MSI MS-1651 Montevina BTO Notebook Barebone

No improvement with changing the power settings. I stopped the test when I was getting FPS between 4-7. I don't know what's happening here. My device manager says that I have the 9600GT installed and the drivers are up to date. I don't know what's going on here. Is it time to call tech support?

Susheel R

 

Someone told me that if you have two drives with the same RPMs, then the larger drive will be faster because of higher data density per unit area. If the 320gb 5400 has the same number of platters as the 250gb, then this might be true.

 

Did you download the modded INF and copy it into the folder where the setup is? It will ask you if you want to replace (overwrite) and also give you a few other options. Make sure you replace the existing INF from the modded one you downloaded.

If installing updated drivers do not work, I'd say you have a defective unit. Unless, of course, something painstakingly obvious is configured incorrectly on your system.

 

Where on the MSI website are the drivers for the 1651 WSXGA? I cant find them

 

Go here then click on the drivers tab:

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1529&maincat_no=135

 

I didn't download the modded INF. Where do I find it?

 

I installed the modded INF and the 3DMark06 score was 5125. Not too shabby, eh?

Anything else you guys want to know?

Susheel R

 

Great score-this was at 1280x1024? If so, it kills the HP DV5T which scores around 3900 or so...big difference.

For the heavy gamers, testing out Crysis or COD4 would be interesting. Measuring the temperatures would also be nice to see.

I am surprised that more ppl are not looking at this laptop given its performance

 

Yes, the default resolution is 1280x1024.

I don't have the necessary equipment to measure the temperatures but during the test the fan was blowing out hot air but the computer barely got warm. I haven't taxed the computer enough, I guess. My old HP used to get hot while browsing the internet.

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and will recommend friends to do some research and look at PNB or XoticPC, if they're in the market for a PC.

Susheel R

 

Hey Susheelr what are your msi 1651 specs? processor speed? harddrive size and speed, etc?

 

You can use this to measure your temperature. Ideally you would measure with normal non gaming activity and then measure it when your CPU and GPU are being stressed.

http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

 

Sorry, I have the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills exam tomorrow, so I'll do it when I get a chance sometime tomorrow.

Susheel R

 

Dude ... you ain't got the time to be goofing off playing Games on your laptop ... hit the books!

Good Luck Doc ... and get plenty of Sleep!

G!

 

Wait, so we use the drivers put up for the GX620? Looking at the site, what is "ENE CIR Drivers"? Also, I see talk of a modded INF. Is this the video drivers? Why are you guys getting the video drivers from a 3rd party site, and not the MSI site or the install disc that comes with the laptop?

 

Glad to hear you sorted out the problem with the video driver. 5125 is a great score, and something that surprised me. I didn't expect it to score in the 5K range at the default resolution.

I am so very tempted to pickup this laptop, but what is around the corner has me holding off. The 8000M series of GPUs were a pretty decept jump from the 7000M series, but the move to the 9000M series was a bit dissapointing. That is why I feel something great is around the corner, either via ATi or their own next series of GPUs. Once the HD4000 series is released in mobile form, we will have fixed AA performance, and hopefully some cooler running chips as a result of the 55nm process. Anyway, not to go way off topic.

But anyway, that is the only reason I am holding off on the 1651, that and I really don't have time to play games anymore. My two children really take all my time... I think the only game I have played in the last 4 months for more than 5 minutes has been Spore. So, that also is holding me back from the purchase. I don't want to have 2 years go by and have an integrated GPU perform better than my 1651 when I finally do get back into gaming.

With Larabee around the corner, in addition to ATI's new Integrated chipset, we could end up seeing some really great performance out of intergrated graphics in the future. Sure, it won't ever complete with updated discrete, but it will pass up discrete from two years prior - I am sure of that.

 

My computer's specs are:

15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) MATTE w/nVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT w/512MB GDDR3
WSXGA+ - Black w/Brushed Aluminum LCD Cover and Palm Rest
Intel® Core™2 Duo P9500 2.53GHz Processor w/6MB L2 On-die cache (25W) - 1066MHz FSB
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
4GB (2 SODIMMS) KINGSTON HyperX CL5 Low Latency DDR2/800 Memory (64bit VISTA Required)
160GB SATA II 3GB/s Seagate Momentus 7200.2 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/Softwares
4-in-1 Memory Card Reader ( xD, MemoryStick/MemoryStick Pro, and Secure Digital (SD/MMC)
Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11a/g/n
Built-in Bluetooth Wireless 2.0+EDR
Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter
NO PowerPro Dead Pixel Guarantee
NO Intel® Turbo Memory (Robson)
NO Spare Battery
NO Operating System
NO "Medialess" Microsoft Office Software
NO Spare AC Adapter

Hope that helps.

