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[Kieli]

There is currently no higher build quality than MSI's notebooks. They are literally the top.

I have a GTX 460 from MSI. It's been running like a champ for the past 7 years, and still going strong. Haven't been giving me any problems.

 

[Specialmias]

Hrmm what about the from MSI support any experiences from you folks? That may sway me.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Did msi give release dates for their laptops? Late August/early september?

The sooner I get it the better I can focus on PC gaming again.

 

[Got the Shakes]

Did msi give release dates for their laptops? Late August/early september?

The sooner I get it the better I can focus on PC gaming again.

Xotic PC has an August 30th ETA for the GT62VR, 8/24 for another GT model, and 9/06 for a few others. I contacted B&H about the GT62 since it's listed as a preorder and there was no date on the page and they told me they weren't sure when they were getting stock.

 

[K.Jack]

Hrmm what about the from MSI support any experiences from you folks? That may sway me.

I've had to send in a few laptops, and they've always turned them around within a week, no hassle.

Even the one I decided to not fix (dropped it and broke the hinge), they still sent it back to me for free. They're good in my book.

 

[K.Jack]

Screen shot from within the GT73VR, confirming it has 120Hz G-Sync out of the box:

 

[Admiral Woofington]

any recommendations for a good cooling pad you can have on your lap? I mean I have a gigantic sofa so I just laze around with my laptop on top and with a 360 controller.

 

[Sioen]

Is the i7 6700HQ good or..? I'm reading that it's not great and it will bottleneck the 1070.

 

[Fezan]

Guys I need a bit of assistance and general guidance.

Has anyone here tried this model yet ?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...vr_phantom_pro_006_14_gs43vr_phantom_pro.html

1060 with 6700HQ for $1499.

Not being too familiar with PC specs (previously a mostly console gamer), is a 1060 a decent future proofing choice for it's price ?

Keep in mind that:

- I don't care about VR or anything being VR ready.
- I'm A-OK with 1080p gaming. 4K is an afterthought.
- Really not an issue if I can't hit 60fps with everything on super ultra. I'm fine with High or even Medium etc as well.

The reason I'm leaning towards a laptop is because i have a lot of portable use around the house and I have a 60'' Samsung which I can use for gaming when needed use the new Xbone controller via Bluetooth.

Is this the best (price conscious) option for me ?

For a 14 inches laptop, its perfect You can also check MSI 15.6" GS63VR if you want a better-looking laptop with slightly bigger screen and thinner profile
1060 is perfect for gaming at 1080p. it will run most titles at 60 fps. I think it will easily last you this generation.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

this might be a silly question,

but if I want to eventually go from 16 GB of RAM to more, what are my options? Are there sticks that are 16 GB each? I've changed the ram once in a laptop, but I've never seen 16 GB ram sticks so curious if those laptops with 32 GB simply have 4 of the 8 GB.

edit: I mean I guess I can always upgrade later but it really does seem like 16 GB of RAM should be good enough if not overkill for most games. And I've been finding the 32 GB [2 X 16] sticks now. So as long as I can upgrade it in my MSI we're good.

 

[ss_lemonade]

Is the i7 6700HQ good or..? I'm reading that it's not great and it will bottleneck the 1070.

I remember it being faster than my 4.6ghz 3570k when I tried benchmark comparing the dolphin emulator one time between my laptop and desktop. It also has hyperthreading if that's still a big thing. I think that's a pretty good sign?

 

[Fezan]

this might be a silly question,

but if I want to eventually go from 16 GB of RAM to more, what are my options? Are there sticks that are 16 GB each? I've changed the ram once in a laptop, but I've never seen 16 GB ram sticks so curious if those laptops with 32 GB simply have 4 of the 8 GB.

I think there are 16bg sticks available now

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I think there are 16bg sticks available now

yeah there are.

But looking at the videos about upgrading the RAM in these MSI laptops, now I know I won't touch that shit personally shit requires you to touch very sensitive crap and I don't have the skills for that haha. I'd rather take it to my local geek squad and ask them to upgrade it if I ever need it which I should be fine for the most part.

