GT729 Pre order from frosty computers

Get it in early to mid August...

Here is the links:

http://www.frostycomputers.com/MSI_GT725_gaming_notebook_Radeon_4850_HD_P8600_p/gt729-001us.htm $1,359.99

http://www.frostycomputers.com/MSI_GT725_gaming_notebook_Radeon_4850_HD_P8600_p/gt729.htm $1,619.99

http://cgi.ebay.com/MSI-GT729-gamin...4822QQptZAUQ5fcompQ5flaptopQQsalenotsupported

 

Can't come soon enough, to be honest.

 

Oh, I thought these were going to have DDR3 memory. It doesn't seem like much of a difference from the 725 (except for the 1gb 4850). I still want one though.

 

It does use DDR3 its a misprint...

 

I sure hope so. I'll have to confirm that before ordering. It's a monster machine at a great price though

 

If you scroll down on frostys website it says DDR3..

 

It sure does, but it says ddr2 in two other places. That's why I'll be cautious and double check with them.

just for fun, here's some ellipses "..."

 

@Nacr

RE: Your laptop, no wonder I thought it was going to be rediculously expensive. If I was to buy it in the UK (with a Q9000, as they don't have any cheaper options), your spec with GTX280M SLI comes to £2550 - aka about $3500-4000!

I hate the UK and laptops sometimes...

Wonder if we'll get this GT729 in anytime soon, the UK is really struggling in the medium priced market at the moment, lots at the cheap, and expensive end, but nothing in the middle!

 

DDR2 and DDR3 are the same in terms of REAL LIFE performance and power consumption anyways, so it really doesn't matter. DDR2 is still cheaper though. Maybe one day DDR3 will be useful (when i7 comes along and the memory controller is integrated into the CPU, then it can actually utilize the increased bandwidth).

 

Here the Specs:

I am concerned about the Resolution. Read in different other Forums that higher means less gaming power and they would go for a lower resolution. Is that so?
Read somewhere else that you cannot actually boost a quad core cpu. Is that true as well?

Thanks for your answers.

 

As far as I know the Quad Core doesn't really get boosted in the same way. Whether this is a software limitation (heat reasons?), a board limitation or could be circumvented by adjusting the hidden BIOS settings I don't know.

RE: Resolution, it is and it isn't true. You'd be dealing with 1680x1050 (1764000 pixels) vs 1920x1200 (2304000 pixels), as you can see this is a substantially higher number of dots to draw in any one time frame. What this means is that your picture will be sharper, but the GPU won't be able to draw it quite as many times a second. It also tends to use up more memory to store the textures

With a higher resolution screen you will benefit from sharper/more screen space, but settings being identical bar resolution, your frame per second output will drop, because it's drawing almost a third more dots at any one time. HOWEVER you can always drop the resolution to 1680x1050 ingame, which will then mean the game is drawing the same number of dots and resulting in the same performance. The only caveat with this is it wouldn't be quite as smooth as it will be inflated to fill the screen, or will run with black borders (you can choose).

The 1680x1050 screen won't have this issue, but will lose that bit of screenspace and sharpness as there's not as many dots in front of your eyes drawing the same objects.

Both resolutions are good to use, 1680x1050 is slightly easier on your graphics card all other variables being the same, 1920x1200 gives you that much more SPACE, as it's actually bigger than a 1080p tv dot (ergo detail) wise.

In general, the mobility 4850 is actually a pretty powerful little graphics chip. It's almost as fast as the older 8800GTX desktop card (hell, these still sell for £60-75 second hand), which was king of the hill until the 48 series and GTX 2 series came out last year, and is roughly equivalent to a desktop 4830/9800GT, which with a little settings tweaking can hold its own in pretty much any game available, including Crysis.

 

oo I really want to buy this..but does anyone know if I can upgrade to windows 7 for free?

 

The GT729 will include the Win 7 upgrade from MSI.

 

oh ok thanks...but i noticed that the 1360$ version of gt729 doesnt include a blu-ray drive even though the picture at frostycomputers shows the blu-ray...
rk computers have them for 10 bucks cheaper...but i gotta pre order by phone...

