The Official MSI GT70-2OD Owner's Lounge

MSI vs Clevo (other than hardware)

Aluminum vs Plastic
Dynaudio vs Onkyo (Dynaudio is muuch better)
3 mSATA SSDs in Raid0 vs 2mSATA SSDs in Raid0 (1500MB/s vs 1000MB/s)
Built in DAC vs non DAC
Customizable fan speed through programs vs locked fan speed
Steelseries semi mechanical keyboard vs generic brand keyboard
Touchpad lock vs not tochpad lock
31dB vs 37dB (when not gaming)


There is a reason why MSI cost more!

 

sory for the double post, so im trying to uninstall all the bloatware Norton etc, anything that might be good keeping?,, and sory im new to windows 8, whatsup with the start screen, can I just uninstall those xbox thingy, games, Skype, I mean, the screen is blank even if I open it, windows 8;s such a pain

 

Just checked MSI.com and their driver page.
They only offer drivers for Win8 and not Win7. They better be compatible or they better put out Win7 drivers.

I refuse to use that Windows 8 crap

 

Pretty sure win8 drivers work for win7 too

 

I sure hope so.

 

Started using Windows 8 when I got this laptop and its not that bad. I am growing to like it actually.

 

okay this scares me out, I cant see the gtx780 working everywhere, tried cupid , it just shows the intel as my display ,, and is the G button is to bring out the scm menu? thanks guys

 

Download GPU-Z to see the 780m GTX. Also the laptop runs off of the Intel graphics unless its being loaded, then it seems to switch to the Nvidia card.

 

I would never go back to 7 at this point. All I want is an option to go desktop when I log in. Everything else I like.

 

And here I thought I was the only one who liked Windows 8.

 

Use StartIsBack, great little tool.

 

I don't want a start menu.

 

Ok so don't use the start menu facility, just use it for booting straight to desktop.

You could also do the same with Classic Shell.

 

OK I've done some research and I've actually heard many good things about MSI laptops. But I have one question, from the reviews on notebookcheck it seems the warranty sticker has to be broken if you want to remove the back panel, so what if I have to remove the dust on the fan?

 

Ahh, didn't see this post.

 

Ok all clear regarding the card detection thanks guys
Ok next i think i should do the clean install to get rid of all the unwanted software..from my understanding, this is basically just reformating...so my question is regarding the raid setup, do i need to do anything special or just reinstall all the driver after i have done formating

 

Just ordered myself a GT70 2OD-040US "Dragon Edition 2" :thumbsup:
-- Which is going to replace my aging (but still good) ASUS W90V-P

Seems that the majority of the 17" 2OD Dragon Editions being sold here in Canada have the 040US designation.
Spec's wise they appear to be identical to the 039US model.

Anybody have any info on why the two different part numbers exist?

 

May I ask how you solved the card detection? I'm also planning to buy a GT70.

 

Hey guys, I'm looking to make a purchase soon but had some questions first and was hoping some of you knowledgeable folks could provide some insight!

1. Is it worth upgrading the stock 180 gb msata SSDs to the intel 525s? Anyone have any idea what the performance difference would be?

2. If I add a regular 2.5" SSD instead of a stock HDD, would it be wise to configure all 4 drives in raid 0 or would that be too risky/stupid?

2a. If I just leave the 2.5" drive slot empty for now will using the three msatas ssds suffice?

3. Is the stock blu-ray optical drive slot loading? I think the pictures I've seen have a tray loading optical drive, which I would much rather avoid.

4. Can the non-dragon edition black gt70 be configured to be exactly the same as the dragon edition minus the exterior paint job?

5. In regards to the USB chipset problems than have been reported, should I wait until July to order the notebook to avoid that or is it already resolved?

Thanks in advance for any answers!

 

okay what optimus do basically is switching out between the 2 present card (intel/nvidia), depending on the usage,, so obviously it wont change in to gtx780 if we didnt open anything that requires it, i think you can change the setting in nvidia control panel,, but dont wory there's nothing wrong if u didnt change anything/u can download gpu z to check

 

1. Depends on your budget. Intel mSATAs offer higher endurance and a bit higher speed but you won't notice it any other way than from benchmarks.

2. No better not do it. For an optimal RAID0 array, all drives must be the same.

2a. Depends on the capacity of those drives. If you put three 256gb drives and you won't use more than 80% of all disk space ok. If you won't use much of the storage space then save the money for something else

3. Yes tray loading like previous models.

4. Ofcourse. Internals are the same. It's the paint job and some accessories that makes the biggest difference

5. It's been reported only in a limited set of USB flash drives. Other devices are unaffected. I don't think will affect the majority of us here

Cheers

 

Thank you very much for the quality response!

