【Review】 MSI GE 40 Dragon Eyes Gaming Laptop

The story begin from here....


↑ Heh.. bought 2 awesome peripherals, any guess what are them?


↑ Some sneak peek of first peripheral, hints: a thing we touch everyday.


↑ Yup! The glowing design gaming mice from MSI that cost me RM99!


↑ So yea, this is the second gaming peripheral I bought today.. As you seen, it gonna be a TOP CHOICE!


↑ Obviously, it armed with the latest INTEL I7-4702MQ Haswell proccessor, 14" matte screen with NVIDIA GTX760M 2G graphic card, a 7200RPM 750GB HDD, DDR3 8GB Ram, and latest Windows 8!


↑ Looks bit like a beast going pop out anytime from the box.


↑ Well well, no rushy... one by one... begin with those guide instruction book, warranty care card, etc that come inside..


↑ We can see that this a 90W adapter, which means although the latest Hawell processor and graphic card performances are much more powerful, but it do more economize

↑ Width： 5.7cm


↑ Thickness： 3.15cm


↑ The battery comes with 6 cell 5900 mAh lithium ion battery.


↑ Finally! the beast： Dragon Eyes!!!


↑ The beast had appeared!


↑ I can see you.


↑ Start from left, those holes are for heat exhaust. Beside it does have a HDMI, a VGA, internet port and couple USB 3.0.


↑ From left, the 3.5mm audio output, a microphone port, a card reader and a DVD reader as well as DVD burner.


↑ MSI does paid a lot attention on the portability design, we can see the thickness is just around 2.2cm.


↑ Even the thickest part is still maintain on 2.7cm.

This post has been edited by zhen737: Jun 14 2013, 11:51 PM

↑ GE40 Dragon Eyes, a high-end laptop, yet it does have awesome portability. Regarding the material, GE40 uses the Aluminum alloy which is similar with previous MSI laptop X460DX.


↑ Build with latest Haswell 4th generation I7-4702MQ processor.


↑ Main feature tag: Dragon eyes , super slim design, multiple display with HDMI VGA port and the Audio boost.


↑ Surprisingly, it does have a metal material touch pad.


↑ "STARTS" power buttons, a button that brings you into totally different gaming experience.


↑ Size different comparing between both MSI high-end spec laptop, GE40 Dragon Eyes has overwhelming on portability.


↑ Time for some "interior"


↑ GE 40 using the exactly same 3 components on graphic card and one on processor.


↑ Build with NSTECH 5V heat release fan.


↑ The thickness is around 9mm

↑ And the component is around 3mm.


↑ 7,200 RPM 750GB HDD by Western Disk


↑ A Adata 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM


↑ For wireless, GE 40 using a Azurewave AW-NB114 instead of Intel wireless card.


↑ Well... just for reference incase you need it.


↑ 3D Mark in full performance.


↑ Mark of Final Fantasy XIV - A Realm Reborn in default setting.


↑ GPU running at average 78 c' at the indoor 26～28 c‘ without air conditioning.


↑ Should just leave him in the office.. big huge laptop


↑ Useful multiple display on HDMI & VGA port.

As we can see, MSI did a great job on the mobility, this is totally differrent from traditional big size gaming laptop that now in market.
It designed for people who seeking the balance on portability, entertainment & use it as work station.
Besides, it doesn't have MSATA port, showing that MSI might add a SSD edition and discard the disk reader.

GE40 - Dragon Eyes
• 4TH Gen Intel ® Core ™ i7-4702MQ Processor
( 2.2GHz TurboBoost up to 3.2Ghz, 6MB L3 cache)
• Windows® 8 Single Language
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX760M 2GB GDDR5
• 14" HD+ Anti-Glare Planel (1600*900) LED Display
• 8GB DDR3 RAM
• 750GB HDD (7200rpm)
• Super Multi DVDRW
• AW-NB114H Combo (b/g/n)+BT4.0
• 2 Years Warranty with 1st Year International Warranty




This post has been edited by zhen737: Jun 14 2013, 11:57 PM

Dragon eyes or devil eyes? . Congrats on your new lappy, hope you two have a long and fruitful relationship. So how much it cost you?

What is the weight of the laptop?
And how about the battery life?

Dude, wholesale copy from here ka? http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=...5&last=44310150

The Traditional Chinese keyboard was the giveaway.

We need to know about the Malaysian set, not about the Taiwan/China set. Well, unless you are APO青.

This post has been edited by mfitri77: Jun 15 2013, 08:04 AM

ffuuu i just bought ge60 a month ago for rm4k

That's terribly awesome!!! arhhh cant wait for my salary dammm u MSI !! gonna take out my money soon

The spec is exactly same.
Besides, this article is repost base of the Traditional Chinese version, and approved by the author & MSI theirself.