 

Yeah i noticed alot of the manufacturers are putting that windows 7 upgrade ticket thing in the box now.

 

Are they still sticking us with a 32 bit OS or are they getting with the times?

 

They all still appear to be 32-bit

 

32bit OS is much much easier to support, very few retailers install 64 bit OS as standard except for those aiming at hard enthusiast/niche markets. Given that a 32bit key is valid for the 64bit equivalent OS, its not really much of an issue, bar it would be nice if they provided 64bit drivers/utilities

 

What? I've been looking around for a new laptop for a couple months now and the MSI models are literally the only ones I've seen that don't come with 64 bit OS versions. This includes Dell, HP, Gateway, Asus, Sager, etc. If MSI can't get up to speed creating 64 bit drivers for their systems, it gives me a little pause about their support in general.

 

Up til a few months ago I worked in IT retail. VERY few models come with 64 bit operating systems as default, most home machines come with a 32bit version, some coming with instructions to obtain a disc to change over, but in general it's still 32bit across the market, with some 64bit driver support available dependent on company. Try walking around any computer/laptop shop near you and I can guarantee that at least 75% of them will be using 32bit software. The majority of consumers don't know, or care enough about 64bit.

The ones that have 64bit options tend to be customised, gaming or niche/business laptops, not your average consumer laptop.

Im talking the UK market here though, so if you're in the US it may be different.

 

I'm in the US, and it is very different. Like I said, I've been looking for a laptop for a couple months, and NOT ONE that I've seen, in store or online, has come with 32 bit Vista besides these MSI models.

 

Now you know why I hate the UK market

All the best stuff is ludicrously expensive, and we can't even buy Sager, Gateway etc unless we import them.

 

excaliberpc has it for $1299 and $1599

 

They don't answer on my question weather they can built in a TV Tuner, which frosty can...

 

Read that c2q is actually worse than c2d when gaming. Is gt729 only available with Q9000 and 2.4 ghz c2d or with 2.5 ghz as well?

 

Between the extra cache on the Q9000 and the extra cores, you will RARELY IF EVER get significantly better performance from a P8600. The only game so far I've had to use turbo for is GTA IV, which a Quad would own without turbo. The P9500 would probably be a little better on CPU-heavy games without Quad support (I've heard it makes a difference in WoW), but new CPU-heavy games are going to be multi-threaded. If it was within my price-range, I would have definitely chosen the Quad option... although I wish the Q9100 showed up a little more often.

 

Hm... Notebookjournal.de (last page on gt725q has test) it compared the gt725 with and without quad core. The version without owned in every game ( including gta4) and with was very slow. And then there is the option to boost the c2duo, which you can't on the core2quad, which makes the q2d option even faster... So, would you think a c2q 2.0 is faster than a c2d 2.8 (which can boost) in the games like gta4, crysis and cs:s?

 

Color me surprised on the GTA results... makes me feel better about mine.

However, you did cross-post your question, so I say we end the conversation here and continue it on the other thread.

 

I was thinking about ordernig one from them, has any canadian bought from them and could tell me if the cross border tax is expensive? Frostycomputers e-mailed me after i asked them and they told me that if I choose USPS shipping, I won't pay taxes(they heard it from many other canadian customers) Can anyone confirm that?

 

I have read from many reseller sites about Cross Border Shopping (I am Canadian too and prices even with exchange is cheaper to buy US and more selection)

Here is a summary from one of those sites:
First, if you choose United States Postal Service (USPS) as a shipping option, Canada Post will only charge a $8 brokerage fee (payable when you pay any applicable taxes incurred). This is likely your cheapest option. When USPS isn't available, use FedEx Priority or UPS Expedited. These shipping options have brokerage fees included. Avoid UPS/FedEx Ground. Ground shipping plus brokerage fees will cost more than the Priority or Expedited options. Make sure before you buy. Check out UPS' rates for Customs Clearance into Canada. We couldn't find FedEx's fees listed online.
Thus, If you ship UPS GROUND, you will be charged brokerage fees, which can be very expensive.
If you ship UPS EXPRESS, the brokerage fees are included. Overall, UPS express is a better deal for Canadians on laptop shipping.
You'll have to pay the applicable provincial taxes
(GST+PST or HST+PST depending on where you live.)
You should not have to pay duty on the Laptop due to laptops are covered under the technology category at Customs Canada and thus exempt from fees

 

ok thank you for this complete answer. I really am considering to buy my laptop from usa cause the product itself is VERY cheaper... for the exact same thing i could spare 200+$ after conversion to canadian $, and the product is much better than what newegg can offer me... but with the taxes and everything it exceeds a little bit if I buy from the USA.

