MSI is bringing its slim X370 notebook that runs on AMD’s low-power Brazos Fusion APU platform to the North America market for an affordable $580 -- while underscoring its emerging market strategy by donating X370 units for an education initiative in Africa through non-profit partner Smallbean.
MSI on Thursday began shipping units of its X370 notebook PC, featuring a dual-core E-350 low-power Brazos APU, which is part of AMD’s Fusion integrated graphics chip platform. The Brazos processor includes a built-in AMD HD 6310 graphics processor with Microsoft DirectX 11 support and allows MSI to leverage multi-core and GPU performance in a small form factor device.
MSI’S X370 notebook measures only 1.9 cm, about 0.75 inches, at its thickest point and weighs 3.1 pounds, according to MSI. The Taiwan-based manufacturer said its X370 notebook conserves energy using a power-saving LED backlit display, enabling battery life of up to 10 hours. Power-efficiency is especially a concern for customers in emerging markets, according to Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI USA.
Tang discussed MSI X-series notebooks in the context of the company’s partnership with Boston-based non-proifit Smallbean to build an educational center in rural Tanzania and donate systems to it.
“We designed the X370 for those who want a fully functioning notebook in a compact form, with long battery life,” Tang said in a statement. “Most of us think of battery life in terms of convenience: time away from our office or power cord. It’s innovators like Smallbean that remind us that longer battery life also means using less power, which is what truly makes a difference in rural areas, and around the world.”
In addition to low-power and competitive pricing aimed at emerging markets worldwide, MSI said its X370 notebook includes a 13.4-inch widescreen display, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, a 500-GB hard drive, SRS Premium Sound speakers, an HDMI output, and a 1.3 megapixel Webcam. The device runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and comes with built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity.
MSI in February unveiled its AMD Fusion-powered X370 notebook alongside systems running corrected Intel Sandy Bridge chipsets. The lightweight notebook is available immediately through Newegg for $599, and is available on pre-order from Amazon at its starting price of $580.