I think I have a good idea of how I would like to configure my notebook now. I figured if I included x 256 msata SSDs I wouldn't need another terabyte regular HDD for storage, even though it is so cheap to add on. I figure that could make it a little lighter and consume a little less power and run a little quieter. (I could be wrong of course lol) I guess I can live with the tray loading optical drive, although I do prefer slot loading.

The only question I have left is deciding between the GT 60 and the full sized GT 70. I've never had a 17 inch notebook before, but would gladly make the leap if the cooling was better (nothing worse for me than a notebook that runs too hot). Do you happen to know how hot the gt70 runs under load vs the gt60? I'll read through the threads in the meantime and update if I find an answer

EDIT: Oddly enough an equally configured GT70 is about $200 cheaper than a GT70 Dragon Edition 2. Seems like a lot just for the paint job and backpack etc. Am I missing something?

 

Sounds good, thank you. I guess I would force it to use discrete card all the time

 

I'm glad to help you out

The 2OD models come already with a 1TB hdd. You could sell that and make up some of the money for those mSATAs.
Yes without the hdd the notebook would be a little bit quietier (even though with that nice chasis you wouldn't notice it too much unless the room is really quiet)
Battery life would benefit ofcourse. With only an SSD installed I was able to gain around 40min of unplugged operation.

You can replace the BD drive with a slot-loading one but the frontal bezel won't let you insert or remove any discs

Cooling is the same on both notebooks. It's just that some GT60 units have too much paste applied and that causes higher temps. Repasting fixes that.
Temps should be around 70 degrees for cpu and 70-75 for the gpu. Between a GT60 and a GT70 is mostly a preference of portability and screen size.

Yes that paint job and those extras make the only difference. Red is nice but I prefer pitch black
I'd invest those 200$ in a future upgrade but that's just me

 

With that I think with that I'm strongly leaning toward the GT60 with 3xmsata and no HDD. It's actually a few hundred dollars cheaper even with the upgraded 95% color gamut matte led screen.

Feel free to convince me to buy the the GT70 though, I plan to make a purchase in the next 2 weeks or so

Thanks again for all the help!

+1 Rep

 

I come from a GT780DX. That's the previous generation 17.3" Sandy Bridge notebook. If you plan on traveling a bit it gets unconfortable carrying it with you. I even used a backpack. Before that I had a GX660R. The first 15.6 model exactly the size and wheight of the GT60. Sincerely I prefer the GT60 and that's what I bought. It fits in my backpack perfectly and the small size makes it more portable than its larger sibling.
Also this way I have more space on my already clutered desk at home
If I want a larger screen I just plug it in my external Samsung 24" FullHD LED TV through HDMI

 

LOL,my GT780DX has never been outside my apartment and is on AC power about 99.9% of the time.

If I buy new I'm looking at a GT70-20D without the hard drive and ODD.

In place of the stock SanDisk mSATA SSD I'd opt for an Intel 525 in either a 180GB or 240GB to later add a 2nd or 3rd 525 if I go the Super Raid 2 route which I probably wood.

I would also prefer no Windows 8 included but that may not be possible anymore.

Even here in Seoul where all previous MSI notebooks came without an OS now it's all only W* on Haswell models.

MSI caved in to Microsoft's pressure to make W8 more successful.

 

Hi guys i just bough a MSI GT70 2OD but like the laptop im geting it, it dont come with mSATA when I read the offcail site quote" less waiting and more playing with dual 128GB SSD's in RAID 0 gets you into the action faster with read speeds over 900MB/s." so is that mean i can only install two 128GB mSATA ssd? or i can install more GB if i want to? cuz im trying to make sure is not limited. and should i reinstall my mian system into mSATA? And if i can instal, with more then 2 128GB so can i do with 1 240GB?

 

Depending on which region the GT70-20D is being sold in the stock hardware may differ.

If you look on the GentechPC site you will notice 4 different GT70-20D US models and 3 different GT70-20C models.

The GT70-20D 064US has no mSATA SSDs and no Super Raid 2 adapter
The GT70-20D 001US has 1 x 128GB mSATA SSD in Super Raid 2 adapter
The GT70-20D 019US has 2 x 128GB mSATA SSD in Super Raid 2 adapter
The GT70-20D 039US has 3 x 128GB mSATA SSD in Super Raid 2 adapter(Dragon 2 Edition)

If the model has a Super Raid 2 adapter and less than 3 mSATA SSDs it can be upgraded to a second or third mSATA SSD.

The stock SanDisk X100 mSATA SSDs can also be upgraded to a better mSATA SSDs.

