MSI U210x Netbook Review

MSI U210x

This is my first review about a netbook. Heck this is my first ever review about anything computer or electronics.

I got myself an MSI U210x netbook after selling my Asus 14″ laptop last December. I decided to sell my Asus because I need something very light that I can carry with me every day without the need for a bulky backpack or big laptop case. I bought this netbook after the holiday season because I usually shop after Christmas break.

MSI Wind U210x Specifications:

• 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual Core Processor L335
• 2GB 800MHz DDR2 (1 Dimm)
• 12.1″ WXGA LED-Backlit Widescreen Display (1366×768)
• 320GB 5400RPM Western Digital 2.5” SATA Hard Drive
• ATI Mobility Radeon X1270 Graphics
• 1.3MP Webcam
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless, 1Gb LAN
• 4-in-1 card reader
• 9-Cell Li-ion 86WH battery
• HDMI port
• Dimensions: (W x L x H) 11.71″ x 7.49″ x 0.55-1.22″
• Weight: 3lbs 1oz (with 9-cell battery)
• Price as configured: $495

MSI U210x is an AMD Neo dual core powered netbook. AMD Neo processor is the latest offering from AMD specifically for netbooks. Rated at 1.6 ghz which has plenty of computing power for this category. The ATI Radeon 1270 graphics card (beats the competition in its class) can play games you didn’t think a netbook can like Call of Duty 4.The MSI version I got has a 320GB Sata hard drive and a 12.1 inch high definition LCD screen at 16:9 ratio. A 9 cell battery which last up to 7 hours depending on what you are doing and a B/G/N wifi adapter that capable of 300mbps connection with another N wifi router. It also comes with 1.3MP webcam.

What's inside the box

Build and Design

Out of the box, the MSI u210x is as shiny as it can be. It’s is very nice but it’s prone also to finger prints and maybe scratches too. Build is nice and sturdy. The design looks elegant and flushed. The only thing I don’t like is the quality of the keyboard material. Feels cheap and the keys around the K key feels tacky. The 9 cell battery serves as a stand and it puts more gap between the bottom of the netbook and the desk which gives more airflow.

Performance

Because this is a netbook, it doesn’t have a DVD-Rom so I need either an external DVD drive (which I don’t have) or a USB installer. I had to prepare my USB flash drive and copy the windows 7 installation files so I can install it from there.

Installation is a breeze. I inserted my USB flash drive with Windows 7 to one of MSI’s u201x USB port and press the power button and it booted right away from the USB and Windows 7 installation begins and finished in less than half an hour.

Once again I had to copy the device drivers from the CD to USB so I can install it on the netbook. After installing all the drivers, I started installing other essential softwares like MS Office, MS Antivirus and other stuff as well.

Booting the netbook is fast and only takes 45 seconds from the time I pressed the power button to showing its desktop. This netbook is very responsive unlike most 10 inch netbooks in the market that will take a few seconds more to open an application.

This little beast can handle Photoshop and other editing applications with ease. It can also multi-task like with a dozen browsers running while there are Excel and Word in the background and I’m listening to some music.

MSI U210x features

Features

Wifi connection is very good too and it almost always has a good signal. The keys on the keyboard are full sized but I still prefer the keys on my Asus laptop. I don’t like the material used on this one and typing isn’t as nice as my old Asus laptop nor the 9 inch Acer Aspire One I got last year.

Touch pad is one of the best I’ve tried and its also very responsive. I am using Synaptics driver and all features works like virtual scrolling and double taps, etc.

This netbook also has a HDMI connection which is not usual for a netbook. I connected it to our 37″ Samsung LCD and the graphics is as clear as it can be. I also tried playing HD movies from this netbook connected to the Samsung LCD TV and it really came out high definition. The only thing that will keep me from watching from my netbook through the 37″ Samsung is the sound will come out of the TV instead of our Samsung home theater. Battery life tested between 5 hours to 7 hours depending on what I’m doing.

MSI via HDMI on Samsung LCD

HDMI Port

These days almost everything is digital. HDMI or High Definition Multi Media Interface is becoming the industry standard for connecting TV’s, home theaters and computers and even gaming consoles. More and more products are shipping with HDMI ports so if your netbook or laptop has one then it is future proof. HDMI transmits both audio and video so no need for another set of audio wires.

The main thing about having an HDMI port in your netbook is you can watch and play games on a bigger screen. Let’s face it, a netbook has a small screen (this one with 12.1 screen is the largest for a netbook) and you may want to use a bigger screen when you are at home.  So you just plugged it in and presto, the webpage will come alive and that High Definition movie you’ve just downloaded is surely appear better in your 40″ Plasma TV.

I’ve tried connecting a netbook before via VGA port and the text is almost unreadable. With HDMI, you can see everything in details.

So if you want a netbook that comes with a good screen size at 12.1″ and a good graphics card that able to play some games like Call of Duty 4 with full keyboard then this is the netbook for you. The price is a bargain too at 23k pesos (6 mos to pay) or roughly $498. Other netbooks are priced the same but with less features and slower processor.

High Definition LCD

The pros and cons

Pros:

1. Bargain price
2. AMD Neo dual core processor
3. ATI Radeon graphics card
4. Full size keyboard
5. high definition 12.1 (16:9) LCD
6. 320GB Sata Hard drive
7. 9 cell battery
8. Very light weight even with 12.1 LCD screen

Cons:
1. Cheap feeling plastic material on keyboard
2. Finish is prone to scratches and finger prints if your not careful
3. Can’t think of anything else

This is the perfect netbook for the price under $500. It can do what most desktops can do at a fraction of the weight.