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日本MSI Creator 17 (2020) vs MSI Creator 17M (2019) – Mini-LED display and much better hardware with the 2020 version
In 2019, MSI presented the Creator 17M – a big and stylish device with a 17.3″ display and slim profile. The laptop is specially built for content creators but everyone can have fun with it considering what it offers. For such a machine, it lacks a bit of exclusivity and if you need a powerful GPU you can go only as high as RTX 2060 which is not a bad GPU, but it still lacks behind the top tier models.
Now, in 2020, things look better. The new version can be configured with some impressive display options like a 4K Mini-LED panel and you can pick a device with one of the most powerful mobile video cards at the moment.
You can check the prices and configurations of the MSI Creator 17 (2020) devices in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-creator-17/
You can check the prices and configurations of the MSI Creator 17M (2019) devices in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-creator-17m/
Contents
- Design: refresh design and sleek look
- Display: 4K Mini-LED display and a Full HD panel with 144Hz
- Hardware: Comet Lake-H, NVIDIA RTX Super, and improved cooling solution
- Connectivity and ports: good I/O
- Storage and other specs: two M.2 ports. backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, and bigger battery
- Specs Comparison
- Prices and Configurations
Design: refresh design and sleek look
Ok, the brushed look is history and the new one features a clean matte finish. Nevertheless, the 2020 device comes with just one color option – Space Grey. The profile is slimmer (20.3 mm) but there is are 190 grams of added weight which is probably due to the more powerful hardware that can be fitted in the newer version.
MSI Creator 17 (2020) | MSI Creator 17M (2019)
The keyboard and the touchpad are orthodoxly placed while the 2019 version has a slightly forward-placed keyboard and the touchpad is moved a bit on the left and close to the edge of the palm-rest area. Speaking of touchpads, the new one is bigger and much wider than the old one.
MSI Creator 17 (2020) | MSI Creator 17M (2019)
Display: 4K Mini-LED display and a Full HD panel with 144Hz
MSI claims that the Creator 17 (2020) is “the first notebook in the world with a Mini-LED display” and you can read more about it here. The latter is a 4K panel that supports HDR 1000 which helps for a brighter and vivid image that has more details in the black scenes. If you tend to play games after work, the 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate is a good pair for fast-paced games. Last but not least, there is another 4K 60Hz display – this one has an IPS panel and it’ll cost you less than the Mini-LED option.
MSI Creator 17 (2020) | MSI Creator 17M (2019)
Hardware: Comet Lake-H, NVIDIA RTX Super, and improved cooling solution
The new model can be configured with up to the 10th gen Intel Core i9. If your wallet isn’t wide enough for a Core i9 CPU, the Core i7-10875H is very close to the performance of its bigger sibling and its price isn’t that “heartbreaking”. As for the GPUs, the most powerful option is the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. The next one on the list is the RTX 2070 Super Max-Q. If these two are too much for your needs, the mid-range RTX 2060 is available at а lower price, while offering probably the best price/performance ratio
The cooling solution is improved and compared to the last year’s one – it has an additional fan and at least, at first sight, this is the main difference. By the way, this device looks very similar to the GS75 Stealth – it is highly possible that MSI uses it as a base for the Creator 17 (2020).
Connectivity and ports: good I/O
Let’s see what kind of ports the new notebook has to offer – a USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-C) with Thunderbolt 3 support, another USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-C) port, three USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A) ports, an Ethernet port, a micro SD Card Reader, an HDMI port, an audio jack, and a mic-in jack.
Storage and other specs: two M.2 ports. backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, and bigger battery
For storage options, there are two NVMe ports (PCIe Gen3) and that looks completely normal for a high-end device. The single-color backlit keyboard glows only in white color but it’s a needed feature for dimmed rooms and working out late. There is a new and bigger battery unit (82Wh) and as you may expect, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are here as well.
Specs Comparison
| MSI Creator 17 (2020) | MSI Creator 17 (2019) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 17.3″, Full HD, IPS 144Hz, 4K, 60Hz / 60Hz Mini LED | 17.3″, Full HD, IPS 60Hz /120Hz / 144Hz |
| GPU | RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | NVIDIA RTX 2060, GTX 1660 Ti |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-10875H | Intel Core i7-9750H |
| Memory | DDR4 2666MHz | DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage | 2xM.2 NVMe SSD | 2xM.2 NVMe SSD |
| Gigabit WiFi | 802.11ax | 802.11ac |
| Battery | 82Wh | 51Wh |
| Thickness | 20.3 mm | 22~23.1 mm |
| Weight | 2.39 kg | 2.20 kg |
| Review | – | – |
Prices and Configurations
MSI Creator 17 (2020) configurations:
MSI Creator 17M (2019) configurations:
Bought a new one about 3 months ago. The Black color around the letters and space Bar is coming off.