Susheel R

 

Yes, it is the video drivers. The reason that people download these third party (they really aren't true third party, as nVidia writes them) drivers is because they are more up to date than many of the drivers that the manufacturers have on their website. In some cases, like Dell for instance, may only update the video driver twice in the life of the product. That is pretty pathetic when it comes to supporting a new game, or fixing a glitch with an existing game. Therefore, people download the latest nVidia drivers and used a modded INF to support the laptop chipset and this then allows them to keep the drivers up to date and experiment with other drivers until they get the performance or fix they are looking for.

 

Absolutely; forget about NBR until you have more time...ace that friggin test

 

Thanks for posting your 3dmark06 scores ..

Good luck on your test!!

 

Mine is "Out for Delivery" according to UPS. I did the majority of my homework last night so today I'll be able to run some tests and take some pictures. If there are any specific tests you'd like me to run or something you'd like to get a better view of, just ask.

I've got Vista 64-bit so I'm fairly sure I can't run 3dMark06 so I'll run Vantage, and run the battery down a few times (Playing a game, Watching a movie, Office/Surfing the web, etc.). I've got COD4, and I'm getting a copy of Crysis so I'll try to run those fairly soon to see how well they perform.

I've also got an HDMI cable and an HDTV so I'll plug up and give some feedback on that feature.

My Specifications:

15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) Glossy LCD w/nVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT w/512MB GDDR3
Standard Black matte LCD cover w/Silver LCD frame and Palm Rest(Brushed Aluminum)
Intel® Core™2 Duo P9500 2.53GHz Processor w/6MB L2 On-die cache (25W) - 1066MHz FSB
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
4GB (2 SODIMMS) CORSAIR or KINGSTON DDR2/800 Memory (64bit Vista Required)
160GB SATA II 3GB/s Seagate Momentus 7200.2 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/Software
4-in-1 Memory Card Reader (xD, MemoryStick/MemoryStick Pro, and Secure Digital (SD/MMC))
Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11a/g/n
Built-in Bluetooth Wireless 2.0+EDR
Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)(not shipped yet)
Windows Vista Premium - 64-Bit
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter

 

Tiden thats amazing, thanks for doing this.

Since most of the performance areas are covered, can you give is your impressions about the quality of the speakers (ie, can you play an mp3 and not cringe?), the synaptics touchpad and the quality of the screen? Thanks in advance!

I'll run the same tests once I get mine on Thurs to see the differences between the P9500 and the P8400

 

If time allows, please run HWmonitor & 3DMark06 (this turns out different every single time, and because it's only run by one other person, another run won't hurt).
Wasamandrapa is right, what's more important is the quality and overall impression of the notebook now, since most tests are already done

I'll also run the same tests and post a review once I get mines(prolly late this week or early next week)if I get my SSD by then (looking @ the patriot, but NCIX just raised their price, so back to waiting)...

 

where on that website are the drivers modded so they work on the 1651?

 

I'll run my usual playlist through the speakers, but I've been using a very nice Logitech 5.1 System on my desktop so I don't know how great a judge I'll be. I'll spend a few minutes typing on it and using the touchpad before I plug up my new MX620, and give you some feedback.

I've had trouble using 3dMark06 on my desktop with 64-bit Ultimate, but I'll try to make it work. If not I'll run 3dMark Vantage. It won't compare to the results other people are getting, but it'll be something. I haven't used HWmonitor before, but I'll try it out and give you the results.

This is moving up from an ancient Inspiron 1150, so the screen will be magnificent I'm sure, but I'll borrow my roommate's Compaq to have something to compare it to.

I'm fairly interested in structural quality. I know Paladin and Viking have commented some on that but my experience with laptops of this size has been pretty poor. My girlfriend has an Acer that I could snap in two if I felt like it and after about a year my Inspiron 1150 started cracking on the sides. That's something I'll look at first even before I power it up, but from what has been said so far I expect a very sturdy laptop.

I'd spend a day or so doing a full review, but I have a Cal 3 test on Wednesday evening, so I'll be fairly busy with that tomorrow and Wednesday. If anyone is interested I can probably have one out sometime this weekend, but I figure quite a few people will have the same idea.

-Tyler

 

At this point I'll he happy to actually receive a laptop.

