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

differences between PRO and non-PRO version are just screen and vga card? in my local area, there's only non-PRO version (the one with GTX850M)

 

Mainly the GPU difference but not the screen.
MSI Notebook Official Website

 

The 850m gddr5 is the same chip at lower clocks so performance is not that much different and the entrepreneurial tweaker could get them about on par.

 

This is a great laptop. But I really worry about its cooling system, because I live in a tropical place, where room temp is always about 30 C (maybe get to 35+ in hot days).
Anyone has the same issue like me? Is a good cooling pad enough, or I have to buy a air condition? Thanks.

 

Interested in knowing that too.

 

Hi.

I'm planning to buy an Apache Pro (GE60 2pe-005xfr) in France.

I've read many comments (in this thread and on other web sites) about the trackpad being awful, but none that explains HOW it is awful !

Is it multitouch ? Is it large enough ? What are the problems with it ?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

P.S. i'm also considering buying something like a Clevo (see : mySN.eu | XMG | Schenker Technologies - XMG P503 15.6" Notebook) because it still features e-Sata and FireWire ports... Do other people still need those ? I would use e-Sata for my external hard drive and the FireWire for plugging-in my DV camcorder...

 

Here you have.

MSI GE60 2OE-003US touchpad issues: http://youtu.be/7gl_j3IWqR0

Same and main issue for all 2013\2014 GE60\GE70 models.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk

 

the buttons of the trackpad are integrated into the touch zone of the trackpad. That zone is constantly rattling when you use it.

About your questions, it is multitouch and large.

 

Just found this comment in YouTube. Check out.


SlumdogGang
17 hours ago


I have the MSI GE60 0NC and the GE60 2PE and yes the 2PE gets very hot under high load. I replaced the termal past with a high quality one. The difference is about 3-4°C (still 89°C -.- )

I was so funny that I replaced the heatsink system with the older one in my GE60 0NC.
I had to mod a few parts of it so it fits perfect onto the mainboard (CPU, GPU and one temp senor which makes the fan runs crazy ) . After that I started the system and run benchmarks like Prime95 etc.
Highest temp of CPU with 100% loadout was 83°C (3h Prime 95)!!!!!!
Highest Temp of GPU with 100% loadout was 79°C ( 2h playing Battlefield 4)!!!

As you can see the heatsink system in the GE60 generation is veeerrrrrryyy baaaaaaaad

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

@tiner @pepone1234

Thank you very much for your precise answers.

I know many people won't care about the trackpad, but i'm willing to use the computer for have some "on the road" work done...

Do you recommend other brands that would provide more sturdy hardware ?

 

why not ROG? the only reason I bought MSI GE because asus doesn't sell ROG in my country. f*k them

 

Well... in France we've got only one Asus ROG 15" model, the G56JR... With no mSata slot for an SSD, with a 2GB GeForce GTX 760M etc... not customizable, not really upgradeable either...
My last notebook was an Asus ROG G1SN... I kept it for 7 years and was really satisfied, but this time around the proposed hardware seems very weak...

 

I have been eyeing this notebook for quite sometime now. I just want to know if you guys have a serious heating problem with your machine?
Also if the $94 ($35+$59) cooling upgrade in xoticpc.com is worth it (I'm on a very tight budget ) . I have considered this over the lenovo y510p gt755m SLI because I am hoping it would run much cooler and its GPU is much powerful (although not in a big margin).

 

I just bought one, and now installing softwares and stuffs. Use it for 3 - 4 hours, and here's its temp. Not bad, huh? (room temp is about 23 - 25 C, w/o cooling dock).
I just don't understand why Video chipset is 845M?
Anyone did update BIOS and firmware? Do we need to update? (download from MSI Global GE60 2PC Apache)

 

What temps did you reach and how? I can't see them.

What about the screen? What model is it?

Mine's shows the same (845), don't really know why. And I won't try updating the BIOS, have bad experiences with another ge60.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

One month Review


Appearance:
I chose this laptop over the ASUS model I was considering mainly because I was attracted to the appearance of this more. I love how slim it looks and the overall appearance of the material. It wasn’t as flashy as many other gaming laptops too, which was a big plus for me. It looked as though it could fit right in to both a gaming environment and a professional/school environment. I’ve read some people’s distaste towards the red logo on the cover, but I for one really like it. As a previous owner of a Macbook Pro, I found the logo to be much better than having a bitten apple on the back of my computer. The only downside of the laptop’s appearance was that it was prone to fingerprints everywhere. I hate fingerprints since it decreases the look of the laptop, and I have to constantly wipe off sides that are often touched to keep the laptop looking nice and clean.

Display:
The matte 1080p display is gorgeous. Since I’ve owned this laptop, I‘ve played tons of games at high settings and watched many 1080p shows, and I am still amazed by the quality of the screen.