Customize to see mSATA options.
Gaming Laptops - GenTech PC - Gaming Notebooks - Custom Laptops - Custom Notebooks - Systems

 

Mine is from xoticpc.com msi gt 70 2oc-065

 

In the other post you state you bought a GT70-20D.Now you state you bought a GT70-20C 065US from Xotic?

A Super Raid 2 adapter will probably work in the GT70-20C if you can locate one for sale someplace.

To use an mSATA SSD you'll need Super Raid 2 Adapter or a Renice SATA to mSATA adapter.
Renice mSATA to SATA II SSD Adapter | My Digital Discount

The Renice only accommodates 1 mSATA SSD while the Super Raid 2 adapter accommodates up to 3 mSATA SSDs

 

So is it true that you can actually Overclock the CPU on the new MSI GT Series? I dont remeber if i read it here or in the Gt60 Thread, but somebody OCed his CPU to 3.5 GHz or something like that. How does that work with a non extreme CPU?
Is it possible to clock even higher?
In the Alienware reveal tonight, they said they clock the 4900MQ up to 4.3GHz if i remember right....

 

That's not an overclock. They just set the cpu at it's maximum turbo-boost frequency. Just don't stress all cores at those frequencies else it would default to it's rated turbo clock
Throttlestop is your friend
There is a feature with MSIs that when you turn on the notebook and keep pressed the 'G' button on the touch bar, the bios sets an higher turbo clock. Don't know if it works with non extreme cpus.
Alienwares have OC features built into the bios. We need an unlocked bios to tinker with that

 

yea sorry for didnt make this more clear. msi is what i have ordered. is not here yet. but im egar to study about my laptop. the one i order, did not comes with any msata, thats y i was wodering if i can add one into it my self. and trying to figure out what are the requirement. cuz i dont want to make an any mistake. So didnt the MSI gt 70 2oc-065us comes with adapter already? the model i have will not comes with a adapter? so i have to buy my own? and install along with masta?

 

Look's like I'll be getting my GT70 Dragon v2 sometime before noon today

Good thing I have a light load here at work... I should be able to get'er out of the box and at least do some initial stability testing.

I'm debating what to do with the stock 1TB 5400rpm WD Blue HDD.
Keep it? , replace it with a 1TB SSHD? , or maybe go with a 512GB SSD or even the M500 960GB SSD?

 

Will one of the resellers sell the super raid adapter?

 

Hello all, I have been on the fence trying to decide between the sager or the msi and now that the new chips are out I have decided msi is a bit better based from reviews that have knocked the sagers sound and touchpad. I was originally going to go with the sager because of the dual GPU but have done much research over the last few months and think for the games I play and amount of time I play on the computer that it is a waste of extra dollars that could be used on other components. I want to purchase this with the added extra cooling and thermal paste added but am a bit confused on how to order the HDD and OS. I currently would like to use my 512SSD card and 1TB HDD and just pop them in when the computer comes and install the W7 OS, Is it possible to order it this way?

 

My GT70-20D is in 'Phase 4 (Order Shipped)'. Should be here by thursday - friday. Im so excited!!

 

thanks felix!

Will there be an unlocked bios for the new GT Series?
Was the last GT Series able to verclock with the unlocked bios?

I do ask a lot of questions, i know ^^ But i have to decide whether my new notebook will be a GT70 oder an Alienware 17...so i need to compare them a little

Edit: after reading the AW 17 review, im almost shure its gonne be the GT70 the AW has better Materials and service but thats about it...and it costs 300€ more...

 

All you lucky s. Will freak me out if it won't be avaible in the EU.

 

Yay! the GT70 arived about an hour ago :thumbsup:

Quite a nice looking machine and FAR, FAR lighter than my Asus W90vp.
Lugging that thing around was a nightmare, This GT70 will be a breeze in comparison

So far I've just had enough time to start removing some of the bloatware (Grrrr...) I'll finish the rest up later when I'm at home.

For now it's back to work



[EDIT] I can confirm the model I received is: GT70 2OD-0 40US

 

Anyone have an answer to this? I'm just about to pull the trigger on a base model if I can buy the adapter later.

 

For now MSI sells the adapters only bundled with the notebooks. Maybe after some time you will be able to get one but don't take my word on it
And if they do sell them separately though, I bet they won't be cheap..

 

If you want the Super Raid 2 adapter you should consider buying the GT70-20D 001US.

It has the adapter and only 1 x 128GB mSATA SSD.that later you can add more mSATA SSDs for a raid0 array or separate drives.

The cost can be lowered by opting out of the slow 5400rpm 1TB hard drive and the optical drive.