 

[K.Jack]

any recommendations for a good cooling pad you can have on your lap? I mean I have a gigantic sofa so I just laze around with my laptop on top and with a 360 controller.

I use one of those wooden lap tables.

Is the i7 6700HQ good or..? I'm reading that it's not great and it will bottleneck the 1070.

I don't know to what extent it'd be an issue.

Will it be a bottleneck at 1080p/60fps? I sincerely doubt it, as the 1070 will hold a rock 60fps at 1080p anyway.

With a 120Hz screen I'd definitely get a faster CPU.\

this might be a silly question,

but if I want to eventually go from 16 GB of RAM to more, what are my options? Are there sticks that are 16 GB each? I've changed the ram once in a laptop, but I've never seen 16 GB ram sticks so curious if those laptops with 32 GB simply have 4 of the 8 GB.

edit: I mean I guess I can always upgrade later but it really does seem like 16 GB of RAM should be good enough if not overkill for most games. And I've been finding the 32 GB [2 X 16] sticks now. So as long as I can upgrade it in my MSI we're good.

You most likely have 2 x 8GB, I doubt any laptop maker is shelling out for 16GB sticks

yeah there are.

But looking at the videos about upgrading the RAM in these MSI laptops, now I know I won't touch that shit personally shit requires you to touch very sensitive crap and I don't have the skills for that haha. I'd rather take it to my local geek squad and ask them to upgrade it if I ever need it which I should be fine for the most part.

I mess around in my MSI all the time. What scares you?

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I use one of those wooden lap tables.


I mess around in my MSI all the time. What scares you?

Any recs on the wooden lap tables then?

I was just looking at the videos and having to remove and unhook as much as I need to vs with my old Asus when upgrading the RAM was simple as all hell.

At that point I get scared I'll break something as I've done with my PS4 controller when I opened one up to replace a trigger.

 

[derFeef]

I settled with 1080p - now I am going to the electronics store to see if 17" or 15" is right for me but I suspect 17" will be the choice. The chassis (size and so on) of the MSI's before the Pascal refresh are the same, right?

 

[anddo0]

GS73VR Stealth Pro-025 http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs73vr-stealth-pro-025.html

+120Hz screen
+Weight for a 17" machine
+Bigger SSD than the Best Buy 15" machine

-$1800 for a 1060
-Longevity with 1060?

I went with the Gs73 Vr, it's under $2000 ($1800 was my max). The $1800 price tag is mostly because of the screen (120 hz + G- sync) It's light weight and not bulky. The 1060 should last at least three years. I don't mind upgrading every 3 to 4 years. All I want is a efficient laptop, capable of 1080p 60fps (in most cases) I also have other electronics to think about. The GS73 allows to still purchase things like Neo and PSVR. I could've purchased a 1080 equipped machine; but I just can't justify it.

 

[midasmulligan]

I've had to send in a few laptops, and they've always turned them around within a week, no hassle.

Even the one I decided to not fix (dropped it and broke the hinge), they still sent it back to me for free. They're good in my book.

K.jack, do you think the 1070 6820 will be able to push the 3K screen at a solid 60fps? If not, what about after over clocking them both?

 

[Got the Shakes]

I went with the Gs73 Vr, it's under $2000 ($1800 was my max). The $1800 price tag is mostly because of the screen (120 hz + G- sync) It's light weight and not bulky. The 1060 should last at least three years. I don't mind upgrading every 3 to 4 years. All I want is a efficient laptop, capable of 1080p 60fps (in most cases) I also have other electronics to think about. The GS73 allows to still purchase things like Neo and PSVR. I could've purchased a 1080 equipped machine; but I just can't justify it.

What it essentially boils down to for me is 1070 60Hz vs 1060 120Hz since both are the exact same price and at my budget cap of $1800. I can't at this point in my life justify a 1080 machine, but I could justify the 1070 at $1800. If I remember correctly the 17" 120Hz machine is like 2.5 lbs heavier than the 15" with the 1070. Not that the 17" is bulky, it looks pretty thin all things considered, just that having a laptop with the bigger frame and chassis is naturally going to add weight.

