Gateway P-6831FX User Review

Wow, I never heard ppl paying $30 for that.

 

Black viper's guide linked-to in the review is free and makes a big difference if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

 

Oh yeah, you can use vLite on the included OS DVD to create a very light weight install.

It removes things like Tablet and Media Center and related services. Google 'vLite' and read the forums for soem advice and guides.

I had Vista running like a champ on a ThinkPad Z60t.

 

Hi!
Is the Geforce 8800M GTS in the laptop integrated or MXM? If its MXM, is it possible to put another 8800M GTS so it could run SLI ? Does this VGA really have his own DDR3 memory ? How much does it use from the system memory with Turbocache? (besides his own 512MB). Can you please tell me how much is the core and the memory clock?
And could you tell me pls, that exactly what kind of brand are the two memory modules inside the laptop? Are they changeable?
Could you please tell me where can I download drivers for this laptop? (Chipset,Bluetooth,Soundcard,etc)

Oh and one more thing...on BestBuy.com it sas that the screen only can handle max 1280x800 resolotiun, but you sad it can handle 1440x900...so who is right ?

 

Thank you, I added memory and added a second hard drive, but was not looking for the processor, so I missed it completely!

 

You need your serial # to get into the download page.

 

It's discrete, but it's "integrated" into the notebook. The Gateway doesn't support MXM or SLI, yes the video card has it's own memory, sharing memory with the system will barely make a difference. The processors' are clocked at 1.6GHz with a 1MB cache, I believe.

 

It's also conflicting in that it's specified as WXGA+ on the site which is right. 1280x800 must be a mistake.

 

Gpu is 500/799, Samsung memory easy to change 10 minutes.

 

Hi Perry (thanks! for the review), and everyone. This is my first post here. Great site BTW. Yeh I heard the battery life sucks (as confirmed by Perry) when I did a Google search. My question is, please....

1. If I'm not going to do gaming, just surfing the web, what do you approximately think I can get out of the battery life.

I guess I can always by a second 9 Cell ($149) battery and have another one always charging. That will be kind of a pain to keep swapping it out at home (downstairs where I would not be plugged into an outlet). Just hope there would be some low battery indicator icon pop on the screen (preferbably with a chime/bell), so I don't lose any work. Thanks for listening and can't back to hear from you guys (I have to head-off to bed right now).

SINCERELY,

Matthew

 

Guys , i need some help, I reinstall vista and have the GRC dvd to install all the drivers. But my bluetooth hardware is not detected, as i can't find it in device manager.

Also, I figured out how to get the media buttons to work, it's in the application of GRC, it's called hot button or something like that.

If you guys know how to get the bluetooth to work again, please tell me.

 

I just bought this laptop 3 days ago and i think its great. I run world of warcraft smoothly (lots of battlegrounds) but I have Gears of War and the game always crashes before i get started. I would try to adjust video settings and it crashes...please help!

 

Im very interested on a CPU upgrade...which one is recommended if I wanted to purchase one real soon to upgrade

 

Updated my driver to the 169.09 which I run in my other computer also, and i just played Gears of War 1440x900 DX10 + maxed settings FPS were in the high 50s to mid 30s during intense fire fights (Can"t get the settings any higher). With the stock driver the game would stutter. The game looks much better too, with the 169.09 but I lost 100pts off of my 3DMark06 score. New drivers are released often just to fix bugs in some of the newer games, and the 169.09, fixes a lot of those problems,also Dx10 would not work with the stock driver for this game, it does now. CPU T7500 or T7700 $249 and $329 at Newegg.

 

oh crap, who was the @+",! who made the download section private?! oh whell, could you please tell me when did they release the latest bios and the main drivers? (Soundcard, chipset, etc) Ijust want to know, if the software support is good too

 

I saw in youre test that you removed the back of the notebook...so this means you lost the Warranty too?
Speaking of Warranty...I'm planning to get one of these babys to Europe, and I would like to ask, that the Warranty is limited to US only? So if it gets broken, I have to ship it back to the US, or since Gateway is owned by Acer, I can get it it fixed with Warranty in Europe too at an Acer service ?

 

oh,and I almost forgot...are you 100% sure that this laptop can handle the new Penryn CPUs ?

 

No one is 100% sure if anything will work with this laptop. But to high degree of percentage, by observing the stats of the CPU for example, the willing party will fork out $300-500 to *TRY* to see if it works. Then rest of us knows from that test party's experience.

So far, T7500 works. T9*00 hasn't even release yet so who knows. Looking at the numbers, yea it will work, but there is a chance that it will not.

 

Are you sure? If you peer into the case you can make out what looks to be a socket area. I might take mine apart tonight to have a looksee.

The 8510GZ I review a year ago had a removable video card module. So it would not be a first.

 

Actually those were just user service doors. Removing them has no effect on warranty.

 

Software support will likely include bug fixes only. Maybe we'll get regular video drivers too, but I would not count on it.

PC makers are conservative and generally way behind the latest drivers.

 

I see Gateway's site has updated video drivers:

My Video Downloads
Description File Info
D20252-002-001.exe - NVIDIA Video Driver version: 7.15.11.6746
Supports: Windows Vista (64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit) 1/23/2008
40,782 KB

Interesting. any better i wonder?

 

I thought someone already did it with engineer sample of penryn cpus.

 

Not sure if you are refering to me, but I don't have a sample yet. No guarantee that I will get one either.

The P-series is already using the T8x00 in one model. So I think we have our proof. I'll get one just as soon as they are for sale. I will even do a how to guide if there is enough interest.

 

Someone else mentioned about engineer sample in one of the 20 thread across 3 forums, i can't keep track.

