MSI Megabook V Series
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Hawk-256) TK-57, Intel Celeron M 430, Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon Xpress X1200, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100
Display: 12.1 inch, 15.4 inch, 17.1 inch
Weight: 1.9kg, 2.5kg, 2.6kg, 3.5kg
500, 600, 700
Average Score: 73.5% - average
Average of 10 scores (from 14 reviews)
mobility: 45%, workmanship: 53%, ergonomy: 59%, emissions: 67%
MSI Megabook VR600
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: MSI Megabook VR600Processor: Intel Celeron M 430
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 128 MB
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels
Weight: 2.5kg
Links: MSI homepage MSI notebook section
Average Score: 72.4% - average
Average of 5 scores (from 6 reviews)
63% 500-Euro-Notebooks
Source: Chip.de - 2/08 
, Very Short, Date: 01/31/2008
Rating: Total score: 63% price: 90% performance: 49% features: 79% display: 74% mobility: 49% ergonomy: 81%
Sparfüchse unterwegs
Source: c't - 25/07
, Long, Date: 11/16/2007
Rating: performance: 40% display: 50% mobility: 40% ergonomy: 40% emissions: 90%
85% MSI VR600-C1718VHB
Source: Computerbild
, Length Unknown, Date: 06/05/2007
Rating: Total score: 85% price: 90% display: 50%
70% Core-Duo Schnäppchen
Source: Notebookjournal
online available, Short, Date: 04/24/2007
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 50% features: 50% display: 50% mobility: 30% workmanship: 40%
64% Neuer Antrieb - MSI VR600-T2012VHB
Source: PC Magazin
, Length Unknown, Date: 04/20/2007
Rating: Total score: 64% price: 80%
80% MSI VR600
Source: PCM 
online available, Very Short, Date: 01/03/2008
Rating: Total score: 80%
MSI Megabook VR601
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: MSI Megabook VR601Processor: Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels
Weight: 2.6kg
Price: 600 euro
Links: MSI homepage MSI notebook section Megabook VR601 (Model)
Average Score: 78.5% - good
Average of 2 scores (from 3 reviews)
Tele2 & UPC Notebooktest
Source: e-media - 9/08
, Medium, Date: 03/15/2008
Rating: price: 70%
87% Sparbook
Source: Computerbild - 8/08
, Medium, Date: 03/14/2008
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 90% performance: 60%
70% 15-Zoll-Einsteiger - MSI VR601
Source: Notebookjournal
online available, Long, Date: 11/26/2007
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 50% features: 30% display: 50% mobility: 50% workmanship: 70% ergonomy: 70%
MSI Megabook VR700
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: MSI Megabook VR700Processor: Intel Celeron M 430
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 128 MB
Display: 17.1 inch, 16:10, 1440x900 pixels
Weight: 3.5kg
Price: 700 euro
Links: MSI homepage MSI notebook section Megabook VR700 (Model)
Sparfüchse unterwegs
Source: c't - 25/07
, Long, Date: 11/16/2007
Rating: performance: 40% display: 50% mobility: 30% ergonomy: 40% emissions: 80%
MSI Megabook VR610
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: MSI Megabook VR610Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Hawk-256) TK-57
Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon Xpress X1200
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels
Weight: 2.5kg
Price: 500 euro
Links: MSI homepage MSI notebook section
Average Score: 73% - average
Average of 2 scores (from 3 reviews)
Will ich Billig?
Source: c't - 16/08
, Long, Date: 08/15/2008
Rating: performance: 50% features: 70% display: 70% mobility: 40% ergonomy: 70% emissions: 30%
60% Supergünstig
Source: Chip.de - 06/08
, Short, Date: 06/01/2008
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 90% mobility: 40%
86% Sparbook
Source: Computerbild - 8/08
, Medium, Date: 03/15/2008
Rating: Total score: 86% price: 90% performance: 60%
MSI Megabook VR201
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: MSI Megabook VR201Processor: Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels
Weight: 1.9kg
Price: 600 euro
Links: MSI homepage MSI notebook section Megabook VR201 (Model)
Average Score: 70% - average
Average of 1 scores (from 1 reviews)
70% MSI MEGABOOK VR201-2322E
Source: Notebookjournal
online available, Long, Date: 06/12/2008
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 70% performance: 30% display: 50% mobility: 80% workmanship: 50% ergonomy: 50%
Comment
MSI: MSI is known as a notebook manufacturer MSI since 2005 and sells its mobile computers worldwide, but with modest market shares. Nevertheless considerable amounts of reviews are available for MSI-notebooks. Up to now, the price-value ratings resulted well and led to top ratings in this category.
Only older games can be played fluently with these graphics chips (if they were not too demanding). Shared memory graphic cores in this category got the advantage of less heat production and longer battery runtimes. For office, internet, image processing, and video editing tasks these graphics chips are still useable without any restrictions.
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on Mobile Intel 945GM chipset. It is a faster clocked version of the GMA 900 and supports no hardware T&L (Transform & Lightning) accelleration (which is required for some games).
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on a Mobile Intel 965GM chipset. It is the successor of GMA 950 and features a fully programmable pipeline (supports Aero Glass fully and DirectX 10 with newest drivers). The peformance of the X3100 is clearly better than the GMA 950, still demanding modern games won't run fluently.
ATI Radeon Xpress X1200: This is an onboard video chip and according AMD optimized for a good price/value. It is based on a X700 design but with less pixel- and vertex-pipelines. ATI Radeon Xpress X1200 is hardly apt for gamers. The graphic chip supports Windows Vista Aero surface and all 3D effects run fluently. Sometimes also called Radeon X1200.
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Celeron M: It is a Pentium M with halved level 2 Cache and limited on FSB 400. The characteristic of this processor is the speed, which is hardly slower than an equivalent Pentium M. However it can change the speed not dynamically like the Pentium M and therefore needs without load more current.
It is also available as Low Voltage Version with very small current consumption.
Intel Pentium Dual Core: The return of the name Pentium, though it is a Yonah core. In fact, it is a double Core processor with a very good relation of performance to current consumption.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Hawk-256):
12.1: This is the most common display format for subnotebooks and an average size for subnotebooks.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs less power, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
15.4: 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
17.1: Nowadays, meanwhile the 17 inch display size is a more frequently offered standard format for desktop-replacements. 17 inch laptops are built only in 16:10 format.
The DTR-Laptops can't be carried easily, need much current, but on the other side texts can be read easily and high resolutions are no problem. DTR mainly are intended for stationary usage on desks, where the weight and the energy need are unimportant.
>> To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
1.9 kg:
These sub-notebooks weight less than the average of all notebooks, but represent a heavier class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 12 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.
3.5 kg:
This laptop is heavy below average, compared with the average of notebooks. Therefore especially desktop replacements fit in this class of weight.
73.5%: This rating is bad. Most notebooks are better rated. This is not a recommendation for purchase.
>> Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
