June 03, 2010
15.4″ Wxga Nb Barebone
Posted by: kk : Category: Laptops & Netbooks
- MSI MS-163K Barebones Intel Notebook w/DVD RW, 15.4-inch TFT, Webcam General Features:
- Black and silver design Barebones notebook No CPU No RAM
- No Hard Drive (supports SATA hard drive)
- Supports Intel Penryn core 45nm Socket P mobile processor (Core 2 Duo, FSB 1066 MHz)
- Successfully tested with Merom core 65nm Socket P processor (Core 2 Duo, FSB 800 MHz)
Product Description
MSI Barebone Whitebook series notebook provides the flexibility of configuring a unique notebook to fit one’s preference. Enjoy the freedom of configuring a unique notebook computer. MSI Barebone Whitebook series notebook allows you to have complete control when building a value-added laptop system.
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June 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
This ia a decent barebones notebook which was actually branded a ZT Systems notebook.
Unlike other MSI products (MSI-1651 (GX620), MSI-1722 (GX720), I found the build quality, most notably the keyboard, a little flimsy and loose with too much give and poor key travel.
Unlike their 1651, this unit is extremely light. In addition, like their bigger counterparts, it does use the newest Intel mobile chipset but lacks a dedicated GPU. Instead, it uses Intel’s integrated 4500 graphics chipset. While it will get you by in a pinch (It will play World of Warcraft, with settings to low), it is very underpowered for any real modern gaming.
The unit ran very quiet and fully supports both Windows XP and Vista which is a plus. Drivers are available on MSI’s homepage for both operating systems.
The audio was adequate, but headphones would be a better choice. The webcam was average.
Note, this unit does not support a Quad Core CPU, but will support the T9400, T9600, T9800, P8400, P8600 processors no problem.
The onboard 5100 AGN Intel WiFi adapter is half sized and did have adequate signal pickup, albeit the 5300 half size I swapped in was much better, never dropped signals and had at least 1 more bar of power at all times. Note: This barebones only comes with 2 antennae leads (2×2), so you will need to order a 3rd antennae.
The actual plastic build of this laptop isn’t nearly as solid as MSI’s other products and you have to be careful pulling off the rear covers as they are a tad flimsy and may stress if not careful.
The 1200×800 (WXGA) resolution was acceptable, but if you’re used to higher screen real-estate (WXGA+, WSXGA, etc…), you will feel very cramped. Expect to do some scrolling both vertically and horizontally on some web pages.
In summary, if you’re on a budget, want a quiet unit which doesn’t consume much power (due to the integrated GPU and smaller power requirements overall), this is a passable unit.
If you plan on doing any type of real gaming or want to display full web pages, look elsewhere.
Rating: 3 / 5