How to optimize Gaming Laptop, Also was it worth? (MSI) [High heat issue + More]

Jul 31, 2018
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Hey all! I've just gotten my second ever gaming laptop, this being my most expensive one ever bought costing me over $1600

Heres the exact laptop i bought - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-1tb-hard-drive-256gb-solid-state-drive-aluminum-black/6211744.p?skuId=6211744&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwkYDbBRB6EiwAR0T_-p9CQflXF_-ZROku2Tk0IdcBN_qps1ZqgZdzPzSQHpfeV7QTv4TiCBoCZJgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Now im curious, was this computer worth it, and what can i do to optimize performance? I really need feedback as im not too good with this kind of stuff and this computer has a 15 day return policy.

I've noticed that on minecraft on all low settings it can only run 60FPS, i've also noticed on Fortnite it sometimes freezes, or stutters on any settings i play on although it stays at a constant 60FPS.
I just want to be able to use my Oculus, Play minecraft, and play Fortnite at the best settings possible.

I've also noticed the fans get extremely loud when gaming, and it is around 45 degrees when just browsing the web (Is that bad, im not really sure...)

Please treat me like a 10 year old and explain step by step how to do everything, i know my fair share about computers but im also still a teenager and not a god like most the people on here.

Also, is it worth it to overclock the GPU or should i just stay away from it?

SPECS
Intel i7 processer (8th gen)
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 6GB
256GB SSD 1TB Hard Drive
16GB RAM

Sorry for being a total noob but any feedback would be appreciated!
PS : My graphics card is set to run in games instead of the intel graphics.

EDIT : I took a benchmark, is this good for this PC / Price? - http://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/9999235
 
Solution
Sorry, I edited again ... so basically, back in the early days of Windows they were afraid of people not having enough system memory (RAM). So they came up with this idea of virtual RAM that they called a swap file or paging file. It uses your hard drive to act like RAM. If you had Win10 and 4 GB RAM you would need it. If you had 8GB and opened tons of stuff, you might need it. Since you have 16GB you wont need it unless something goes terribly wrong.

The issue is that hard drives are slow ... dont use them if you dont need to.
It's a nice laptop. But as with all things in life, laptops have their pros and cons. Hey, you can take it anywhere easily. That's pretty nice. Of course the amount of space inside is pretty small. With everything crammed in there you have to move a lot of air in and out to keep it cool, so that's a minus. Is it going to just sit on your desk? $1600 would get you one heck of a desktop.

So, yes. It will get hot and the fans will scream especially when you do anything 3D. 45 at idle is on the warm side, but I don't think it is out of character. How hot is it during gaming?

All your games at running at 60FPS ... sounds like V-Sync is turned on (V-Sync is a feature that matches the frame rate to the monitor's refresh rate). You can probably get more FPS with it turned off. Of course, with it turned off the GPU will work even harder, creating more heat. So, make sure none of the vents are covered by a stray piece of paper, pillow, blanket, etc.

Optimizing. With 16GB of RAM, I would set the swap file to 0 (google will give you instructions on how to do that).

Overclocking is probably not even an option because I bet everything is already at the bleeding edge as far getting the heat out. Overclocking would create more heat.

Bottom line ... if you are married to the idea of a laptop, you got a nice laptop.
 
Jul 31, 2018
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Okay, not sure how exactly to turn VSync off cause i've tried to do it in game and it doesnt work, is there a place to change it in the settings on the auctal card?

Do i just look up how to set the swap file to 0?

So just don't overclock?

And thank you i appreciate it, yeah im trying to stick with laptop for school and gaming at the same time

Gets around 61 - 66 when gaming, and it freezes randomly quite a bit especially in Minecraft, and thats with the fans on TURBO mode. one fan on 4800RPM other on 3600RPM (not quite sure what that means just what i see in Dragon Center.

PS: Is it bad to keep it on my lap? Would that cause a problem? Please get back to me! Thanks a bunch! You're so helpful! :)
 
Vsync setting would be in your graphics card settings ... right click on your desktop, select nVidia Control Panel, go to manage 3D settings and it is 2nd from the bottom (well, on mine it is).

Set swap file ... https://www.thewindowsclub.com/increase-page-file-size-virtual-memory-windows ... use the "no paging file" option.

Overclocking ... I doubt the laptop will let you ... even if it did you would just be creating more heat.

I would avoid keeping it on your lap ... get a flat board or tray or something hard that allows air to get underneath.
 
Jul 31, 2018
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Not sure if you saw my other question, but would it cause a problem to play with it on my lap?
And ill check now! Is there anything else i can do or just this should make the computer run at full speed?

EDIT: Anything inparticular i can do about the freezing / stuttering?
 


I typed 2 more sentences above ...

More full speed = more heat ... I think that would be a problem.
 
Sorry, I edited again ... so basically, back in the early days of Windows they were afraid of people not having enough system memory (RAM). So they came up with this idea of virtual RAM that they called a swap file or paging file. It uses your hard drive to act like RAM. If you had Win10 and 4 GB RAM you would need it. If you had 8GB and opened tons of stuff, you might need it. Since you have 16GB you wont need it unless something goes terribly wrong.

The issue is that hard drives are slow ... dont use them if you dont need to.
 
Solution
So, you also talked about some stuttering. That can occur if CPU, GPU, memory, network. or harddrive are over utilized (one becomes a bottleneck and thus limits the rest). If you are having heat issues, that can cause the CPU or GPU to throttle it's speed (less speed=less heat). That would be my first guess. You can also use the "Resource Monitor" to see what is being used and when. It might give you a better idea of where an issue might be.