Speeding up memory or less does not mean better. ⇡ Technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer

In Hannover, at the world-famous CeBIT 2010 exhibition, Micro-Star International announced the FX line of laptops. This is a fundamentally new series, which is distinguished by a stylish appearance (primarily thanks to a coating made using our own technology, 3D totem seal), high-quality THX-class spatial sound and enviable performance in the “face” of an Intel Core i3 processor and a discrete video card NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M . Also, this laptop has modern technologies (Turbo Drive Engine and GPU Boost), which allow you to speed up the operation of both the processor and video card.

It is worth noting that at the Centrum der Büro- und Informationstechnik, also known as CeBIT, it became known that the F-series of MSI laptops will be equipped with Dynaudio sound solutions in the future.

It’s hard to say which category of users this model will be more suitable for, but this laptop is positioned as a business-class device. However, judging by the characteristics, the laptop is more suited to the status of a universal office-home device.

The MSI FX600 is a laptop that is very difficult to describe briefly. In order to understand what kind of “fruit” this is, we invite you to read the full review of this device.

Design

The FX600 features a 3D totem seal in jet black using MSI's proprietary technology. It protects the case from scratches, dirt and wear. Fingerprints will not remain on such a surface, and the laptop will delight you with its pristine cleanliness for a long time. The textured matte texture is quite pleasant to the touch.

Along the perimeter of the case, along the edges of the laptop, there is a strip of silver plastic, giving the model an elegant look. It fits harmoniously into the overall appearance of the device. You can find gloss in the interior design of the laptop. The panel with speakers and additional buttons, as well as the frame around the display, are made of black mirror plastic. Naturally, on such an impractical surface, traces of use will appear with enviable frequency.

As for the build quality, there are no serious complaints to make here. Even the plug for the card reader is made of durable plastic. Almost the only place where the designers did not improve is the laptop lid. It bends noticeably under the pressure of the hands. Otherwise, everything is clear, coherent and monolithic. The working area, which is also under the palm, will not be deformed. The same can be said about the bottom of the laptop. It is made of rough plastic, thanks to which the grip on any type of surface will be simply wonderful. Five rubberized feet will prevent the laptop from sliding on the table.

There is no doubt about the rigidity of the design, but there are questions about the display hinges. It's hard to call them tough. When transporting the laptop in an open state, the lid vibrates and shakes noticeably. The same thing is observed if you change the angle of the display.

Display and sound

If you do not take into account the dry numbers, the image can be described as follows: the picture is rich and rich, the realism and depth of color pleased. LED backlight brightens the already bright screen. The weak contrast caught my eye - the black color seems somehow dark gray. However, it’s hard to call this a huge drawback... Rather, it’s a shortcoming of Samsung, the manufacturer of the matrix.

Around the screen, as already noted, you can see a frame made of glossy plastic. Six rubber pads prevent contact between the matrix and the laptop's work area. By the way, there are no latches that would fix the lid in the closed state. This burden fell on the “shoulders” of the hinges.

A few words should be said about the laptop’s acoustics. As a rule, laptops do not have high-quality sound, which cannot be said about the MSI FX600. Four speakers (two above the keyboard, and two more in the front edge) reproduce rich sound at the level of conventional external speakers. The THX TruStudio Pro module significantly improves sound clarity and depth. Of course, there is not enough bass, but not every laptop can boast even such acoustics.

The MSI FX600 laptop uses MSI's proprietary Cinema Pro technology to optimize graphics. When you press the Cinema Pro key, movie mode instantly launches, enhancing resolution, enhancing color richness and creating the best viewing experience.

Keyboard and touchpad

The button layout is standard, you won't have to get used to the layout. The copy that came to us for testing was not marked with the Russian alphabet. However, most likely, Russian letters will have the same color as Latin ones - white.

Hidden under the spacebar is a small button that is responsible for turning the touchpad on/off. Immediately below it is the TouchPad itself from Elan. It cannot be called trivial. It is slightly recessed and equipped with dotted corrugations. The dimensions of the touch panel are 70x40 mm - this is not much, but quite enough for comfortable work. Positioning the cursor is easy and relaxed. Support for multi-touch technology is a clear plus for the touchpad. You can use the fingers of one hand to rotate images, zoom, and flip pages. There are no horizontal or vertical scroll bars.

The mouse buttons (or rather, the double rocker button) work a little unclearly. However, this is a feature of the test sample. The touch pad and the key are separated by a chrome insert. PCM and LMB will have to be distinguished visually.

Under the double key of the touch pad there are icons of seven indicators that signal the loading of the hard drive, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi activity, battery charge, Caps Lock and Num Lock on, as well as the power (activity) of the laptop.

