MSI Kicks Off Summer with CX480 Notebook Line

Does your old and slow notebook have you suffering a serious case of the summertime blues? If so, MSI thinks it has the answer with its new generation CX480 laptop line in your choice of black, white. or "summery blue," each one with a fresh flat brush finish for "an all-new youthfully chic exterior."

Sounds eye-catching, but what about the hardware inside? We're glad we asked. These 14-inch notebooks come with:

• Intel Core i3 2310M (2.1GHz, 3MB cache) or Core i5 2410M (2.3GHz, 3MB cache) processor
• DDR3-1333 memory
• Nvidia GeForce GT 520M GPU with 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 320GB/500GB/640GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
• DVD burner
• Multi-card reader
• HDMI; VGA; 2x USB 2.0; 1x USB 3.0 (optional)
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 3.0 (optional), GbE LAn
• 1.3MP webcam
• 6-cell battery
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Not a bad setup for a daily workhorse and travel-friendly 14-inch companion. The CX480 also comes with MSI's usual assortment of proprietary bullet points, including one-touch BIOS updates and GPU Boost technology.

No word yet on price or availability.