These days it seems that two extremes are proving to be very popular. Those extremes are super big and super small, and the trend seems to carry across several markets. Sure, sometimes we waver back and forth between the two - as is the case with cell phones, which started big, got really small and are now heading back towards big again. But it seems that the two ends of the spectrum are where impressiveness resides, and not really in the middle. Take, for example, the notebook market. Slim, small and sleek looks good and impressive. Big and bulky looks... well, good and impressive. There isn’t too much middle ground, it seems, or at least not much middle ground where great impressions stem from. Maybe it’s just me.

But thanks to components getting smaller, smaller notebooks are no longer glorified word processors. Rather, these diminutive machines are able to pack a lot of punch, while remaining light and easily portable.

The MSI X460 DX is a prime example of that kind of machine. Weighing just two kilograms, this isn’t the kind of portable computer that’s going to give you a good upper body workout just carrying it around. It’s a pretty standard size for a small notebook, yet it’s screen is just a little bigger than most’ measuring 14 inches. The interior of the unit is finished and black brushed metal and durable black plastic, both design elements which extend to the exterior finishes as well. It features a standard notebook keyboard layout (no number pad) comprised of soft touch chicklet style keys. Beneath the keyboard is a slightly left aligned touch pad, which features a solid button for both left and right clicking, rather that two separate ones. An integrated web cam sits above the monitor.

The design is pretty enough, although not particularly revolutionary or awe-inspiring. Under the hood, things look a little better, though. The whole machine is powered by an i5 processor, supported by 4GB of DDR3 RAM. To help the graphics along, the unit sports an Nvidia Gefore GT 540M chipset, supported by a rather generous 2GB of GDDR3 RAM, which is pretty impressive in a machine this size... you may even be able to squeeze some decent gaming out of it. The 500GB hard drive is also a nice size, but always prefer to see more storage space.

In terms of ports, it’s pretty standard; VGA, HDMI, LAN, headphones, an SD card reader and three USB 3.0 ports. In addition, it features Bluetooth and a souped up battery life.

It seems that MSI, as a company, have a good idea about the requirements of their customers.

This notebook serves as a good example to illustrate that point; it might be small and light, and have an elegant look to it, but all that belies a power that is excellent, and performance that is surprising from a small machine like this. It will look at home almost anywhere, with unassuming looks hiding what’s lurking beneath the surface... an extremely capable notebook that will serve people on the go very well indeed.

Verdict:

A great, small notebook

PROS:
• Like
• Powerful
• Good battery life

CONS:
• Looks a little plain

Manufacturer: MSI
Distributor: Pinnacle
Online: www.pinnacle.com

TECH SPECS:
• i5 CPU
• 4GB RAM
• 2GB VRAM
• 500GB HDD
• 3 USB ports
• HDMI output