MSI laptop cooling efficiency... Stock temps? OC temps? Cooling mods?

[MikePio]

Hey everyone!

I have the MSI GT60 with the i7-3610QM and GTX 680m, this being my first gaming laptop. I have been very satisfied with my purchase, though one issue has always been bothering me over the past year and that is the cooling of this laptop. The temperatures of my CPU has been well within acceptable range, but during longer periods of play (for example Alan Wake, Batman AC etc..) the temps got as high as 92 degrees (with stock clocks). After some modifications such as repasting, backplate mod and a cooler the GPU temps are back within normal range.

To any fellow MSI owners, what are your stock temps, overclocked temps and if you did any cooling mods to achieve a higher overclock while maintaining a reasonable temperature range. I'm not sure if my experience mirrors that of other MSI laptop owners, but what is your cooling efficiency? Looking forward to hearing from you guys and as corny as this sounds... Keep it cool

[labonator]

I have the GT70 Variant of you're GT60 .

Only i have a 3920xm , my cpu stays stock @ 70 / 75 while gaming .

My gpu (680m ) runns stock a 80 degrees and OC 85/ 88 degrees !

[theJF]

I also have a GT70, with the 3610QM and 670M, and neither of them get too hot when gaming for me after I repasted/cleaned both of them. My temps for the CPU tend to stay under 75c when gaming, while my GPU usually stays between 73c to 82c(overclocked), depending on the game and whether I'm using vSync or not. The only other thing that I've been able to do to reduce temps further is to keep the laptop on my Thermaltake chill pad and have the thermostat turned down in the room I'm playing in. Hopefully there will be some sort of mod or kit for these laptops someday that can improve upon the cooling performance even further.

[BAKED]

My MSI's GTX 770M runs at max 77C overclocked and my i7 2670M at 75C, I use phobya nanogrease extreme.

[squareroot]

Hi, My GX660 seems to have high temps. with 920XM, I reaches 90C+ within minutes. I have a feeling that my heatsink is bad. I've repasted a lot of times to get the lowest temps and keep the temps between each core close. Do you think my heatsink have gone bad? and may I ask for your suggestion.

[labonator]

Nah you're heatsink hasnt gone bad mate.

Its a extreme processor , with a high TDP , ive flashed yester the Vert.17 EC firmwire on my GT70 ONE and now my thorrtle issue is gone so my 3920xm goes full out and my temps are 94 celcius afther 30 min in Battlefield 4 with AS5.

[squareroot]

I understand that this extreme processor has high TDP making it hotter than most and that the newer generations of intel cpu tends to run cooler. But I've seen other people get lower temps on their 920XM. That is why I am wondering why I am getting high temps compared to them. Either way, 94C is pretty hot. Did you enable the turbo fan?

[Robbo]

My MSI's GTX 770M runs at max 77C overclocked and my i7 2670M at 75C, I use phobya nanogrease extreme.

How much of an OC can you get on your 770M? I'm curious because I essentially have the 6xx version of your card. Did you try messing with a modified VBIOS from svl7?

[BAKED]

How much of an OC can you get on your 770M? I'm curious because I essentially have the 6xx version of your card. Did you try messing with a modified VBIOS from svl7?

I haven't really pushed it too much yet so I don't know, I use my own modified with boost disabled and OC limits removed.

[Robbo]

I haven't really pushed it too much yet so I don't know, I use my own modified with boost disabled and OC limits removed.

I should think it will overclock quite well if you can keep it cool.

[Rezza]

I have 780m without cooler boost I have seen 77 max with boost 65 it is awesome. >

[cresterk]

I have a gt70 with an i7-3630qm and a gtx 675mx. It stays at about 82C at default clocks with turbo fan off. Overclocking with +130 core, +670 mem takes the temp up to 90s, so I keep turbo fan on and it stays at 74-77C.

[Zbig0]

gt70 with 675mx 82C at default clocks? that sounds a bit too much hmm just ordered same model of laptop and Im bit worried.

Maybe you should repaste to get better temps or this card is that hot? :/ still will have 14days to return laptop if it will be case

[cresterk]

gt70 with 675mx 82C at default clocks? that sounds a bit too much hmm just ordered same model of laptop and Im bit worried.

Maybe you should repaste to get better temps or this card is that hot? :/ still will have 14days to return laptop if it will be case

Considering that I was running a benchmark for over an hour, it's not so bad.

[Zbig0]

Considering that I was running a benchmark for over an hour, it's not so bad.

so this would mean that 770m is cooler than 675mx(OC and stock) right?

[Robbo]

so this would mean that 770m is cooler than 675mx(OC and stock) right?

770M and 675MX are nearly the same chips, just a wider memory bus in the 675MX, and the 770M has higher stock clock frequencies. Therefore, the 770M should run hotter than the 675MX at stock settings, but overclocked they will operate at about the same temperatures. This is because the 675MX is likely to overclock to very similar final frequencies as an overclocked 770M, this I've learned from experience with my own card (very similar to 675MX) and by looking at other peoples overclocks on their 770M's.

EDIT: Actually, the 770M operates at a slightly higher voltage than the 675MX/670MX, so the 770M will be a bit hotter in all instances.

