MSI F-Series Laptops With Wireless Display

MSI recently launched their new F-series of laptops , and also Introduced WiDi (Intel’s wireless display) along with. The laptops are touted as classy, hi-tech and are meant for the fashion-conscious urbanite.

There is no doubt that these laptops look impressive and they have something that no other laptops offer. In his article, let us look at the specifications in details and see whether these newbies will catch up to the fierce competition out there, especially as far as features and the price-performance ration is concerned.

Style icon Nethra Raghuraman with Mr. Tony Yang, Managing Director of MSI India

At the launch, there were two entry-level laptop models on display, the FX400 and the FX600, both with Core i3 CPU. Obviously, these models are also available in the mainstream segment with Corei5 CPUs, in the mean while take a look at the specs of the entry-level variants.

Quick Specs:
MSI FX600

• Processor: Intel Core i3-330M
• RAM: 4 GB DDR3
• Hard drive: 500 GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT325M / 1GB
• Screen/Resoluiton: 15.6-inch / 1366 x 768
• Network: Wi-Fi N
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

MSI FX400

• Processor: Intel Core i3-330M
• RAM: 2 GB DDR3
• Hard drive: 320 GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT325M / 1GB
• Screen/Resoluiton: 14-inch / 1366 x 768
• Network: Wi-Fi N
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

**
Specs of the Core i5 variants:**
FX400

• Processor: Intel Core i5
• RAM: MAX 8 GB DDR3
• Hard drive: 320 / 500 GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT325M / 1GB
• Screen/Resoluiton: 14-inch / 1366 x 768
• Network: Wi-Fi N
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

FX600

• Processor: Intel Core i5
• RAM: MAX 8 GB DDR3
• Hard drive: 320 / 500 / 640 GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT325M / 1GB
• Screen/Resoluiton: 15.6-inch / 1366 x 768
• Network: Wi-Fi N
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

FR600

• Processor: Intel Core i5
• RAM: MAX 8 GB DDR3
• Hard drive: 320 / 500 / 640 GB
• Graphics: HD Graphics
• Screen/Resoluiton: 15.6-inch / 1366 x 768
• Network: Wi-Fi N
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

Prices for the MSI F-Series notebooks range between Rs. 37,000 to Rs. 53,000 depending on the model and configuration.
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Excerpts from the official press release:
With the new F-Series featuring India’s first WiDi and powered by the Intel Core processor family, you can sit back and experience your favorite videos, photos and music on your TV with great image clarity and amazing sound, wirelessly.

Models with discrete graphics in the F-Series all come equipped with the nVIDIA GeForce GT 325M discrete graphics card with 1GB GDDR3 of display memory bestowing them with high performance graphics processing capabilities. This is coupled with MSI’s own GPU Boost technology which automatically switches graphics processing modes.

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Despite using high performance processors and an internal DVD Super-Multi CD-ROM, the MSI F-Series still boasts extended battery life. MSI’s exclusive ECO engine power saving technology gives the F-Series more than twice the per-charge battery time of conventional Notebooks.

ECO engine power saving technology allows you to select from among five power management levels—Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery, automatically adjusting display brightness, on/off switch, sleep mode, and processor performance settings, to maximize battery flexibility and per-charge use time.

THX, the internationally renowned authority in sound system technology, worked closely with MSI in the designing of the entire MSI F-Series. The resulting high quality theater-grade surround sound speakers reproduce high fidelity sound regardless of music type and frequency range. This is then adjusted with the Smart Volume and Surround technologies to create a surround sound environment tailor-made for you.

Similar craftsmanship went into the design of the inside cover and the wrist-rest areas, underscoring the overall design balance of the F-Series. In addition, details on F-Series notebooks, including high tech raised points on the touchpad and unassuming matte platinum trim around the base and speakers imbue the notebooks with class heretofore found only in fine works of art.

Bottom line
Looking at the features and also considering the hardware and prices, it looks like these laptops might have an edge over others, atleast until a majority of other brands start offering WiDi.

Nevertheless, if a well-equipped Core i5 laptop costs anywhere between 45K to about 55K, we’re not complaining. Also, if you’re getting special features then why wouldn’t someone consider these laptops? However, it’s too early to conclude, so let’s wait until we have our hands on our test unit.