MSI outs CX480 notebook with 8.5-hour battery, fast boot
updated 11:35 am EDT, Wed June 29, 2011
MSI CX480 promises unique touches in mainstream
MSI swung out a relatively unique addition to its CX series notebooks on Wednesday. The 14-inch CX480 has a particularly strong focus on the battery life not often seen in mainstream portables that gives it up to 8.5 hours on a charge. The PC also brings in MSI's in-house fast charging to power up in half as much time and has an Apple-influenced external battery indicator that shows the charge without needing to boot up.
The startup time itself is also distinct and, according to MSI, takes half as long as other notebooks. A new internal design purportedly helps improve heat dissipation by putting all the hot-running components in the upper left, away from the palm rest.
Performance is dictated by a 2.1GHz Core 3 or a 2.3GHz Core i5. Both get faster graphics through a dedicated GeForce GT 520M. Storage comes from a DVD burner and hard drives between 320GB to 640GB depending on the trim level, and expansion includes more advanced ports like HDMI and USB 3.0.
As with most MSI releases, exact ship dates and prices haven't been given out and should arrive closer to the launches in given countries. The US often gets MSI notebooks.
