Ordered MSI GT60-220C - a few questions

Hello everyone,

I'm fairly new to these forums, but have been reading them quite a bit lately as I sought to zero in a replacement for my Sony VAIO VGN-FW465 (16.4" laptop from late 2009). Thank you for providing such a valuable service! I am quite busy these days and have not stayed "current" with computers for many years -- this forum really helped me get back up to speed quickly and make an informed decision.

A few words on why I am buying a new computer. I still like the Sony and will probably find a use for it, rather than sell it. Aside from a battery that only lasts 20 minutes, it is quiet and fast enough for most of my needs. I occasionally find some free time to play a game though, and for that task the AMD/ATI 4650M video card struggles. I am also "on the road" a lot and would like to be able to use my computer for processor intensive computation of GIS-like data. This work load involves many different steps (data conversion, application of correctors, and gridding). Half of the steps are bound by I/O (network speed or HDD speed) and the half are bound by the processor.

Here's what I have ordered with Gentechpc:
Description Price [ /-] from
15.6" 16:9 1920X1080 Full HD LED backlight (Matte-Type) 0.00
Dead Pixel Warranty
30 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty : Free 0.00
Graphics Controller
nVidia GeForce GTX 770M 3GB GDDR5 DX11 Intel HD4600 0.00
Processor
4th Gen Intel Haswell Core i7-4700MQ, 2.4~3.4GHz, 22nm, 6MB, 47W 0.00
Thermal Compound
IC Diamond 24 Carat Thermal Compound on both CPU/GPU - Free -0.01
RAM
16GB DDR3 1600/PC3 12800 Dual-Channel (8G X 2) 49.00
Primary Hard Drive
1000GB 5400rpm 2.5-inch 9.5mm 8MB SATA II 3Gb/s 0.00
Optical Drive
8X DVDRW DL Super Multi (Standard) 0.00
Ethernet Controller
Killer Gaming E2200 Gigabit Ethernet Controller 0.00
WiFi
Killer Wireless-N 1202 2.4Ghz/5.0Ghz Dual-Band 300 Mbps Bluetooth 4.0 0.00
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 64 bit Pre-installed (Standard) 0.00

I also already have a 256GB Samsung 840pro that will be installed in addition to the included 1TB drive.

I have yet to initiate the transfer to pay for the laptop, so that means there is still time for me to call them and change the order before they start to build my machine. If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears.

Question 1:
I am very tempted to move up to the 4800MQ processor, but the increase in cost is significant at $245. I wish there was a more intermediate step like there appeared to be with the 3xxx series. I thought I remember seeing the equivalent 3rd generation upgrade cost closer to $150. Do you think this upgrade cost will decrease significantly in the next couple of months and be worth waiting for? I would wait a couple of months if it would save me $100.

Question 2:
Can these processors, in this laptop be overclocked? I used to do this about 10 years ago and would not be afraid to give it a try with a well cooled laptop, but it seems that unless you have a "K" series desktop chip, overclocking is nearly impossible. If I was only buying this for gaming, I would not be concerned with the 4700MQ at stock speeds, but I would like to get everything I can out of it for my work related processing.

Question 3:
I've upgraded several hard drives in the past by using software cloning options. This has worked well, but my only experience is with Windows 7. I plan to clone the installed drive to my SSD. Does windows 8 present any new issues when cloning a disk?

Question 4:
My Sony has a DVD/RW/Blu-Ray reader that looks like a normal slim line drive. If it does not have proprietary mounting, could I swap optical drives between my Sony and the MSI? Also, does anyone have any comments about the feasibility of using the OEM included Blu-Ray software (Windows BD-Live) from my Sony on this new machine? I realize this last part is a long shot.

Question 5:
Should I opt for an upgraeded screen? I am not as concerned about this, since I will often have the chance to plug in to a desktop monitor, but is the stock screen crummy? Or is one of the available upgrade options so eye popping that I can't pass it up?

Question 6
Should I post any of these questions in other sections of the forum instead?


Thank you for reading my long introduction post! I appreciate any response and will post more questions as I think of them.

Assuming I get the laptop in the next couple of weeks, I should have some time to post pictures or run some tests for those still considering a purchase. I haven't been in to bench-marking in years though, so you'll have to be very specific in your requests.

Regards,
Andrew

 

I don't really know the definite answers to your questions, I only have guesses.
1. The price probably will go down, but I don't think its worth the wait to upgrade. I'm perfectly happy with the 4700MQ
2. I've heard that they can, I haven't done it but if you look around in the MSI forums some more, I'm sure there are some threads about it.
3. I haven't heard about any issues, I heard from somewhere (I don't know where or how trustworthy that source is) thats they made it easier with windows 8.
4. No idea....
5. The stock screen is great! I'd just keep it as it is. Definitely one of the best stock screens I've ever had, you won't notice much of a difference unless you spend hundreds more.

Hopefully more people respond to this soon, and with more definite answers! People in the MSI forums are very helpful

 

Personally I don’t recommend upgrading the CPU yet. 4700MQ is quite powerful. If you feel inclined to upgrade, do it later once the first revisions of CPUs get out, so maybe they will get cheaper. Question 2:

Overclocking is not possible on these models except up to the MX variation. However! You can run the CPU to its turbo state, using Intels Extreme utility version 3.2. User Talon confirmed it. That should provide a nice boost in performance.

