MSI CR650 review

The keyboard is reasonably firm, and the keys have a distinct bite that provides excellent feedback for touch-typists. There’s a numberpad to the right with four columns of keys; our only complaint is that the main keyboard’s Enter key isn’t double-height. The touchpad has a textured surface and was very responsive, but the single see-saw button is positioned away from the edge of the case where your thumb naturally rests.

One surprise was the quality of the speakers. They aren’t particularly loud, but have a well-rounded sound that’s good enough for watching catch-up TV or even a movie. We wouldn’t say there was a lot of bass, but it’s much better than the average laptop. If you wanted to hook the CR650 up to a surround-sound system, you’ll need an AV amplifier with an HDMI input, as the only other output is a 3.5mm headphone minijack.

A 500GB hard disk and seven-hour battery life are other benefits, but at 2.3kg this isn’t the lightest laptop to lug around with you. MSI’s two-year collect-and-return warranty is great considering the low price, but it can’t make up for the poor performance. For the same money, the Core i3-equipped Packard Bell EasyNote NS44-HR-033UK is better value.