~GX660(R) Owner's Lounge~

1) Does it improve the ATI 5870?
2) How much heat does it produce?
3) What thermal paste are you using?

 

1) Cant really comment on this as the original CPU was out the window and the 940 put in before I had a chance do any tests on that.

2) With no clocking (which I have experimented a fair bit with, check my earlier posts for results) and under constant full load on all cores/threads the 940 hits the 80s for cpu with the fan on full wack. It never throttles, blue screens or reboots at stock which is pretty impressive seeing as the fan is cooling both the cpu and gpu.

3) It was in the 90s until I replaced the chewing gum paste it comes with for some Tuniq TX-4 compound which I believe is also known by a different name but I forget what.

 

Thanks. Are you using a different PSU for you laptop? Why?

Has anyone carried out any before and after benchmarks?

 

You guys hit the nail on the head . I cracked it open and sprayed out the fan. It didn't seem terribly dirty, but I got a decent amount of dust out and I guess it was just enough to cause the temps to go way up. I just played Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for about 25 minutes and the highest temps of the cores were 69, 69, 73, and 74 Celcius. The GPU didn't go higher than 73. If I remember correctly, these were about the temps I was getting a while back .

My gradient issue still exists, but I think it's a separate issue that will eventually require an RMA. I'll just wait until the semester's over. At least now my temps are back down to normal. How often do you guys clean your fan? I'm going to guess every 3-4 months?

Thanks again!

 

Monthly for me. It only takes 10 minutes of my time.

 

And update date your GPU driver. I'm pretty sure you haven't since you bought it and ATI comes out with like a new driver about every month for there GPU's. Also MSI had a new BIOS for the GX660/R which came out the end of Feb. You might want to update that as well. I would try simple things to fix whatever problem you have before I just RMA it and cost yourself the shipping cost to them. We as a forum and as owners are here to help others with problems. Because I would want help with a problem I got stumped on. Get yourself a flash drive and format it to FAT 32 and do a little updating and see where that gets you. There's plenty of how to videos to show you how to do it. Just watch a few and follow what they do. Its really simple.

 

I updated the ATI driver once since I've had it, but I'll check to see if any newer ones are out. Regarding the BIOS update - I'm a bit hesitant to do it since it looks like it's specifically for the GX660 and I didn't see any mention of the GX660R. Is there another BIOS update I'm overlooking, or are you suggesting this one?

The gradient banding issue, according to some others, does appear to be a GPU issue. The red channel is mostly affected, however most gradients do show banding except for blue gradients. It appears this way on my laptop and an external monitor regardless of what settings I use. I've tried several drivers as well. However, I will go see if there's a new driver and keep my fingers crossed

I do appreciate this forum and everyone that has helped me. I wish my pc knowledge was extensive enough that I could reciprocate, but I try to share little tips here and there when I can.

 

Dam, they have done changed the dam wedsite. I saw it there a couple weeks ago and there was one for the GX660 and one for the GX660R. Now I can't pull up those laptop down loads at all. Saying trouble with support something. If all you see is the NON R BIOS then no dont update your BIOS. It has to be for your laptop to keep the Raid O. As for the GPU, its doing all that and a driver update doesnt help it, RMA it and it will be a few weeks before you get back the lappy though.

 

They did make the website a little harder to navigate if you are used to the way they had it hopefully this link will help:

MSI Global ? Notebook - GX660

 

Yeah, that's the same link that I've been to. They have BIOS updates for the GX660 and the GT660R. The latter is for a Raid 0 bios, but it's still not the right model. It might not make a difference, but I'd rather not chance it. Thanks for posting the link though

 

Has anyone update their NEC (now called Renesas) USB 3.0 drivers? The ones on the MSI website are old.

I found new firmware for the NEC here: http://www.station-drivers.com/page/nec.htm

 

Yes, they work fine for me, my gx came with firmware 3021

 

I had the same firmware but now that I have updated it to 3027.

I have been doing a lot of driver hunting and I have updated nearly all of the drivers without using the MSI website!

 

Hi, guys,
Almost 2 months are gone and this awesome machine is getting better, wine-like . I have really low temps, and they are lower than one month ago!! Just open the window to catch the breeze and never hit 60C neither on GPU nor on CPU, after 5 hours of non-stop gaming. External temperature plays a major role regarding to laptops. My desktop temps didn't drop more than 2C with "fresh air".
As for BIOS update, I've done nothing yet, cause I never change a winning line-up. This machine is a champ!
Nice spring to you all, and nice fall to my country fellas.

 

Hi guys!
I have problems when play dvds or youtube on battery mode i back to windows factory and i update to new vbios (this is old version of my installed until) firmware o msi web site.
Sorry for my bad english anyone can help?
thankssss

 

too bad, it didn't work on mine...
still having problems with the screen turning off because of idle time and when i move the mouse, the screen will turn on but only displays blank... what could be the problem and solution here. help.

 

Maybe turn off sleep and hibernation?

 

Yea I am using the Targus 150w as with the 940 in at full load it was pulling pretty much that

 

Hi everybody.

I have the weirdest issue with the games from the Total War series.

