MSI CX640

The blurb on MSI's site for the CX640 says: Never Compromise. Your journey to an all-new world of laptop computers starts here. Does the CX640 deliver?

From a performance standpoint we'd have to say not quite. While the machine offers potent app performance thanks to its 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor and 4GB of memory, games are beyond the machine's reach. Running our DirectX 10 World in Conflict test the machine managed a framerate of only 20fps - 10fps below the 30fps smooth mark. Moving to our DirectX 9-based Street Fighter IV benchmark however, the machine churned out a framerate of 52fps at the LCD's native 1,366 x 768 pixels.

MSI's CX640 is a fairly stylish machine though being a desktop replacement it is bulky and heavy, weighing 2.6kg. From a physical standpoint then the MSI isn't ideal to travel with. That said, the machine offers reasonable battery life given its core components; it managed to stay alive for two hours and four minutes.

On a daily basis the MSI is a fairly pleasant machine to work on. Although the keyboard demonstrates a bit of flex, it's responsive and quiet. The trackpad feels great under finger too and has just the right amount of texture to help you make precise movements.