GTX460M Gimped in Best Buy laptops???

[frozentundra123456]

Hi all, this is from another thread I saw on a notebook site, but i checked it out and it seems to be valid.
Apparently the Asus gaming notebooks sold at best buy have a gimped version of the GTX460M video card. The vram is only 1GB vs 1.5GB in the normal card. This would not make much difference, except that means that the memory bus is reduced to 128 bits instead of 192 bits and thus the memory bandwith is only about 40 gb/s instead of 60 for the normal card.
I think that it is still a quite desirable laptop, but anyone thinking about buying one should be aware of this. The decreased memory bus could hinder performance considerably.
I really dont understand this though. How much money can they save by gimping the card??? And if they did change the memory bus, they should really rename the card like they did with the desktop GTX 460 768mb vs 1gb.

 

[notty22]

Maybe some links to models and specifications ?
And then comparable laptops with gtx 460m for comparisons ?

 

[nanaki333]

i just looked it up to verify and found a whole thread dedicated to it. some guy even posted his gpu-z screenshot of the 1GB 460M

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/563658-gtx-460m-vram-1gb-vs-1-5gb-5.html

 

[Gheris]

This begs the question. Is it false advertising or is this an intentional move put in place to lower price to make it more attractive to buyers? Either way, this should NOT be labled as a 460M.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Happens all the time in laptops. My hp envy has a lower clocked 5850m and is advertised as a 5850m. It's a screwed up deal but I always read up on the specific model of notebook I'm looking at before buying it.

 

[notty22]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+...&skuId=1805714
Seems to be a correct gtx 460m, nice laptop, not cheap.
I'm not going to read the whole thread at another forum, but sounds like a case of someone doing their homework after they bought ?

 

[nanaki333]

it's not all laptops. they were specifically naming the asus laptops. somebody was trying to do homework before buying, and someone else just happened to chime in that had a similar laptop with the card in question. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ASUS+-+L...&skuId=1774899

 

[CurseTheSky]

Not all mobile chips are created equal. Depending on the price, thermals, power consumption, etc., some laptops may use lower-binned or lower-clocked models of the same chip.

My Envy 14 uses the lowest-binned HD 5650 chip available (450MHz, vs. 550 or 650). It's disappointing from a performance stand point, but I'm happy with the thinness and general power consumption of the laptop, so I don't complain.

 

[notty22]

Asus must use a custom designed m/b, something they are capable of making. It probably uses a gtx460m with a custom daughter-board design. Whether they are using lower quality -cheaper gpu-dies,
who knows ? You would have to think, there is a money motive behind this ? Or a specific design reason ? Save on some memory cost ?

 

[frozentundra123456]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+...&skuId=1805714[/URL]
Seems to be a correct gtx 460m, nice laptop, not cheap.
I'm not going to read the whole thread at another forum, but sounds like a case of someone doing their homework after they bought ?[/QUOTE]


This toshiba model seems to be sold out though. Basically 300.00 for a bigger screen and the "correct" GTX 460M.

Maybe they will lower the price further on the Asus laptop now that everybody has figured out that it has a gimped GPU!!! Too bad though. I thought this looked like a good deal, but have serious reservations now. And the 1299.00 is pretty much my limit as far as price is concerned. I have a feeling that this model of the GTX 460M might not be any faster than my old gaming laptop's GTX 260M, but the CPU is for sure a lot faster.

 

[Red Hawk]

Laptop graphics chips are often weaker than the desktop chip they are named after, and can even be another chip altogether. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is actually just an underclocked Radeon HD 5770, for example. So this is nothing surprising.

 

[Zap]

Apparently the Asus gaming notebooks sold at best buy have a gimped version of the GTX460M video card.

They probably did this to make the card fit size (due to heatsink/fan needed), heat or power restraints.

 

[mnewsham]

They probably did this to make the card fit size (due to heatsink/fan needed), heat or power restraints.

It has nothing to do with that as the Non-best buy version has the non-"gimped" GPU. It is cheaper however to use 2/3 of the RAM. The Bestbuy model is cheaper then the standard GTX 460m ASUS. The cheapest (and only) Sandybridge non-"gimped" GTX 460m G73 on newegg is the G73SW-A1 at $1849.99 a "gimped" the Bestbuy version most comparable the G73SW-BST8 is $1,499.99 with the BST6 being only $1,299.99 I think for dropping the price a good $300-500 is a fair trade for the 128bit memory bus and 2/3 of the VRAM. It is just a way to make the bestbuy model cheaper not really a bad thing. IMHO

 

[notty22]

The model number seems to imply its a Best Buy exclusive model. That is also not uncommon. My sister just bought a Toshiba Portege , Best Buy only model with a I3 , HD 3000 graphics ,750.00 dollars. The Portege's are usually priced higher with slightly better specifications.

The Asus laptop, has a 1600x900 screen that will be a little easier to power than say 1080p. Found plenty of user reviews like this : http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...63938-g73sw-bst6-initial-thoughts-review.html