MSI Cyborg 17 B13W review – Big Screen, Low RTX Power
The MSI Cyborg 17 (B13W / B2RW) enters the budget gaming arena with a clear mission: to stand out. Instead of following the usual plain black-box formula, it embraces a sci-fi-inspired translucent design that gives the laptop a much more distinctive personality than most machines in this price class.
On paper, the recipe sounds tempting: a large 17.3-inch display, Intel H-series processors, and NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics in a more affordable package. But as always with budget gaming laptops, the details matter. In this case, the most important detail is not just which GPU you get, but how much power MSI allows it to use.
The Cyborg 17 B13W is built around conservative GPU power limits and a compact single-fan cooling system, which makes it an interesting trade-off. It runs cool and delivers surprisingly stable CPU performance, but its graphics card is clearly not configured to chase maximum FPS. So, is this a smart, affordable 17-inch gaming laptop with a unique look, or does the low GPU power limit hold it back too much? We bought one and put it through our full review process to find out.
TESTED CONFIGURATION:
– Intel Core i5-13420H
– NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050
– 16GB RAM
– 512GB SSD NVMe
– 17.3″ FHD (1920×1080), 144Hz, IPS
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-cyborg-17-b2rwx/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
MSI Cyborg 17 (B13Wx / B2RWx) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 4000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 96GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Home, No OS, DOS, Windows 11 Pro
- Battery
- 55.2Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 399.3 x 258 x 21.2 - 22.2 mm (15.72" x 10.16" x 0.83")
- Weight
- 2.50 kg (5.5 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-C
- Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1 (4K@60Hz)
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- HD
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Speakers
- 2x Stereo Speakers
- Security Lock slot
- Kensington Lock
All MSI Cyborg 17 (B13Wx / B2RWx) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Cyborg-17-B13WX/support
What’s in the box?
The package is as straightforward as expected for this class of machine. Inside the box, you get the laptop itself, the mandatory paperwork, and a power adapter rated between 120W and 150W, depending on the exact configuration.
There is also a small digital bonus: MSI includes a 2-month Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription, which is a nice extra if you plan to start gaming right away.
Design and construction
The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W has a futuristic gaming look, but it doesn’t go too far into aggressive territory. The design is inspired by cyberpunk and mech aesthetics, with translucent elements around the keyboard area that make it stand out from many other budget gaming laptops. According to MSI’s official specifications, the series is available in Translucent Black, and this is the version we ordered as well.
| MSI Cyborg 17 B13W | Dimensions | Weight |
| Metric units | 399.3 x 258 x 21.2–22.2 mm | 2.5 kg |
| U.S. customary | 15.72 x 10.16 x 0.83–0.87 in | 5.51 lbs |
Fingerprints do remain on the surface, but the design does a decent job of hiding them, so they don’t stand out too much during normal use. The lid is made of metal, while the interior and the bottom panel are plastic. Overall, the chassis feels solid for this class of machine.
The bezels around the display are not very thin but because this is a 17.3-inch laptop, they don’t get your attention at all. The top bezel has a small bump that helps when opening the lid, and this is also where the HD 720p camera is positioned. It records at 30 FPS and supports 3D Noise Reduction.
A privacy shutter is also present, which is a welcome addition.
The display can open to 180 degrees, even though there are no touchscreen options. This is still useful when sharing the screen with someone across a desk or when using the laptop in tighter spaces.
The keyboard includes a NumPad, but it is slightly compromised. The keys are a bit smaller, and the NumPad uses a three-column layout. There is still some unused space on both sides of the keyboard deck, so MSI could have made this area larger and more comfortable.
The keyboard has 4-zone RGB backlighting and highlighted WASD keys. The 1.7 mm key travel is enough for comfortable use, especially for a gaming laptop in this price class. The arrow keys, however, are half-sized, which is not ideal on a gaming machine, especially one with a 17-inch chassis.
Some configurations include a fingerprint reader, while others do not, so if this feature is important to you, check the exact specification list before buying.
The touchpad is relatively large, but as with many budget MSI laptops, it doesn’t feel especially stable. If you press it lightly, it can sink a little without registering a click, which makes it feel less precise than the rest of the chassis.
Ports and Connectivity
The port selection is practical, but not especially rich for a 17-inch laptop. On the left side, there is a Kensington Lock slot, an RJ45 Gigabit LAN port, and one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port.
