*** The Official MSI GE60 Apache/Apache Pro (850M/860M) Owner's Lounge ***

Is there anyone who can report:

1. Keyboard backlit quality over 2OE version ?

2. Display Quality (Daylight - Max Brightness /Nightlife - Min Brightness )

3. Maxwell Graphics experience

4. DynAudio system, how loud it can be

5. Temperature - Stock, Repasted

6. And of course I would like to know battery life
a) 50% brightness, WiFi (Facebook,Notebookreview,Youtube)
b) lowest brightness, WiFi (Facebook,Notebookreview,Youtube)
c) 50% brightness, WiFi Off, 1080p/720p movie watching
d) lowest brightness, WiFi Off, Word/Excel/PowerPoint + music

Thank you

 

Been waiting for this thread to appear! Looking forward to responses, as I will probably be getting the Ge60 apache pro pretty soon and I'd like to hear thoughts and see some pictures

 

So there's no one with this models?

 

You got to give it some time

 

Hi

Two weeks ago I bought a msi ge60 apache 2pc with the 850m. it is my first msi laptop so I can't compare it with last year's model as I don't know exactly how it was. If you have questions maybe I can answer them.

 

Well my question about comparing was just about keyboard, so please answer my other questions

 

I will try to answer to those questions.

I have owned some mid range dell laptops and a low end asus laptop and the keyboard of this msi is by far the best i have tested. The responsiveness and the feeling when you are typing is sooo premium... The backlight is ok but I don't use it much.

The display of my model is TN made by chi mei. The quality is ok for a TN panel. Out of the box the screen is very blueish and with the gamma too high. It is bright and thanks to the matte finish it is more readable in difficult conditions than other laptops.

I didn't have much time to test the battery of the laptop in varied situations. I threw a SSD at it and I have configured the energy parameters of windows to shut down the mechanical disk when not in use and I am on battery so it can consume less battery. With this modification I can use the laptop when surfing the internet for 4 to 5 hours easily. With the mechanical disk always on the time is reduced to something like 3 hours.

Something that I consider a little annoying is that the fan is always on. Don't know if this is normal in this model. It spins up and down when needed but it never turns off.

The maxwell graphics experience is much better than I expected. I have just finished metro last light with with everything at max settings except antialiasing and 1080p and it was running at something like 25fps. I have tried to overclock the card and I have reached 1089mhz in the graphics core easily but the temps were not so good. The card stays at 85C when playing and with the overclock it reached 91C. Maybe I can improve it with a repaste but right now the power of the 850m as is is much more than enough for me so I don't care about the overclock.

The audio system is a bit tricky. You need to install the sound blaster cinema equalizer to release its full potential. So don't forget to install it in case you do a format or if you buy the laptop without an operative system installed, like me.

 

Huum huimm!!! What the quality audio and whether is it really too noisy when running ?????

 

The sound quality is fantastic but remember to install the sound blaster cinema equalizer.

Talking about the noise, I consider this laptop a bit noisy. The fan is always on and when you are playing games the full speed of the fan is tremendous.

 

google search "The two buttons in the top left corner (beside the screen hinge) allow you to adjust the cooling fan speed and LED lighting on-the-fly. This is a really useful feature to have, intensive games can cause components to overheat and therefore boosting the fan speed can help alleviate system crashes cause by unnecessary temperatures" ???? not turn off the fan ????

 

New owner of this machine -- I can comment on all of the above as best as I can in the last 4 days I've owned this unit.

1. Keyboard is subjective; but I can tell you that it is very solid to type on ( in my experience ) -- Backlighting is equivalent to the keyboards on the higher end GT60 models, bright and fun to play with.

2. Display Quality is.. again.. subjective; While it is very bright, color accuracy could use a little bit of tuning -- The blues are very prominent and destroy my eyes. But with brightness @ 50-60%, it becomes tolerable. Shows SOME signs of ghosting when playing super-motion games ( E.g Quake or Titanfall )

3. The GTX 860M is the selling point of this notebook: It is a VERY capable graphics card. My gaming experience with this notebook has been limited to Final Fantasy 14, Titanfall and Call of Duty Black Ops 2/Ghosts. All can be played on fairly high settings while retaining a solid frame rate.

FF14 - Maximum settings, 1080P resolution with no Depth of Field - 44 FPS avg.
Titanfall - Very High Texture Resolution, No Shadows, 2x MSAA, 1080P resolution, 55-60 FPS playing Attrition on Fracture ( Game limits itself to 60 otherwise, we'd probably see higher )
Call of Duty Black Ops 2 - All Maxed Textures, FXAA, 1080P, Domination on Nuketown > 91-100 FPS
Call of Duty Ghosts - Extra Textures, no physX options enabled, FXAA, 1080P > 60-65 FPS ( Not too sure why this game has a hard time on PC.. but it's still playable )

4. These speakers have actually improved over its GE60 2012/2013 brothers. There's a touch bit of bass to the system, but you need to rely on Sound Blaster Cinema to get that effect. 100% Volume, you WILL hear distortion. I consider the speakers a bit of a bonus, but I prefer using a pair of headphones to take advantage of Cinema. Again, the audio portion is subjective.

