MSI - Modern 14" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 512GB SSD - Gray With Blue Diamond Cut
Model: MODERN14459
SKU: 6388730
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MSI has a well-earned reputation for producing reliable and affordable gaming PC components that, while not necessarily known for being the best of the best, have always been regarded comfortably above middle of the road and aggressively priced for what you get. Their driver suite is second to none. It only follows that they'd turn out a line of laptops. Some of the early models had occasional issues with dead pixels, but have otherwise been pretty satisfactory. This one? This one is special. Gaming company does thin and light using lessons learned making performance graphics cards and motherboards, ends up producing a powerhouse expandable thin-and-light laptop that punches way above its weight range. Make no mistake. THis is no gaming computer. This is not the laptop that you buy so you can run DV12 or Vulkan AAA games at 144 frames per second at maximum settings all day and all night. It is, however, a highly competent and highly portable productivity workstation that offers basically what you'd get for $3,000 out of a MacBook. The 10th Generation processor helps keep heat and power consumption in check, and due to the extremely aggressive air management design, the fan lives a sedentary life. The MX250 graphics chip adds some much needed punch in the video department, and while it's no GTX1080, it's certainly miles ahead of the lackluster Intel HD640 chip found in most machines at or near this price in this performance category. THe screen is clear and crisp, though the adaptive color feature is a bit more bothersome than I had expected. The trackpad feels a little cheap on account of the very deep recess it sits in coupled with the significant amount of travel needed to click, but is precise and responsive. As expected, it features tap-to-click and multitouch gesture support, both of which are, again, responsive and predictable. The case is a brushed anodized style thin aluminum sheet that picks up fingerprints in a bad way, but offers a durable, lightweight and thermally efficient shell with a stylish, but not obnoxious, company logo debossed on the lid. Cool but not ostentatious. It's like having the Porsche logo on your tie clip. Expandable RAM in such a thin design is an unexpected and welcome design feature. THe unit is supposed to accommodate up to 64GB, and the case has large Phillips head screws holding the backing on that promise not to put up too much of a fuss. I have not had reason to do so yet, but have plans to do so late 2020. The keyboard doesn't offer a ton of travel (no surprise here, the unit is so thin that there's no room for heavy switches) but the tactile feedback is significantly heavier than that of the contemporaries like the Dell XPS, the HP Spectre or the Macbook pro with its minimalist butterfly switches. I like it, because I do most of my writing using a Logitech gaming keyboard and Romer-G switches. You don't get that feel in a laptop without going to something like an old briefcase style 1980's portable desktop design. SUch is the nature of the compromise necessary to put a computer into an object the size of a single-subject notebook. What do I use it for? I've been able to run audio production fairly smoothly using this laptop as a backup/mobile platform. I prefer my desktop and needed a mobile solution that would also handle occasional gaming when I travel for work, but was unwilling to touch Apple for a variety of reasons. So far I find the design and specifications to be highly competent and would recommend this computer to anyone looking for a good compromise between portability and capability without breaking the $1,000 level. If you're looking for bulletproof, you might want to go with something that has a billet chassis instead, as I suspect this one might not like being used as a Frisbee.
Posted by Catbird
Had it for a year enjoyed it since I’ve gotten it.
Posted by Jenz