The right side is busier. Here, we get the audio combo jack, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort and Power Delivery 3.0 support, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, an HDMI 2.1 connector with up to 4K@60Hz output, and the power connector.
There are no ports on the back, so all cables connect from the left and right sides of the machine. This is not a major problem, but rear-facing HDMI, LAN, or power would have been cleaner on a 17-inch gaming laptop.
Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. There is no SD card reader, which is a bit disappointing given the large chassis. A card reader would have made the machine more practical for creators and camera users.
Display and Sound Quality, Display Profiles
If you want a sharper and faster display, MSI also offers a 17.3-inch QHD (2560 × 1440) IPS-Level option with a 240 Hz refresh rate. We ordered the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W with its more affordable 17.3-inch Full HD (1920 × 1080) 144 Hz IPS-Level panel (NV173FHM-NX4 / BOE09A4). It is clearly focused on gaming comfort rather than color-critical work. The 144 Hz refresh rate, acceptable response times, and PWM-free backlight are the good news here, while the limited color coverage, modest brightness, and average contrast remind us that this is still an affordable 17-inch gaming laptop.
| MSI Cyborg 17 B13W | 17.3″, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS (BOE NV173FHM-NX4 / BOE09A4) | 17.3″, QHD (2560 x 1440), 240 Hz, IPS-Level |
| Diagonal | 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) | 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS-Level | IPS-Level |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels | 2560 x 1440 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 144 Hz | 240 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Pixel Density | 127 PPI | 170 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | 69 cm or greater | 51 cm or greater |
The Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS display variant under our microscope
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black curved line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of MSI Cyborg 17 B13W can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development.
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – one of the widest consumer color standards, covering 75.8% of the visible spectrum and serving as a benchmark for premium HDR content.
MSI Cyborg 17 B13W: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this display can show.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the display at 52% of the sRGB color gamut and 42% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig. 1) MSI Cyborg 17 B13W covers 52% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 263 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 244 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 18%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 7180 K.
The contrast ratio is 880:1.
The panel is not recognized by Windows as HDR-capable for games, apps, and desktop use. HDR video streaming is reported as supported, but the display should be considered an SDR screen.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 179 nits (Windows slider = 72%) – a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark and light skin tones, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W, the average color accuracy was 5.0 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Office profile, it improved to 4.2 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) MSI Cyborg 17 B13W in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) MSI Cyborg 17 B13W with our display profile
Comparison in the sRGB color space.
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Office profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Office Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Gaming and Movies profile activated.
The horizontal axis shows the grayscale levels, while the vertical axis shows the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time of 14.7 ms, which is not a bad result for an IPS-class LCD panel.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some displays use PWM to regulate brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W‘s display does not use PWM to regulate brightness, which makes it comfortable for prolonged use in this aspect.
Health Impact: blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile reduces blue light emissions and improves viewing comfort, while keeping the screen colors perceptually accurate. It may be helpful during evening use. On laptops that use PWM for brightness control, the profile can eliminate flickering by keeping the backlight at its PWM-free maximum-brightness state and reducing perceived brightness through the profile’s own brightness control instead.
This brightness-control slider is available when the Health-Guard profile is selected, because this method can affect profiles intended for the highest color accuracy. Users who want maximum visual comfort and flicker reduction should use the “Health-Guard” profile, while users who need the most accurate color matching should use the “Design and Office” profile, with the display retaining its native brightness-control behavior.
You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Displays with higher surface reflectance can cause eye fatigue in bright ambient conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W’s screen is 53.2 GU. Good result.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for MSI Cyborg 17 B13W configurations with NV173FHM-NX4 (BOE09A4), 1920 x 1080, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Design and Office
The Design and Office profile makes display colors as close to real as possible.Ideal not only for professionals but also for everyday users, it meets sRGB standards (D65 white point, sRGB gamma) with minimal DeltaE for precise color reproduction on your panel.
Gaming and Movies
Have you ever watched a movie where, during dark scenes, you can barely see anything? Many displays fail to distinguish dark tones properly. Our Gaming and Movies profile enhances low-light performance, like HDR tech, using a gamma curve tailored to human perception — ideal for gamers seeking faster reactions and clearer visuals.
Health-Guard
Our Health-Guard profile protects your eyes by eliminating PWM flickering, reducing strain and fatigue, and minimizing harmful Blue light exposure that can disrupt sleep and health. It uses software dimming and a gamma curve tailored to human perception for comfort and safety during screen use.
