IFA 2008 – MSI Shows Off 16-inch Multimedia Notebooks

Taiwanese company MSI, which has garnered a lot of press for its “Wind” netbook, is bringing 16" multimedia notebooks to market. These are the Intel-based EX620 with a Core 2 Duo (FSB 1066) with a price tag of around €800 (around $1,180) and the AMD-based EX630. The latter will be available in two versions, one featuring AMD’s Athlon X2 dual core CPU and costing €700 (around $1,030), while the other will be built around the Turion X2 Ultra dual core processor with a €900 (around $1,300) price tag.

Curiously, the Intel-based version EX620 will feature an ATI graphics chip, namely the Mobility Radeon 3479, while the AMD model EX630 will come with an Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS chip.

Apart from that, both versions come with a feature list befitting a video-capable multimedia device. They will sport a 250 GB or 320 GB hard drive and 3 or 4 GB of DDR2 RAM, depending on the model. Their 16” display uses a 16:9 aspect ratio and offers a WSXGA resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The most expensive EX630 model will also come with a Blu-ray drive rather than a conventional DVD drive.

MSI is also equipping its new models with a powerful sound system, as far as is possible in a notebook. They will feature 2-Watt speakers and a subwoofer, resulting in a 2.1 channel system. HD Videos with a resolution of up to 1920 x 1080i can be outputted using the HDMI port.

MSI’s notebooks will have one more special feature – a touch-sensitive bar above the keyboard that will let users choose from five different profiles called Office, Movie, Presentation, Gaming, and Eco Mode. The obvious goal is to squeeze as much battery life out of the notebooks as possible. In Office mode, for example, this is achieved by turning off or slowing down certain components. Additionally, the EX620 and EX630 will feature fingerprint sensors to prevent unauthorized access.

The new models will be available from September. Models carrying the E-designation belong to MSI’s Entertainment series, while Gaming notebooks have a G in their name and business notebooks use model names starting with P for Professional.