MSI Sword 17

LaptopMedia.com Laptop Specs MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) MSI Sword 17

Date Published: 10 Feb 2023

Intel Core i5-12500H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (Laptop, 60W)
17.3”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS
1000GB SSD
64GB DDR4
2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)

TOTAL SCORE

6.9 Portability Good

7.0 Display Very Good

7.4 For Work Very Good

6.4 For Gaming Good

Best Prices Specs Review Display For Work For Gaming

MSI Sword 17

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Review

MSI Sword 17 in-depth review

If there is a brand known for its gaming devices, this surely has to be MSI. Its gamut consists of budget machines, premium laptops, and everything in between. Today, we are going to review a gaming notebook, which sits closer to the first part of the brand's portfolio.It is the MSI Sword 17 (A12UD). Interestingly, this particular notebook can be found by the (A12UDX) and (A12UCX). The last two come with DDR5 RAM and two M.2 slots on the inside, while the one we have, has DDR4 memory, and only one storage slot.Regardless of that, our particular configuration features the Intel Core i7-12700H. It is one of the most powerful CPUs from the outgoing 12th generation by Team Blue. As for the graphics, you get the RTX 3050 Ti with a 60W TGP.To be frank, this machine is very similar t[...]

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Pros

Competitively priced
Two SODIMM slots, and one M.2 PCIe x4 slot
Rigid structure
No PWM (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
144Hz refresh rate (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))

Cons

53% sRGB coverage (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
Slow pixel response times (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
No SD card reader and limited USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1)
Short battery life
Keyboard gets quite warm during gaming

Disassembly, maintenance and upgrade options

Despite its massive footprint, the MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) only offers one storage slot. This raised a couple of eyebrows in our office. However, here is a quick guide on how to open the laptop.Check out all MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) prices and configurations in our Specs System, or read more in our In-Depth review.1. Remove the bottom plate To access this notebook's internals, you need to undo a total of 13 Phillips-head screws. Then, pry the bottom panel with a plastic tool, starting from the front of the device.2. Remove the battery Inside, we find a 53.5Wh battery pack. To ta[...]

DISPLAY: 17.3-inch, 1920x1080, IPS

Name
AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F)

Diagonal
17.3"

Pixel density
127.34 ppi

Brightness
281 cd/m²

sRGB
50%

PWM frequency
No PWM (Flicker-Free)

Panel Type
IPS

Resolution
1920x1080

Becomes "Retina" from
27 inches (69 cm)

Contrast
1220:1

dE Color Checker
4.6 3.8

PWM Rating
10.0: (safe)

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Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

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Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

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Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.