This post has been edited by zhen737: Jun 17 2013, 03:44 AM

I think there is a problem with the final fantasy benchmark i have a very very better score with an old ati hd3870, i think the bench use the intel hd4600 gpu and not the nvidia one, maybe have to take a look at optimus configuration ^^!!

Malaysia only have one model?

I want the msata model

Have to at least acknowledge the source of the review...

Reposting without acknowledgement and passing it as if it is your own is plagiarism...

I was given the right from the owner to translate exactly + repost it on Malaysia forum.
If I offend you in any way, sorry about that.
Thanks for your advice, will take noted on it.

i want to buy the one able to install two mSATA

But i heard rumor saying that if you buy a ODD model , it will be a pain to upgrade to two mSATA

Urgh.. so annoying.. if only..

Backlit Keyboard... Touch screen...

And also, why are they not releasing the mSATA + SATA model here? Who installs from disc nowadays anyway? I rather have a 256GB mSATA + 1TB SATA over the current 750GB SATA only that's being sold here in Malaysia..

Guess it's off to consider the Gigabyte P34G then.. At least that has a backlit keyboard, and hopefully that'll have the mSATA + SATA variant here in Malaysia.. or maybe even the IPS FullHD version..

Edit: The main reason for looking at the GE40 more is the fact that it uses the i7-4702QM which is a 37W TDP versus the 47W TDP fo the 4700HQ

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jun 21 2013, 06:52 PM

But the P34G has a weaker battery. But, I'm also considering that as well as the ge40. Do you know of the P34G is available in Malaysia?

GTX 760M ?? Powerful GC ??? That's bullshit .. even for a laptop.

Just curious how is the temperature when running games under full load.

Looks like it has not been launch globally yet. Most forum posters and all are indicating a mid July to August release.

Damn, why can't the GE40 come with backlit keyboard?

What I like at the moment:
Keyboard/Screen area design of the Lenovo Y410p. Gotta love that speaker grille and red keyboard backlight.

External body design of the Gigabyte P34G. Gotta love that unibody looking design, aluminum and all. Don't like the bottom facing speakers. Such a silly design.

Specs of the GE40. Mainly their use of the i7-4802HQ processor where it has a MAX TDP of 37W, allowing the use of a smaller power brick as well as having better battery life.

Anyway, there is a high chance I might just buy the GE40 from the USA. Pay a premium, but throw away the now defunct Optical Drive and have an extra 2xmSATA slot.

I've never had laptops shipped from overseas before. Do you know if it'll be delayed at customs or anything like that?

To be honest I have never done this before..

Just from what I've read, laptops are not taxable.. but from experience with buying stuff from overseas, sometimes it goes through fine, others will be held by customs. Regardless if it's taxable or not.

So it's pretty much a hit and miss.. and with customs all the way at KLIA, it's just easier to get PosLaju to handle it. Just the pros and cons la.. but at least I am getting exactly what I want.. an i7-4802HQ with mSATA + SATA at < 2kg.. just annoyed that MSI does not sell this option elsewhere..

Just got to pay a premium for it that's all. Pretty much extra RM 400 for a 128GB mSATA.

Edit: i7-4702HQ, not the non-existance 4802, my bad. Typo.

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jun 23 2013, 12:56 AM

Which reseller offer that CPU? i7-4802HQ..

Whoops, typo.. 4702.. 4802 does not exist.

Looking at getting it from Amazon, will update you guys on how it goes.

Yes, definitely let us know how it all turns out.

I got an info from one of my usual shop regarding the Malaysian model.

There is only one variant, and it is indeed similar to the Taiwanese model.

It's the MSI GE40 2OC-019MY. The last 3 digit + 2 alphabets represents the variant no + the country it's for.

This variant comes with ODD + one SATA slot.

My contact said that MSI can take in your laptop at their service center where they will change it to the sister board which has two mSATA slots on it at a cost. I didn't press further on the cost as well as if it's a swap upgrade, or an additional purchase where you'll be left with a 750TB HDD lying around.

So you can look around and see the different variants. So far, I only managed to find one which comes with mSATA + SATA and no ODD, which is the 009US variant.

@Disclaimernotice

Just do update you as promised. My MSI GE40 2OC-009US has cleared customs and was ready to be delivered yesterday, but I wasn't around to accept it. It was processed and shipped out early Tuesday morning (which is Monday day time for the Americans).

Cool, how much did you have to pay for it, including shipping fees?

USD 1,347.88 including shipping, FedEx.

That's about RM 4,259.97.

http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/conver...From=USD&To=MYR

So give or take around RM 300 premium, you lose the ODD but you gain a 128GB mSATA SSD.

I'll be going to pick it up soon. Need to be away from the office, so won't be around for their "delivery by 6pm" thing.. LOL

That's actually not a bad price, considering that it had to be imported. I might just get one myself, though I'm still waiting to see how Illegear's version of the w230st will be.