Get All The Profiles With 33% Discount!
Sound Quality
The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W delivers good sound quality, with clear lows, mids, and highs.
Work Performance: CPU, Storage, AI
All performance and temperature tests are conducted with Extreme Performance mode activated in MSI Center:
CPU and Work Performance
The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W is available with several Intel processors, ranging from the Core i5-13420H and Core 5 210H to stronger options like the Core i7-13620H and Core 9 270H. The Core 9 270H is the highest-ranked chip listed here, sitting at #42 in our Top Laptop CPU Ranking, while the other options cover more mainstream performance levels. Our configuration comes with the Core i5-13420H, which is not the fastest CPU available for the series, but still fits the idea of a more affordable 17-inch gaming laptop.
This means the exact CPU configuration matters, especially if you plan to use the machine for heavier multitasking, video editing, rendering, or software compilation. For gaming, however, the GPU configuration and its power limit will usually have a bigger impact than the difference between the mid-range CPU options.
Our configuration uses the Core i5-13420H, so it is positioned near the lower end of the Cyborg 17 B13W CPU lineup. Still, the results are quite respectable for everyday productivity and sustained CPU-heavy work. The laptop does not chase the highest short-term boost numbers, but it maintains stable clocks and reasonable temperatures under longer load, which is arguably more important in real use.
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Storage Performance
We ordered a configuration with 512GB of storage, and our MSI Cyborg 17 B13WEKG arrived with a Phison 512GB ESR512GYCCA4-EDJ-2MS NVMe drive.
The SSD performs better than we usually expect from a base 512GB configuration. In our test, it reached very high 6.8 GB/sec sequential read and acceptable 3.3 GB/sec sequential write speeds. Still, more than enough for fast boot times, quick game loading, and responsive everyday work.
Thermals are fine as well. The drive stayed around 49°C during testing, with a maximum recorded temperature of 53°C, so it doesn’t appear to suffer from problematic overheating in this benchmark.
AI Performance
Here you can see the position of the GPUs and CPUs (NPUs) found within the MSI Cyborg 17 (B13Wx / B2RWx) in our AI Hardware Performance Rankings based on their AI processing power, measured in TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) - a critical metric indicating the computational throughput, particularly for AI tasks.
The first column shows peak performance for INT8/FP8 precision, which is the most widespread metric for evaluating AI inference capabilities. We exclude Sparsity to provide a more accurate reflection of AI performance in dense computation scenarios where sparsity optimizations may not be applicable. The second and third columns show the performance with Sparsity, and FP4 TFLOPS, when supported.
For SoCs, the results reflect the peak performance of the integrated NPU. Additionally, it’s important to note that, according to Microsoft, a NPU must have at least 40 TOPS of AI computing power for the PC to be considered “AI-capable.”
| # | GPU / CPU (NPU) | TOPS INT8/FP8 No Sparsity | TOPS INT8/FP8 Sparsity | TFLOPS FP4 Sparsity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 849. | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (Laptop, 8GB GDDR7) | 173 | 346 | 692 |
| 1013. | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (Laptop) | 133 | 266 | 532 |
GPU and Gaming Performance
For graphics, the Cyborg 17 B13W can be configured with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, RTX 5060, or RTX 5070 laptop GPUs. The RTX 5070 is the strongest option in this lineup, ranked #27 in our Top Laptop Graphics Ranking, followed by the RTX 5060 at #72 and the RTX 5050 at #126. Our unit uses the RTX 5050, which is the entry-level option in this series.
However, the GPU name does not tell the whole story. MSI uses conservative graphics power limits for this series: up to 45W for the RTX 5050, 55W for the RTX 5060, and 60W for the RTX 5070. This is a very important detail, because a higher-power implementation of the same GPU in another laptop can be noticeably faster.
In return, the Cyborg 17 B13W keeps the GPU temperatures low and the system under control, but this is not a laptop designed to extract every last frame from its graphics chip. It makes more sense as an affordable 17-inch gaming machine with modern RTX features, rather than a maximum-performance RTX 50-series laptop.
To put the RTX 5050 in our configuration into context, we compared it against several other laptops with the same GPU, as well as one older RTX 4050 model with a much higher 120W power limit. This is where the Cyborg 17 B13W’s conservative 45W GPU configuration becomes obvious. The laptop is not slow for 1080p gaming, but it clearly cannot match higher-power RTX 5050 implementations.