And here is the truth, I honestly don't know which I'd be happier with, a 1070 or a 120Hz screen. My PC gaming consists of a PC I built with a 970 in it and is hooked up to my tv. If I had more of a budget, I'd get that machine with the 120Hz and the 1070, but I don't want to stretch my budget another $400.

Edit: I was mistaken about the weight of the 17" laptop. It's like 3 pounds lighter than I thought it was lol.

 

[Fjordson]

http://www.evga.com/products/Product.aspx?pn=758-41-2633-T1

Has the price, I'm just really worried about MSI's build quality and support.

This is completely anecdotal and only covers the two laptops I've personally owned, but in my experience MSI's build quality is excellent across the board. I've yet to have a single issue with either of them. They look good, feel good and last a long time.

Spoiler

Praying to the CPU gods that I didn't jinx myself

 

[Specialmias]

This is completely anecdotal and only covers the two laptops I've personally owned. But in my experience, MSI's build quality is basically perfect. I've yet to have a single issue with either of them. They look good, feel good and last a long time.

Spoiler

Praying to the CPU gods that I didn't jinx myself

Well you folks have convinced me to at least add it to my list. New job is allowing for around 5k if I want but that's too crazy for a PC.

I reaaaally don't like how my I7 3820 which scores similarly to the 6700HQ on benchmarks handles VR. So it was a pleasant surprise to find out xotic doesn't really gouge that much on added components thus I could modify the unlocked 6820HK model. Prices are similar to amazon. With a 500gb samsung 950 pro replacing the stock NVMe and an additional 1tb 850 samsung SSD along with 32gb of ram this machine becomes waaaay better bang for buck than the EVGA model.

At the same price as the EVGA SC17 1070 it has over it a 120mhz screen, 1.5tb flash storage, and 5 USB ports, and I could even squeeze in another 32gb of ram to make it a total of 64gb of ram for the same exact price as the not released SC17.

Or... I could get same ram and storage as the SC17 with a 1080. -.-

 

[K.Jack]

K.jack, do you think the 1070 6820 will be able to push the 3K screen at a solid 60fps? If not, what about after over clocking them both?

Judging 4K benchmarks and the fact that 3K (why do they call this 3K) is 3.something million pixels less, I say you have a decent shot.

The chassis (size and so on) of the MSI's before the Pascal refresh are the same, right?

The GS73 is actually smaller than the GS72.

GS73 = 16.21" (w) x 11.21" (d) x 0.77" (h), 5.35 lbs
GS72 = 16.85" (w) x 11.57" (d) x 1.89" (h), 5.70 lbs

I settled with 1080p - now I am going to the electronics store to see if 17" or 15" is right for me but I suspect 17" will be the choice. The chassis (size and so on) of the MSI's before the Pascal refresh are the same, right?

Any size differences are pretty minor.

Well you folks have convinced me to at least add it to my list. New job is allowing for around 5k if I want but that's too crazy for a PC.

I reaaaally don't like how my I7 3820 which scores similarly to the 6700HQ on benchmarks handles VR. So it was a pleasant surprise to find out xotic doesn't really gouge that much on added components thus I could modify the unlocked 6820HK model. Prices are similar to amazon. With a 500gb samsung 950 pro replacing the stock NVMe and an additional 1tb 850 samsung SSD along with 32gb of ram this machine becomes waaaay better bang for buck than the EVGA model.

At the same price as the EVGA SC17 1070 it has over it a 120mhz screen, 1.5tb flash storage, and 5 USB ports, and I could even squeeze in another 32gb of ram to make it a total of 64gb of ram for the same exact price as the not released SC17.

Or... I could get same ram and storage as the SC17 with a 1080. -.-

Money and power speak loudly.

The EVGA just seems priced too highly, and lacking amenities.

120Hz G-Sync is the new 17" notebook standard fam.

 

[K.Jack]

Anyone know where you can order/check prices for 1060/1070 laptops in Canada?

