MSI GX620-001US 15.4-Inch Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I need to mention that my review is based only on 3 weeks of ownership of this notebook. I will update my review if necessary later on.
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The goods:
Pretty much what has already been mentioned by the other reviewers on different websites (Amazon.com, newegg.com etc): fast, powerful, good for games (I only tried Command and Conquer 3 on it at max resolution though, and that game worked great - I don't plan on gaming too much on that machine). In particular, I like the HDMI port: I can use my HDTV as a computer monitor by connecting the TV to my laptop with an HDMI cable. eSATA/USB port is cool too.
And the great price too!!!
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The bads:
Only one so far: the keyboard. While it's cool to have the advantage of a full-fledged numeric keypad, the insertion of the numeric keypad resulted in the arrow keys, the right shift key, and 3 more keys on the right side of the laptop to be smaller than usual (look at a picture of the keyboard layout). This is a gaming laptop: smaller arrow keys may be hard to adjust to, and in my humble opinion, including a numeric keypad in this laptop defeated its gaming purpose. Also, notice that the position of the Fn key is where the left Ctrl key is usually found, and vice versa. All of the above can make the keyboard irritating to use at first, but I believe after some time, you can adjust to its weirdness. I don't know how people with BIG fingers feel about the smaller keys though... MSI, you should have been wiser!
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Other notes:
Well, some things may be subjective. I find the sound good enough for a laptop(some people on some web sites said the sound quality was only fair). But hey, you can connect a 7.1 sound system to this baby if you want!
I also don't mind the vents on the right side of the laptop, next to where your right hand would be. I have not been bothered by the heat blowing towards my right hand, mainly because i don't keep my right hand next to the vent but somewhat closer to me when I use my mouse. But I have to say placing the vents on one side of the laptop instead at the back is kind of stupid.
Final word for now: bought this laptop from Amazon.com (and not thru any third party seller). Although in the description Amazon says this laptop comes with Vista 64-bit, mine came with Vista 32-bit - and as a result, my laptop utilizes only about 3 Gb out of the included 4 Gb RAM . Did Amazon make a mistake in their description of this laptop?
Overall, this is the best laptop I've owned and I highly recommend it if it suits your style.

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Dive into your favorite video games with the MSI GX620-001US gaming laptop, which features a vividly colorful 15.4-inch LCD screen, exclusive MSI vivid image enhancement technology, NVIDIA Geforce 9600M GT 3D graphic card, and a Turbo Drive Engine that allows you to overclock the GX620--increasing the speed of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor by as much as 15 percent. It also includes the unique ECO Engine power management function to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks, and you can easily switch between five different modes--Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery (minimizing battery power consumption).
The GX620 features the aluminum exterior with the metallic threads design on the cover, giving it an outstanding sense of fashion. It includes MSI's aerodynamic touchpad design with a simple black mirror plate to accentuate its slickness.
It's powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor--with Centrino 2 technology--which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 includes a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 3 MB of L2 cache, providing an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and multitasking performance.
Other features include a 320 GB hard drive, 4 GB of installed RAM (maximum capacity), Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, 2-megapixel webcam for video chatting, an eSATA/USB combo port, Dolby Digital Live surround sound via two integrated speakers, multi-format memory card reader,and pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.
The Basics
Processor: Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor featuring Intel Centrino 2 technology. This processor has a 2.26 GHz processor speed, super-sized 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a extra-large 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
Formerly codenamed Montevina, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology improves upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless, and new business-class manageability capabilities. The new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--conserves even more energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet.
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and it can run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background.

Hard Drive: The large 320 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.

Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM (PC6400, 2 x 2 GB) maximizes the capacity of this notebook, and it also offers an ultra-fast 800 MHz speed.

DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD±R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

Keyboard & Mouse: The GX620 offers a standard keyboard with the addition of colorful W, A, S, D buttons so game players can find the direction controls in record time, giving you the edge in the fast paced world of intense gaming competition.
Screen, Video & Audio This notebook has a 15.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels (native 720p for high-definition viewing) and a 16:10 aspect ratio. MSI's exclusive VIVID LCD technology is able to display signals for a better richness in colors, and you can even detect in the presence of the finest details.Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics/video card, which provides 512 MB of dedicated video RAM and offers up to 1791 MB of total available graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vista. Enabled by PureVideo HD, movies come to life with outstanding picture clarity, ultra-smooth video and vivid color. The lifelike images have up to six times the detail of standard DVD movies. Delivering state-of-the-art graphics performance, The GeForce 9600M GT graphics card is sure to give you the power and performance you crave to play the hottest DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 titles. Its 16x full-screen antialiasing technology delivers superior quality along with astounding performance and since it's optimized for Windows Vista.
This laptop also has an integrated Intel High Definition Audio card with Dolby Digital Live, which provides real-time encoding technology that converts any audio signal into a Dolby Digital bitstream for transport and playback through a home theater system. It provides Dolby Digital (5.1-channel surround sound) during movie playback and gameplay, immersing players in high-quality surround sound that puts them at the center of the action
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Intel Wireless 5100AGN Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). The Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1 + EDR) enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones.
It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features.
It comes with an HDMI video output, which extends full 1080p support to HD displays as well as provides uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable. Here's the full list of connection options:
3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (including 1 eSATA/USB combo port)
1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
1 ExpressCard slot
Digital video out: HDMI
Analog video out: VGA
1 headphone jack
1 microphone jack
RJ-45 port for 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet connection
56K modem port (V.90)
4-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO)

Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.
Dimensions & Weight This notebook measures 14.75 x 9.7 x 1.4 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 5.6 pounds.
Power It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2 hours (depending on usage.
What's in the Box This package contains the MSI GX620-001US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase.

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