Alright guys..

First thing I did when I got home with the GE-40 was to open her up.

Now for the first time (I think), many of you will get to see the insides of the 009US variant.



As you can see, the SATA HDD is in where the ODD should be in a caddy. It's a Hitachi 7200rpm 750GB.

As for the mSATA, it's using a SATA to mSATA caddy with space for two.

I know. That is why I did not hesitate to purchase it at all. The price was very reasonable and it was delivered very quickly too as well. Just make sure you buy it before the weekend.

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jul 1 2013, 11:05 PM

Double

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jul 1 2013, 11:18 PM

You bought from usa ?

Yeah, couldn't find this anywhere else, let alone Malaysia. M'sia only sells the 750GB HDD model with ODD. You want the mSATA SSD adapter, you need to go back to them to upgrade which apparently takes 1-2 weeks according to someone here, and it costs money too.

All in all I paid RM 4250, delivered in 5 business days from dispatch. No issues with customs or anything. Considering it comes with a 128GB SSD, not bad la.

where you buy it from

thats pretty cheap.. because malaysia sell the lousy model without msata already 4000$

Looks like USD is rising.

I paid USD 1,347.88.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UT...=A15EHDQVYNLON8

This is the store I got it from.

I like the design that the heatsink is accessable by just open the back cover, easier for fan cleaning and thermal compound repaste.

Yeah.. I ordered in some IC Diamond 24.. will repaste it once it arrives.

So fast wanna repaste the thermal compound?
The stock one not good enough heat dissipation?

I have no issues with the temperature, but seems like everyone kept saying how the factory paste is done badly and all, I'm also curious to try... LOL

As someone who just got this laptop today, I'll leave this here for you to consider.

Needless to say, I'm cleaning him up now and replacing with my own thermals.


Attached thumbnail(s)

Well, that kind of messy work actually typical of most laptop manufacturers lol. Just that, for a machine with such a narrow thermal margin like the GE40, it hurts cooling to a noticeable degree.

But DAMN, that's even worse than what I had lol. Must have screwed up cooling somewhat.

SOME of the units seem to be pasted well though, plus they are actually using Artic Silver so it's not some cheapo crap. But really, someone has got to tell the guys in MSI assembly that "too much" is sometimes not a good thing.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Sep 14 2013, 03:17 AM

You know... I really SHOULD stop procrastinating and repaste mine as well.. I've since received my Diamond compound for weeks/months already.. LOL..

On a side note, CPU reached 95*C performing video encoding in a non air conditioned room on flat surface.. Switched on the air conditioning and raised the laptop 1" above the table and that dropped to 85*C, but still freaking hot. LOL

does anyone know the size of the caddy? is it 9.5mm or 12.7mm?

Thanks!

9.5mm. Replaced mine already so I know. :3

Hey thanks man! May I know where did you get yours? you reinstalled Windows? =D

I got mine from eBay I think, for sub 30 ringgit. Works at Sata 2 speeds, so put hard drives there. Be wary that there are singer online that are only sata 2, and have less secure mounting methods.

Yes, I reinstalled. :3

Alright thanks a lot man! Thinking of using disk clone to transfer >.> dont know how reliable is it. Haha. Hopefully everything goes well. =D

I'm fresh Installing to Win 8.1 when my 840 evo arrives xD

Black Friday sales

Not sure how many of you still use this laptop, but for those of you who still do here's an interesting mod that I just did for my MSI GE40. The stock display on the MSI GE40 is kinda crap, so to try and extend it's life a bit longer, I just upgraded the display to a 1920x1080 IPS LCD Display

The viewing angles are a lot better, colours are more vivid and no longer does it look super washed out haha

just change the display? will opening the backplate to clean dust void the warranty ? changing thermal paste ?

There's a warranty if void sticker on the bottom, if you break it warranty is gone to no surprise, but mine came broken from MSI and they kinda know that.

Display changing is a good upgrade

ikr.. mine has warranty so i cant upgrad eit, and i doubt MSI service centre will do it without a hefty price. Most likely will ask them to do a cleaning since its been one year already. MSI service centre in LYP rite? or the one in PJ

I don't trust MSI to do the cleaning well enough for me sadly. You're better off sending the laptop off to computer enthusiasts to get it tuned better. :/ I don't think the warranty for this laptop is that long either. It's about a year or so.

ya.. i agree but.. warranty is gay.. mine is 2 years n 3 months.. unless i cant b bothered wit the warranty.. i shall upgrade the screen n clean it my own... where u did changed urs... n roughly the price?

I DIY clean and I DIY screen changed hahahha I tried going MSI before for query and warranty, not great but not unexpected.

LOL i already expect them to be.... just so so. where did you purchased the screen from..

Ahahahaha. I bought my screen from China, through AliExpress. I'm running an AU Optronics display (y)

o.O thx for the info. XD