Amazon.ca doesnt appear to have them although searching doesnt really work as it wont let me filter laptops by graphics card and when I search 1060 I only get graphics cards.

Reflex Notebook sells Sager/Clevo machines.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

IPS is still generally preferable for computer use because of the better viewing angles.

You have to sit really close to your VA panel before the difference in viewing angle matters, whereas the vastly superior contrast ratio of VA is easily visible at any distance. A lot of people don't realize that IPS has basically the same contrast ratio as TN. It's why TVs generally only use VA panels, except LG TVs because they are the largest manufacturer of IPS panels. This is despite the fact that viewing angle matters a lot more on TVs than on computer monitors because TVs are typically viewed by multiple people whereas monitors are typically viewed by just one person.

I'm taking suggestions. What do you think of....

"After 9 Months, Pascal Delivered"

"Enabling Desktop Class GPU Performance In Incredible Form Factors"

 

[Admiral Woofington]

These motherfuckers taking forever to even give me a release date.

I want to know whether Ill play deus ex on my ps4 or not you fucks

 

[Unknown Soldier]

You need to have a serious toaster before the console Deus Ex experience will surpass the PC one.

 

[derFeef]

120hz screen adds a lot of cost (not the sole reason), wow. But in the end it is preferable I guess.
Continuing to thank you for your input, K.Jack

edit: I am eyeballing this one now: https://www.msi.com/Laptop/GS73VR-6RF-Stealth-Pro.html
It will not be my main gaming machine (it will have more power than my desktop currently, haha). I would love to see some real benchmarks though with ths thing and how it fares when under longer load. If it can still lift the Vive etc.

 

[malcher]

I am reading this thread and I'm like: "stop fu** with my mind guys" I was almost convinced to get a Clevo with 1070 and i5-6600K and now you guys start talking about the quality of MSI. Back to thinking then.

 

[anddo0]

I must have looked through nearly every Sager and MSI configuration.

Sager: Outside of the $2700 1080 model you have...

NP9872- $2,249, 17.3" 120 hz/G-Sync panel, 1070.. Just too much, if you're breaking $2,300+ after customizing (you have to add ram and an additional hdd to this model), might as well go 1080.

NP8173-S - $1,799, 17.3" 75 hz (called to confirm) G-Sync panel, 1070. (if the GS73 Vr doesn't work out I'll be revisiting this). I actually ordered and then canceled this, because I wanted to maul over G-sync vs 120 hz.

NP8172-S- $1,499, 17.3" Full HD 1920 x 1080, 1060



MSI: MSI GT73VR TITAN PRO $2, 800, 1080 (never even considered it)

GT73VR TITAN-017, $2,199, 17.3" 120 hz/G-Sync panel, 1070... Great, but that's about 400 more than I was willing to spend.. Worth a look for anyone with a high budget, and isn't afraid to future proof.

GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO-015, $1,999, 17.3" 75 hz G-Sync panel, 1070.. Another good buy, if you can live with the bulky form factor, lack of Thunderbolt 3.

GT62VR Dominator Pro-073, $1,799, 15.6" 75 hz G-Sync panel, 1070... Decent, but for a 15.6" screen it's bulky and thick,

GS43VR Phantom Pro-006 14"- $1,499, 14" Full HD, 1920x1080, 1060.. Can't really knock this one, other than the 14" screen, possible heat issues?




The GS73VR Stealth Pro-025 ($1,799, 17.3" 120 hz/G-Sync panel, 1060), to me struck the perfect balance between high quality screen and 1080p gaming.

If you want to future proof at the $2,000 barrier, definitely look at the GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO-015 and the Sager NP8173-S.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I'm hoping having to worry about 'future proof' is a thing of the past with possible egpus but I guess cpu could throttle your card even if you get an egpu later down the line

 

[anddo0]

Yeah that's a good point.. The i7-6700HQ is sufficient for this class of cards, but could definitely present throttling issues down the line.

