MSI Megabook PR300 review
MSI Megabook PR300
Laptops manufactured by MSI often come to us for testing. This is not surprising. Indeed, the relatively small money you can get a laptop with a variety of powerful features that provide notebooks from the main mass of “grey”. This time the hero review - with 13.3 inch notebook matrix - MSI Megabook PR300. Filed by the following features: Corps of magnesium alloys, the acoustic system consisting of four speakers, high performance processor, and 8 - sectional lithium-ion battery capacity increased.
In a notebook
Technical specifications, manufacturer zavyalennye
Operating System
Windows Vista Business
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHz)
Chipset
Northbridge: Intel Crestline GM965 South Bridge: Intel 82801HBM ICH8-DO
Video
Mobile Intel GMA X3100
Sound
Realtek ALC888
Tip matrix
AU Optronics Corp
13.3 “TFT-1280×800 pixels
RAM
2x 1 GB DDRII-667 DRAM
Transcend JM488Q643A-6
Hard disk
160 GB SATA (WD WDC1600BEVS-00RST0)
Optical Drive
Sony NEC Optiarc DVD RW AD-7530B
Interfaces
1x ExpressCard
3x USB 2.0
1x VGA
1x RJ-11
1x RJ-45
1x IEEE 1394
1x external microphone
1x headphone
1x slot Bridge Media 4 - to-1
Wireless Ends
Intel Wireless WiFi Link AGN 4965, Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR
Extras
Webcam - Chicony 1.3 Mp
Battery
Lithium-4800 mAh
Size mm
308.5 h226, 5h27-34
Kg
2
Price, USD
from 1100
MSI Megabook PR300. Information on the processor
MSI Megabook PR300. Information on memory
Information on video
Complete
Complete traditional: laptop, an integral charger, warranty card, book with the terms of safeguards in several languages, user’s guide and three disk (restoring the operating system, drivers and utilities, as well as disk with the programs for playing and working with video production CyberLink) . It will be recalled that in the notebook predustanovlena operating system Windows Vista Business, which can be pluses belongs to, because, in most laptops, valued at about USD 1000 a simplified Windows Vista Home.
The appearance and usability
The first and most important feature of the appearance of the notebook is not immediately apparent eye. The body is made entirely of lightweight and durable magnesium alloy. All surfaces painted in the usual black, because of what appears that the shell is made of good plastic.
Build quality, and is it possible to find fault with that of a thin wall of the covers of the display, which is easy to progibaetsya contact with the matrix, which can have a negative display at its condition. The cover opens to 180 degrees, the course is very soft, but there is not even the slightest movement, and during long-term use should not be to mix in anchorage. When I try twisting and pulling crackling only mounting battery, and the Corps does not issue a single sound.
Some unusual forms of a larger battery capacity favours slightly corpus and lifts the rear of the notebook, it’s very convenient to set text. Immediately on the battery provides two rubber linings to prevent the appearance of scratches.
On the cover of the display has traditionally placed a large volumetric company logo, the manufacturer.
At the front end of fitted connectors, and IEEE-1394 audiorazema two standard mini-jack 3.5 mm. Also on the center front end, but at an angle posted seven icons indicator (indication Lock keys appeal to the hard drive, food, the state of the battery and wireless network module).
Hindshank side almost took the battery, which covers only lock connector installation of security so that to use it with the battery installed impossible.
MSI Megabook PR300. Wide Left
Left tray lid placed optical disk drives, connectors Express Card, USB and memory card reader.
On the right are two front USB connector, RJ-45 and RJ-11, the ventilation grate with large holes, plug external VGA monitor and external power supply. On corners left and right ends placed high dynamics.
Bottom there is not a single compartment, accessible user, which made for the replacement of hard drive or adding memory must contact the service center, but otherwise you can By losing the right to warranty service and repair. On bottom are only two slider: locking battery and the battery lock to lock.
MSI Megabook PR300. Keyboard
PR300 equipped with a full standard keyboard. No uzhatoy keys. Width alphabetic keys - 18.5 mm, and the progress - about 2.5 mm, pushing soft, with a barely noticeable clicking and several razmazannym no alarm, so when recruiting text often have to dodavlivat keys to lock.
