MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) review – does the low price justify the compromises?
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 to the MSI Katana GF76, but we can say that it is specialized for one particular genre of games – RPG. These are the words of the manufacturer, not ours. We think the laptops are essentially the same.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-sword-17-a12ud/
Contents
- Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
- Design and construction
- Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound
- Buy our profiles
- Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests
- [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your MSI Sword 17 (A12UD)
- Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
- Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
- Verdict
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
- HDD/SSD
- up to 1000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 64GB
- OS
- No OS, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 53.5Wh, 3-cell
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate
- Dimensions
- 398 x 273 x 25.2 mm (15.67" x 10.75" x 0.99")
- Weight
- 2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 2.0
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- HDMI
- 2.0
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ax
- Bluetooth
- 5.2
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- HD
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Nahimic Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All MSI Sword 17 (A12UD) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Sword-17-A12UX/support?sub_product=Sword-17-A12UD#driver
What’s in the box?
Inside the box, you will get the mandatory paperwork, as well as a 180W charger.
How much would you sell me the motherboard of that MSI Sword 17. Mine seems to be dead.