Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/27/msi_intro_congo_laptop/
MSI intros AMD 'Congo'-based thin'n'light laptop
New Wind
Posted in Hardware, 27th November 2009 10:25 GMT
AMD's answer to arch-rival Intel's CULV - Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage - processor series is making its way into laptops. MSI has just taken the wraps off the Wind 12 U230, a 12in machine based on two of AMD's 'Congo' [1] chips.
The parts' go-to-market name are the Athlon Neo MV40 and the Athlon Neo X2 L335, being single- and dual-core chips, respectively.
The U230 uses AMD's RS780MN chipset, which has an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics core built in to drive the notebook's 1366 x 768 display. The computer also contains up to 4GB of 667MHz or 800MHz DDR 2 memory, depending on model, and between 160GB and 320GB of hard drive storage space.
MSI's Wind 12 U230: sounding a bongo for Congo
Buyers will all get a 1.3Mp webcam, four-in-one memory card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, VGA, HDMI and a trio of USB 2.0 ports. Some will get Bluetooth, others won't - it depends on where they buy their U230.
Some SKUs will ship with three-cell batteries, others with six-cell power packs.
"Testing proves that the Wind 12 U230, using a power-saving mode setting, can be used for up to four hours so you can enjoy an extended, high performance mobile experience," said MSI. So no challenge for the CULV-based Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ, which will deliver well over eight hours' battery life on ordinary settings. We know, we've just tested it [2].
Alas, there's no word yet on when the U230 will arrive in the UK, or how much it'll set you back when it does. ®