Processor and performance

The FX600 uses MSI's proprietary Turbo Drive Engine technology to instantly boost performance with just one touch of the P1 key located above the keyboard.

There is also 2 GB of DDR3-1066 RAM. This is enough for work, but if you don’t have enough RAM, you can add another RAM module to the free slot.

The MSI FX600 is equipped with a 250GB Hitachi HTS545025B9A hard drive. The spindle speed is 5400 rpm, the buffer memory volume is 8 MB, the average access time (reading) is 12 ms.

Graphics capabilities are provided by a discrete video adapter NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M (1024 MB DDR3 memory). The video card core operates at 450 MHz, the memory at 700 MHz. The adapter supports DirectX 10.1. However, that's not all. The FX600 allows you to work with not one, but two video cards: integrated Intel HD graphics and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M. The NVIDIA Optimus technology implemented in the laptop allows you to switch between energy-efficient integrated graphics and a discrete NVIDIA graphics card programmatically, and even without user intervention. Running integrated graphics can significantly improve battery life under light load.

In the 3DMark 2006 package, the MSI laptop scored 6399 points (SM2.0 Score – 2602, HDR/SM3.0 Score – 2679, CPU Score – 2180).

The Cinebench R11.5 utility (performance test for creating 3D scenes) showed a result of 1.75 pts (CPU) and 11.73 fps (OpenGL).

The hard drive was tested using HD Tune 2.55. Hard Disc Utility: minimum data transfer speed – 20.6 Mb/s, maximum data transfer speed – 83.8 Mb/s, average data transfer speed – 61.4 Mb/s, access time – 19.7 ms, shooting speed – 110.3 Mb/s.

The CPUID Hardware Monitor Pro utility demonstrated the heating temperature of the CPU and HDD. The following values ​​were obtained for the processor: 54 degrees (min) and 85 degrees Celsius (max). The hard drive practically does not heat up - 40 and 41 degrees (minimum and maximum temperatures, respectively).

The CPU-Z and GPU-Z application programs indicate the technical characteristics of the central processor, motherboard, RAM and video card.

The operating system also has its own “opinion” about the laptop’s performance. Having tested the laptop, Windows 7 produced the following results: the processor scored 6.2 points, RAM – 5.5, graphics for games – 6.1, hard drive – 5.9, integrated graphics – 3.9 points. The overall performance index is determined by the worst result. The “weakest link” was the integrated graphics.

It's worth noting that NVIDIA Optimus technology not only extends battery life, but also provides excellent graphics performance when you need it. Thanks to this feature, the laptop behaves confidently and with dignity in games and resource-intensive graphics applications: instead of the built-in graphics card, there is a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M.

Ports and interfaces

The left side contains two audio connectors (microphone input, headphone output and external speakers), two USB 2.0 ports, followed by an HDMI interface. Closer to the rear edge there is a ventilation grille, a socket for connecting a power source and a Kensington Lock hole.

On the right is a DVD Multi optical drive, another USB port (combined with eSATA), a VGA video output and an RJ-45 connector (for connecting to a local network).

The rear edge of the ports is free - the design features of the case did not allow placing a single connector on the back. A webcam with a resolution of 2 megapixels is hidden in the frame that surrounds the display.

Wireless networks will become available after activating the Intel Wi-Fi Link 1000 BGN and Motorola Bluetooth adapters (version 3.0.0.217). Wireless interfaces are turned on by pressing special keys located above the main block of keys.

Battery

The MSI FX600 has a 4400 mAh (49 Wh) lithium-ion battery.

The laptop was tested for battery life using the Battery Eater Pro v.2.70 package. In “Read” mode (display brightness 100%, reading text files), the laptop lasted 2 hours 56 minutes. In the “Classic” mode (uniform maximum load on the system), the FX600 was unable to work for more than 1 hour and 4 minutes. It took us 2 hours and 40 minutes to fully charge the battery. Considering the small battery capacity and high performance, these figures look quite adequate.

It is worth noting the moderate temperature heating of the mobile device. The cooling system works efficiently and is quite quiet. The model can easily be held on your lap – the user will not experience discomfort from high temperatures.

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Conclusion

I would like to highlight the excellent THX class sound quality, the “two-faced” graphics system (Intel GMA HD + NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M) and Turbo Drive Engine technology, which increases the performance of the laptop.

The disadvantages include poorly designed information input devices (the keyboard is deformed, the touchpad button is very hard). However, as MSI representatives assured us, these are defects of the test model only. Otherwise, the FX600 proved to be a strong middling performer.

