MSI MS-1651 Montevina BTO Notebook Barebone

Hopefully, but you'll have to ask a retailer for more accuirate information

 

When it comes available, you'll be able to install a TV tuner. Don't you worry

 

there's a tv tuner? Who will be selling it, and for how much?

 

There are tuners available now that will function in this model as they did in the previous models.

There is an avermedia analog model we have used in previous msi models and also works in the current. There is also a new analog/digital model card we have not received or yet tested. I do not think msi currently offers any but you can use avermedia 300 series cards (mini pciE). These cards will function within vista media center as well with 3rd party software.

 

Hi im having some issues with my 1651. This is the case with both vista 32 and 64bit that i've tried on a fresh install.

Ever since i got the laptop, i havent been able to run hwmonitor without it crashing right after opening. I can run the pro version just fine, but never the regular version. Furthermore, when i run hdtune's benchmark, the lines display fine as it is trying to find the average speed, but 3/4ths of the way to the end, it just stops and locks up my machine. I've had issues installing bootloaders before where it rendered vista unbootable in the past(never had that problem with any other machine i've done it on), and when i'm running the windows xp installation, it blue screens right before getting to the part where you can format/partition the drive.

I have a wd 320gb 5400rpm drive, and i think it may be defective. Does this sound like an issue? Could ram be an issue as well? Please give me feedback so that i may return the drive for another one soon.

Thanks

 

Oh, i also ran chckdisk and it froze at 76% (stage 5). Had to hard-reboot with the power button.

 

Seems like the HDD issue, but can't be sure until you run some diagnostic tool.

 

*Crosses Fingers* Hopefully Rkcomputers will get more MSI MS-1651 WSXGA+ barebones in this week! Does anybody know when they will get more in stock?

 

I'm having some issues with watching divx videos in FF3 with the standard divx video plugin. The identical software works fine on my desktop. It either crashes (giving the FF3 crash report dialog) or just hangs. I'm guessing this is a driver issue? I have the latest ones...

 

I'm having trouble in firefox on this reading PDFs, works on my other comp. lol

 

It looks like there are still issues to work out. So far this is the only thing that actually hasn't worked for me. It'll be interesting when I install Vista x64 in a few weeks to see if more issues pop up.

 

Hi SomeGuy,

I was dead set on XP Pro or nothing else for me ... but now that I am using Vista 64-bit SP1 ... Miscrosoft must have fixed a ton of stuff with SP1 ... because I don't mind the Vista so far ... and so far runs my freeware that I used to use with XP Pro ... but then again I have only tried 2 of them so far SOoooo ...

G!

 

Cool. Let me know if anything develops.

 

I wonder how long it'll take for this thread to fall off the front page.

 

Since it is in the MSI forum, it will probably take quite a while

 

If anyone else has had that issue with the Divx plugin on Firefox 3, please let me know. It hangs every time I try to watch a video. I'd like to chalk it up to a new driver issue, but if I'm the only one then it must be something I did.

Please let me know either way.

 

So this is embarrassing for me to write.. but being the tool that I am today and not paying attention to what I was looking at… I changed the video settings so that peg/pci is no longer selected, well doing that kill my screen so I have no video. So if some one out there could do a quick walk through on how to change it back blind I would very much appreciate it. Just need to know how many clicks left/right up/down enters here and there till its fixed. I have a 1651 with the bios version 1.0e I think it was. Thanks for help…. Lesson learned…

 

Probably won't happen until MSI releases this lappy's successor

 

I didn't even know you could do that. Where is that option?

 

You can clear the CMOS, right?

 

Ouch...if it is the setting I think it is in BIOS, hook up an external monitor---you should then be able to get back into bios and switch it back--if you wait for Windows to load, it will be too late.

Sometimes the graphics display does not initiate quickly enough to see the bios splash screen so start tapping your enter BIOS key once a second after boot up and you should enter into bios and be greeted with the bios menu after 5 or so seconds

 

Ya theres a setting where you select can select pci/peg peg/pci ect... well at least on the bios version i had. Think it was under advanced.

And I didn't see a way to clear the CMOS... I opened up the book a little bit to see if I could find the cmos battery or a cmos jumper and no luck on that. Does anyone know if theres a key stroke on start up that forces a reset?

I'll take any help I can get!

 

I tried every monitor in the office and no go.. (VGA DVI HDMI)
Do the FN keys even work that early in the boot?

 

They do on my computers.

I do not know what function key initiates the change, but you press Fn + (key), and wait three or four seconds, then try it a second time.

They switch from onboard Monitor, to Off board, to both

It will take several seconds to cycle through

 

Well after some heavy drinking and tons of swearing.... I got it. Turns out the cmos battery is in plain view... if you know what you're looking for. Thanks for the help guys

 

Glad that worked out for you. I didn't want to give you blind BIOS instructions because of the risk of screwing something up further.

I hate to be a pain about this, but has anybody tried the DivX video plugin on Firefox3 on this comp yet? I'm still trying to diagnose that problem...and I'd like to know whether I'm the only one.

 

Probably could have tried the old unplug, remove battery and press the power button for 5 seconds trick, too....

 

Does anyone know how to reprogram the rewind and forward media keys (on the top of the panel next to the Eco button) so that they are for up and down on volume? Annoys me to have to press FN + F7 or F8 everytime for voume.

 

Are we still waiting on the NBR review of this model or is it already out?

 

It should be out very shortly...hopefully within the week.

 

cool!