 

Tyler I'm interested in build quality as well. I constantly commute in trains so I am curious about how "wobbly" the screen is once in position. The matte screen is so convenient for me in this sense as well.

I also stay a lot in hotels, hence my interest in the functionality of the notebook "off-docking-station" (read no mouse, keyboard, external speakers, etc).

 

You can run 3DMark06 just fine in Vista X64. I do it on my home machine frequently when testing the effects of memory bandwidth, core and shader clocks.

I am still curious about noise of the fan when gaming. I can't stand noise (this never used to bother me, before I started water cooling my rigs) so I kinda of need to know if the fan noise is going to be a problem. Additionally, I hate when laptops have only a small buffer zone for fan speeds. Meaning, the fan frequently turns off and on over the course of 30 minutes. I'd rather have a very low and quiet fan running all the time, than have it run silent silent and move to high then back down every 5 minutes. So, knowing how frequently the fan comes on, and at what point would be very helpful.

 

Sigh... Still haven't gotten mines shipped from Xotic >.> >_<
wish it would ship soon!!
Really tired of lagging on my dad's old Insipron

Props to the effort XoticPC is making to get these laptops shipped and keeping their customers updated/happy though. Justin even offered to check exactly what is happening to my laptop though I didn't request it

 

fan noise is not a problem in my experience

 

So it's end of business, and mine hasn't shipped. If it doesn't move out of Phase 2 tomorrow, then it's late by their timetable. I am very, very irritated.

 

I've got mine. I'm about to take it out of the box. Below is the box, and hopefully in a few hours I'll have something real to give you. If there is anything else anyone would like me to check for just ask.

-Tyler

 

rofl nice teaser lol a picture of the box

oh and that be great if someone will make a youtube video review on that laptop... that would be sweet

 

Don't take it personally, but I hate you.

 

Xotic says they shipped mine friday, but UPS is still reading just "billing information received" What the heck

 

What kind of shipping did you get? It might take some time for you to get a tracking number.

 

ups 3 to 6 day. I have the tracking number, its just showing "billing info received"

 

That might be the normal first step. You might want to ask someone at Xotic. See if their live chat thing is up right now.

If you got 3-6 day shipping, they're not going to put it on a truck ASAP. I wouldn't worry about it. Yet.

 

Any information on where I can order a MSI-1651 barebones? Is xoticpc the only place?

 

What country are you in?

 

I'm in Canada. Sorry forgot to mention

 

Well Xotic will definitely sell it to you. You should also check out AVA direct, and Prostar.

 

SomeGuy, don't feel too bad. I got mine today, but it came with the wrong processor so it'll be next week before I get it proper. Hopefully yours will ship by then.

For now I have a pretty good set of pictures for you guys, they're letting me test drive this one, for now a P8600. So far I'm very happy with the keyboard and the touchpad. The touchpad is pretty sticky for the first few minutes, but after a few minutes of use its gotten much better. The keyboard is excellent. Not too clicky, and not to squishy. A very nice medium. The period, forward slash, and right shift keys are very small, but I haven't had any real problem with them. I'm about to run 3dMark06, I'll have some results and the pictures later.

If you can think of anything else you'd like to hear, just ask.

-Tyler

 

Thanks Tyler! What about the speakers? Does the screen hold itself in position properly or is it wobbly? Do you see any significant loss of image quality due to the matte screen?

 

The speakers were very decent. Very little bass, but it wasn't tinny at all. I played through a couple of songs with volume on full and I wasn't disappointed. It doesn't compare to my 5.1 system, but they are still very good. Screen is very sturdy. I did feel a very small twisting when I put some force on the corners, but almost negligible. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with higher quality images yet, and since I have to send it back in a few days I have to keep the plastic covering over the screen. The little I've done with it looks pretty amazing. I'll let you know some more later tonight.

 

jest like we have discussed, there is

Xoticpc.com
RKcomputer.net

those are the 2 american that can ship to canada, that i know

 

Tiden im sure they sent you someguysoverthere laptop to you insted of him xD

 

AVA direct also has it, and also ships to Canada.

 

Lol. Tiden, do the specs of the one they sent you match my sig?

 

Sweet, sounds like what I was expecting. I think it will be worth the wait. Thanks again for the reviews

 

rkcomputer has extremely expensive shipping to Canada, so it will likely end up the most expensive .
Otherwise, they have excellent prices
Ava direct has the WXGA for a nice price, though I can't find the WSXGA+