MSI GX640-098US

if you're looking for a reasonably portable gaming laptop, the MSI GX640-098US is a 15.4-inch multimedia powerhouse that might just be for you. At a bit under 6 pounds, it is easier to carry than similarly powerful laptops. Even so, it's still not the ideal, take-anywhere travel companion--unless, of course, you just can't live without Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Our review model, priced at $1159 (as of May 20,2010), features a 2.27GHz Intel Core i5-430M CPU, an ATI Radeon HD5850 graphics card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, 4GB of system RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. It also has a 15.4-inch, 1680-by-1050-pixel LCD screen, as well as a nine-cell battery, an 8X DVD±RW combo drive, and a full-size keyboard complete with number pad. The GX640-098US supports Bluetooth connectivity and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and has both a 1.3-megapixel Webcam and a microphone built in. If you want to pay a little extra, you have the option of upgrading the CPU (to a Core i7) or the optical drive (to a Blu-ray Disc player).

The MSI GX640-098US features a black, brushed-aluminum design with red accents. The cover is fairly simple, with a silver, mirrored MSI logo in the center and a thin red plastic strip at the bottom being the only details. The inside has a red plastic border around the keyboard and touchpad, plus a futuristic-looking red-and-black strip of touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard. The buttons include rewind, stop, pause/play, and fast-forward media buttons, as well as an 'Eco' button (for cycling through a variety of modes, including gaming mode and office mode), a 'Cinema Pro' button, a Webcam button, a Bluetooth button, a Wi-Fi button, and a programmable button.