MSI CR630 review
It may not blow you away with its performance, but the improved keyboard and screen make the CR630 the best budget Blu-ray notebook we've seen
Specifications
15.6 in 1,366×768 display, 2.5kg, 2.1GHz AMD Athlon II X2 P320, 4.00GB RAM, 320GB disk, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
At 2.5kg, the CR630 is a bit too heavy for regular travelling, and its battery life of just under three hours means you can’t stray too far from a mains socket. It feels generally sturdier than the CR610, and you still get a generous two year collect-and-return warranty for peace of mind.
If you’re looking for a laptop that can play Blu-ray movies, the CR630 is an excellent budget choice, but its limited performance means it’s not the best choice for video-editing or other processor-intensive tasks, and the lack of a dedicated graphics chip means it won’t appeal to gamers. The screen and keyboard improve on the previous model however, and you you’ll be hard pressed to find a Blu-ray-equipped notebook for less, so it wins our Budget Buy award.
Basic Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rating | **** |
| Processor | AMD Athlon II X2 P320 |
| Processor clock speed | 2.1GHz |
| Memory | 4.00GB |
| Memory slots | 2 |
| Memory slots free | 0 |
| Maximum memory | 4GB |
| Size | 35x374x248mm |
| Weight | 2.5kg |
| Sound | Realtek HD Audio |
| Pointing device | touchpad |
Display | |
| Viewable size | 15.6 in |
| Native resolution | 1,366×768 |
| Graphics Processor | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4270 |
| Graphics/video ports | VGA, HDMI |
| Graphics Memory | 256MB |
Storage | |
| Total storage capacity | 320GB |
| Optical drive model | HL-DT-ST CT10N |
| Optical drive type | DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM |
Ports and Expansion | |
| USB ports | 3 |
| Bluetooth | yes |
| Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
| Wireless networking support | 802.11b/g/n |
| PC Card slots | 1x ExpressCard/34 |
| Modem | No |
| Supported memory cards | SD, MMC, Memory Stick Pro, xD |
| Other ports | eSATA (shared with USB socket), minijack audio output, minijack microphone input |
Miscellaneous | |
| Carrying case | No |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| Operating system restore option | backup and recovery software |
| Software included | Intervideo WinDVD 8, Microsoft Works 9 SE |
| Optional extras | none |
Buying Information | |
| Warranty | two years collect and return |
| Price | £500 |
| Details | uk.msi.com |
| Supplier | http://www.argos.co.uk |