MSI's latest touchscreen offering, the Wind Top AE2020, boasts one of the most intriguing specifications we've seen this month, with a combination of one of Intel's last Pentium Dual-Core processors and Nvidia's Ion chipset.
It may be an odd combination, but it paid dividends in our benchmarks. The Pentium Dual-Core T6600 returned a score of 1.34 in our 2D application tests, which is right up with the most powerful systems this month, and Ion decoded our 1080p test clips flawlessly.
Despite this, the GeForce 9400M GPU inside scored just 23fps in our low-quality Crysis test, which limits gaming options.
The 21.5in, 1920 x 1080 resolution screen is contained in a chassis that belies the low price. The clear surround adds some class to the plastic exterior, and a faux leather strip beneath the screen helps the Wind Top stand out.
The panel, however, is average. Although it offers rich, bright colours, its resistive touchscreen layer creates a slightly mottled effect when the panel displays white and light colours. We also noticed a touch of backlight bleed at the bottom and sides.
In real-world use, while the screen was relatively accurate, it was too sensitive. This was particularly evident in MSI's own front-end, a 3D carousel that features shortcuts to major applications; we found we accidentally launched tools when scrolling. And, despite this proprietary front-end, every shortcut leads to a Windows application.
Also disappointing were the speakers, which were tinny, lacked volume and made music and movies almost unlistenable. When compared to the other 20in system in our latest Labs roundup - the Asus, whose speakers sound loud and full-bodied - it's no contest.
It's a shame about the screen and speakers, because elsewhere this MSI is a tempting proposition, with good looks and decent performance to go with a low price. If you're at all interested in media, though, the Asus is the better budget option, despite its slower performance
