MSi released the X600 as the larger cousin of the X340, a line of ultraportables that are slim, inexpensive, and look very good for their price range. To phrase it all up in a simple sentence, the X-Series line is a “poor man’s Macbook Air”. Although the price is much lower than its main competitors, the X600 has power and affordability that has yet to be matched by other ultra-sleek computers. That of course, does not mean everything is “happy go lucky”. Nevertheless, the X600 packs a serious punch.
The Review
Price as Reviewed: $899.99
Full Disclosure: This is a review unit sent in by MSi for review.
MSi’s X600 packs in an ATi Radeon 4330 HD GPU which allows you to play most games on low to medium settings without a single hiccup. The 1.4Ghz Ultra Low Voltage Intel processor helps with battery life: you can expect at least 3 hours on a charge under very heavy usage in Windows 7′s “High Performance” mode (movies, multitasking, Wi-Fi, games). If you turn down the brightness and switch to “Power Saver” or “Balanced” you can be sure to get much more usage.
Specs
The X600 includes a 1.4 Ghz Intel ULV Solo processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM (3GB of which is actually usable), ATi Radeon 4330 HD Mobility graphics, a 500GB hard drive running at 5,400 rpm, 15.6 inch 1366 x 768 16:9 ratio LCD glossy screen, Windows 7 Home Premium, Dolby Home Theater speakers, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera with a mic, 6-cell battery, numberpad and a trackpad which supports multitouch gestures. All of this comes in a frame that weighs 4.8 pounds (completely unheard of for 15-inch laptops).
Performance
The X600 can multitask moderately well, having Chrome, Firefox, Paint.Net, and a demo of Modern Warfare running in the background shows no signs of the system hanging up or lagging. The Geekbench 2.1 test results show that the X600 can do all of this very well, but is below the “average score” (usually 3,000 and up) in the average computer portable category.
In the gaming sector, the X600 can push its way through resource-intensive games without major stalls in framerates. The original Modern Warfare demo with a resolution of 800 x 600 and AA 2X gets an average of about 25 FPS, a minimum of 16 FPS, and a max of 30 frames per second, meaning that most casual games can run on low settings (Modern Warfare is very obviously not a “casual” game, meaning that “casual” games are perfect for this system).
Wi-Fi performance is very steadfast and accurate. Over a strong, unsecured network, the X600 downloaded 1GB files in a course of no more than 10 minutes. Wi-Fi networks hardly, if ever drop when in use.
Screen
The 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 glossy display has great viewing angles, which allows 2 or even more people to watch a movie without telling to the other one to “get out of my way”. One thing I wished for was a better screen resolution; 1366 x 768 pixels is too little I think. Besides the pixels issue (my issue), if you’re in sunlight you should move over to a darker spot when using this computer; it can only mildly reduce glare if you crank up the brightness meter.
Design, Keyboard, and Trackpad
The X600 (in black) is a fingerprint magnet. Everywhere. Fingerprints. Putting that on the side (make sure to have a cleaning cloth at all times) the X600 has a very slim profile. Measuring at less than an inch, the X600, in true Macbook Air parody, can fit inside of a yellow manila envelope. How’s that for a cheap Macbook Air?
From what you can see here so far, the X600 is a great all-around portable for on-the-go style kind of people. Then comes the miserable keyboard. The major (ahem) error for the X600 is the numpad that for some “brilliant” reason, had to be there. The numpad causes the right Shift, Backspace, and Ctrl keys to be extremely small, as well as the directional buttons. So while typing at my normal speed, I make several typos, all annoying, and all unexpected. Otherwise the keyboard shows no sign of flex, and is firm, but still comfortable to the touch.
Another main feature that MSi squeezed into the X600′s tiny frame is a multitouch, pinch-and-zoom based, trackpad. On any web browser, and in certain Windows applications, you can pinch-and-zoom like a pro, but if you pinch your fingers ever so slightly it will shrink the webpage to the size of a molecule; though scrolling and swiping was easier. Simply put, the multitouch trackpad needs some fine-tuning in terms of software.
Ports & CD-drive
In many cases ultraportables and the like have one major problem: the lack of USB ports. The Msi X600 has an SD card slot, an E-SATA/USB combo port, HDMI, 2 extra USB ports, VGA, power jack, Kenigston lock slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and audio out. So in this category of “ports”, the X600 has a slight edge over other portables.
One thing you might be wondering is that there is no CD drive. Of course it’s a bad thing, but in this case it’s nearly impossible to fit a CD in a computer that’s less than an inch thick. Which is why when you buy one of these, MSi gives you a free external DVD drive, which matches the glossy coating and color of the laptop. Now if MSi was kind enough to include one in this review unit then I could show you exactly what it looks like, but it doesn’t look like I’m able to.
Battery Life, Facial Recognition, and Camera
The battery can last long enough for 1 meeting, a cup of coffee, a quick 20-minute game, some posts, a couple of YouTube videos, and maybe a movie. So yes, it can probably accompany you on a (very short) road trip, and make sure to set it to the “Balanced” or “Power Saver” modes. And bring the charger along anyway, you’ll still need it.
Total Run Time Under Heavy Stress and Applications: About 3.5 hours.
As for the facial recognition, as most of you know, you have to set a manual password to get begin the configuration process, and while trying to do so, the facial recognition program constantly crashed. Otherwise, the camera itself has great performance, and can capture motion in different light settings, even in the dark.
Speakers?
At first when I pushed the speakers to the limit I though I was pressing the wrong buttons (Fn and the left and right keys), but then to my horror I figured out that the MSi X600 sounds like a mouse that has a cold and a sore throat. It is unable to play a movie without you saying “Did you hear something”? But then I remembered: ultraportable speakers are squeaky. And so that proves a well known fact (in most cases) once again. Although I can report that the audio jack is crisp and clear with a headset plugged in.
Final Verdict
The MSi X600 has great looks, speed, affordability, power to grind through games, and strong presence when you bring it to a local Starbucks. You can look at a Macbook Air owner straight in the eye without a single fear (except the keyboard, it’s terrible). It can also be a great office companion, and great for students, too. All in all, it’s serious bang-for-your-buck.
Pros:
- It’s under $1000
- Has a great deal of hard drive space
- Can actually play games
- Looks great
- Has multitouch trackpad
Cons:
- The LCD is fairly bendy. Very bendy, in fact
- Cramped keyboard because of the numpad
- Completely made out of plastic
- A deaf audio system
