MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) review – does the low price justify the compromises?

Design and construction

You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that this device is made entirely out of plastic. However, its white body panels look really fresh and offer a really good rigidity. While there is some flex in the lid, the base is very sturdy, partially thanks to a metal reinforcement on the inside of the bottom panel.

In terms of dimensions, the laptop looks like a typical 17-incher. However, it has a profile of 25.2mm, and a weight of 2.60 kg. While this may look like a lot, the Sword 17 actually feels pretty portable for its footprint.

It’s good to know that you can open the lid with a single hand. It hides thin side bezels and a top one that houses an HD Web camera.

Moving to the base we see a lot of empty space. MSI could have used that for a bigger keyboard, user-facing speakers, or a larger touchpad. Nevertheless, the keyboard itself features a blue backlight and a NumberPad (albeit with small keycaps). In fact, they have the same size as the Arrow keys.

Furthermore, you get shortcuts that give you quick access to the MSI Command Center app, its performance presets the CoolerBoost option and more features. We were a bit disappointed by the keyboard, mainly because of its soft feedback – the key travel seems long enough.

Similarly, the touchpad is too small, but it works pretty well. It has good tracking and smooth gliding too.

Now, look at the bottom panel to see the speaker cutouts and the complex ventilation grill. The hot air, on the other hand, is exhausted through three vents – two on the back, and one on the left side of the notebook.

Ports

On the left side of the device, there is a charging plug, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and a USB Type-A 2.0 port. Then, on the right, you get a LAN port, an HDMI 2.0 connector, a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and an audio jack.

Author: Alex Iliev

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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Sinakeklo

3 years ago

How much would you sell me the motherboard of that MSI Sword 17. Mine seems to be dead.

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