MSI VR705 17-inch Budget Laptop PC

Apr 16 2009 - Those looking for a higher performance laptop for under $700 and are not as concerned about the size of the laptop should look into the MSI VR705. Sure, the 17-inch screen makes it larger and heavier than most budget laptops but it also allows for it to have a higher resolution and fit a numeric keypad. With its 4GB of fast DDR2 memory and the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, performance certainly won't be an issue either.

Apr 16 2009 - Desktop replacement laptops are generally about performance more than price, but the MSI VR705 seems to do a good job of balancing the two. Rather than using a Pentium Dual-Core processor, they have elected to use an older Core 2 Duo T5800. Its higher bus speed combined with the 4GB of PC2-6400 DDR2 memory give this system an edge against the average budget laptop configuration.

To make the system more affordable, MSI chose to use a smaller 160GB hard drive compared to the industry standard 250GB for budget laptops. This means that the system can't hold as many programs and data compared to other laptops. It still uses a dual layer DVD burner though to allow it to playback and record CDs or DVDs.

One of the biggest advantages of the MSI VR705 is the graphics. The 17-inch screen gives it a higher resolution display than most other budget laptops, but it is the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics that actually make the system. While it is an integrated solution, it still has enough graphics power to allow for casual PC gaming at lower resolutions and detail levels that the Intel solutions can't provide. The inclusion of an HDMI digital video graphics connector also allows it to be used for external high definition video content that the VGA connectors will not support.

The big downside is that this laptop with its 17-inch screen is larger and heavier than most systems. This makes it less portable for those who need to travel frequently with the laptop. On the other hand, the increased dimensions allow the system to also include a numeric keypad on the keyboard that is useful to those that have to do a lot of data entry work.

Overall, this is a very solid budget laptop system provide that one can actually find a unit for sale.