The TITAN series is great for anyone who can afford it.. One thing that really struck out to me is how huge this thing is, calling it a monster is an understatement. It would make my poor Dave topple over, doubt I could even fir a mouse on there. If you're getting a TITAN make sure you have a decent gaming space.; These things are huge

 

[derFeef]

Yeah ridiculously looking, haha. No idea why you do not want to go full desktop at this point.
I came to the same conclusion - the GS73VR seems to be the sweetspot!

 

[Specialmias]

Also... There's about a $400-$700 premium between that MSI Titan line and a custom built desktop + monitor of similar specs. Bang for buck it seems the $3000 GS73VR 1080 version is what I will likely be getting in September. I had no idea that thing had that many m.2 and ram slots inside of it and that's really what teeters it over in terms of bang for buck. Also in terms of longevity.

As far as why not a desktop in my case? Has to do with my damn job. I'm a spider scientist and right now I'm in the middle of filming for a TV show documentary. I'll be hopping between hotels in foreign countries for the next year.


I don't think you can use that monster on a plane without disturbing anyone but it'll be a nice mobile package. I'm also hoping the xotic PC cash and student discount stacks so I can shave some cost off of this thing. I'm more worried about it being stolen than anything.

 

[midasmulligan]

These motherfuckers taking forever to even give me a release date.

I want to know whether Ill play deus ex on my ps4 or not you fucks

Lol, that's hilarious, I was just trying to figure out the same thing... My ps4 is on its last leg too, but I think at this point, in going to have to go with ps4 in order to play at release

 

[Got the Shakes]

I need to decide on a laptop so I can stop looking at benchmarks, reviews, etc. I'm down to the MSI GT62VR and GS73VR. Both are the same price. 1070 vs 1060, 60Hz vs 120Hz, 15.6" vs 17", bulky vs. thin and light. Funny thing is I'm sure once I get either in hand that I'll be happy with it.

 

[arts&crafts]

So I am looking to get:

15 inch
1060 (Heat/weight is a big selling point so I feel 1060 will suit my needs better?)
< 5lbs (or as light as possible, my old alienware mx17 is just way too heavy)
1080p
Around $2000 CAD

I am in Canada.

I see the following options:

Asus - ROG - GL502VM
I7-6700HQ 16G DDR4 256GB SSD 1TB HDD GTX1060 6GB 15.6in FHD Win10
http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-rog-gl502vm-db74-i7-6700hq-16g-62-134009.htm

MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro
i7 6700HQ 16GB 128GB SSD 1TB 15.6in FHD IPS GTX1060 6GB Win10
http://www.ncix.com/detail/msi-gs63vr-stealth-pro-i7-10-134274.htm

Am I missing any others? of the above 2 which is better? The ASUS appears to be cheaper with a bigger SSD but that is just at first glance. I also know nothing about the various laptop screens.


Also founds this Gigabyte. Doesnt have full "specs" yet but

i7-6700HQ 16GB 1TB+256GB SSD GTX 1060 W10 15.6" IPS
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...p55wv6_pc3d_i7_6700hq_16gb_1tb_256gb_gtx.html

 

[Sioen]

I need to decide on a laptop so I can stop looking at benchmarks, reviews, etc. I'm down to the MSI GT62VR and GS73VR. Both are the same price. 1070 vs 1060, 60Hz vs 120Hz, 15.6" vs 17", bulky vs. thin and light. Funny thing is I'm sure once I get either in hand that I'll be happy with it.

Get the 1070 dude, you won't regret it.

 

[ss_lemonade]

Is there a 120hz 15in laptop out there, with or without gsync?

 

[Got the Shakes]

Get the 1070 dude, you won't regret it.

Really the way I'm leaning. Seems like the better bang for the buck although the 120Hz display on the 1060 machine I'm sure is really nice as well as the thinness and weight savings.

 

[Specialmias]

Eh now choosing between sellers is fun;

Amazon, great return policy and other known features but charges a very high sales tax for me

Xotic: bigger reseller, good prices and support apparently but they've not been responsive to my inquiries via email.

Gentech: smaller staffed version of what xotic offers but unknown to me otherwise. Seem more likely to give you the mom and pop store feel

Newegg: In my experience great returns, prices and support for big purchases.