[Zbig0]

Thats absolutly all I wanted to know and even more

Thanks mate!

The upgraded heat sinks(connected) from new Gt70 would fit old gt70(with 675mx/670mx)?

or is there a way to connect temporary in similar way both heat sinks?

edit:think by doing this connection of both heat sink allows for larger amounts of storing heat(2 heatsinks, lines and radiators) and 2 heat sinks for smaller load allow for easier way to get rid of excess of heat...(as its now done in new gt70/gt60 model)

[Robbo]

Thats absolutly all I wanted to know and even more

Thanks mate!

The upgraded heat sinks(connected) from new Gt70 would fit old gt70(with 675mx/670mx)?

or is there a way to connect temporary in similar way both heat sinks?

edit:think by doing this connection of both heat sink allows for larger amounts of storing heat(2 heatsinks, lines and radiators) and 2 heat sinks for smaller load allow for easier way to get rid of excess of heat...(as its now done in new gt70/gt60 model)

I don't have the laptop you're talking about, but I have seen it reviewed on notebookcheck.net. My understanding of the bridge between the CPU and the GPU, is that it allows for more efficient cooling of the GPU or CPU if only one of them is heavily loaded. So, for instance, if you were playing a game, and your GPU was at 100% load, and your CPU was 'only' at 50% load, then the bridge would allow an additional path for the heat to be transferred away from the GPU -> through the CPU's heat pipes, in addition to through the GPU's heat pipes. Now, if you didn't have that bridge there, then in the load scenarios I described above, the GPU would only be able to transfer heat away through the GPU's heat pipes. It's basically a way of making sure that both the CPU's & GPU's heat pipes are being utilised to the maximum extent regardless of how the compute load is split between the CPU and GPU. I think the bridge is a good feature for a one fan laptop.

I think the ideal situation, if space allows in a laptop design, is to have 2 heatsinks & 2 fans, one for CPU, one for GPU. That's the most effective cooling method, but takes up more space & probably more cost.

[Zbig0]

I don't have the laptop you're talking about, but I have seen it reviewed on notebookcheck.net. My understanding of the bridge between the CPU and the GPU, is that it allows for more efficient cooling of the GPU or CPU if only one of them is heavily loaded. So, for instance, if you were playing a game, and your GPU was at 100% load, and your CPU was 'only' at 50% load, then the bridge would allow an additional path for the heat to be transferred away from the GPU -> through the CPU's heat pipes, in addition to through the GPU's heat pipes. Now, if you didn't have that bridge there, then in the load scenarios I described above, the GPU would only be able to transfer heat away through the GPU's heat pipes. It's basically a way of making sure that both the CPU's & GPU's heat pipes are being utilised to the maximum extent regardless of how the compute load is split between the CPU and GPU. I think the bridge is a good feature for a one fan laptop.

I think the ideal situation, if space allows in a laptop design, is to have 2 heatsinks & 2 fans, one for CPU, one for GPU. That's the most effective cooling method, but takes up more space & probably more cost.

Heh yes thats what I was thinking but ur words makes more sense

Think new heat sink should fit older gt70 hmm Would there be posibility to buy this upgraded heatsing somewhere elsewere then ebay? looked in there and only old ones there...maybe there is some Korean/Chinese shop with parts etc?

[Robbo]

Heh yes thats what I was thinking but ur words makes more sense

Think new heat sink should fit older gt70 hmm Would there be posibility to buy this upgraded heatsing somewhere elsewere then ebay? looked in there and only old ones there...maybe there is some Korean/Chinese shop with parts etc?

I don't know about that, maybe someone else in this forum can chime in about that?

[wengmugmug]

I have a GT70 with 3630QM with 675mx and i only get around 75 degrees with my GPU under load. CPU does go way higher tho, max of around 90 degree when gaming. dunno why but MSI only gave us one fan. They could've separated the heatpipes into 2 heatsinks at the rear side to separate the heat

[wengmugmug]

I have a GT70 with 3630QM with 675mx and i only get around 75 degrees with my GPU under load. CPU does go way higher tho, max of around 90 degree when gaming. dunno why but MSI only gave us one fan. They could've separated the heatpipes into 2 heatsinks at the rear side to dissipate the heat

[wengmugmug]

MSI could've done better. instead of giving us just one fan, they couldve separated the heatpipes into 2 to dissipate the heat better. I have a GT70 and my CPU (3630QM) reaches around 90C under load. Way too hot

[Zbig0]

I was suppose to get delivery of gt70 with 675mx on Monday but just got occasion to take R17r4 with 7970m with 2year nbd in same price so think I will go for this

anyway thanks for your input for sure it will be hepfull for other gt70 owners looking for upgrade/overclock.

cheers and regards

[Robbo]

I was suppose to get delivery of gt70 with 675mx on Monday but just got occasion to take R17r4 with 7970m with 2year nbd in same price so think I will go for this

anyway thanks for your input for sure it will be hepfull for other gt70 owners looking for upgrade/overclock.

cheers and regards

Yep, it's a close call between a 7970M (even overclocked), and an overclocked 675MX (as long as you flash that modified VBIOS). You'd be happy with either, the R4 is a good laptop though, a pretty good choice.