MSI X-Slim X370 Fusion Powered Ultraportable Review

There was a period of time last year where it seemed like every other ultraportable was based on Intel's CULV platform. At the time, we figured that was just the way it was going to be for a while with ultralight notebooks. But then, AMD finally got around to shipping some Fusion based APUs. And since then, the mobile space has been hopping with new activity. Consumers have never had such a wealth of notebook options to choose from, and with Fusion, prices are remaining reasonable and battery life is improving too.

 
MSI's X-Slim lineup garnered industry-wide praise when launched a couple of years ago, and now the line-up is stepping up to Fusion. The X-Slim X370 is the company's newest ultraslim machine, and while it doesn't look too different than X-Slim machines of the past, the internals are definitely deserving of a closer look. The X370 is powered by a dual-core E-350 Accelerated Processing Unit, and it's joined by a very nice list of extras. We'll break those down below. 


Specifications and Features (as tested)


  • AMD E-350 Zacate @ 1.6GHz, dual-core Fusion
  • 4GB of DDR3 RAM
  • 13.4" LCD (1366x768); LED backlight, matte
  • AMD Radeon HD 6310M graphics
  • 500GB (7200RPM)  Hard Drive
  • 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
  • No Optical Drive
  • 1.3 megapixel webcam
  • VGA output
  • USB 2.0 x 2
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • RJ-45 (Ethernet 10/100/1000)
  • Headphone / Mic Input Jacks
  • SD / MMC / SDHC Multimedia Card Reader
  • VGA and HDMI Output
  • Stereo Speakers
  • 3.11 Pounds (with 6-cell battery installed)
  • Removable 8-Cell Li-ion Battery
  • 13.0" x 8.82" x 0.24-0.9" (Dimensions)
  • Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
  • Price (as tested): $599.99
  • Price (starting): $599.99
  • 1-Year Warranty 
$599.99 doesn't make this a "bargain" machine, but look at what you get. A highly mobile, 13.4" machine with AMD's latest HD-crunching Fusion platform, a robust 4GB of RAM, a spacious 500GB HDD and an 8-cell battery. For $600, that's a pretty decent value, particularly when you consider than some of the higher end netbooks were going for $499 not too long ago.
 source:hothardware.com

 
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