5. Temperatures - Stock Full Load, GPU hit 75 Degrees C and the CPU hit 90 Degrees C without cooler boost turned on. With Cooler Boost initiated, temperatures saw an average of 3-5 degrees in drop. Haven't repasted as of yet, I did adjust the CPU usage to 99% in power options and I've seen my CPU drop down to 81-82 degrees. Still hot. Wouldn't recommend playing Titanfall with this on your laptop ( Hurts. )

6. Battery life is... subpar at best. Definitely enough juice for going from outlet to outlet.

a) 2.5 hrs
b) 3 hrs
c) 2.5 hrs
d) 3.5 hrs

^ The battery life MAY change as I haven't tweaked anything in the last 4 days I've owned this machine. But I'm sure it'll improve as I continue to play with it. As it stands, it's capable of traveling from building to building, house to house. Just don't expect to get through say... a plane flight or anything. I couldn't finish a LOTR movie with C), unfortunately. Got me through an EP of the walking dead, though. !!

I'll continue to update as I go along. I definitely would love to play more games with this bad boy. Definitely worth the purchase and I love it, despite the short battery life!

 

So looks like the apache pro ge60 is the only one that comes with the IPS panel since the owner of the apache non pro above has a chi mei TN panel instead of the Samsung PLS 156HL01-102 panel on the Apache Pro.

In the USA, the extra $50 for the apache pro is a no brainer and is a mandatory well worth it upgrade since it comes with the gtx 860m and the PLS/IPS display instead of the TN display and gtx 850m on the non pro apache.

 

I definitely don't regret my decision to purchase the GE60 Apache Pro. It's a fantastic notebook with a very solid build quality. I enjoy the brushed aluminum feeling rather than the glossy plastic of the 2013 edition, imo.

 

Thanks for beautiful short review
Because of that battery life i must consider of getting GS60/70, i need at least 4-5 hours in Word Mode Not every class has slot for a charger.

 

I will buy in few day the Ge70 Apache Pro with gtx 860 and i will put a review but there is no official topic here for Ge70 Apache Pro.

 

You can create one if you like

 

Ah ok thanks, i didn't know

 

Yeah the official tags are not really official as such but help keep things together.

 

Can I ask how loud is fan in Word/Internet and while gaming

 

General usage like Youtubing/Surfing the web and working - The fan noise is noticeable, but not loud.

During gaming, I turn on cooler boost and it sounds like it's clear for take-off. I wear a headset, so I barely notice it. But family members/friends around me usually steer clear of the machine. rofl.

 

Thank you for the review. I am planning to buy the Apache pro, and I would like to change the memory to 16GB dual-channel, and add an msata. Could you tell me what is the memory stick already in the laptop, and if you have added an msata which one.

I am coming to the States for a short time, and I am planning to buy everything on line, and have everything waiting for me. I don't have much time for errors (return).

 

Does the fan turn off from time to time, or does it stays always on?

 

it's always on

 

So for my particular model, I've got a single 8 GB SODIMM from Kingston, DDR3L-1600 -- I don't have my machine with me at the moment. I've occupied the two mSATA ports with Mushkin Atlas Deluxe SSDS, both 120 GB. I haven't tried the "Super RAID" as the speeds alone do not merit striping.

The one I HIGHLY suggest doing if you're getting your apache pro customized is to do a paste job as the stock pasting is ATROCIOUS. just an fyi.

 

I'm thinking about getting this laptop, but the heat and fan noise does scare me a bit. Then again I don't know what other gaming laptop that's close to around 5lb and uses a Maxwell GPU. The Apache Pro has an IPS display? Where is that stated? Would the Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut or the monitor calibration be worth paying for on the Apache Pro? I'm definitely doing the Diamond thermal past as one of my customization options.

 

Is bass still many lacking on these speaker ??? I had read reviews on google and I was a little disappointed in the sound quality :cry:

 

Unfortunately, I don't know if its an IPS display -- MSI's official website doesn't state it. But I can tell you that it is of high quality with excellent viewing angles. The monitor calibration would be worth considering as I found it super, super bright with blues.

That's good that you're doing the repasting. The temperatures do get high, but they're still within tolerance. I do dock the machine to a cooling fan. I can suggest the Cooler Master SF-17, if you're interested.

 

Can someone help me answer the question ?? have this machine a subwoofer ? I always expect it to be ( my english is terrible !!! )

 

4 speakers but no subwoofer.