MSI Megabook PR300. The touch pad
The touch pad on a 1 mm hole on the main level, but due to the fact that the province made deepening angle special discomfort while working with the manipulator does not arise. The size of small panel - 61 Ñ…45 mm. Keys manipulator, as in most laptops MSI, narrow, short and tough way, and actuation is accompanied by a loud click.
Above the keyboard is placed on the center block additional keys: the inclusion of food, call program for working with e-mail and Internet browser installed by default, the inclusion of a wireless interface and programmable key. On corners set srednechastotnye dynamics.
Above the display is integrated into the body of a web camera, which is able to withdraw video with a resolution of 640 Ñ…480 spots, as well as make-resolution images with a maximum 1.3 Mp.
Display
In a 13.3 inch notebook matrix produced in factories Taiwanese companies AUO (AU Optronics Corp), which is part of the three largest producers of matrices for notebooks. Declared the following characteristics: type - TN, permission - 1280 800 pixels, brightness - 250 cd/m2, vertical angles review - 90 °, horizontal angles review - 55 °, contrast - 400:1, response time: 16 ms, consumption - 4, 8 watts. Viewing Angle comfortable enough to work without having to adjust angle matrix. Levels nine brightness, but the minimum and maximum levels differ little, and a minimum level of illumination brightness is not so low as they should. When ingested by a bright light source matrix dull and fade. There is a small peresvechennye plots in the corners, but they were hardly visible even on the uniform black.
Unfortunately, the notebook has only VGA output, which does not connect monitors using DVI cable. Of course, the vast mass displays both options are possible connections, but when you view the image on a monitor with a large screen diagonal difference between these types of connection is evident.
Audio Subsystem
Immediately it can be said that for laptops sound not so bad. Of course, the built quality acoustics not be called, but the sound is not hearsay cuts. Sound subsystem based on one of the best production Realtek chips - Realtek ALC888. Loudness is not too high, while there is not a cod, or swishing. In many ways, the quality of the built-acoustic sound system improved at the expense of additional pairs of high-frequency speakers. But at the same time because of a lack of nizkochastonika ( “subwoofer”) sound a bit incomplete, and when listening to songs replete with bass, pleasure can hardly be obtained. Connecting headphones or external acoustic system markedly improves sound quality and ALC888 chip avoids the “external” uluchshayzerov sound.
Wireless Ends
On board there is a map of Intel Wireless WiFi Link AGN 4965 (a / b / g / n) and USB module with Bluetooth v2.0 EDR technology. Special software for configuring wireless connections provided, and all settings are strictly means the operating system.
The level of noise and heat treatment
Tihoney laptop called difficult, but because of the lack of high-frequency noise components of the sound is not too irritating. When prolonged high CPU load radiator fan smoothly gathers momentum, and at reducing pressure in the same rotation fan smoothly declining. Even with the omission of active component cooling system ceased to work, but with the noise is barely noticeable. Joint product companies Sony and NEC, optical disk drive Optiarc itself is not too loud, but reading poorly balanced disk drive at the beginning to resemble the sounds of jet aircraft, as speed does not automatically reduced. Heating notebook is minimal and hardly noticeable only in the area of the processor and memory. Not least for temperatures affect what shell is made of metal, which has been active dispels heat. It is gratifying pleased that in the area of the keyboard and touch panel heating corps is not noticeable at all, which is particularly important when working with a laptop in the hot season.
Productivity
At the same time testing hit by two similar models from different manufacturers - Toshiba Satellite U300 and MSI Megabook PR300. Both models are equipped with 13.3 inch matrices similar processors and integrated graphics subsystem. Therefore, despite the fact that not a comparative review, it was decided to keep the results of the measurements in a single table for the possibility of comparison.
