MSI GX630

To hardcore gamers, the phrase “cheap gaming notebook” is an oxymoron. The concept of a system built for less than $800 that can handle the rigors of high-octane firefights in demanding games like Far Cry 2 and Crysis Warhead falls into the realm of utter fantasy. But Taiwanese notebook manufacturer MSI begs to differ, hoping to blaze new trails with its GX630, which is aimed at casual gamers. The performance is decent for the price, and this notebook has some style, but the cramped keyboard will be a deal breaker for many.

Design

With its fingerprint-gathering black aluminum chassis, red racing stripe, grilled dashboard, and plethora of gaudy advertising stickers, the GX630 would appeal to the NASCAR crowd more than gamers. Still, the 6-pound notebook is refreshingly light for a gaming system, and at 14.7 x 9.7 x 1.4 inches, it’s not too bulky, either. The only design complaint is that it exudes heat right where most gamers place their hands while using the mouse.

MSI wisely highlights the WASD movement keys in red for gamers, but the rest of the keyboard isn’t so accommodating. In an effort to provide a full numeric pad, MSI squeezed the rest of the keys into a smaller space. This trade-off is perplexing considering that many games require the use of the Ctrl key that MSI shrank and moved to the right to make room for a Fn key. FPS gamers won’t appreciate the inconvenience of remapping or relearning controls. The overly sensitive touchpad is also too close to the keyboard, which can result in a jumpy cursor during typing.

The silver and black dashboard above the keyboard features an illuminated power button and touch controls for media, the webcam, Bluetooth, MSI’s power-saving Eco mode, and the overclocking Turbo mode, which gives the system a slight performance boost.

Display

The bright 15.4-inch, 1280 x 800 display may skimp a bit on resolution, but it’s a decent concession for the cost. The screen performed brilliantly while displaying bright explosions or tropical settings, but the reflective surface can be bothersome when watching darker scenes and while viewing from wider angles. Still, the panel is good enough for two people sitting next to each other in front of the screen.

Webcam, Audio, and Ports

The 2-megapixel webcam above the display delivered surprisingly decent video quality during Web chats. If you’re watching movies or playing blockbuster games, we suggest plugging in speakers or opting for headphones to take advantage of the GX630’s 7.1 audio output support. The built-in speakers don’t get very loud, which is probably a good thing considering the tinny sound and empty bottom they produced.

On the perimeter, the GX630 houses several peripheral-friendly ports, such as HDMI, eSATA, three USB 2.0 jacks, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire, which are distributed well around the notebook.