In other words, this is not a case where the RTX 5050 name alone tells the full story. The MSI focuses on controlled temperatures and lower power consumption, while competitors with higher GPU power limits deliver better benchmark results and higher gaming headroom.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W performs well in esports titles. In Counter-Strike 2, the laptop reaches 153 FPS at 1080p on the Very High preset, which is enough to make good use of the 144Hz display. This is the type of game where the machine feels at home, despite the conservative GPU power limit.
| Counter Strike 2 | 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 153 FPS |
Black Myth: Wukong is much more demanding, but the Cyborg 17 B13W still delivers usable 1080p performance. On the Low preset, it reaches 136 FPS, while the High preset drops to 65 FPS. This means you can play the game smoothly, but the High setting is already much closer to the practical limit of this low-power RTX 5050 configuration.
| Black Myth: Wukong | 1080p, Low (Check settings) | 1080p, High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 136 FPS | 65 FPS |
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is handled comfortably. At 1080p on the High preset, the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W averages 81 FPS, so this class of older or moderately demanding AAA games is a good match for the machine.
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1080p, High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 81 FPS |
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is a tougher test because it requires ray tracing. Here, the RTX 5050 reaches 58 FPS at 1080p on the High preset, which is just below the 60 FPS mark. The game is still playable, but this result also shows the main limitation of the Cyborg 17 B13W: its GPU is efficient and cool, but not configured for maximum RTX 5050 performance.
| Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition | 1080p, High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 58 FPS |
Temperatures and Comfort, Noise, Stability
At idle, the CPU package of the Intel Core i5-13420H maintains a temperature of 48ºC, which is rather high for a machine on idle, but the notebook remains silent.
Office Work, Web Development, Design
Short periods (0:00 – 0:10 s) of 100% CPU load
This test shows how the CPU behaves during short bursts of heavy load. It is important for everyday tasks such as Web Design, programming, opening large projects, or short export operations.
| Intel Core i5-13420H | Avg. P-Core Clock | Avg. CPU Temp. | Avg. CPU Power |
| Acer Nitro Lite 16 (NL16-71G) | 3783 MHz | 85 °C | 48 W |
| MSI Cyborg 17 B13W | 3554 MHz | 67 °C | 43 W |
| Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) | 3484 MHz | 92 °C | 54 W |
In short CPU bursts, the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W keeps the Core i5-13420H at an average P-core clock of 3554 MHz while maintaining a very reasonable average temperature of 67 °C. The peak temperature reaches 80 °C, which is still perfectly acceptable for this type of load.
Compared to the other laptops with the same processor, the MSI is not the fastest in the first few seconds — the Acer Nitro Lite 16 boosts higher at 3783 MHz — but it does so while running much cooler. The Acer Extensa 15 is slightly behind the MSI in clock speed and runs significantly hotter, reaching an average CPU temperature of 92 °C.
Video Editing, Scientific Computing, Software Compilation, 3D Rendering
Long periods (0:00 – 30:00 min) of 100% CPU load
This test shows how the CPU behaves during long periods of sustained load. It is important for users who work with tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, software compilation, and other CPU-heavy workloads.
| Intel Core i5-13420H | Avg. P-Core Clock | Avg. CPU Temp. | Avg. CPU Power |
| MSI Cyborg 17 B13W | 3610 MHz | 75 °C | 44 W |
| Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) | 2924 MHz | 80 °C | 35 W |
| Acer Nitro Lite 16 (NL16-71G) | 2860 MHz | 74 °C | 28 W |
The sustained CPU performance is where the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W looks much better. During the 30-minute stress test, the Core i5-13420H maintains an average P-core clock of 3610 MHz at 44 W, with an average temperature of 75 °C. That is a strong result for this processor.
Even more importantly, the CPU frequency remains very stable. The minimum clock drops by only a few MHz, which means there is no meaningful long-term throttling in this test. In this comparison, the MSI clearly outperforms both the Acer Extensa 15 and the Acer Nitro Lite 16 under sustained CPU load.
Gaming Stability
Continuous gaming – 1-hour test
This test evaluates the laptop’s behavior under sustained GPU load and high CPU usage.
