Questions about the MSI GT60 Dominator (non pro)

Hello, I am currently in the process of selecting a laptop to purchase, and the MSI Dominator-424 seems to be a pretty good deal considering the specs of it. That being said, I have some questions about the laptop that don't show up in the stats sheet.

Here is the link to the laptop:
XOTIC PC | MSI GT60 Dominator-424 - Custom 15.6" Gaming Laptop

1. There seems to be an MSI Dominator 423 and a 424. The only differences I could discern are that the 423 has 12 gb ram while the 424 has 8 gb. The thing is, you can upgrade the 424 to 12 gb for 25 dollars more on xoticpc, while the 423 costs 100$ more than 424. Am i missing something here?

2. What is the build quality on this laptop? I have heard that it has pretty good sound. Does it use Aluminum or plastic?

3. What is the battery life assuming I'm simply using it for non intensive work. Something like just browsing with a couple tabs open, with perhaps something like ms word open as well. I'm really aiming around 4-5 hours.

4. Are there any heating issues? How hot does it get?

5. I've been told that the 870m present is an upgradeable gpu, however that I will void my warranty with MSI should i self upgrade. Any clarification on this would be helpful

6. (For any Xoticpc employees that may happen to come across this)
You guys make the "Pc Force" series based on MSI barebones, however the current PC Force series is still based on the 7xx GPUs. Any timetable on when these will be updated with the current MSI models with the 8xx GPUs?, and if so, for the current model I'm looking at, will there be noticeable price differences than simply buying the MSI brand?

Thanks to anyone that offers any assistance. This is a big purchase for me which is why I need to make sure I'm choosing the absolute right choice.

 

1. That is the only difference between the two. As you mentioned you can upgrade the RAM and be at a lower price for the same computer.

2. It is a good build quality. They use a mix of plastic and brushed metal.

3. The new Haswell CPU's do help with getting better battery time. 4-5 is stretching it but 3-4 should be doable on light use.

4. No overheating issues we've heard of. With any gaming computer do expect higher temps. On average we've been hearing lower 80C's for the CPU under load and higher 70's for the GPU underload.

5. Officially MSI does not support upgrading the GPU, and doing so will void the warranty.

6. Barebones usually take little longer to get after the MSI branded release. There hasnt been any ETA provided but I bet we see them within 2-4 weeks. Won't know for sure until they are on hand though.

Let us know if you come up with any other questions.

 

ya 424 seems better since you definitely wont need 16gb to soon but 12 is maybe in 2-3 years

 

RAM is really easy to user upgrade on these models too.

 

Barebones systems with the 800m series are available from other outlets at this time. I've seen them available for at least a month now. But if you don't want to "build it" yourself I think it's best to wait for Xotic to get some in.

 

I had max 85C last night while playing crysis3 but that was because i was in a room with no windows and my ac was busted. So temperatures are decent. You can turn on the fan boost which helps a lot although it is extremely loud. Like srs.

The build is good. The sides are hard plastic but the base and top are metal. Oily hands will be a problem though as it gets stuck easily.

 

Thank you all for the answers, they have reassured me on a lot of aspects. Here are some other minor queries of mine:

1. I have read that for dual channel memory to work, both ram sticks have to be the same size. Therefore, should I choose the 12gb upgrade, with 1 8gb and 1 4gb stick, will they run on single channel? Also, if I were to go 16 GB, is 4x4 or 8x2 better?


2. I plan on installing my own msata or ssd, specifically this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HWHVOC2?pc_redir=1398583878&robot_redir=1
How difficult is it to do in this particular laptop? In addition, should I go with the above msata model, or with a regular sata ssd instead? Does it have room for both a HDD and an SSD if I get a regular ssd instead?

3. The panel in this laptop is IPS correct?

4. (For xotic employees)
Should I wait for the barebones to come out, would I run into the same warranty issue with self upgrades? Overall, would there be any advantages/disadvantages in getting the barebones model instead?

That's about all the questions I can come up with. Once again, thanks to everyone that contributes. I know this a lot of questions


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

1. Size does not matter for dual channel, just as long as they have the same speed. For 16GB you'll see the same performance with each configuration. 4x4 typically will cost a little less per stick but 2x8GB leaves two open slots for future upgrades.

2. Its really easy to add mSATA/SSD drives in this model, they are right under the main panel. The Samsung Evo you have linked is a good option, probably the most popular right now. Only the models which already come with a mSATA preinstalled will have a mSATA drive. If you get one with regular hard drives then you'll want a SSD and not the mSATA you linked.

