Gamers take note: MSI has updated its GX600 gaming rig to include more RAM and HDD capacities (3GB, and 320GB, respectively), but the most noteworthy addition is the 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 45-nanometer Penryn processor, which Daniel Wang, general manger of MSI Computer USA, claims makes the machine “even more powerful and resource-efficient.”

The aptly named GX600-Enhanced possesses some rather sweet specs (802.11n Wi-Fi, 3GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card w/ 512MB of video memory, Dolby audio, 15.4-inch non-glare display, and Turbo Drive Engine technology for overclocking the CPU by 20-percent), but will the new 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo provide fraggers with significant gameplay enhancements?

“The main benefit for gamers regarding implementing the 45-nanometer processor is less power consumption,” said Tiffany Lin, marketing specialist at MSI. “By implementing the latest CPU, gamers can enjoy even better battery life.”

But when one thinks gaming machines, one thinks of killer visuals and blazing fast frame rates. Curious as to whether Penryn may enhance these aspects of the MSI, and gaming rigs as a whole, we spoke with Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NDP Group for his thoughts on the matter.

“It will have the same incremental performance change that most processors have now,” said Baker. “Today’s processors are more focused on efficiency than power and Penryn is no exception. While hard core, high value products like Quad Cores and Extreme Editions are released that can add some performance given the highly complex state of PC gaming hardware, it takes more than just a processor to offer meaningful performance increases.” So, in short, the GPU still has to do the majority of the grunt work, and we shouldn’t expect much visual improvement.

Although we may not see enhanced graphics performance, the extra juice that Penryn provides is something that all gamers can appreciate.