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 | Avg. GPU Clock | Avg. GPU Temp. | Avg. Memory Clock | Avg. GPU Mem Temp. | Avg. GPU Power |
| Lenovo Legion 5 (15″, Gen 10) | 2944 MHz | 85 °C | 1272 MHz | 77 °C | 111 W |
| HP Victus Gaming 15 (15-fb3000) | 2756 MHz | 78 °C | 1148 MHz | 72 °C | 79 W |
| Lenovo LOQ Essential (15″, Gen 11, 15IRX11) | 2371 MHz | 73 °C | 1125 MHz | 74 °C | 60 W |
| MSI Cyborg 17 B13W | 1985 MHz | 66 °C | 1125 MHz | 63 °C | 44 W |
The GPU results tell a different story. The MSI Cyborg 17 B13W runs cool during our 1-hour gaming test, but its RTX 5050 is clearly configured with a conservative power limit. We measured an average GPU clock of 1985 MHz at just 44 W, with a core temperature of 66 °C and memory temperature of 63 °C.
Thermally, this is a very safe result — the GPU is not struggling with high temperatures. Performance-wise, however, the MSI sits at the bottom of this RTX 5050 comparison. The Lenovo Legion 5, HP Victus Gaming 15, and Lenovo LOQ Essential all run their GPUs at higher power levels and achieve noticeably higher clock speeds.
In other words, the Cyborg 17 B13W is not trying to extract the maximum possible performance from the RTX 5050. Its gaming behavior is more focused on controlled temperatures and lower power consumption than on chasing the highest FPS in this GPU class.
Battery
The battery of the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W is a 4-cell Li-Polymer unit, model BTY-M5B, with a capacity of 55.2 Wh. It lasted 5 hours and 2 minutes of offline video playback.
We tested the battery with the “Best Power Efficiency” mode activated in Windows settings, and the “ECO Silent” mode plus “Battery Boost” Off activated in “MSI Center”.
With its 55.2Wh battery, the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W delivers 5 hours and 2 minutes of video playback at 180 nits in SDR mode. This is acceptable for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop, but not impressive. The result is close to the Lenovo LOQ Essential, while models with larger batteries, such as the HP Victus Gaming 15 and Lenovo Legion 5, last longer.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
Getting inside the MSI Cyborg 17 B13W is straightforward once the bottom panel is removed. The internals are laid out in a fairly serviceable way, with the battery along the front edge, the memory and SSD in the middle-left area, and the cooling system stretching across the upper side of the chassis.
The cooling system is built around a single fan and a set of copper heat pipes shared between the processor and the dedicated GPU. The CPU sits close to the memory area, while the dGPU is positioned under the heatsink assembly toward the upper-middle part of the motherboard. It is not an extravagant cooling setup, but it gives clear access to the main upgradeable components without needing to remove the heatsink.
For storage, there is one M.2 slot for an NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen4 support. The reviewed configuration is equipped with a 512GB Phison NVMe SSD. Since there is only one SSD slot, storage expansion means replacing the existing drive rather than adding a second one.
Memory upgradeability is better. The laptop has two SO-DIMM slots for DDR5 memory, officially rated for DDR5-5200 support and up to 96GB in total, although the final operating speed can depend on the installed memory combination and CPU support. Our unit uses one 16GB DDR5 SO-DIMM module, leaving the second slot free for an easy dual-channel upgrade.
The battery is a 4-cell unit with a typical capacity of 55.2Wh. It is mounted inside an additional frame, so removal requires taking out the screws that secure the frame to the chassis. As usual, disconnecting the battery connector before touching the rest of the hardware is the safest approach.
The wireless card is also replaceable. The reviewed unit uses an Intel AX211 module, which provides Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, while wired networking is covered by Gigabit LAN support. This is good news for long-term maintenance, because the Wi-Fi module is not soldered to the motherboard.
The main upgrade limits are the single M.2 storage slot and the relatively compact single-fan cooling design. On the positive side, the RAM, SSD, battery, and Wi-Fi card are all accessible and replaceable, so the Cyborg 17 B13W is reasonably easy to maintain once the bottom cover is off.
Verdict
The MSI Cyborg 17 (B13W) is a 17-inch gaming laptop with a very clear identity. It doesn’t try to look like every other budget gaming machine on the market — the translucent elements, cyberpunk-inspired design, and 4-zone RGB keyboard give it a distinctive personality. If you want a large-screen gaming laptop that looks different and doesn’t cost as much as higher-end RTX machines, the Cyborg 17 immediately makes sense on paper.