Call GentechPC on the phone or another reseller that customizes and tell them what you would like to have.

Don't buy something you're not going to be happy with right from the start.

Save up your money a bit longer and get what you want.

 

Ordering, is it worth upgrading the 4700qm to a 4900qm with 8mb cache?

Another thought is getting a modded bios to allow you to OC 2-300MHz.

 

Define worth it. Depends on budget and intended use.

 

I now have my GT70 20D

I should be happy right now but I am not.

The laptop came with Windows 8 and whole load of other bloatware installed. Windows 8 makes me feel like I have paid top dollar and been lumbered with a cheap (edited by admin). USB 3.0 port doesn't recognise USB 3 devices either. I don't want this. I want to escape.

BUT I CANT!

I am going into bios, and selecting option to boot from CD/DVD drive so I can install Windows 7....BUT IT WONT LET ME!

Instead, Windows 8 loads up all the same.

I dont like this.

I need to escape from the clutches of Windows 8.

BUT I CANT!

It won't let me!

I dont like this. It is like a recurring nightmare.

Please help me.

 

Uh Oh...... MatTheCat is not happy, LOL!

In bios, change the boot method from 'UEFI' to 'Legacy'. When you reboot, the system will then boot in the 'Boot Priority' order. By default, 'CD/DVD' should already be set in the first boot priority position. Simple!

 

This will be mostly a gaming rig.

Any concern about the added heat with faster (hotter) CPUs, as the GPU also shares the HS.

The faster CPU's draws more wattage.

Some might say OCing the 780m will give more yield than OCing the CPU in games at 1080p.

Look at this article on mobile Haswell lineup at http://www.notebookcheck.net/<wbr>Review-Intel-Haswell-<wbr>Processors.93189.0.html

The 4700, 4800, 4900MQ and 4930MX:

However, there are small differences during the single thread test of Cinebench R11.5. The energy demand climbs by about 1 to 2 W per 100 MHz frequency increase. The difference between the Core i7-4702MQ and the i7-4930MX is just under 9 W. In consideration of the small performance difference, it gets apparent that the energy efficiency massively decreases at frequencies nearing 4 GHz.









As the frequencies of the three fastest CPUs are limited to 3.4 GHz in the multi-threaded test in Cinebench, their power consumption is nearly identical. Only the 3.2 GHz Core i7-4700MQ requires about 9 W less. But, this high-end quad core CPU is also not really frugal. Therefore, Intel developed the i7-4702MQ with a TDP of 68 W (10 W less) for smaller, slimmer systems.












The maximum power consumption is measured during the synthetic stress test with Prime95. At the beginning of the test all models run at their maximum frequencies (multi thread)of 2.9, 3.2, or 3.4 GHz. But, the Core i7-4900MQ, the i7-4800MQ, and the i7-4702MQ exceed the maximum TDP specified by the manufacturer in these conditions. We already know this (intended) behavior first observed in the Sandy and Ivy Bridge. After an interval of about 30 seconds, the PCU (Power Control Unit) integrated into the CPU decreases the clock until the permitted TDP is again reached. So, the best possible performance is achieved without demanding too much from the thermal capacities of a notebook.


Meanwhile, the Core i7-4930MX and the 4700MQ have constant frequencies throughout the test. For the 4930MX, this is because of its high TDP of 57 W and the 3.4 GHz turbo limitation of the Clevo barebone. The slowest 4700MQ never exceeded the maximum TDP of 47 W during any of the tests.


The simultaneous stress on the CPU and GPU with Prime95 and FurMark is an exception.


The power consumption only increases slightly, but a part of the TDP capacity is used for the graphics unit. Depending on the classification, we measured CPU/GPU frequencies of about 2.2/1.1 GHz (37 W model), 2.7/1.1 GHz (47 W models) and 3.0/1.2 GHz (57 W model).


Also is there a CPU throttling issue isolated to Sager or is it the CPU's architecture limiting this?

 

Visiting all the new G series with Haswell CPUs downloads I don't find any drivers or Utilities labeled as Windows 7 x64.

In the selection there's Windows 8 and ALL.

When ALL is clicked on.... nothing appears.

It will be trial and error to find what works well on Windows 7 that's labeled a Windows 8.

I've tried the Super Charger,Hybrid Power and KLM on Windows 7 x64 and they work.

For drivers a visit to station-drivers.com may best serve your requirements.

Here in Seoul all past generation MSI notebooks were sold without an OS.

All the new Haswell notebooks have Windows 8 x64 Core pre-installed,whether you want it or not.

Surely this is for Microsoft's benefit and not the consumer.