It started with Napoleon Total War. I installed it right after purchasing this notebook, and it kept crashing while loading the first screen, freezing all the pc, forcing me to turn it off. I didn't bother, since I had completed the game on my old computer.

Now I got Shogun 2 Total War, the new game of the franchise, and I have the same issue, with the only difference that it doesn't even get to the first screen. It freezes the computer on a black screen.

It looks weird to me, the same issue on both games, while the first one worked perfectly on my old pc.

Anybody got any clues about this???

Thanks

 

I had the same problem with mine gx660 when trying to play shogun 2 or empire total war. The problem you have is probably due to the realtek sound driver. Windows say its up to date but you can download a newer one f rom the official realtek site. You can try if your problem is in the driver by just shutting it off in the device manager, run the game and see if it'll work. if yes, just reinstall the new one and everything should work just fine. I have the new driver for one week now and everything works perfect.

 

I'll try right away, thanks man!

 

It worked like a charm. Thanks a lot mate

 

Hello I have searched all over the net and cant find a single answer for problems with cpu whining, now I know some people say that the i7 740QM doesnt whine but it does on my computer its like a constant whine that I can hear and ive also read that you may have special hearing but idk im thinking its my cpu is there anyway I can test that its not my cpu? I know the computer wont turn on unless the cpu is in but ya its really annoying..I would appreciate any advice on this or if anyone is having a problem with the whine also?

 

Are you sure it's the CPU and not the HDDs? As far as I know, the HDDs are constantly making faint whine like noises.

 

hey ya'll. i've had this machine (GX660,core i5) for 3 months now but from past week or so gpu temps are geting a bit higher,close to 80 degrees while playing games like bulletstorm and dead space 2 in ultra high setings. just wanted to know that is it all right and at what gpu temp should i be really concerned as a potentially high temp. also ,is it okay to turn the fan for almost all the time if temps are high or should it be done for little periods of time?

 

80 is not worrying for gpu or cpu although its creeping towards the high end. You might wanna open it up and change the thermal paste on both gpu/cpu if you have not already and check if the fan needs cleaning.

Having the fan on full speed permanently should not cause any problems.

 

I rarely run my fan at full speed. I OC the core to 800mhz, but leave the memory alone for gaming, and my GPU seems to hover around low 70s, never going over 75C even without the turbo fan on. Should I hit the max turbo fan button? My reasoning is because I don't want to wear the fan out. Anyone think this could be an issue or should I not worry about it and run it full tilt when I game? I guess I don't see the big benefit since my GPU seems to run nice and cool without it. Coming from my old G51 which regularly hit 90C+ when gaming, low 70s is cold.

 

It depends on your ambient and the game. If you're playing Half-Life 2 in a 60F ambient and you're hitting 75C... not good. If you're playing maxed Metro 2033 and in a 85F room, I'd say it's actually good cooling.

In any case, your temperatures are fine. Just like you I came up from a G51vx (albeit my overclocked GTX 260m never breached 86C, no matter the game or ambient. I was quite proud, haha).

 

Ive ran into whining CPUs from time to time, mostly when speedstep was introduced but its always possible with multifrequency cpus. Essentally the CPU whines when its at certain clock rates. It could be the CPU or other components but there are ways to confirm it and deal with it.

To see if its the CPU you need to keep it from adjusting frequency... you can disable the turbo mode in bios so that it always stays at min frequency... try that and see if it whines. You can also probably use throttle stop to run the cores at max clock and see if it whines there.

If either of those cases prevent it from whining then its likely the CPU. Once you have that confirmed you can play with your power settings to try to find a profile that works without whining.

 

I don't think you'll wear your fan out. Personally I keep it on all the time when gaming. If one day I find I have to replace it, what I think will not happen, better this than having a fried CPU or GPU to do. Turbo Fan is MSI heat issue solution, so let's push that button and be on the safe side. IMO.

 

any1 got crysis 2 yet? how does it run

 

I tested the MP demo only. You have to lower res and textures for not having input lag. I mean, the game will run on FHD and higher textures, but you'll have to deal with a dumb mouse. In fact I unistalled it. I didn't like its playability. You got to press AND hold right mose button to put the gun on iron sight, it's terrible!

 

i donloaded the mp demo but coudnt even log in 2 play-.- but im hearing th sp on full game runs better anyway but thx anyway

 

Might get it soon. I liked the first one a lot but didn't like the MP of the second one. it was just... a CoD clone. If I wanted to play CoD, I would play CoD... haha.

Anyways, the game ran slower than what I wanted/expected. Considering I run crysis and warhead at high settings 1920x1080 res, it ran a bit slower than what I wanted. Something like 25fps in full hd.

Sadly, I tried all three presents (Seriously, what the hell with NO customization).

But I didn't really have much time to play the MP. It kept disconnecting all the time, and only was able to play for like 1 hour total so I don't have much of an impression. I, however, want to play the single player.

What I can say about the graphics is that they looked quite fuzzy. Not bad, but certainly not much better than Crysis 1. I expected a lot more, but well it happens. No point in complaining right now.