Toshiba Satellite U300
MSI Megabook PR300
PCMark05
3599
4413
CPU
4491
5713
Memory
3888
4597
Graphics
1515
1866
HDD
3791
4025
System Test
HDD XP Startup
7.598 MB / s
7.549 MB / s
Physics and 3D
78.557 fps
94.091 fps
2D Transparebt Windows
1532.053 windows / s
3899.033 windows / s
3D Pixel Shader
23.483 FPS
23.971 FPS
Web Page Rendering
1.784 pages / s
2.233 pages / s
File Decryption
49.457 MB / s
63.525 MB / s
Graphics Memory - 64 lines
499.092 FPS
506.417 FPS
HDD - General Usage
5.577 MB / s
4.521 MB / s
Audio Compression
1745.340 KB / s
2136.670 KB / s
Video Encoding
306.325 KB / s
403.076 KB / s
Text edit
102.649 pages / s
128.151 pages / s
Image Decompression
24.508 Mpixel / s
30.096 Mpixel / s
File Compression
3.849 MB / s
5.028 MB / s
File Encryption
20.774 MB / s
26.893 MB / s
HDD - Virus Scan
15.136 MB / s
21.698 MB / s
Memory Latency - Random 16 MB
MAccesses 8.573 / s
MAccesses 9.156 / s
CPU Test
File Compression
7.953 MB / s
10.502 MB / s
File Decompression
119.471 MB / s
155.846 MB / s
File Encryption
48.949 MB / s
64.541 MB / s
File Decryption
49.456 MB / s
63.563 MB / s
Image Decompression
26.107 MB / s
33.280 MB / s
Audio Compression
2382.890 KB / s
2996.953 KB / s
Multithreaded Test 1
File Compression
7.777 MB / s
9.779 MB / s
File Encryption
45.968 MB / s
57.428 MB / s
Multithreaded Test 2
File Encryption
58.526 MB / s
72.930 MB / s
File Decryption
22.779 MB / s
28.694 MB / s
Audio Decompression
903.727 KB / s
1124.386 KB / s
Image Decompression
11.814 MPixel / s
14.804 MPixel / s
AquaMark3
Toshiba Satellite U300
MSI Megabook PR300
AntialiasingMode:
0
AntialiasingQuality:
0
AnisotropicFiltering:
4
DetailLevel:
4
AvgFPS:
12.061645
13.605425
MinFPS:
4.055144
4.055144
MaxFPS:
49.514622
52.267853
AvgFPSRender:
12.683874
14.281134
AvgFPSSimulation:
245.869507
287.666840
AvgTrianglesPerSecond:
3630 942
4095 670
MinTrianglesPerSecond:
706 973
706 808
MaxTrianglesPerSecond:
10104 809
11585 996
AquamarkScoreRender:
1269
1428
AquamarkScoreSimulation:
12 294
14 384
AquamarkScore:
12 061
13 605
Testing hard drive conducted a built-in “Benchmark” package EVEREST.
MSI Megabook PR300. Testing Hard Disk
MSI Megabook PR300. Testing Hard Disk
MSI Megabook PR300. Testing Hard Disk
MSI Megabook PR300. Testing Hard Disk
Power supply and autonomous work
MSI Megabook PR300. The battery
In MSI Megabook PR300 installed 8 - sectional Lithium Ion battery MS-1313 in a larger-capacity 4800 mAh that for a lot of very small notebook. The tests were conducted in Battery Eater Pro package, but other than “classic” mode has been added and reading. With a maximum load of “classic” mode, maximum brightness of lights, and the activated interface Wi-Fi laptop proderzhalsya 89 minutes, which is not a championship indicator. In the “reading” when turned off, the wireless interface and a minimum illumination laptop proderzhalsya 370 minutes, and during normal office work at the average level of illumination charge allows only 15 minutes less. For the full battery required from 140 to 157 minutes.
MSI Megabook PR300. Schedule battery
MSI Megabook PR300. Schedule defuse battery mode Classic
MSI Megabook PR300. Schedule defuse battery mode Chitatelsky
Conclusion
Once again want to point out that MSI laptops at the moment have the best price / quality ratio. With good quality materials and assembly corps, high-performance system and the various “bonus” is often a relatively low price. This is not only so that the price the manufacturer low, but that the company MSI virtually no control over pricing in the retail market, and only recently began to impose such concept as recommended prices, which, incidentally, has not yet must adhere retail operator.
Regarding tested model, it is difficult to contain, not to sing it with complimentary air, so is just a dry list pluses and minuses of devices in order not demanding a share of subjectivism.
Negative:
* Exchanging DVD-drive with poorly balanced discs;
* razmazanny time hitting the main keyboard keys;
* not very comfortable keyboard manipulator;
* a minimum level of illumination brightness was too high, causing not fitted long time prolongs autonomous work;
* lack of a DVI connector.
Pluses:
* operating system Windows Vista Business;
* Corps of magnesium alloys and quality assembly;
* high-quality display;
* built-high dynamics;
* High-performance;
* prolonged work offline.
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