If you are looking for a laptop to work in the office or at home, then the MSI FX600 is what you need.

We thank the Ukrainian representative office of MSI for kindly providing us with a laptop for testing.

Speakers

Two speakers are located above the keyboard (they are responsible for mids, lows and bass), and two more are located under the wrist area (high frequencies). The “THX TruStudioPro” sticker indicates the quality of the system, but what does that really mean? THX is not an audio system with its own hardware, like, say, Dolby Surround or DTS. This regulatory system from George Lucas' Lucasfilm. Initially, it was applied to the evaluation of cinemas. Movie soundtracks must be specially processed to sound good in a movie theater. What technology is used to produce sound for THX does not matter.

Over time, THX Ltd. became certify not only cinemas, but also AV receivers, amplifiers, DVD players and PC speakers. So why not evaluate laptop audio systems? Thus, if everything was done according to the rules, then the system 4 speakers from MSI has been certified by THX to meet the "THX TruStudio" requirements. According to the THX home page, the system under test must meet the following requirements: have a virtual surround channel; low frequencies should be enhanced by bass; speech must be clearly audible against the background of music; the system must cope well with sudden changes in volume; The frequency range of compressed music must be expanded.

So many promises, but what is the result? Treble and mid frequencies when playing music they sound good and balanced. When listening, it is noticeable that high frequencies are emitted by the front speakers. A subwoofer above the keyboard provides some level bass, however not enough. The volume level is relatively high, and the laptop's audio system is quite enough to sound a room of about 40 square meters. When the speakers play bass, there is a slight vibration in the wrist area.

What we liked (when listening to music encoded in fairly good quality) was purity And variety of sound. In our opinion, MSI's promise of THX compliance is fully borne out in this regard. Of course, our test sample cannot be compared in sound quality to, say, the Asus N71JV (17 inches, SonicMaster acoustics) due to the lack of adequate bass, which in the Asus device is implemented with a subwoofer on the bottom. Also, the FX600 is inferior to the N71JV in the lack of outputs for 5.1 systems.

We tested the FX600's audio output by connecting two powered external Yamaha speakers (YST-M20SDP). During normal listening, no distortion or electrostatic noise. If you like to listen to music in good quality, you can connect an external audio system via SPDIF (it is combined with a line output in the FX600).

RAM is no less important for computer performance than the central processor and video card. And if we have already figured out how to overclock the processor, then why don’t we cover the question of how to overclock the RAM on a computer? I think this question is no less relevant. However, hello!

Of course, you will need a little knowledge of working with the BIOS, but there is nothing terrible in that, especially if you have already tried. But you can, without going into the BIOS, just use the free MSI Afterburner program, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.

Well, I think it's time to get down to business. Roll up your sleeves and move your keyboard closer.

Before you overclock your RAM

In theory, no matter what you do to your RAM during experimentation and overclocking, you cannot harm it in any way. If the settings are critical, the computer simply will not turn on or will automatically reset the settings to optimal.

However, we should not forget that any increase in RAM performance reduces its lifespan. Yes, it’s the same in life, bodybuilders don’t live long.

It is also very important to understand that overclocking a computer's RAM is not just about increasing its clock speed! You will have to conduct multiple experiments to configure and fine-tune parameters such as clock speed, voltage and latency timings. If you increase the frequency, then the timings will also have to be increased, but RAM, as you know, works faster the lower the latency timings. It's a double-edged sword.

That is why, when overclocking RAM, it will not be possible to select the optimal settings the first time. Although, if you have RAM of some famous brand, then most likely someone has already tried to overclock this model of RAM and, quite likely, posted useful information somewhere on the Internet on specialized forums. You just need to search a little.

Please also keep in mind that even if you found the optimal parameters for overclocking your RAM on some forum, this does not mean at all that in your case these parameters will also be optimal and have maximum performance. A lot depends on the connection CPU-Mother-RAM. Therefore, if you immediately want the optimal parameters for overclocking RAM, then it will be useful for you to have some information about your computer. Try to answer the questions:

1. What kind of RAM do I have?? Manufacturer and model. And if the memory is from a budget class, then you just need to know the frequency, latency timings.
2. What processor do I have?? Model, frequency, size of 2nd and 3rd level cache.
3. What motherboard do I have?? And on her?

Having answered these questions, feel free to go to the forums and look for connections similar to yours. But again, it’s best to experiment and find out which settings and parameters will be optimal for your system.