 

so i'm gettin' the Gateway P-6831FX in a couple of days, and i really want do downgrade from vista to xp, will i find drivers for it?

 

Hello! This is my 1st post here! I bought one of these 2 days ago and it's wather lovely. It's been a long time since I've had a pc that could play current gen PCs (it was an athlon 800MHz) I have 2 questions:

1. Is anyone aware of a laptop backpack that fits this computer with the battery installed/does anyone have a recommendation of a 17" laptop backpack

2. When I check things in CPUID the RAM FSB is listed at 333MHz. Is this somehow related to the dual channel nature, or is my RAM hella slow?
(I was gonna attach a picture, but photoshop is acting up on this new thing, though nothing else is)

 

This question is more general to Windows Vista thats on this FX laptop. I've been getting a lot of "Host Process has stopped running" messages...not too familiar with Vista...help

 

Interesting, I also have seen this error once or twice now. It didn't crash me or anything but I certainly didn't like seeing it.

Other than that, my box is running like a well oiled machine.

 

Oh, me too, I have my XPS 1710 running vista for few months in a row (which I force myself to stick with it), and only get few host process has stopped running msg. But this gateway is giving me about 3 each day.

 

Me too. Still trying to find out the cause.

 

Yea strange...
Pretty much I have no idea was causes it...Happens when I am playing WoW and/or listening and dowloading music

 

I applied a hot fix to add support for my old MS Notebook Optical Mouse and have not encountered this problem since. I'll look up the hotfix and post it here. It fixes a Vista bug whereby installing new hardware fails.

It might be related to driver upgrades but I am just guessing.

 

Hi!
Can you tell me exactly what kind of screen does this notebook have? You can check it for example in Everest.

 

I just upgraded my laptop to the T7700 CPU. It took no more than 5 minutes and vista has giving me no problems. I will post some pics tonight. My over all WPI has jumped up to 4.8 and the CPU WPI jumped to 5.3. Of course you all know your WPI is based on the slowest component. By upgrading the CPU my memory that was a 4.5 jumped to 4.8.

I have not ran any benchmarks, but will do those tonight.

Chris

 

Update for Windows Vista (KB940199)

 

Funny
My friend has Vista and hasnt had any errors running anything....

hmmmmmm!

 

Some more hotfixes (Nvidia related)

I had the error today after exiting Portal. I am going to try these.

 

Looks like BB is soon having a special on this for $1250.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22903730@N04/2215044147/in/set-72157603783187290/

 

I might really have to talk with the financial controllers (parents) since this deal is coming around so soon ... ill probably reserve one online and hope they dont have it so i get more off XD

 

ad is for 1-27-08, will that discount be effective on that date?

 

+ Free game!!! UT3 Baby!

Damn that is hot. I wonder if I can get this price matched in Canada. There was a prices at par campaign before Christmas (where BB.ca said they would match US pricing).

Sweet.

 

I would buy now and PM later.

 

Supercharge your system included in ad, wonder what drivers they will use?

 

Ugh, I hope I can get a refund of the difference and the free video game.

 

For those of you who don't read find print/it sounds like some of you are misunderstanding

1249.99 for the laptop only (says right under price)

Under the 1299.99 price at bottom it says Laptop, game and service must be purchased on one reciept, so unless you really want the geeksquad stuff you get no benefit over just buying the laptop by itself and the game by itself


You dont get a game for free with 1249.99 price

 

Guess that is what I get for not reading the add.

 

I ran bench marks on 3DMark06 with the T7700 upgrade CPU

Below is the result details of your submitted project.
Main Test Results
3DMark Score 8427 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 3838 Marks
SM 3.0 Score 3753 Marks
CPU Score 2062 Marks

Detailed Test Results

Graphics Tests
1 - Return to Proxycon 31.119 FPS
2 - Firefly Forest 32.847 FPS

CPU Tests
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.651 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 1.046 FPS

HDR Tests
1 - Canyon Flight (SM 3.0) 32.693 FPS
2 - Deep Freeze (SM 3.0) 42.374 FPS

Feature Tests
Fill Rate - Single Texturing N/A
Fill Rate - Multi Texturing N/A
Pixel Shader N/A
Vertex Shader - Simple N/A
Vertex Shader - Complex N/A
Shader Particles (SM 3.0) N/A
Perlin Noise (SM 3.0) N/A

Batch Size Tests
8 Triangles N/A
32 Triangles N/A
128 Triangles N/A
512 Triangles N/A
2048 Triangles N/A
32768 Triangles N/A

 

Its funny
right now they have the free shipping for everything that ends today. Then tomorrow they make the notebook have a deal on it, which in theory just again makes the shipping cost nothing. So if you buy it with the deal on tomorrow technically its going to be around the same price with shipping as it is today.... Weird logic? Who knows, but you really only get the deal if you actually pick the laptop up from the store lol. AHH im not complaining anyway, i sold my dad on getting me the laptop becuase it has an aluminium case which wont rust here in hawaii so Ill be calling bestbuy tomorrow and having them ship it. We have to call cause apparently they cant ship it without us calling cuase we have a post office box? idk... Lame stuff and we kept getting disconnected today so I might see if we can demand to get the free shipping and the deal because they wouldnt let us order it yesterday cuase they kept disconnecting us....
HAHA
im excited...
havent had a computer for like......... 2 weeks lol

 

hmm, 8800M GTS has almost the same performance as the desktop version of 8800 GTS...except for the result of "1 - Canyon Flight (SM 3.0) 32.693 FPS" , here is a big difference between the mobile and the desktop 8800 GTS...I wonder why ?
In short:
The difference in the results are only 2-3FPS (or 0), but at Canyon Flight, the difference is 10+