Also, question, I am running Google Sketchup (on vista 64 bit) and finding it VERY slow, compared to my 5 year old desktop. I have 4 gigs of memory and 2.2G processor so I really think I should not be having this problem. Does anyone know if this is a gpu driver update issue? Nvidia says to contact notebook manufacturer for specific graphics card driver update?

Any possible explanations?

 

anyone else have a really hard time opening this laptop? it's always a struggle... lol

 

Are you using one hand to hold the bottom down while you lift the lid with the other hand?

This is the proper way to open a laptop so that it does not put too much strain on the hinges. If you get into this this habit early, you will be thankful later

 

Hey guys, the review is now available on the main page!

 

I've heard from several people that you can max out TF2 on this laptop. I'm wondering...how? At what res? I couldnt go past 4xAA on 1280x800. I downloaded the vid driver from the MSI site like 2 weeks ago. I have no trouble maxing out COD4, but TF2 runs at low fps (<20) with everything maxed.

Any ideas?

 

Not sure I can help with TF2 as i don't have it, but the CoD4 demo I can run maxed, why don't other developers make their engines run so nice? I can do the same with the UT3 demo but not with lthe ost planet demo.

 

Could you or anyone else post direct links to the files we need. Do I download the nVIDIA ForceWare X 179.13? And where do I find the modded INF? Thanks for the help.

 

I was playing Crysis yesterday night (first time on this lappy), and I must say I'm astounded by the temperatures and FPS!
Crysis WH @ gamer settings (high) 1280x800 (while monitoring temps on the side):
FPS - haven't checked, but smooth enough for me most of the time, fps drops to a not so great level when stuff explodes in my face
CPU Core 1 Peak - 65C, most of the time around 60C
CPU Core 2 Peak - 62C, most of the time around 55C
GPU Peak - 67C, most of the time between 60C-65C
HDD Peak - 39C, most of the time around 33-35C
CPU Core 1 15% Turbo Peak - 69C
CPU Core 2 15% Turbo Peak - 65C
These temperatures were measured in a mildly warm room (20-25C) with a book raising the back to increase ventilation
The right palmrest does get a bit uncomfortably hot, while the left palmrest remains cool

 

I know that the MS-1651 has the 9600m gt, which is awesome , but does it also have integrated graphics? According to Nvidia, the 9000 series graphics cards can switch from one to the other.

Has anyone checked in the BIOS whether there is an option to enable integrated graphics or not?

*Just wanted to know whether it is possible to increase the battery life of this.

 

No, there is no IGP on the MS-1651 motherboard. The only one that I know of that has Nvidia Hybrid SLI is MacBook Pro (but there may be others that I haven't read about yet).

 

Dragonhawk, what you are describing requires an nVIDIA motherboard with an nVIDIA IGP just as ckh20051988 says. The MS-1651 has an Intel motherboard.

 

Hello Paladin.

This is a very interesting thread and laptop.
My question is: Which is the FireWire controller chip used in this model? VIA, NEC, O2, Texas Instruments, JMicron, ...?

Thank you very much.

 

IEEE 1394 and Card Reader chipsets are O2

 

Thank you very much

 

Can anyone confirm the MS-1651 (GX620) is using a MXM II or MXM III slot? Maybe you paladin44, since you sell the barebones?

 

Ordered my MS-1651 from avadirect Wednesday, waiting for it to be built and shipped out now...
P8600
4GB DDR2-800 (Kingston Valu series CL5)
320GB WD WKBEVT IIRC, the 5400RPM 8MB cache one for now
Intel 5300 WiFi link
WSXGA+ screen

skipped the OS, as I plan to install Ubuntu 8.10 32bit for now (64b apparently has some problems), and winxp pro that I already have. Maybe add Vista later if I absolutely have to. (Kind of pointless buying an OS to have it installed for me as I would just have to wipe the drive when I got it to do my own setup anyways, plus they don't offer XP.)

IIRC the GX620 manual states MXM II, but the the 627 using a 9800 GS which is probably the same mb, it likely could take MXM III, but we'll have to wait and see until someone gets a 627 and checks the boards OR someone tries a MXM III in a 620 blindly..

 

15.4" High-End NB 90%+ use MXM-II (8600, 9600) modules, only the special ones can accommodate MXM-III (8700, 8800, 9700, 9800).
So whoever has GX-620/MS-1651 can check their MXM module for clearance and then compare to the dimension of a MXM-III.
Don't forget to mind the thickness, screw holes, as well as surroundings/clearance from all directions (especially the other end).

Spec from MXM-Upgrade.com
http://mxm-upgrade.com/types.html
MXM-II 73 mm x 78mm (W x L)
MXM-III 82 mm x 100 mm (W x L)

You may also refer to the nVIDIA's MXM Electromechanical Specification PDF.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_13290.html

 

If it is indeed the same motherboard, I'll most likely sell my 9600m gt on ebay and use the difference and purchase a 9800m gs from avadirect or whichever barebone manufacturer that carries it. That is, if the difference is under ~$300 it'd definitely be something I'd look into.

 

One more thing in favor of the GT627 having the same motherboard: the MS-1651/GX620 and the GT627 both have a 90W adapter.

In other words: the GT627 should not exceed 90W of power consumption on full load, just like the GX620.

So most likely the TDP of the 9800M GS can be supported by the GX620.

 

Hey Guys,
I was looking to buy the 1651 and noticed that on some of the pics the arrow keys look narrow. Are they as smaller than average and if so have any of you thought they were a problem? Thanks for the help.

RM