MSI Laptop Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz) 4GB Memory 320GB HDD NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS 15.4" Windows Vista Home Premium GT627-216US

Pros: Great Video card with 1gig Vram Turbo Function Great processor Full size keyboard with key pad I just got my GT627 this morning and I've been downloading and installing multiple games/applications at the same time and havn't seen any slow down. Been playing COD5, Left4Dead and Crysis all on high graphics, this laptop is a GREAT buy!

Cons: The right shift is a little small, and the left function key is where my normal keyboard feels comfortable for the control key (little getting use to for those FPS's) The keyboard is flimsy... Not really a big deal, but It worries for of having problems down the road. Only has 2 USB's, that kinda bummed me out but nothing a USB hub can't fix.

Overall Review: One of the best laptops you can get for $1100 price range! I was hoping they made a 17"... If you want the 17" version with the same specs as this laptop, go with Gateway 7805u at BB for $1149.

Pros: Computer runs fast from the boot up to shut down Games look great Red and black has a classy look to it Full sized keyboard on a 15.4 incher Turbo Button Very fast HDD External eSata drive is great Screen resolution The Screen resolution is good to me but some say its a draw back for gaming. I found no problem with the resolutuion as it was. Also the resolution is one thing that makes the laptop run games so fast. Turbo button is very convenient, both for gaming and running heavy apps like Video editing programs. Also this computer came with very little free ware on it and the back pack was actually not bad although its not something i would purchase alone.

Cons: Keyboard is springy Battery life Rather hot for the lap Screen Resolution Full sized Keyboard on a 15.4 incher means keys are cut down Full sized keyboard on a 15.4 incher is good and bad because some of the keys have to be cut in half in order for it to fit. I didnt think it was THAT big of a deal. Then again i type all day on different computers so im pretty good at adjusting on the fly. For the most part though that is just a minor thing to me but i could see how it could lower the score of the laptop for someone else.

Overall Review: As a gamer and an IT this a great laptop for the price point. They keyboard is fairly springy but i seem to have adjusted to it fine in about an hour. If you dont like it use a alternate Keyboard. Games like World of Warcraft, left 4 dead, and Call of Duty world at war all looked amazing. I ran world of warcraft and almost max setting in Naxx 25 man with Ventrilo and Fraps running with no problem last night. I ran through serveral mission in online Left 4 dead with 50-100 zombies running the screen in mid-high settings and it ran perfect. CoD also ran great on mid-high settings. This wasnt even in Turbo mode. I recomend getting the Red and Black Rosewill laptop sleeve with this also. Looks great together. Great for a gamer but not so great for the on the go. To get the best outta this laptop you really need to have it plugged in. If i could give this laptop a 4.5 then i would.

Pros: So far I’ve only tested the game Crysis on this machine. I tested at native resolution (1280x800 on this machine) and all settings on “High”. The FPS ranges mostly around 25-30 fps. This is generally considered very playable for people but if that’s not fast enough for you, you can drop a few things down to medium to get it more around 35-40 fps (which is very playable). Keep your shader and post-processing and motion blur on high, and put the rest to medium and you’ll get a huge jump in performance with very little drop in visual quality. This laptop is thinner than I thought, but personally I dig that. It’s also very light. The keyboard has somewhat less room due to the 10-key addition but the overall size for typing is no problem at all. The red & graphite/black look is REALLY cool – doesn’t look cheap at all. The lid closes nice and easy with tiny magnets. The touchpad is nice and easy to use and the screen has the regular anti-glare type and saturates color nicely.

Cons: The first thing you’ll notice with this laptop is the keyboard. It’s definitely “springy” as everyone says it is. However, I remember reading around on an easy fix to make it not so weird anymore. I can’t say it really affects typing at all though, more of an aesthetic issue. The sound isn’t the greatest. It doesn’t come with a mini subwoofer like some other laptops do so the audio only goes from mids to highs so it might get a little pingy. I previously owned an Acer 5920g that had a subwoofer and virtual speaker and some other stuff and the sound was EXCELLENT. So maybe not I’m just spoiled. But I’d still suggest using headphones if you’re an audiophile. I’m also personally upset that you cannot get this machine with XP installed instead, but that’s never going to change. Vista will always be pushed with laptops and left for us die-hards who like what we’re used to. I’m sure there’s a way to install it and make it work – it’s just an issue of finding the drivers.

Overall Review: This machine comes partitioned with a C: and D: drive already. C: has 50 gigs I believe and the rest on D:. That's really an awesome thing to come pre-packaged that way since it's good to re-install your operating system about once a year to clean out all of the junk. For 1,099 dollars (about 1,250 with taxes and UPS 1 day saver shipping) it's an AWESOME deal. Don't be distracted by other people saying that you need higher resolution graphics, etc. You have to remember that the larger the resolution, the SLOWER your games will play. So just becuase that more expensive laptop you're eyeballing has a larger resolution and a better graphics card, doesn't mean it'll run any faster than this one. Possibly slower actually. Don't be confused by the marketing hype (I work in marketing so it's obvious to me). I am extremely critical on buying electronics and I make my decisions very carefully. Took me about a month to decide on which laptop to purchase. This was the winner!