Overclocking RAM (DDR3, DDR4 RAM) via BIOS

In principle, there is no fundamental difference whether you want to overclock DDR3 or DDR4 RAM. Searching for settings in the BIOS and subsequent testing will look approximately the same. And the overclocking potential will depend more on the manufacturer and quality of the RAM and also on the motherboard and processor.

I also want to note that on most laptops the BIOS does not provide the ability to change RAM settings. But all this “overclocking” is essentially based on adjusting the parameters.

Overclocking RAM in BIOS Award

Before you start overclocking RAM in the BIOS Award, you need to press a key combination Ctrl +F1 to display the advanced settings menus. Without this "trick" you will not find the RAM parameters that we need so badly anywhere.

Now look for the item in the menu M.B.IntelligentTweaker (M.I.T.). Here are the RAM settings we need, namely SystemMemoryMultiplier. By changing the frequency of this multiplier, you can increase or decrease the clock speed of your RAM.

Please also note that if you want to overclock RAM that works in conjunction with an older processor, then you will most likely have a common multiplier for the RAM and the processor. Thus, by overclocking the RAM, you will also overclock the processor. Unfortunately, there is no way around this feature of older platforms.

You can immediately increase the voltage supply to the RAM. However, this is fraught with consequences, so tension should only be touched if you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Otherwise, it's better to leave everything as is. And if you still decide, then do not understand the voltage to be more than 0.15V.

After you have decided on the frequency (so it seems to you for now) and voltage (if you decide), go to the main menu and look for the menu item AdvancedChipsetFeatures. Here you can select delay timings. To do this, you first need to change the value of the parameter DRAMTimingSelectable from Auto on Manual, that is, for manual adjustment.

Overclocking RAM in UEFI BIOS

Bios UEFI is the youngest BIOS of all, and therefore looks almost like an operating system. For the same reason, it is much more convenient to use. It is not devoid of graphics, like its ancestors, and supports different languages, including Russian.

Dive straight into the first tab under the abbreviation name M.I.T. and go there to " Advanced frequency settings" Thanks to the Russian interface, you definitely won’t get confused here. Everything is the same as the first option - adjust memory multiplier.

Then go to " Advanced memory settings" Here we manage the voltage and timings. I think everything is clear with this.

I don’t see any point in dwelling on bios any longer. If you have some other BIOS, then either use scientific research to find the required item, or read the manuals for your BIOS.

Correct overclocking of RAM (formula)

Yes, of course, in order to select the best parameters and improve the performance of the RAM and the system as a whole, you need to experiment and test the system for performance and stability each time.

But I’ll tell you a secret, you can find out the best performance not only experimentally, but also mathematically. However, no one cancels stability tests.

So, how to derive the RAM efficiency ratio? Very simple. You need to divide the operating frequency of the memory by the first timing. For example, you have DDR4 2133 MHz with timings 15-15-15-29. Divide 2133 by 15 and get a certain number 142.2. The higher this number, the theoretically higher the efficiency of RAM.

As you know, when overclocking RAM without increasing the voltage, raising the frequency, you will most likely have to raise the timings by 1 or 2 clock cycles. Based on our formula, you can understand whether raising the frequency is justified or not. Here is an example of setting up the same RAM strip:

DDR4-2133 CL12-14-14 @1.2V
2133 / 12 = 177.75

DDR4-2400 CL14-16-16 @1.2V
2400 / 14 = 171.428

DDR4-2666 CL15-17-17 @1.2V
2666 / 15 = 177.7(3)

So it turns out that if a frequency of 2400 MHz requires raising the timings by 2 clock cycles compared to standard timings, then this is absolutely not beneficial for us. But with a frequency of 2133 and 2666 MHz, you can conduct tests of system performance and stability to choose which one is optimal for us.

Testing system performance and stability after overclocking RAM

After each RAM adjustment in the BIOS (that is, after overclocking), save the BIOS settings and start the system. If the system starts, this is already good; if not, the computer will reboot with factory settings. And if the computer does not turn on at all, then the settings can be reset manually by closing the Clear CMOS contact (JBAT1) on the motherboard with any metal object or jumper.

After this you will need check the system for stability by running one of the special tests (for example, in AIDA64 or Everest) or by launching a game that can heavily load the system. If the computer does not turn off, does not restart, does not display an error, does not freeze, or does not display a blue screen of death, then these RAM overclocking settings are right for you.

Weed out those combinations of settings that make the computer unstable. And check those that work stably for performance and compare.

You can use numerous benchmarks (including those built into AIDA64 or Everest) and check with what settings how many points your system will score. Or you can use the good old archiver. Create a folder for the test, throw all sorts of junk into it (medium and small files) and archive it with an archiver. At the same time, note how long it will take. The winner, of course, is the setting in which the archiver can process the test folder as quickly as possible.

