MSI X370-001US Pro Reviews

Budget ultraportables can be a tricky formula, and the reason is simple - price. An ultraportable is expected to be reasonably quick but also light, small, and capable of spending hours away from a power socket. Engineering all of that in to an affordable laptop isn’t easy, which is why some budget ultraportables end up with so-so endurance or surprisingly thick frames. Not so with the MSI X370. Though priced at just $569 (or $579 if you’d like the newer E-450 processor), this laptop offers a little bit of everything. It is quick enough for basic productivity, yet it is also portable and lasts longer than most users will ever need. The fact that the laptop stays relatively cool during operation and offers a quality display is just the sprinkles on this gadget sundae. That’s not to say it's perfect. Keyboard and touchpad quality is only so-so, but the bigger problem is the performance of the AMD E-350 processor. It's merely adequete, and you can certainly buy much quicker laptops at this price point. Even so, this laptop has a combination of traits that makes it stand out from many competitors. If you need a portable laptop, and you need decent performance, and you need over six hours of battery life, all for under $600, the MSI is going to be a top choice. Only the ASUS 1215N and 1215B come to mind as solid alternatives, but both are significantly smaller, which will be a deal-breaker for some buyers.