3. These are TN panels but have very good viewing angels almost on par with IPS type screens.

4. The barebones may be up by the end of the week so I'd wait for those, just for comparison if anything. Any user upgrades will not void the warranty on them. The disadvantage is the warranty is usually shorter compared to MSI warranties but the prices for the computer is usually less.

 

I may be misinterpreting your answer to number 2, but are you saying there are multiple models of the laptop, some able to take an msata and some unable to? Essentially what my question is, will I be able to install the msata I linked, as I don't plan on having one prefitted if I can, and secondly would it be better to go with an msata or a regular sata ssd. IF I were to go with a regular ssd, does the laptop have room for both the ssd and the regular HDD. I apologize if you think you've answered these already and I am simply misinterpreting.

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There are some GT60 with mSATA slots and others without. Since you are not getting a "Pro" version or (I assume) the 3K-474 version then it will not have mSATA slots and you can not put in the drive you linked. Get a regular Samsung 840 Evo SSD. They will have two 2.5" HDD bays, so yes you can have a HDD and a SSD.

I see you are looking at the 424 model which does not have mSATA slots.

 

I see, so in order to have an msata on the model I am looking at, I must have it preinstalled, otherwise I should just go with a regular ssd.

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Close. You do have to get a GT60 that has at least 1 mSATA drive already installed so the computer has mSATA slots otherwise it will be just SATA slots. If you did thne you can then install any other you want in the open mSATA slots. You should go with a SSD though with the 424 model.

 

Ok that makes sense. Thanks Hutsady. Unfortunately I can't guarantee I will be buying this laptop even after all that grilling, but that is mainly due to me waiting on the lenovo y50, which seems to be taking its sweet time getting here. Should that be unsatisfactory though, this will almost certainly be my next choice.

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It seems that another difference between the 423 and the 424 is that the 423 comes with msata slots by default. I found this via msi official website

http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?id=457

http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=6&id=458

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Well the y50, to this point, has been a flop in my opinion, so unless something changes in the next week or 2 in all likelihood I will be getting this laptop. In the mean time, I came up with a few more questions.

1. Are both hd bays sata iii connections?

2. Would I need switch the locations of the stock HDD and an ssd that I purchase if I want the ssd to be considered the "primary" drive and the HDD the secondary?

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The only actual difference is the ram as far as I know.

 

Well, it looks like my parents are not approving me of getting an 8 pound laptop for college, so this thread has been for naught

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Don't worry there are many options out there

 

Question for you guys, is it worth it to get the i7-4800MQ over the i7-4700MQ for this laptop?

 

Isn't the 4800MQ the default for both of these models?

On another note, are we sure these are TN panels? The information from mine seems to be that it's a PLS panel but there's not much information on it.

 

On Xoticpc's website, you can opt-out on the 4800MQ and choose the 4700MQ....

 

For gaming performance you wont see much difference since thats mostly based on the GPU. That also does depend on the games you play as some are more CPU dependant then others.

 

What about an emulator such as the pcsx2? I've been told that emulators are more CPU dependent than GPU. I plan on re-playing some of my PS2 games on the laptop too, so I was wondering if the 4800MQ is worth it or the 4700MQ is sufficient enough...

 

That would be a reason to keep the cpu upgrade.

 

The 4700MQ should have no issues running emulators.

 

Depends on the console, I tuned one system for someone and it needed all 4ghz on his 4930MX

 

Very good thread, really strange that so far there is no sticky thread of dominator pro and non pro. At first i was considering 13 incher, schenker p304 which is based on clevo and has 860m. But i never bring lappy on holidays, so i dont need such a portable machine, and i have 14 incher with 550m which is getting outdated, however to me 14 is probably perfect. I used to have gateway 17 incher and it was way to heavy (nearly 10 pounds). I think 15 incher is kind of sweet spot, plus the size allows to pack good gpu's inside, so i am considering either MSI GT60 Dominator i7-4800MQ/12GB/120+1000 GTX870M for around 1740 usd here in Europe, or maybe MSI GT60 Dominator Pro i7-4800MQ/16GB/120+1000 GTX880M for around 2270 usd. I'm not sure if its forth 500$ extra. 870m should last me for at least 3 years right? Plus i dont really game that much... 2k nba sometimes, and franchizes like hitman and splinter cell, well and watch dogs are coming out soon which is very demanding.

 

Can anyone answer these questions? I have the 423 variant with a 1TB 7200 drive and empty SATA bay. Thanks.

 

Yes both are SATA III.
No you dont have to physically move the drives, just assign in the BIOS which drive you want as the primary boot drive.

 

Although if you want to put a fresh windows copy on remove your old drive while doing it.