That’s a good question. I haven’t cloned a harddisk on windows 8 yet, but so far it shouldn’t. A quick google shows there some guides to do it yourself so I am inclined to believe it’s possible.

It doesn’t use a particular proprietary mount, so standard size should work and you should be able to use the same plastic cover on the tray. Provided the units have the same size, it should install. Unless I am wrong! As for your software, unless it comes tied down to sony machines, you should be able to use it on the MSI as long as you have the installer and license. Most of the time software for dvd and bluray stays generic to be used on many combinations of hardware, but some versions are tied down to particular hardware and machines.

The stock screen is good, but if you want the best of the best, maybe you can upgrade to the 90% gamut screen but I think the stock screen should be good enough!

You came to the right place fried!

Awesome! Let us know how it goes for your machine for benchmarks you can run the latets 3dmark11 and 3dmark, as well as individual gaming or productivity benches

Nice to see you ordered your machine form Gentech. Be sure to also ask Ken any questions you can, as he can most likely test things faster then us for your model

 

Thank you both very much for the replies. I was beginning to get worried that my wall of text had lost people's interest.

I finalized the order on Monday morning and I think Ken said it should ship out early next week. I stayed with the stock configuration other than 16GB of ram. I think I will be just fine with the stock screen and appreciate the positive reviews of it.

I came to a similar conclusion about overclocking. This CPU will be fast enough for me for a long time and upon doing some research, it looks like I can find processor upgrades on ebay and few other places.

I will write back in this post when I receive the laptop.

Thanks again.

 

You are welcome

Looking forward to your impressions!

 

Good response by ryzeki but small correction: the 4700mq can be over clocked by 200mhz using the intel xtu software. 4800mq can be oc'd 400mhz iirc and 4900mq can do 600mhz.

 

Thank you for this advice! I wasn't sure what keyword to search for in regards to the modest overclocking mentioned by ryzeki. I will definitely apply this overclock, as I am sure it will be safe for 24/7 operation and any small boost to my data processing speed will be much appreciated.

 

Really? I thought the max it could do was the turbo state of 3.4ghz which is why I said only that, I didn't know you could actually overclock it, that's good news!

 

I'll be sure to try the Intel XTU software and post my results in this thread.

 

Personally, I do not find any upgrades to CPU useful at all, let alone such a upgrade being worth the much extra cost. 4700MQ is already a very good cpu and the extra money to upgrade over is not worth it.
What you should do is never upgrade your CPU and save up your money for your next laptop over some years. That is what I do. Once I buy laptop, I never upgrade its components except for its storage devices (AKA HDD/ SSD). After a moment I decide on a new laptop, I start saving immediately for my new one in 2 or 3 years.
(See my signature for list of laptops I bought in such a manner.)

To be honest, I do not OC especially when it comes to laptops. Besides, today's CPU and GPU are already powerful enough to do most of things at stock levels.

I don't know actually and I've never cloned disks. The first thing I do with my new laptops is open it up and replace its OS drive with a SSD nowadays. Install OS fresh and off I go.

Very unlikely.
Meanwhile, I haven't used an optical disk over 6 years in my case. I find it a waste of space. I'd rather have a HDD in there.

Upgrade? No, unless you are super picky, I don't see a point. Matte all the way by the way. I hate glossy.

No comment.

 

Thank you for the additional insight. I understand that the processor upgrade is largely "not worth it," and your rationale about remaining stock and replacing the machine entire every few years is a sound one. About six months ago I had even looked in to the possibility of replacing the processor in my Sony and was surprised to see that prices for better processors of the same series were still $200-$300. Definitely not worth it when the laptop itself is only worth $300 or so.

The only reason I considered spending the money on a processor upgrade for the GT60 was due to my potential work related processing. I am beginning to rethink just how much I want to punish an expensive laptop with work processing anyway. My Sony still runs as well as it did the day it was purchased and I hope to have the same experience with my MSI four years from now. Pinning the CPU at 100% for several hours per day is probably not the best idea in a laptop. I'll just stick with the slightly slower work machines and possibly take one home with me if I need to work late.

Update: I just received an email from Gentechpc saying that my order has shipped. It has to come across the country, but it looks like the laptop could beat me home. I must have misunderstood Ken or he was just giving a later estimate of shipping to be on the safe side. I was under the impression that it would not ship until early next week. Not a bad turn around for an order placed Monday morning.

 

If extra CPU juice is that much important to you, might I suggest you to build a workstation rig?

By workstation, I mean a dual-socket computer. When I was into rendering few years ago, a single CPU computer was too slow that I spent around 2.5k to build me a decent dual-socket computer. Dual-socket rig would save you a ton of time.

 

Or he could go with a quantum computer, if money is no option.

 

The machine should be delivered this afternoon, but I will not be home until tomorrow and will probably only get to mess with it a little on the 4th. I'll have some more time to spend on it on the 5th and will be sure to post lots of pictures.

Is there a way to change the title of this thread, or should I just let this one die and start a new one for my review?

 

If you can't edit the thread title, there shouldn't be any issues with posting a new one to review the machine. Just be sure to give it some breaking in before reviewing, unless you want to reveal "unboxing/first impressions/look" as well.