Keyboard:
The keyboard definitely has to be one of the strongest points of this laptop. I have never used a Steelseries keyboard before, but I cannot see myself going to another keyboard after typing on this notebook. The keyboard feels strong and firm. Literally every single key pressed has a nice feeling to it, making typing wonderfully comfortable. It is far better than my 2011 Macbook Pro keyboard. The backlit options also make the keyboard look great during the night.
However, be cautious that my opinion is coming from the 15" model. I watched a review of the 17" model and the reviewer showed that the keyboard was flimsy and had a lot of flex to it. I can see how that would have drastically changed my opinion of the keyboard if this same issue was in the 15" model.

Trackpad:
The trackpad has many problems, and is the second major con for me (the top one will be addressed in the audio section). Even at its highest sensitivity, the trackpad is very sluggish. It will take some time getting used to, especially if you are like me and are used to the responsiveness and speed of Macbooks’ touchpads. To make matters worse, often times the trackpad just becomes unusable for no apparent reason. The cursor jumps around and moves about places when navigating using the touchpad. I will attach a video addressing this very issue. This is frustrating for those looking to take the laptop to places and just navigate through the web and do other things that do not involve gaming or bringing an external mouse everywhere.

Battery:
I have not played around with different settings to test the battery life since I have it hooked to its charger most of the time. The few times I have left it disconnected, the average time it lasted was about two hours when navigating through my browser and watching videos online. This was with the brightness either at 50% or at 100%.

Audio:
The Dynaudio sound was great, and the Soundblaster Cinema made the speakers sound beautiful. HOWEVER, I no longer have this luxury because I unfortunately had to uninstall the Realtek HD Audio drivers, which reduced the quality of the speakers. The reason for this was because the drivers made both the internal mic and any external mics unusable, causing faint voices and constant recording drops. Going to the original Microsoft drivers solved the problem of the external mics, but the internal mic still does not work. I have brought this issue up in the MSI forum and many people are suffering from the same problem, leading me to believe this is possibly both a software and hardware issue. In the end, I sacrificed some audio output for usable audio input. Audio input is an important aspect to me, considering I am a frequent user of Skype.

Graphics:
The NVIDIA 860M graphics cards with the laptop’s 1080p screen does not disappoint. Since I’ve received this laptop, I have tested many games, including Tomb Raider, Skyrim, Bioshock: Infinite, Mass Effect 3, Devil May Cry, Witcher 2, Crysis 3, Metro: Last Light, Saints Row IV, and Battlefield 4. I successfully finished most of those games on Ultra Settings. The more demanding games (such as Crysis 3 and Metro) had to be tweaked and scaled down to Very High rather than Ultra, yet were all still very playable and pleasing to the eyes. I am looking forward to this laptop handling Dragon Age: Inquisition, Watch Dogs, and Witcher 3 later this year.

Temperatures:
For its slimmer design, I knew I was giving up the better cooling system ASUS had. I used the MSI afterburner to monitor GPU temperatures while I gamed. The laptop stayed between 80C and 90C even with the built in cooling fan turned on. It has not actually “felt” hot though. I can still comfortably game with my palm and hand on the laptop. Despite that, it does make me worry that it could do some damage to my laptop in the long term. I am considering purchasing a cooling pad and doing a thermal repaste to the laptop since I read that MSI’s thermal pasting is usually poor.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I would recommend this laptop to anyone as long as they can look past the cons listed above(the horrible trackpad and the bad internal micrphone). I list this as a 4/5. There are many great things about this product, and some of the cons can be fixed/improved by using additional accessories. I would have easily given this product five stars if it were not for the troubling internal microphone issues I have been dealing with. It’s a bit sad to see how this laptop could have such an amazing high quality sound output but is only capable of providing ineffective poor quality sound input. Similarly, it's sad to see such an amazing keyboard with a horrible touchpad.

 

here's your answer
http://s17.postimg.org/od14nv2nj/Untitled.png


it's the temperature when I surf the web for hours, not when gaming or hardcore works..

 

I have similar issues with realtek and the internal mic.

I have already uninstalled too.

Where can I find that thread you talk about?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

Here is the link to the thread: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=179187.0

Some users stated that uninstalling the Realtek drivers or updating Windows fixed the internal mic for them, but no solution worked for me so far. I've tried reinstalling the drivers, updating them, and uninstalling them. None have solved the issue of the internal microphone.

 

But whats exactly your problem?


My problem was that with realtek drivers the mic stopped working itself. But without them its recording quality could be better but it works.


Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

I did install all drivers in DVD which comes with this laptop, but there're still unknown device. How to solve this?

 

New driver released in MSI official webpage.

 

Mine was a similar issue. It would work one minute then stop working the next. When it did work, the recording quality was absolutely horrible. I would be literally right in front of my computer, but my voice would sound as if I'm across a stadium, presenting large sounds of static with soft sounds of my voice. This is even with the recording settings tweaked up.

