MSI have a CULV in their current notebook lineup, namely the X420. We haven’t seen much action on the CULV front these days, but the manufacturers still churn out the odd one. The X420 lacks an internal optical drive but of course this reduces the unit’s weight and size with it scoring a 0.95 inches on the width front. Here are the rest of the details on the MSI X420 notebook

* Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor SU7300 1.3GHz 800 MHz 3MB Cache
* Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
* 14″ WXGA / Glossy Type 1366×768 display
* ATI Radeon HD5430 1GB DDR3
* Internal Speaker ×2
* 4GB (2GB x 2) DDR2
* 500GB SATA HDD
* Gigabit Ethernet
* Built-in 802.11b/g/n
* Bluetooth
* 2 in 1 (SD/ MMC) Card Reader
* 1.3 MP Webcam
* USB 2.0 X 2
* Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1
* Mic-in X 1, Headphone X 1
* Battery Pack 8 cells
* 13.79″ (L) x 9.22″ (W) x 0.95″ (H)
* 4.5 lbs with (8-cell battery)

Some good specs on the MSI X420, but with an Amazon price tag of $695 we think it just misses the mark. PCMag agrees with us giving the X420 a three out of five stating old tech CPU and memory mis-management as negatives yet battery life, size and weight were all in favour of the X420. The unit gains a 7.5 editor’s rating at Computer Shopper where concerns were expressed over performance again yet the switchable graphics option and weight were considered positives.

If you happen to have an X420 from MSI then let us know what you think.

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It wasn’t that long ago that we were enthusing about the MSI GX640 gaming notebook and here we are two weeks later and MSI have unleashed yet another one on the alien-bashing world. The latest unit, the GX740, sports a 17 inch display, powered by a quad 1.6 GHz Core i7 processor with a Mobility Radeon HD 5870 grahocs card with a go-faster red trim. The price tag will be around $1400, so if you’re still interested feel free to check out the rest of the details

* 17 inch TFT-LCD Widescreen Display
* Quad 1.6 GHz Core i7 processor
* 4GB memory
* Mobility Radeon HD 5870 graphics card (with GDDR5 1GB VRAM)
* 7.1-channel audio output
* Built-in subwoofer
* 5 SRS Premium Sound™-certified high-fidelity speakers
* 500GB, 7,200RPM HDD
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
* HDMI output
* 2.0 Mega Pixel Webcam

The MSI GX740 certainly seems to sport the necessary specifications for a gaming laptop with a nice price tag of $1400 at Amazon. As for reviews, PC Advisor give it the thumbs up with a slight reservation about the lack of a full HD display and Notebook Check give the MSI GX740 a thorough test review with a glowing final verdict.

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MSI have a neatly priced gaming notebook out there at the moment, the GX640-098US. The unit sports an Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor and a ATI Radeon™ HD5850 3D graphics card with GDDR5 1GB VRAM to help repell those nasty aliens. Here are some more features and specs on the MSI GX640-098US

* The GX640 uses the most advanced Intel Core i5 processor, and is the world’s performance leader among gaming laptops, giving users the ultimate experience in speed.
* MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine power management system
* Sleek brushed-metal design
* Contoured touch-style hotkeys
* Prepare to experience a riveting high-definition gaming experience with ATI Radeon™ HD 5850 graphics processors.
* Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor 2.26GHz 3MB Cache
* Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
* 15.4″ WSVGA+ (1680 x 1050) display
* ATI Radeon™ HD5850 Broadway Pro 1GB DDR5
* Internal Speaker x 2
* 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3
* 500GB / 7200RPM
* Super Multi DVD Drive
* Gigabit Ethernet LAN
* Built-in 802.11a/g/n
* Bluetooth
* 4 in 1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/XD)
* 2.0 MP Webcam
* USB 2.0 X 2
* Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1, HDMI X 1
* Mic-in X 1, Headphone X 1
* 14.1” (L) x 10.24” (W) x 1.22” (H)
* 6.3 lbs with (9-cell battery)
* 3-Year Limited Warranty (include 1-Year Global Warranty)

That’s a pretty impressive set of specs and features and it’s all wrappd up in a $1200 price tag. Nice! We tried to track down some reviews for you and all we could find was this one at PCMag where the GX640 gets 3.5 stars out of 5. Downsides for them are the lack of battery life, excess heat output and sticky mouse pad buttons. Of course the price tag, processor, and graphics card are most definitely pluses. Given the negatives we still think the MSI GX640-098US is very good value for a gaming laptop.

