MSI has announced an interesting new entry in its X-Slim lineup with the X430, a lightweight, less-than-an-inch thick laptop that features a power-saving AMD dual core CPU and several layers of software technology to significantly improve battery life, without compromising in connectivity or video playback capabilities.
MSI has seemingly developed this product with a focus on prolonging battery life from the start. One of the first technical specs that jump to the eye is the not-so-common choice to feature an AMD processor rather than an Intel: the Athlon Neo X2 dual-core delivers more than acceptable performance but even more importantly, MSI notes, requires only 18W to be powered, a 60 percent reduction compared to the norm.
But when AMD's proprietary PowerNow and PowerPlay technology - allowing for automatic regulation of processor speed and voltage according to individual program requirements - as well as MSI's own ECO Engine technology are added to the mix, the end result should be a particularly long-lasting battery, particularly if you choose to go with the 8-cell battery instead of the default 4-cell.
Only 24.5mm at its thickest point, the X430 weighs just 1.5kg but doesn't seem to have meaningful deficiencies in any department - the only exception being support for a maximum of 2GB DDR2 667MHz memory, which may not be good news for gamers or image/video editors.
The 14-inch, 1366x768 LED backlit display plays HD videos thanks to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 graphics card and there's a choice of 320GB or 500GB SATA HDD for storage.
As far as connectivity goes, the X-Slim X430 supports 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, two USB 2.0 ports, D-sub port and HDMI out, a multi-card reader supports SD/SDHC/MMC cards, Bluetooth V2.0 EDR and a 1.3 megapixel camera. There is also an option for an external DVD super-multi drive or a Blu-ray drive.
Disappointingly, MSI hasn't revealed official figures on the actual battery life, and still has to announce the retail price as well as when and where the X430 the product will be launched. Based on the company's history, though, we can reasonably expect it to hit the US market sometime soon, to then expand to the rest of the globe.
Via MSI.