In practice, however, this is also a laptop with very clear priorities. MSI has focused on controlled thermals, a slimmer-looking chassis, and affordability, but this comes at the cost of GPU performance. The Cyborg 17 B13W can play modern games at 1080p, but it is not designed to push its RTX 50-series GPU to the highest possible power limits.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-cyborg-17-b2rwx/
✅ The Good
The strongest surprise is the sustained CPU performance. Our Core i5-13420H configuration is not the fastest CPU option available for this series, but under long CPU load it performs very well, maintaining stable clocks and good temperatures. This makes the laptop more capable than expected for productivity tasks such as multitasking, software compilation, and longer CPU-heavy workloads.
Thermal management is also one of the better parts of the machine. The single-fan cooling system does not look very ambitious on paper, but it keeps both the CPU and GPU under control. The GPU runs especially cool during long gaming loads, which confirms that MSI is prioritizing safe temperatures and predictable behavior rather than maximum wattage.
We also like the unique translucent design, the physical webcam privacy shutter, and the comfortable keyboard with 4-zone RGB lighting. Upgradeability is good on the memory side, with two user-accessible DDR5 SO-DIMM slots and support for up to 96GB of RAM. Our unit also arrived with a fast Phison PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, reaching 6.8 GB/sec sequential read speeds while keeping temperatures under control.
The display has one important health-related advantage: it is PWM-free, which makes it comfortable for prolonged use in this aspect. The screen also has acceptable response times for an IPS-class panel, so the basic gaming experience is fine, especially in esports and lighter titles.
❌ The Bad
The biggest compromise is the low GPU power limit. Our RTX 5050 configuration is rated at up to 45W, and in our 1-hour gaming stability test it averaged 44W. As a result, it performs clearly behind higher-power RTX 5050 laptops. This does not make the Cyborg 17 unusable for gaming — our real-game results are still solid for 1080p — but it does mean that buyers should not expect the full potential of the RTX 5050 GPU.
The base Full HD display is another obvious compromise. While it has a 144Hz refresh rate and no PWM, its color coverage is limited, with only 52% sRGB and 42% DCI-P3 in our tests. Brightness and contrast are also modest, so this panel is suitable for gaming and everyday use, but not for color-sensitive work or users who want a vivid, premium-looking image.
Storage expansion is limited as well. The laptop has only one M.2 slot, so upgrading storage means replacing the existing SSD rather than adding a second drive. Battery life is acceptable for a 17-inch gaming laptop, but not impressive, and the half-height arrow keys feel like an unnecessary compromise on such a large chassis.
🆚 The Competitors
Compared to higher-power RTX 5050 laptops such as the Lenovo Legion 5 (detailed review), HP Victus Gaming 15 (detailed review), or Lenovo LOQ Essential (detailed review), the Cyborg 17 B13W clearly falls behind in GPU benchmarks and long-term gaming clocks. Those machines use higher GPU power limits and deliver better gaming headroom. The MSI answers with lower temperatures, a larger 17.3-inch screen, and a more distinctive design, but not with higher raw gaming performance.
This is the key point: the Cyborg 17 B13W is not the best choice if your main goal is to get the fastest RTX 5050 laptop for the money. It is a better fit for users who want a cool-running, visually distinctive 17-inch gaming machine for 1080p gaming, everyday work, and occasional heavier CPU tasks. If maximum FPS is your priority, there are stronger alternatives. If you value the larger screen, the design, the stable CPU performance, and controlled temperatures, the Cyborg 17 B13W has its own appeal.
Pros
- Strong sustained CPU performance for the price
- Cool and stable operation under long CPU and GPU loads
- Unique translucent cyberpunk-inspired design
- Two user-accessible DDR5 RAM slots, up to 96GB
- Fast PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in our configuration
- PWM-free display, good for long-term viewing comfort
- Physical privacy shutter for the webcam
- Comfortable keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight
Cons
- Low GPU power limit limits RTX 5050 performance
- Base Full HD display has limited color coverage
- Only one M.2 slot for storage
- Battery life is acceptable, but not impressive
- Half-height arrow keys on a 17-inch gaming laptop
- No SD card reader
Author: Simeon NikolovEditor-in-Chief at LaptopMedia.com with 20+ years of experience in testing and analyzing laptops and mobile devices.
Author: eng. Kroum NikolovHead of Engineering at LaptopMedia.com, inventor and innovator with 40+ years of experience in electronics and high technology.
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Only one M.2 slot on a 17-inch laptop is strange. There is so much space
Yes, and just one fan. But as a budget device – it is kind of expected