In the end, it left a bad impression and the realization that this was no longer Crysis but something else. Not exactly the "crysis 2" I wanted, but its done and out.

 

I bought Crysis 2 on Friday. Runs incredible. I'm playing it on 1366x768 which is max for the gx660 non r. I'm running very high on 60 fps oc'd, and it looks extremely nice

Oh btw, you don't need to hold the RMB for aimdown sight, you can change that in option to make it toggle it instead.

 

Thanks for the tip on aiming. But see... you have a better processor OC, much less res and the same GPU OC as well. It's normal you are able to run the game smoothly on Very High. For R owners it's a bit frustrating to have the res lowered a lot. IMO, of course. I'm just an old noob.

 

I have Crysis 2 and its runs perfectly at 1920 x 1080 with "advanced" graphics settings. Its a bit jerkie on "hardcore"

 

That's why I bought gx660 non r Was like 500$ cheaper in my country, and the rest of the cash was used on a much better processor xD

 

I agree in part with your statement. A stronger CPU is always a good improvement. Thing is after trying the new toy, I can't live without 1920x1080 anymore. It's a kick in my old 1440x900's a**, you know?

 

You should hook us up with these links! =P

Also what power settings could I mess around with to tweak my CPU, so it doesnt whine?

 

Hi Gents,

Have ordered one of these over the weekend and waiting for it to arrive tomorrow.

One question I have - Unfortunately the only one I could get for a reasonable price was the GX660R, all GX660s would have been an extra £200.

Is it likely to be fairly straightforward to convert from RAID 0 to a more sensible/reliable HD configuration (ideally JBOD or I could live with RAID 1).

Do you get the the option on first boot?

if not is there a built in restore partition/process? or comes with all the disks to reformat and setup? or am I going to be hunting online for drivers?

cheers

 

There's no Raid 1. It's 0 or off. It doesn't come with OS DVD, just drivers and utilities (although Windows 7 recognizes hardware and install drivers automatically, it's always a good idea to download at least GPU driver when formatting).
Congratulations and enjoy your purchase.

 

Raid 1 is mirror, where one HDD is duplicated to the second HDD.


On another note: I tried Crysis 2 and it runs well on "Advanced" and 1920x1080. Looks good enough and runs fairly consistent on the 30fps+

If you run at 720p res, you can run hardcore at higher fps.

 

Ho hum, thought someone might have actually tried converting from one to the other or even looked at how complex it might be.

It has arrived now (downstairs in the post room at work) so I guess I'll find out when I pick it up and get it home.

Seems odd anyone would build a RAID controller capable of RAID 0 but not RAID 1, I guess with a machine that good value on headline specs and graphics card there'll be the odd completly unexpected corner cut.

If it proves non trivial to change I might even tolerate RAID 0 for a bit before grabbing an SSD for the reformat.

I do have Win7 install DVDs for 32 and 64 bit but being RETAIL ones I'm sure there will be further fun and games on activation if I use either of those with msi's (presumably OEM) key

-Probably explains why the RAID 0 'R' version is so much cheaper than the one with just a 'normal' HDD

 

I've used an OEM key with a retail install disc but had to call MS to activate. It took a few minutes, but it activated with no problem.

 

Good news. But what about input lag? That was the reason why I uninstalled demo MP. I couldn't have a decent mouse even lowering the res and textures a lot. I hate input lag. That's why I never turn VSync on, even on old games.
As for the Raid, I was talking about MSI. Just 0 or off on GX660R, isn't it?

 

I installed with retail disk too and I activated windows over Internet with the key.. worked like a charm


On another note.. the touchpad on the GX600 is a joke!.. worthless piece of crap ..

 

Hi all! I'm new to the forums and I'm in need of some advice.


I've just bought a GX660R and I plan to run it off the mains most of the time. This isn't going to do the battery any good so I was thinking about removing it. Does anyone here use their GX660R without the battery?

My main concern is that there is no cover for the battery bay. Once the battery is removed the insides of the laptop will be permanently exposed. How dangerous is this?

 

Battery should be always removed when plugged. It prevents damage on salt bridge (my nephew, who is a computer engineer, told me this ). Moreover, you will not have an extra heat, cause battery is a fabulous heat source. Mine is in the drawer since the very first day. I only tested it once to be sure it was working. No need to worry about the open slot as well, IMO.

 

I tried this back in 2004-2006 with a compaq laptop I had at the time, not sure if it was co-incidence but operating with the battery out gave me no end of problems with the power supply mains 'block'. Had 2 fail on me fortunately under warranty so was was lots of posting them back/forth.

When the warranty ended I put the batttery back in :/

Also that machine now after 1 year of battery non-use/preservation is the only laptop I have where the battery has dies before th laptop (gives about 10 secs power after mains off).

Others where I've just used and abused em battery seems to have lasted fine..... tho maybe the other conclusion to draw is just that HP/Compaq stuff is cheap and shoddy whatever happens to it

Anyways back to my HDDs and good news is these days the GX660R s are shipping with an OS DVD so no issues there.

Now I just need to work out which SSD to think about for it, any suggestions?