MSI FX600 review

MSI’s FX600 is a bit more expensive than other 15.6in laptops with Core i3 330M processors, , but for two very good reasons. First, it includes a Blu-ray drive and, second, there’s a dedicated graphics card: Nvidia’s GeForce GT 325M.

It’s a slight shame the screen has a 1,366×768 resolution, as Blu-ray video has to be downscaled to fit the LED-backlit screen, but picture quality remains very sharp. The excellent colour reproduction and decent contrast made movies look great, although rapid motion was slightly blurry. The screen has lots of tilt for finding the perfect vertical viewing angle, although reflections in the glossy screen were distracting.

To get full 1080p video playback, the FX600 can be connected to an external display via HDMI or VGA. Thankfully MSI understands that high-definition video needs good quality sound to go with it. Four speakers, two above the keyboard and two beneath the wrist rest, are well positioned for effective audio with warm mid-tones, clear trebles and even decent levels of bass.

With 4GB of DDR3 memory paired with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and a 500GB hard disk, there have been few sacrifices to keep the FX600’s price down. An overall benchmark score of 76 means this is a very capable machine for everyday use. The GT 325M graphics card can also handle 3D games, as the 28.3fps score in our Call of Duty 4 test indicates. After a prolonged gaming session the case stayed cool to the touch, although the fans did spin up to create a noisy din.

Lasting just over four hours in our battery test, the FX600 is about average for a 15in laptop. It managed this thanks to Nvidia Optimus technology, which can switch from the power-hungry GT 325M to the onboard Intel HD graphics chip when running on battery power.

Connectivity is average, with only two dedicated USB ports, although the e-SATA port doubles as a third. A card reader supports SD, XD, MMC and memory stick and wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi.

The FX600’s attractive black chassis is solidly built and, at 2.5kg, reasonably portable. The Chiclet-style keyboard is responsive: the keys are almost full size and there’s even room for a number pad, but individual keys felt very loose and were noisy when typing. The touchpad is excellent, though. The dimpled surface meant very little resistance for our fingers. Mouse clicks were always responsive, despite the touchpad being one long see-saw rather than two separate buttons.

Blu-ray on the move is definitely the highlight of the FX600, which more than holds its own in everyday tasks and is even up for some gaming. Even though Nvidia has just announced the new, faster 400M series of mobile raphics cards, the GT 325M is still a great budget performer. Naturally, if you won’t use the Blu-ray player or the power of the graphics card, you’re better off saving around £100 and opting for a laptop without these features, but the FX600 is great value if you will.