MSI CX420 Hands-On: Budget System Sports Snazzy Looks, Switchable Graphics

Even on its budget-minded systems, MSI usually brings something unique to the table. Today, we had a chance to look at several of the vendors new notebooks, including its budget-minded CX line. The series is availablein 14, 15, and 16-inch sizes, but the 14-inch CX420 immediately caught our eye, because of the lovely striped bumblebee-like pattern that appears on its lid and deck. The touchpad, which is ever-so-slightly sunken into its own little canyon also adds a unique design element.

While an exact weight and measurements were not available, an MSI rep told us the notebook weighs under 5 pounds. She also said it would probably have a very affordable starting price in the $500 range. The CX420 comes complete with a Core i3 CPU, 320GB hard drive, 14.1-inch 1366×768 display, Windows 7 Home Premium, and switchable graphics that let you move back and forth between a power-efficient Intel integrated GPU and a powerful ATI Radeon HD5470 with 1GB of VRAM.

In addition to the slick touchpad, the MSI CX420 has the new chicklet-style keyboard that MSI has been adding to all its new notebooks. This is a welcome improvement as the keys are much more responsive and easier to type on than those of previous MSI systems.

We had a chance to do a brief hands-on with the MSI CX420 at MSI’s CES booth. Check out the video below to see the notebook in action.