 

Has anyone here that has pre-ordered received theres yet?

 

^^
If I'm not mistaken, MSI EU already shipped out this model somewhere in mid August, and if you browse through other threads regarding GT729, there are some forum members from EU whom already received theirs.
As for MSI NA, ETA is planned somewhere in mid September (hopefully no more friggin' delay). Well, mine was preordered from US reseller.

 

Ok thankyou. I'm just starting to get edgy, when I purchased (through e-bay) I didn't realise it was a preorder otherwise I would've waited awhile longer before clicking the 'buy it now' button. And yeah basically, my paypal buyer protection is almost up.

Any thoughts?

 

Don't worry, he seems OK though (if not, I'm totally doomed).
Speaking of which, Kurt89, did you preorder for the WUXGA or WSXGA version?

 

I'm not sure anymore haha. When I pre-ordered it was a Q9000 and had 1920x1200 WUXGA resolution and bluray. Then after awhile I decided to look at the page again and he had updates on saying revised specs were WSXGA and 1680x1050 as well as DDR3 system memory.

 

^^
You haven't talked to Ben Hsu yet about readjusting your spec? I requested mine to be fitted with Q9000, other option is to have Bluray drive & HyperX RAM, at least that was what he told me, or maybe you could ask for refund the payment surplus.

 

Yeah I asked to change to the core 2 duo, he refunded the difference.

 

Kerrick or anybody else, has Ben sent you a order postage tracking number or updated ETA? My last ETA update was first week of September and now he just says he is waiting for them.

 

Kurt89:
I haven't contacted Ben yet, although I asked him to send me confirmation email first before shipping my order, since I'm going to have my field-break in the next two weeks (I might have to change the shipping address). Rough estimation he gave me was somewhere between early to mid September. Rob from RKComputer also mentioned the same thing in another thread about GT729. At least, you're luckier than me since you purchased via PayPal, while I did wire transfer.

 

Yeah I checked XoticPC and their ETA is middle of September, fingers crossed cause I'm sick of waiting.

 

They are still saying mid-september, nothing accurate yet.

 

^^
Even for the barebone version? No clear information whether this GT729 SKU would arrive within this month?
Hmm.. Might want to reconsider this purchase & ask for full refund. Couldn't really wait with this kind of uncertainty, less than 2 weeks before my field-break in Jakarta.

 

It is supposed to arrive in the month (mid-september), just no accurate date yet. Same for the barebone.

 

If so, maybe I should try to hold on until next week. Truly appreciate your heads up info, Rob

 

I'm still holding out for mine, just wanted to see if you've heard anything more Rob? It's pretty much October now and still no word.

 

Truly sorry for bringing up this old thread again, but I would like to know NBR members' experiences while dealing with Frostycomputers. Also, will GT729 be released end of November? Ben Hsu kept on telling me that he already backordered these mythical units and should arrive at the end of November, and never answer to my pleas to have my money returned (I did wire-transfer). Now, I already waited for three months in uncertainty and he no longer answers to my messages and emails since the last time we communicated (first week of October).
XoticPC, RKComputer, Frostycomputers, ExcaliberPC etc. still have GT729 links on their websites, although some said that this model won't be released in US?
Thank you.

 

I got my gt628 from frostycomputers. No problems.

however, I would be mad if i were you.

 

That is alot of money and by Ben not responding that could be a problem. I would not wait, demand a refund right away. If he dont respond then take legal action against him.

 

The last info from MSI is the GT729 will not be released in the USA. It is supposed to be replaced with the new platform gaming notebooks. We no longer have this model on our site, it was removed a few weeks ago.