Thursday, October 27, 2011

MSI X460DX: A Well-Rounded Laptop for Mobile Power Users

The MSI X460DX is actually a slim yet potent laptop, and it carries a good price tag tag. With two USB 3.0 ports, a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor, as well as a discrete graphics card beneath its hood, the X460DX will without doubt tempt any mobile energy person.

Our evaluation model, priced at $830 (as of September 27, 2011), came full of a Core i5-2410M processor, 6GB of RAM, a 500GB Seagate hard disk drive (spinning at 7200 rpm), and an Nvidia GeForce GT 540M discrete graphics card with Optimus auto-switching technological innovation. The X460DX also characteristics built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, stereo speakers, plus a webcam. Our critique design ran the 64-bit model of Windows 7 Residence Top quality.

The MSI X460DX managed a good WorldBench 6 benchmark score of 120. Despite the fact that that just isn't the top WorldBench 6 score we have seen, specifically inside the X460DX's group of all-purpose laptops, it is just a rather higher mark considering the price and excess weight of the machine. The Dell Latitude E6420 ATG, for example, attained a WorldBench six score of 136, however it also costs about $3000. And the $1500 Dell XPS 15z arrived at a mark of 134--but at five.six kilos, it really is more than a pound heavier compared to the 4.3-pound X460DX.

Utilizing its discrete GeForce GT 540M graphics card, the X460DX attained alright scores within our graphics exams. In our Dust 2 tests, the X460DX managed a respectable although not amazing frame charge of 40.1 frames for each second (substantial good quality configurations, 1024-by-768-pixel resolution). Yes, it isn't even near to a gamer's dream transportable (for that, look at the $2400 Maingear EX-L fifteen gaming notebook, which ran at 121 fps in the same check), but the X460DX is good for high-def video clip streaming and nongaming graphical jobs. Furthermore, the X460DX's battery lasts for a sensible period of time, about six hours--unlike the EX-L fifteen, which lasts much less than three hrs.

The X460DX's black, brushed-aluminum cover is desirable, but regrettably it attracts lots of fingerprints. The brushed-aluminum appear carries more than for the wristrest, however the rest of the interior sports shiny plastic with faux-chrome accents. Aside from the power button, two buttons--one for quickly switching amongst battery options, and one particular for configuring the Operate keys--sit over the keyboard. The chassis feels quite strong general, despite the fact that the laptop is slim and light at just 1 inch thick and 4.three lbs.

Around the X460DX you'll find a pleasant variety of ports, including two USB three.0 ports around the left edge. Alongside are HDMI- and VGA-out, an ethernet port, one particular USB 2.0 port, and headphone/microphone jacks. Multimedia ports contain a two-in-one card reader, as well as a DVD burner. The ports are completely positioned on the left and right sides in the computer--the X460DX has nothing at all in the front apart from for numerous blue standing lights.

The input products are pretty basic: usable, but practically nothing special. The matte-black Chiclet-style keyboard delivers excellent suggestions, however the keys are occasionally somewhat stiff. The nonbacklit keyboard also has some navigation keys, such as Page Up/Down, House, and Finish. The touchpad, that's black and features a circular texture, is ever-so-slightly laggy--the pointer requires a second to maneuver after you've slid your finger--and cursor movement is just not easy. However, the touchpad does support multitouch gestures, these as two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom. The big, faux-chrome rocker bar below the touchpad gives great feedback.

The X460DX's glossy, 14-inch LCD display is massive and bright, and it's got a native resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels. The exhibit is appealing, with daring shades, crisp particulars, and number of reflections, even in brilliant daylight.

Multimedia playback is what you'd expect on the notebook using a discrete graphics card. High definition video clip streaming is easy, however artifacting, this kind of as blocky designs, from time to time appears in darker scenes. The speakers will also be as expected for the notebook of this size--not loud ample, a little skinny, and inclined to tinny voices. This can be surely a notebook for headphones.

The MSI X460DX might not hold the title of "lightest" or "most powerful" or "longest battery life," however it is surely properly rounded. It's mild enough to hold about daily, highly effective enough to finish everything however the most resource-intensive jobs, and long-lived adequate to final through a flight across the country. Additionally, its style is forward-thinking with two USB 3.0 ports, and it charges well below $1000.

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