ASUS, MSI Release Sub-$1,200 Gaming Notebooks

Mon, Jan 12, 2009

Affordable gaming laptop? That used to be a contradiction. Then last February, Gateway unleashed a monster -- the nine-pound P-6831 FX. You wouldn't want to carry it up a flight of stairs, but with an NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS graphics card powerful enough to play "Crysis," it was a $1,200 portable desktop of choice for many.

But now, laptop manufacturers ASUS and MSI have tackled the weight issue -- and launched a pair of comparatively slim, sexy machines that just may give Gateway a run for its money. Specs and pics after the jump.

Name: ASUS G50vt-X1

Price: $1050 (Best Buy)

This 15.6" rig has an Intel P8400 dual-core processor at 2.26 GHz and the NVIDIA 9800M GS video card crammed into a solid, though rather plasticy, 7.2-pound package. Though the choice of DDR2 667 MHz memory is cheap by today's standards, the rig comes with a speedy 7200RPM, 320GB hard drive, along will a full number pad, Altec Lansing speakers and a miniature OLED display that can keep track of your ammo count.

We didn't care for the stiff trackpad buttons or the 1366 x 768 maximum resolution, but to run a maxed, butter-smooth "Call of Duty 4" for just over $1,000, we understand a few compromises must be made. If you're not the compromising type, there's a faster processor and full resolution to be found for $300 more.

Name: MSI G627-216 US

Price: $1150 (Amazon)

MSI's bargain gaming powerhouse is $100 more than the ASUS model. But even though it features a smaller resolution of 1280x800, you're more than getting your money's worth. With a sexy red number encircling its thin, brushed aluminum case, the G627 is a pleasure for the eyes, and a NVIDIA 9800M GS MXM video card sporting a full 1GB of memory should run most anything.

Though the rest of the internals closely mirror the ASUS -- P8400 processor, 4GB DDR 667 RAM, 320GB 7200 RPM hard drive -- we have to give the edge to MSI when it comes to extras. Capacitive touch buttons near the screen let users immediately turn off unwanted features, save power, or even overclock the CPU by 30 percent. The addition of an e-SATA port and surround sound headphone jacks allow the G627 to expand into a viable desktop replacement. We'd suggest an external keyboard while you're at it -- unlike the sturdy frame, this notebook's single slab of keys felt a little flimsy.

But if you've got an extra $250, don't bother with the 216-US, go for its bigger brother. The MSI G627-218US has everything you see above, plus a faster processor, Blu-ray drive, 9-cell battery and full 1680x1050 resolution.