Update: The MSI GX640 is available at Amazon for $1106.

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MSI have just cranked out a bunch of new laptops for your perusal. There are three new models in the CR620 range, but we shall take a look at the latest addition to the CR600 range, the CR600-234US model. The new CR600 is powered by an Intel Dual-Core T5400 processor, managed by Windows 7 Home Premium and has a 16 inch LCD display. Other snazzy features include an HDMI output, brushed aluminium touchpad and built-in webcam and microphone. The full details on the CR600-234US are as follows

* Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core T4500 2.3GHz 800 MHz FSB Processor
* Windows 7 Home Premium OS
* Black or Silver options
* 16 inch 1366 x 768 res WXGA LCD 16:9 display
* GeForce 8200M G GPU
* 1W x 2 internal speakers
* 3 GB memory
* 320 GB SATA HDD
* DVD Super Multi Optical drive
* 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection
* 802.11b/g/draft n WLAN Card built-in
* 4 in 1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/XD)
* 1.3 MP webcam
* 3 x USB 2.0 outputs
* VGA, HDMI output
* Headphone, Mic-in, Line-in ports
* 14.73 x 9.73 x 0.63 – 1.18 inches

It all sounds quite impressive to us and with price tag of $526.20 at Amazon the MSI CR600
looks very attractive indeed. As we’ve discussed a large number of laptops recently we thought we’d point out a couple of units that are just priced above the MSI CR600. For $800 Alienware’s M11x compares nicely but admittedly it’s aimed at a different market and Lenovo’s IdeaPad G560 with the same $800 price tag sports an extra 1 GB of memory over the CR600′s spec. So if you’re looking for a laptop under $600 then the MSI CR600 seems like a good option to us.

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The new MSI Wind U135 sports Intel’s Pine Trail platform and boasts the new 1.66 GHz Atom processor increasing the battery life up to a very respectable 7.5 hours. Here’s the rest of the specification for the snazzy looking U135 laptop

* 1 GB Memory
* 160 GB HDD
* 802.11b/g/n connectivity
* Windows 7 Starter OS
* 10 inch 1024 x 600 res WSVGA display
* 4.3 pounds
* Built-in webcam
* Bluetooth connectivity

Apparently the MSI Wind U135 also has a quieter keyboard so you won’t disturb those around when you’re tip-tapping away plus a 20% wider touchpad for those of us with slightly chubbier digits. Overall though it’s a pretty standard netbook but the battery life is most definitely a plus to make the MSI Wind U135 worth taking a look at. Right now you can hold of one of these suckers at Amazon for a respectable $317.

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MSI have just launched a couple of Wind Box mini desktops, namely the DC200 and DE200 for US$250 and US$300 respectively. The difference between the two units is an ATI Radeon HD 4350 Graphics card and HDMI output sported by the DE200 big brother of the duo. Otherwise the following details are common to the Wind Box siblings.

* 1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor
* 1GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM RAM
* 160GB Hard Drive, VESA Wall mount included (L-Shape)
* Wireless b/g, 4-in-1 Card Reader, 4 x USB Ports, 1 x D-sub, 1 x LAN
* Windows XP Home
* 11.14 x 1.18 inches x 7.01 inches
* 4.5 lbs

These specs were gleaned from the Amazon website where the DC200 and DE200 Wind Boxes are on pre-order right now, but over at the MSI press release Wireless 802.11n is touted as being available on these suckers. Best check that out before purchase if it’s important to you. So if you’re on the lookout for a small desktop as an entertainment unit the DC200 and DE200 may be the answer you’re looking for.

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At a slimline 0.9 inches thick the MSI X600 laptop is certainly a neat little unit considering it still manages to squeeze in the following bits and pieces in its small frame

* 1.4GHz Penryn SFF C2S ULV SU3500 Processor
* 4GB DDR2 SO-DIMM RAM
* 320GB SATA Hard Drive
* Windows Vista Home Premium
* 6 Cell Battery
* 15.6″ WXGA 16:9 1366×768 res LCD display
* Graphics 512 MB
* 10.03 x 15.4 x 0.9 inches
* 4.6 lbs

The X600 certainly looks the part with that line-up and it has a pretty cool price tag of US$900 too. As usual with slimline laptops, there is no internal optical drive but the rest of the specs certainly look impressive. If you’ve taken a closer look at the MSI X600 then please let us know what you think.

Update: The X600 is on special over at Amazon for only $799.

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