Also, could you link me to the specific download page for the driver? I'm navigating through the MSI official website right now, and it is a bit confusing.

Edit: never mind, I found it. I will update my drivers and see if it helps. Did it help your mic?

 

Update on newest Realtek Audio Driver and Mic issues:
The newest driver on the MSI's official webpage seems to have solved the mic dropping issue. I have been on a Skype call for awhile now and the mic has not stopped working so far. With that being said, the quality of the microphone is still too terrible to use. The recordings are still soft most of the time, and when boosting the microphone levels to get better recordings, there is way too much background noise, including static and fan noise.

You still MUST uninstall the Realtek drivers altogether to get any external mic to work (in my case at least). I have tested a Motorola Bluetooth headset and the external Olympus ME-52W Microphone. Neither worked with the Realtek Drivers. After uninstalling the audio drivers and reverting back to the Microsoft ones, then they both worked clearly. Once again though, uninstalling the Realtek drivers means uninstalling the SoundBoard Cinema and reducing the quality of the audio output (speakers).

In short, if you plan on using some form of recording with this laptop, you must use an external microphone and sacrifice audio output by uninstalling the Realtek drivers to get the external mics to work.

 

Have you tried modifying the mic values? The quality and the mic power can be improved a lot (something about the filters and dB's)

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

You did a good job. This is exactly the root cause of symptom.
The older audio driver had issues so everyone should update to the latest version.

 

Hi guys im new this forum. Im planning to buy a new laptop right now and after quite a long research time ive decided between two laptops which is gigabyte p34gv2 or the msi ge60 apache pro, for now im more towards the gigabyte since this laptop have only one issue for me which is the design look like an average laptop, im hoping for some help to decide thisespecially from the owner themself what are the minus and plus from msi laptop.after sometime i saw that this laptop have a lot of problems such as mic, heat problems, and if u look at the bottom of the laptop most of yhe fan are covered by the body of the laptop, is that a design flaw?.if u guys have any other suggestion for another laptop be my guest . Thanksss , cheers guys

 

How do you guys think the Gigabyte P35G V2 compare to this laptop?

 

Yes. I attempted to fix the really low recordings by doing just that, but increasing the mic dB levels also made the mic extremely prone to high levels of background noise and static. This is with the suppression and enhanced features all still checked.

Thanks. I'm still unsure whether this is now just a hardware issue. Maybe the Realtek drivers need to be tweaked more and the mic will perform better. I still can't use any external audio recording devices with the Realtek Drivers, so I do not understand what is up with that. In the end, I am back to using the original Microsoft drivers until I can at least use my external mics with Realtek.

 

has enyone tryed to stop the fan (like folk with gs60, read on thread there) and get temps on idle/webbrowsing?

 

1. is ti so that pro with gtx860 has a super Samsung screen (Ihave it on gs60 but it should back, battery problem) and gtx850 just some cheep TN panel or is it same panel on both??

2. overclocking 850 man can get 860 or am I wrong (same chip)? has enyone tried this?

3. is it Maxwell gtx860 in pro or kepler?

 

Apache: Chi Mei TN screen and Maxwell card

Apache pro: Samsung PLS screen and Maxwell card

860m seems to be an overclocked 850m.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

thanx

here you can se what a man can do with Maxwell gtx860

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/751352-860m-beast-2.html

have someone tryed to stop a fan complitly on idle (like we did with gs60)?

 

Anyone with an GE60 2PE Or GE70 2PE that can tell me what panel it has ? only thing stopping me from buying it currently is that im afraid thats it TN

 

Samsung PLS for the GE60 2PE!!!!

TN for the ge70.

It's been said so many times.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

But according to the review by vortez. It indicates that the
screen is a TN Panel. So what is really the panel of the apache pro??

 

Samsung PLS with that Wide View Angles that MSI advertises in its webpage.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

I have an arctic silver 5 paste tube at home. Do you recommend to use that to repaste the laptop?

Yesterday I reached 93C in the gpu when playing crysis 2 and am a bit worried.

 

If you really know how to do it correctly I'd do it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

I just ordered the GE60 2PC (Apache) as they didnt have the PE verison, so im wondering does it have an msata slot ?

 

Just taken off the back cover of my Apache pro, I was so funny how much cooler it could run.

Temps are about 10 degrees cooler.

So... Is it dangerous to use the laptop without that cover? (The ones which cover the Ram... Fan... Etc)

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

After a 3dmark11 run with 22° ambient temp...

59° Max in gpu and 53° in cpu (without turbo)

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Yes, it has 2 msata slots.

 

so no one managed to stop the fan completely and check the temp on idle/webbrowsing??