BH: Only know from their NYC store that' it's worth a visit. But I have not had pleasant buying experiences from them. On three occasions they sold me things they never actually had in stock. Only to send me an e-mail that the order was canceled a month later because they didn't have what they charged me for.


Seems like Gentech is a good, smaller alternative?

 

[Got the Shakes]

Eh now choosing between sellers is fun;

Amazon, great return policy and other known features but charges a very high sales tax for me

Xotic: bigger reseller, good prices and support apparently but they've not been responsive to my inquiries via email.

Gentech: smaller staffed version of what xotic offers but unknown to me otherwise. Seem more likely to give you the mom and pop store feel

Newegg: In my experience great returns, prices and support for big purchases.

BH: Only know from their NYC store that' it's worth a visit. But I have not had pleasant buying experiences from them. On three occasions they sold me things they never actually had in stock. Only to send me an e-mail that the order was canceled a month later because they didn't have what they charged me for.


Seems like Gentech is a good, smaller alternative?

I've been debating the same thing. Would have been a no brainer last year before Amazon started charging tax in my state, but on an $1800 machine that will cost me an extra $108 so I'm not ordering from them. I was actually going to go with B&H, especially if it's a preorder machine because they won't charge me until the unit is actually getting ready to ship and they won't charge me tax. I have having the sum of money that these laptops locked up for weeks waiting for my item to even ship.

 

[Specialmias]

How is BH when problems arise?

 

[Got the Shakes]

How is BH when problems arise?

Honestly I haven't ordered anything large there in years so I'm not sure how they are.

 

[Akoi]

The price is not low enough on the 1060 laptops IMHO, the only reason to get one is for the thinner body IMHO.

The 1070 seems like the way better deal and they arent a lot bigger (the laptops for them)

 

[Got the Shakes]

The price is not low enough on the 1060 laptops IMHO, the only reason to get one is for the thinner body IMHO.

The 1070 seems like the way better deal and they arent a lot bigger (the laptops for them)

You're probably right. 1060 laptops probably need to be like $1399 base for a 15" model.

 

[z3phon]

How is Amazon if problems arise? I've never considered getting a laptop from amazon.
do they have some sort of warranty like I could get from a reseller?

 

[Specialmias]

How is Amazon if problems arise? I've never considered getting a laptop from amazon.
do they have some sort of warranty like I could get from a reseller?

Amazon is pretty good with returns that fall under their policies. Especially if you have a long term record of orders that were not returned according to a CSR so take that as you will.

Policy:

.
Amazon.com Return Policy: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

They do sell square trade warranties which are a mixed bag. From friends it seems square is better at replacing damaged goods with similar ones. So, they're kind of a replacement insurance for stuff like tablets, phones etc that are rarely actually repaired by manufacturers unless the screen is messed up. They can also complicate things a bit. Since they prefer to replace you really are at their whim for what they'll replace your product with.

On the inverse a lot of these manufactures claim to have 2 year or one year warranties that cover most things unless you bought from a retailer they don't recognize.

My problem with laptops has always been this. Desktop custom builds are cake to fix. Something goes wrong, get a new part or use warranty for said part. These things something like the keyboard goes and your whole computer has to be repaired. Have fun if your keyboard breaks and the manufacturer won't repair it. USB is what you're stuck with as an example.

This is why I've been obsessing over the customer service aspect.

 

[Clipse]

Anyone else looking at Sager instead of MSI? I can configure a Sager NP8173-S upgraded with an i7-6820HK for under $1900. A similar MSI runs about $300 more with a smaller SSD, but it does have a 120Hz screen.

Does a 120Hz screen warrant the price difference? Maybe it's also factoring in MSI's better build quality?

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Really hopeful we see more definitive information from Razer in the next week or so. Any word other than Linus' video?

 

[Specialmias]

For those of you hoping to swoop up heavily discounted previous gen models:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

graphics performance wise, it looks like 980m SLI is doing great compared to pascal stuff. Might be something to look out for, especially during the holiday black friday/ cyber monday sales.