MSI FX420-001US 14-Inch Laptop - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had this laptop for a week now and its nothing short of what is advertised. The Sandy Bridge i5 processor really takes the highlight for this laptop. When I first got it, it felt light. Like REAL Unbelievably Light for all these specs. I was looking for a sandy bridge i5 laptop with USB 3.0 and this just fits right in the budget.
What I did not expect was the screen size. I've owned three 14 inchers before this and the screen size on those was a lot larger if i recall correctly. Because it has a 1366x728 display, the screen is now wide instead of square, hence the screen is wide like a 15 inch , but has the height of a 13 inch laptop.
Apart from the LED screen there was one other let down. The 500GB hard drive was just 5400rpm and hence makes the whole system operate like a snail. i5 or i7, the hard drive speed kills the whole purpose of sandy bridge and 6GB Ram.
I immediately ordered a 128GB Steady State Drive Kingston SSDNow V Series 128 GB SATA 3 GB/s 2.5- Inch Solid State Drive with Desktop Upgrade Kit Bundle SNV425-S2BD/128GB and installed it. Now nothing can slow this baby down. If you are considering going for this laptop, get a Steady State Drive to maximize performance, unless you don't really care about performance.
The Keyboard is quite a treat.
Finally, the 1GB Radeon graphics Card runs side by side with the Intel internal graphics. The Intel default upon startup but as applications need the graphics power, the 1GB takes over. I have never seed this actually happen though. I ran NFS Shift 2 after i set up the graphics options in the Catalyst Control Center but I saw no difference. Maybe I still have to tinker with the settings a bit more to get the card to work.
To Sum it up
Pros:
i5 Processor
6GB Ram
Chicklet Keyboard
Lightweight as nothing else
Great THX sound (surround)
HDMI out
USB 3.0
Multitouch Trackpad ( although the beaded feeling "boils my blood" sometimes )
Cons:
Slow Hard Drive
Smaller LED Screen than expected
Laptop gets hot under heavy load (playing 1080p movies over HDMI & Video Conversion. etc..)
They say it is an anti finger print design but its not anti grease ( oil and grease is easily transferred to the lid )
Loads of Bloatware Applications ( I uninstalled most of them as soon as i got it )
Hope this helps
Yudhistre


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Product Description Amazon.com Product Description MSI FX420-001US, Smart Mobility Packed full of features, the 14" MSI FX420-001US has the power to keep up with any on-the-go lifestyle. The 14" high-definition 16:9 aspect ratio display is small enough to take anywhere but large enough to keep you entertained. Equipped with Intel's latest 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2410M processor is the AMD Radeon™ HD6470 graphic card that delivers revolutionary power and insane graphics for high-definition entertainment. Take pleasure in watching hours of your favorite HD movies in surreal detail and color. With the AMD Radeon™ HD6470 graphics card, get great battery life and performance whether you're watching a video, surfing the web or playing games. Beyond the ordinary, separate yourself from the crowd with raised checkered flag patterns and advanced anti-fingerprint coating both standard! Enjoy rich virtual surround sound with the THX TruStudio Pro. Truly revolutionize music, movies and gaming with realistic dialogue and explosions. Want added size? Go even larger by easily connecting to your HDTV via the HDMI port (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The MSI FX420-001US, Smart Mobility.
Key Features
Visibility Smart: Powered by Intel's latest 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2410M processor
High-Definition Entertainment: AMD Radeon™ HD6470 graphic card delivers revolutionary power and insane graphics
Work Smart: MSI GPU Boost Technology can automatically switch to the desired mode to achieve great graphics performance and superior battery life
True-to-life multimedia enjoyment with HDMI, USB 3.0
Authentic Sound: THX Tru Studio Pro Surround Sound Effect
Beyond the ordinary, stunning beauty design: Checkered flag patterns with Anti-fingerprint Coating
Power-saving technology for extended battery life:ECO Engine power saving technology

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