MSI CR620 Pro Reviews

MSI is really starting to impress us with its laptops. The CR620-643UK may not be perfect – the keyboard, for example, is an issue the company would do well to sort out – but the power and portability on offer, combined with the excellent usability of the screen, make this a true bargain at this price, and one that's likely to last you for quite a while.

The 15.6-inch MSI CR620-i3525FD is reasonably priced (from €470), but it has as many downsides as upsides. The first upside is the good performance of the Core i3-350M (2.26 GHz), which is apparently not hindered by only having 2 GB of RAM. Noise emission and temperature gain during normal office use are also very low, and even during heavy use the CR620 is cool enough to have on your lap. Anyone who appreciates a good range of ports will be pleased to find an ExpressCard34 slot and an HDMI port along with the USBs. It is also good to see that most ports have been positioned on the back edge of the machine. This allows you to have a tidier desk space without cables sticking out to the left and right. The notebook’s downsides start with the workmanship and finish with the keyboard. You can’t escape that plasticky feel with the CR620, mainly because several pieces are not quite accurately cut and some cables can become visible. Office users may be able to overlook this given time, but not the rattly keys and the poor touchpad feedback. The keyboard flexes, some of the keys are tiny and the touchpad keys have virtually no travel. If you type a lot, we simply cannot recommend this machine for you.