MSI adding green to gaming laptops

Taiwanese laptop maker Micro-Star International (MSI) plans to add Turbo-battery mode to a laptop PC aimed at computer gamers later this year in a bid to increase battery life and put out a more environmentally friendly product.

The laptop will be the next generation of its G-series, which includes the GX600, a laptop with a button users can press to overclock the microprocessor. The Turbo-overclocking button on the current GX600 will gain a new use on the next generation laptop, Turbo-battery mode.

Turbo-battery mode will add 20 percent more life to the battery, said Sam Chem, director of notebook computer sales at MSI, in an interview. The battery on the GX600 lasts for around two hours, so the addition of Turbo-battery mode would increase its power to two and a half hours.

Turbo-battery mode only kicks in when a user hits the overclocking button while the battery is being used. When the laptop is plugged in, Turbo-battery mode will not come on.

MSI's GX600 was one of the first laptop PCs to include a button for overclocking. Mobile devices in general aren't ideal for overclocking because of heat issues. When the microprocessor is prompted to work harder, it gives off far more heat. Desktop PCs are bigger and have more open space, as well as cooling devices such as bigger fans, making them more suitable for overclocking. But mobile devices encase the microprocessor and other hot-running chips and components into a much smaller area. Too much heat from one component can damage other parts.

But MSI included new thermal technology in the GX600 to ensure its laptops wouldn't have a meltdown, Chem said. The result is that computer gamers using the laptop can get more performance for their money out of the microprocessor, which is one of the most expensive parts in a laptop. Overclocking can make a 2GHz microprocessor perform like a 2.4GHz or 2.5GHz microprocessor, he said.

The GX600 weighs 2.7 kilograms and carries an Intel microprocessor, Nvidia 8600 graphics, 512M bytes GDRAM (graphics dynamic RAM), has a 15.4-inch screen and includes a number keypad along with the QWERTY keypad.

MSI has been making laptops for three years. The company is also known for its motherboards and graphics cards.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.