Pros: - The Machine is very fast. The fast cpu, small screen coupled with a 9800 graphics card makes this a pretty fast gaming machine - Standby/startup also very fast, probably because of the faster hdd. - It is very light compared to other laptops in its class. It won't break your back. - Full-size keyboard. You get all the keys including numeric keypad. No more blue keys to get "Ins" or "Num Lock". - This thing gets extra points for having a "Turbo" button. No geek would want to miss this one !!!

Cons: - Keyboard seems flimsy. If you press the keys in the middle, g,h, the whole keyboard bends down a bit like it doesn't have a solid backing and is only supported on the sides . This can be a bit disconcerting but you get used to it after a while - Cpu vent is on the right side. This means that if you use an external mouse like me, it'll heat/dry up your hand. Good thing is that even after about 3 hours of gaming the "exhaust" was warm but not hot. Still, not a good experience.

Pros: Awesome laptop, no issues yet and i dont expect any. screen is bright and everything works like it should. Will definetly look to MSI if i ever buy another laptop.

Cons: Keyboard is a little springy but i dont mind. Tranformer for plug in is kind of big but i guess it probabably has to be keep it running on Turbo. None of this is enough to make it lose an egg.

Overall Review: Love this thing. Got it fast, even though i am deployed in the middle of the ocean i got it in two weeks.

Pros: Strong video card. Sturdy light aluminum body. Quality construction. Nice strong magnetic lid. Instant 15-20% overclock at the touch of the TURBO button. Decent battery life for such powerful specs. Numeric keypad. Ports for everything under the sun. Webcam, wireless N, extra big synaptic pad, 7200 RPM drive, more ram than a 32 bit OS can even handle, etc. All the best tech is included on this machine. Lightning fast running vista with all the eye candy turned on. not a lot of crapware pre-installed.

Cons: won't boot linux mint. hoping for a bios revision to remedy this problem so I can take advantage of the big drive to dual-boot. Needlessly partitioned hard drive. The function key is where the left-ctrl key should be. I have hit fn-c instead of ctrl-c a hundred times now. Somewhat cramped keyboard due to the numeric keypad. Some keyboard flex. Keyboard sounds loud when typing on it due to this flex. weak speakers. 1280x is a kind of low native/max resolution and limits the usefulness of the monster video card. Though I imagine one could plug in an external monitor for higher res gaming. 1280x is a pretty high res for a 15 inch screen.. but still, with all the other specs on this beast, I'd expect a higher res screen. At 1280x, though, that 9800 card will give you all the FPS you can handle.

Overall Review: I've been really pleased with this laptop. It's got all the power to run any game you can throw at it. It's got all the stability and power I've come to expect from the MSI video cards I've bought over the years. While the red accents do make it stand out a bit, it's tasteful enough for a business setting.

Pros: - Sleek - Runs Cooler than my old HP with a 8600m gs - Turbo Mode Works nice - Manual buttons for wifi/bt/cam help in conserving energy - Included bag is great - I've tested Bioshock, TF2, Overlord, Demigod, The Last Remnant with the HIGHEST settings and the max resolution supported and I notice no lag at all. - Even with turbo mode on, the laptop doesn't get too hot. - I don't know if MSI fixed it but I don't notice the keyboard flex others have mentioned. The keyboard does flex about .1 mm when I push down hard but it feels and looks solid.

Cons: - Speakers feel a little shallow - The fan being on the right side does get warm and noticeable if you keep your hard near, but being in Canada where our winters are cold is a welcome! - Dedicated volume/mute/touchpad buttons would have been nice instead of using the function (fn) key. - At least 3 or 4 USB ports would be more convenient. - The power cord plugging into the laptop doesn't sit tight, if you move it a bit the plug will come out a little (about half a centimeter) but the plug still makes a good electrical connection with the laptop socket. Probably designed this way but when I'm not running with a battery I worry sometimes if I have the laptop on my lap whether or not I will accidentally unplug the power plug even with the slightest trip of my legs/feet.

Overall Review: For $1200 this laptop is well worth it if you're into gaming, all you need is an external HD connected with eSata and you have a powerful mobile production station as well. I wouldn't worry so much about the 218US or the asus x5 if you want something cheap price-wise but loaded feature-wise.

Pros: I bought this laptop mainly for the graphics card and it works great. I've played Assassin's Creed, GRID, Left 4 Dead, etc... all relatively new games with no issues.

Cons: There is a vent on the right side of the laptop that blows hot air on my hand when I use a mouse. Would be nice if you could pick which side this vent is on since I never have my hand on the left side.