 

uhm.uhm what the hell ?? i have read on wesite msi and it have "four 4.1 channel speakers and a subwoofer." confusing
http://usgaming.msi.com/Product/2014/Notebook/GE60-Apache/

 

I see what you mean on the overview page. On the specs page it just lists 4. Looks like we'll have to dig a little more.

 

I have the the 2pe ge60 apache pro model.

Its screen is a Samsung PLS one. Similar to LG's IPS. Its quality, contrast and brightness are pretty good. Definitely better than the 2013 ge60's.

Its gaming performance is incredible as well as its benchmarcking 3dmark11 gpu results, they can go up to 6000 gpu points.

But it is a bit toasty. It easily hits 85-90 °C. CPU iddle temp: 40°. And the fan noise can be a bit annoying (I don't care about at al)

What about your temps guys? This the only "issue" I have with this impressive laptop.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

What machine exactly do you have?

Those gpu temps áre impossible in this gtx 860m on the MSI GE 60, with full load.

Mine's reaches almost 90 °C. And, as I have read in all the reviews (they áre all above 90°C) , my laptop is even very capable in terms of cooling.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

It's normal if i have no color in "audio" to the soft Steel Série Engine ?

 

I have the GE60 Apache Pro 2PE-215US -- I forgot to mention that my laptop is on a cooling dock and the ambient temperature was below 20 C ( 18-19, give or take )at the time of note taking. I can redo my temperatures @ ambient room temp, if you'd like.

 

I find this important because if there áre units with temps below 80's.... There is something wrong with some Apaches.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

many wesite said that it have a subwoofer and the truth is.... msi advertising too good but does these speaker in ge60 apache miss alot of bass ?

 

Running unigine for 30 minutes with my room window opened... 18°C outside temp and 21 inside.

72°C gpu max temp, 16° cooler. Lol.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOIfNdX2S2g&list=UU2WiWOQF8Pa5ovngfXWg4sg - If anyone's interested -- I was playing with my Apache Pro and decided to mess around with the Steelseries Engine, more and more I'm loving this notebook.

 

Would you mind posting your temperature results after a 3dmark11 run with normal conditions? With coolerbost activated.

Post your CPU and GPU score\max temp.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

Thanks. Those temperatures do seem rather high though if I don't have a cooling fan around.

 

Gidday from down under. Just introducing myself as the new owner of an MSI GE60 037AU Apache Pro.

Cheers
Greg

 

Please test your apache with a 3dmark11 run and post your max temps!

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

See answers inline above

To summarise my initial thoughts:

I am extremely pleased with this laptop. It's design, aesthetics, keyboard, screen, CPU and GPU, excellent Kingston OEM RAM, upgradeability and build quality are all exceptionally good at this price point. Most reviews show it performing above it's class. A fast SSD as the boot drive turns this into a bit of a beast really.

Obviously they had to make some tough decisions to keep the price down. The trackpad is TERRIBLE. The battery is cheap junk. The cooling system is woefully inadequate for the CPU and GPU, and should have been properly pasted with Diamond or similar and bench tested at the factory.

Although the heat is extreme, the bottom of the case and palmrest remains admirably cool. The fan isn't even obnoxiously loud.

The aluminium finish, while very classy, has no oleophobic coating, so shows every fingerprint and bit of dust. I am constantly wiping it with a microfibre cloth.

If you want lots of power for the dollar, with a screen and keyboard and audio as good as laptops costing 2-3 times as much, then this is your baby. This is my first MSI, and I am very impressed.

Should you need longer battery life, or a little less weight or size, you need either the Gigabyte P34G2, for a similar price (but with far less storage options), or pony up the extra grand for the GS60 Ghost Pro.

Apart from Norton, the included software is not the usual trialware bloatware junk that the Toshibas/Acers?Asus/Samsungs of the world shove down your throat. It is quite minimal and functional.

Greg :hi2:

 

I totally agree with you. I have a GE60 Apache Pro.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

Well, thanks for your short review, but Gigabyte laptops are not available in my country, so i have to go with MSI GS60 2PC or GS70 2PC ... in my opinion 870M is not suited for such a slim design -_-

 

Just checking back in with a temperature report!

Under typical conditions ( Not MY TYPICAL in a freezer/fridge ) with ambient room temperature @ 20-22 C, no cooling pad and cooler boost activated, I've been getting consistent high 80s ( 87 - 88 ) on GPU and CPU. This is after a playthrough of Farcry 3. May seem concerning to some, but this is still within tolerable readings. NOTE: I have repasted with Arctic Silver 5 I had laying around. I might do another repaste with IC Diamond..

Despite this "setback" , I'm still happy with my GE60 Apache Pro and it has become the center of attention in meetings @ work, haha. The only thing I wish they offered is an extended 9-cell battery option for the notebook, any vendors care to comment on this?

 

Are you saying you're getting 87-88 degree readings AFTER repasting with Arctic Silver 5?

 

That is correct, sir.

 

Does your airplane mode keyboard fastkey work? Mine's doesn't.

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