Testing my RAM in the Everest benchmark

Detailed video instructions

Resume:

How can we summarize this article? The first thing I want to tell you is Overclocking RAM is not that easy. And, if you have read even 20 articles on this topic, that’s still doesn't mean you know how to overclock RAM.

Second, overclocking your RAM will not improve your system's performance as much as unless you have an AMD Ryzen processor. In the case of this line of processors from AMD, the speed of RAM greatly affects the performance of the processor. This is due to a fundamentally new processor architecture, in which the processor cache memory turned out to be the weak link.

RAM is not the most expensive thing in a computer. So think about it, maybe it’s better for you not to overclock, but just?

In any case, good luck with your experiments and share your results, we are interested too!

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Featuring exquisite craftsmanship and attention to every detail, the latest laptops from MSI The 15.6” FX600 and FR600 feature MSI's proprietary 3D totem seal technology to resist scratches and stains, as well as a shimmering silver finish for a classy elegance and understated appearance.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern notes that MSI is proud to introduce the FX600 and FR600 laptops, which feature powerful Intel Core i5 processors, MSI's proprietary TDE technology and THX's immersive cinema-grade top-end surround sound. . The FX600 is equipped with a dedicated high-end nVIDIA GeForce GT 325M discrete graphics card (1GB graphics memory) and MSI's GPU Boost technology, ensuring superior sound and visuals for a multimedia enjoyment.

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Multi-level precision: Precise MSI technology is visible in every detail of the FX600 and FR600 laptops. The chrome-plated power button gives off a cool, blue light, while the surrounds around the speakers and the entire chassis exude a platinum aura. The unique chiclet keyboard, raised multi-point touch pad, and textured metallic finish on the hotkey area highlight the quality and level of engineering MSI has used to achieve this fusion of art, style and technology. MSI continues to embrace fashion, style, and give you the opportunity to touch the exquisite delicate texture.

Hello friends. How to find out how much maximum RAM a computer – PC or laptop – can support? If you're planning to increase your memory capacity, this is the first place you should start - finding out the exact figure for the maximum amount of support. It's very easy to find out. You can find the necessary information on the official website of your motherboard or laptop. To do this, you just need to enter the model of your motherboard or laptop into a search engine and add the entry “manufacturer’s website” or “official website”. However, information about the maximum supported amount of RAM may not always be posted on the laptop’s website; only the amount of memory that the model is equipped with may be indicated. In this case, you can resort to the help of the well-known AIDA64 program. But let's talk about everything in more detail.

How to find out how much RAM your computer or laptop supports

Important Note : friends, please do not forget that if you have a new generation processor Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7 or from the new AMD series, then you have a RAM controller not on the Northbridge , A in the processor itself. And the RAM modules are controlled by the processor, not the motherboard. Therefore, the maximum amount of RAM also needs to be looked at in the description of your processor or on its official website.

Official websites of motherboards, processors and laptops

Let's take, for example, the Asus P8Z77-V Pro PC motherboard with an Intel Core i7-3770 processor installed. If we go to the official website of the manufacturer Asus, to the page of this motherboard, we will see the information we need about the maximum amount of RAM (32 GB).

On the official website of the processor we see a similar indicator.

We also have another device - the HP Envy 17 laptop. But on its page on the official website you cannot find information about the maximum amount of RAM. This means you need to turn to the AIDA64 program.

AIDA64 program

AIDA64 is one of the most powerful computer diagnostic tools. It is paid, but has a trial period of 30 days. Official website:

http://www.aida64.com/downloads

AIDA64 will tell you everything about the RAM installed on a PC or laptop: volume, type (SIMM, DIMM, DDR, DDR2, DDR3), frequency, timings, etc.

Launch the program, select the “System Board” tab.

Then - “Chipset”.

The properties of the computer's north bridge open. The third line will indicate the type of memory supported, and the fourth line will indicate what exactly you need - the maximum amount of memory that can be installed in a PC or laptop.

Below it will be indicated how much RAM is currently installed on the device.

***

If using AIDA64 you still cannot find out how much RAM your laptop supports, then write to the technical support of its manufacturer.

And one more thing: friends, if you are going to upgrade your computer yourself, before purchasing additional RAM, check everything with the technical support of your motherboard or laptop. Or order memory from official service centers of device manufacturers. And one more thing: additional RAM is not a panacea for slowdowns. More than 8 GB, it must be installed with a clear understanding of why - in anticipation of use by some programs or games. If you want your PC or laptop to work 10 times faster,