MSI GX600 Gaming Notebook (Intel Santa Rosa)

Introduction MSI GX600 Gaming Notebook (Intel Santa Rosa)

Not too long ago, gaming on a notebook (and we don't mean Solitaire here) was an alien concept. Only the very best and expensive models were capable of emulating their desktop counterparts for demanding 3D games; the majority were still associated with work and business use. Since then, notebooks have grown in stature and performance and are increasingly replacing desktops in roles like multimedia entertainment and gaming.

Great balls of fire! From its exterior, there's no doubting the intended purpose and demographics for the GX600.

With specifications that are potentially equal to any desktop, this new breed of notebooks is not just about portability anymore, and manufacturers have responded to the expanded usage of the notebook by issuing models that are targeted to different kinds of consumers. One such group includes those who have a passion for games and even mainstream manufacturers like Dell and HP have joined in the act. Seeing such a trend, MSI has also decided it's time to make a big splash and spearheading this initiative is the fiery red GX600 gaming notebook, featuring a unique Turbo mode to instantly boost performance even more.

The standard headphone and microphone jacks are as usual found here for convenience's sake, along with a card reader.

2 USB ports, LAN and modem jacks and most importantly, a HD DVD drive to keep up with the times.


A plethora of connectors and ports here, of note are the e-SATA and HDMI ports. Optionally, you can have a TV tuner for this model and hence you can connect an antenna to it.

With the 9-cell Li-on battery included in our review unit, the rear of the GX600 is naturally more bulky than usual.

MSI GX600 Specifications

Processor and Chipset

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7300 (2.0GHz)
• Intel PM965 Express chipset
• Processor Bus - 533/800MHz

Operating System

• Tested with Microsoft Windows Vista Premium (Sold without OS)

BIOS

• Supports DVD/CD-ROM and USB boot

System Memory

• 2GB DDR2 System Memory (upgradeable to 2GB)
• 2 x DDR2 SO-DIMM Slots
• Memory Bus - 533MHz

Video & Display

• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
• 512MB total available graphics memory
• 15.4-inch widescreen TFT Color Display
• Native resolution 1440 x 900

HDD

• 250GB SATA (5400RPM)
• Western Digital (WD2500BEVS-22UST0)

Optical Drive

• SuperMulti/Combo/HD DVD (Toshiba TS-L802A)

Communication

• Integrated Gigabit Ethernet LAN & Modem
• Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection & Bluetooth 2.0 (optional)

Audio

• Realtek HD Audio

Front & Side I/O Ports

• 4 x USB 2.0 ports
• 1 x RJ-45 (Gigabit LAN)
• 1 x RJ-11 modem port
• i.LINK (IEEE 1394)
• VGA analog output
• S-Video output
• 1 x HDMI output
• Digital TV tuner port
• eSATA port
• Integrated 4-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro)
• Headphone and microphone jacks
• 1 x PCMCIA card (Type II)

Miscellaneous

• Integrated 1.3 Mega-pixel camera
• Includes gaming accessories (mouse and headphones)
• Battery (9 cell Li-ion)

Dimension & Weight

• 358mm (L) x 259mm (W) x 27 - 32mm (H)
• 2.6kg (including the supplied battery)