

 

Ordered mine Ge62 Pro, upgraded to 16 gig memory added 2 256 gig M-SATA drives in raid 0. Kept optical drive, but will be swapping it out with a BDXL drive ordered seperately to be able to watch my blue ray collection when I travel. Will give review with benchmarks when it arrives Wednesday 4 March and after a few days of use.

 

Okay, I figured not having dual-channel enabled because of the disparate memory sizes wouldn't be a big deal, otherwise MSI would've picked a different amount.

I'm getting mine delivered tomorrow or Tuesday, I'll report back my findings. This will be my 4th laptop ever since ~2006 and using desktops exclusively some years in between.

 

Yeah I use desktops for gaming. This will actually be my work laptop. Going to have to do 2-3 week stints working out in the wilderness so wanted something that could play some games to keep my amused at night.

My desktop is still my primary gaming rig:


(now have diff mouse and headset, but gives an idear)

 

I'm playing max Payne 2 , and it works well. Except for the explosions parts. When that happens the game lags until the explosion is over. Why can't the laptop handle this old game?

 

Make sure you're playing plugged in and not in any sort of power saver mode. Also update your graphics drivers and make sure the game has the latest patch. It should be smooth on a 970m and Max Payne 2 unless there's some sort of bug or incompatibility as sometimes exist with old games and new hardware.

 

Everything's already updated, I'm playing with laptop plugged in. Medium settings. Mines Actually 965m

 

You can check to make sure your Windows Power Setting is set to High Performance.

 

Is it better than the gaming option?

 

I just got my GE62 Pro. I've only been on it for about an hour so and still getting used to everything. I want to say that the display appears to be really gorgeous with great vertical and horizontal viewing angles. I've only uninstalled Norton Internet Security as that seemed like the only bit of bloatware. The keyboard feels really nice, even though I'm still getting used to all the keys.

 

Anybody can tell me which is the manufacter model for panel? Sure on Aida64 show this info

 

High Performance is typically the best option. You can change settings and run a benchmark like 3DMark or your game and see which performs better for you.

 

First of all, big thanks to anethema for effort in starting this lounge.
I'm fresh user of MSI GE62 PRO (i have it couple of days) and in general i can say that it was a good deal.
Unfortunately, there is couple of things that worries me (like always when i get new item ).

So guys who have their MSI GE62, especially PRO ver. i have few questions:
1) BatteryDrain - this thing is very annoying, because it takes approx. 20% per 1h of playing demanding games (like Crysis2 and DyingLight in my case). MSI calls this feature Hybrid Power, but for me it's a not funny joke to give weak PSU and let the battery to drain. So guys what is in your case?
2) Ghosting/Clouding - in dark room, when the screen display is completely black (for eg. when some games are loading), some little white defects can be observed in area of the screen frame. This is not very annoying and it can be spotted in many notebooks, but guys do you have it too?
3) HDD temperature - mine according to HWmonitor are 40C in desktop and 45C while playing a game. I consider them a bit too high, because in some reviews this HDD (also in this nootebook) reaches 32C desktop and 38C as max during benchmark. What about your temps; is the left side of notebook much warmer then right even in the desktop level?
4) Shift feature - available in Dragon Gaming Center not working properly. There are 3 modes Sport, Comfort, Eco (like in the car ) and for me only Eco and Sport differs. Comfort is the same as Sport (Intel TorboBoost and GPU core boost - are working) in Eco (Intel TB is working, but GPU memory frequency is limited; usually this mode drops about 15 fps in games). Can you check it too?

Thats all i think. Big thx for all your replies. If you have some questions, please don't hesitate to ask?

 

For the 1080p version: Samsung SDC324C / 156HL01-102, PLS-WVA, (very good imo, nice colors and viewing angles like IPS; its SAMSUNG PLS)
For the 4K version: Samsung SDC4852, IPS, 4k, (don't have it and don't see it)

 

Hi everyone,

How would the GE62 2QF, compare to the GS60 2QE?

I'm really hesitating about which one to buy.

Am I right in thinking that because the GE62 is slightly thicker, the temps should be lower than on the GS60?

Any advice would be great!