 

I decided to return the product. Here is my one month update review, as of May 12, 2014

I ordered this product over a month ago, and I decided to return the laptop. I really enjoyed it at first. I loved the aesthetics of the laptop, the feel of the keyboard, the beautiful display, and the great speaker quality. Unfortunately, as the days went by, certain issues that I once was able to overlook continued to worsen overtime, leading me to make a direct 180 of my original perspective of the laptop. These issues include the audio, microphone, trackpad, and fan of the laptops, which I will address below:

Audio input/output: The quality of the speakers were great, but the microphone was unusable and of very poor quality. There was random drop-outs of the mic as if it was disabled, and voice recordings were too low to be heard. Increasing the microphone level and dB level helped somewhat with voice recognition, but it also led to increased background and static noise. I tried everything to fix this, including reverting to the Microsoft drivers, reinstalling the Realtek drivers, or updating the drivers. Nothing worked. In the end, I suggested future owners that a external microphone is necessary. With that being said, if you plan on using a microphone, you still have to sacrifice audio output quality and the great Soundblast Cinema because no external microphone worked with the Realtek drivers. I had to uninstall the drivers and revert to the Microsoft drivers for my external mics to work.


Trackpad: As mentioned in my original review, the trackpad is sluggish. Increasing the sensitivity to its maximum capacity did make it more effective, and I found myself not having much of a problem with it for daily web browsing when I am not on my desk. However, more and more often, for what appeared to be absolutely no reason, the trackpad became unusable and unstable. The cursor would jump in all different directions. I made sure there was absolutely no lint, dust, or residue on the trackpad, but the issue still persisted.

Fan: I think this was the deciding factor for me in the end. I did not mind the fan at first, but after a month's use, the fan noise randomly kicked into a higher intensity. As soon as I booted up my system, the fan noise was extremely noticeable, and would often kick in to 100% and back down. Mind you this was all while I did non-intensive work, such as web browsing and Skyping. There was no way to reduce the fan noise, and my CPU temps read to be fine, so I have no idea what happened there. The noise was too much for me to bare. Also, the Cooler Blaster feature did not give me the advertised 5-10% temperature drops. Instead, I saw my temps increase by one to two degrees Celsius with no FPS improvements in games whatsoever.


Furthermore, there is a void warranty sticker right above one of the necessary screws in the back of the case, so if any of you are looking to upgrade to an SSD, higher RAM, or just clean out the back, you may void the warranty. I read on forums that MSI reps told some users it was totally okay to remove the sticker and they would still fulfill their warranty, but to be cautious, I would suggest contacting MSI if it is okay if you decide to upgrade or clean your laptop.

In the end, this was a great laptop at first, but the problems became more and more prevalent each day, and I can no longer recommend it as I would have a month ago.

 

Just bought this for a week, but I still want to make some comments:
- Audio: If I'm not wrong, MSI just release new driver for this mic, and my friends told me that solve the problem (he's using ge60 apache, too).
- Trackpad: Mostly, I don't use trackpad; and if you need something portable, a wireless mouse maybe your friend.
- Fan: Maybe replacing a fan could help?
I'm not a MSI employer or anything, but, well, you know, this is a powerful laptop with good price. I guest MSI have to cut something to keep its price low?
But, as I mentioned in previous post, I do believe that a ROG 750 (JW, JM) or G550JK is a better choice. ROG is not available in my country is the only reason I bought this.

 

I don't know why are you all so disappointed with the mic. After solving the issue with the new driver mine's runs great. It sounds like the others I had in another laptops.

On the other hand, to adjust fan speed... Do we need a new BIOS?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

Can I ask, if compare G56JR and MSI GE60 Apache Pro, which 1 better?
In terms of cooling, and overall performance.
Please help.

 

As I can see, it has a 760m which is slower than 765m which is slower than the Apache's Maxwell 860m.

In terms of cooling they must be quite equal as the Asus seems to be very thin. But I don't know exactly.

Does the Asus have an IPS screen?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

Audio: It's possible I just received a defective unit because my mic is still too terrible to use even with the latest drivers. It would be fine if the quality was mediocre at best, but it just did not work well at all for me.

Trackpad: This is a gaming laptop, so yes most people will use an external mouse, and I do have one I use most of the time too. However, being a college student, I don't want to take an external mouse with me everywhere I go. The trackpad should at least be usable for daily web browsing and such. At first, it was doable, but then like I said, it would often act weird randomly and jump all over the place which made no sense at all. I have seen some really really cheap laptops with better trackpad quality.

Fan: Replacing the fan on my own may have voided the warranty. I could have just RMA'd the laptop, but the fan noise was just the last straw for me when adding all the other gripes I had with the laptop that made me decide to return it than deal with shipping costs and weeks of getting all my problems fixed.

I do not doubt that this is a powerful laptop at all. The gaming experience was great, but I did not enjoy the overall user experience.

I plan on using my refund on building a mATX desktop, so I am excited for that at least!