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amazon MSI Sword 15 reviews
It is interesting to see MSI’s new generation of gaming laptop models named around blades based on ancient legends of the so-called “dragon blade”. This is how the Sword 15 was born, the product is built with the same “recipe” as the Katana GF66 (another MSI gaming laptop version named after a sword). The most obvious difference between these two laptop models is that the GF66 has a familiar black tone, while the Sword 15 wears an eye-catching white shell.
MSI Sword 15 is a gaming laptop, it is equipped with an Intel Core i7-11800H chip and a discrete graphics card RTX 3070 with a TGP level of 85W, a configuration with quite strong performance. But the factor that makes this laptop the most competitive is not the configuration, but the price.
Let’s analyze in more detail the outstanding features of MSI Sword 15.
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 (60W) / RTX 3050 Ti (60W) / RTX 3060 (85W) / RTX 3070 (85W)
Display: 15.6inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS
Ram supports up to 64GB DDR4
Battery: 3 Cell 53Wh / 53.5Wh
Dimensions: 359 x 249 x 24.9 mm (14.13″ x 9.80″ x 0.98″)
Weight: 2.25 kg (5 lbs)
Charging source: 150W
Design and finish
Similar to the Katana GF66, the MSI Sword 15 has a plastic outer shell, weighs about 2.25kg, and has a thickness of about 24.9mm. It is significantly thinner and lighter than the Dell G15 5511 and 5515-2 Dell’s new generation of gaming laptops that we have reviewed.
Although the machine is a bit creaky and slightly flexed in some places, we still appreciate the Sword 15’s perfection, when inside there are still some metal details to reinforce the rigidity, and Definitely for this machine.
Users can quite easily open and close the lid with one hand, there is a slight bend compared to the bottom but at an acceptable level. When opening the device, the screen borders are quite thin, except for the lower border. On the upper border, there will be an HD webcam.
Going to the keyboard part, we will have Led backlighting below, bringing a rather flattering blue tone on the white background of the keyboard, creating a new feeling like we have seen on the new generation Legion 5 models 2021. by Lenovo.
The key travel is quite long, the keys have the same size and symbol font as most previous MSI gaming laptop models, and the power on button is placed with the keyboard layout. Dedicated keys such as quickly opening the Creator Center or turning on CoolerBoost mode are integrated into the navigation arrow keys.
Regarding the touchpad, the Sword 15 has a relatively small size compared to the common ground of gaming laptops in 2021. However, you do not need to worry because its surface has been smooth, providing a smooth user experience, and comfortable, swiping, clicking, and selecting are quite accurate.
On the bottom of the MSI Sword 15, we see two speaker holes, as well as a large ventilation grille that includes many openings to reveal the internal components and cooling system. Hot air will escape through 2 radiator slots on the back and 1 more slot on the left side of the machine.
Connector
Regarding the connection port, on the left edge of the Sword 15, we will have a charging power port, 1 USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and 1 more USB-A port, but it’s type 2.0.
On the opposite right side, there will be 1 LAN port, 1 HDMI port, 1 more USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with mic.
Upgrade and cleaning
Inside we will immediately see a battery with a capacity of 53.5Wh, and it is very easy to remove.
In terms of upgradeability, Sword 15 is provided with 2 RAM SODIMM slots, supporting up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM running Dual Channels. As for storage memory, users get 1 M.2 PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot on versions equipped with RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti.
There is also an additional 2.5-inch SATA drive tray with the included connector accessory.
The cooling system inside the MSI Sword 15 includes a total of 4 copper heat pipes, the CPU and GPU are equally divided, each with 2 heat pipes. Both the VRM circuit and the graphics memory benefit from the heatsink.
where can you get a MSI Sword 15 online
MSI – Sword 15.6″ Gaming Laptop – Intel Core i7 – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050ti – 512GB SSD –: Buy it now
MSI Sword 15.6″ 144Hz 3ms FHD Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-11800H RTX3050TI 8GB 512GBNVMe SSD Win10 – White (A11UD-1248): Buy it now
2022 MSI Sword 15.6″ Gaming Laptop, 144Hz IPS Level FHD, 12th Intel Core i7-12650H 10-Core, 32GB DDR4, 1TB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Pro w/ 32GB USB: Buy it now
MSI Latest Sword 15 Gaming Laptop | 15.6″ 144Hz FHD Display | Intel 8-Core i5-12450H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 | 32GB DDR4 2TB NVMe SSD | WiFi 6 | USB-C | HDMI | RJ45 | Backlit KB | Windows 10 Home: Buy it now
2022 MSI Sword 15.6″ Gaming Laptop, 144Hz IPS Level FHD, Intel Core i7-11800H 8-Core, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Pro w/ 32GB USB: Buy it now
Display screen
MSI Sword 15 has a 15.6-inch screen, Full HD resolution (1920×1080), using an IPS panel with 144Hz refresh rate, screen model code is AUO B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90). The screen ratio is 16:9 and the pixel density – is 142 PPI.
The screen has wide and comfortable viewing angles.
The screen’s measured maximum brightness is 261 nits in the middle of the screen, and 254 nits are the average for the entire area, with a maximum deviation of just 3%. The corresponding color temperature on a white screen is 6590K – roughly in line with the optimum for the sRGB standard of 6500K.
You can see how the screen works from a homogenous perspective. DeltaE chromatic aberration is not high, contrast ratio is good at -1310:1.
The yellow dotted line represents the MSI Sword 15’s color gamut coverage. Its display reaches 52% sRGB color coverage.
Battery life
In our test conditions: turn off all other programs except for the one we used to test, adjust the screen brightness to 120 nits, Windows Better Performance mode is enabled.
As a result, the Sword 15’s 53.5Wh battery delivers 6 hours and 43 minutes of web browsing, or 4 hours and 29 minutes of video playback.
CPU Performance
At the time of this article, we only see MSI providing an Intel Core i7-11800H processor for this laptop model.
GPU Performance
Regarding discrete graphics cards, we have quite a few choices including RTX 3050 (60W), RTX 3050 Ti (60W), RTX 3060 (85W), and RTX 3070 (85W).
Temperature and cooling system
Stress test
In this test, we let the machine perform light to heavy tasks, gradually pushing the CPU core performance to the maximum of 100%, thereby monitoring the stability of the clock and the temperature of the chip, over time.
Surprisingly and interestingly, the performance of Sword 15 is better than its “brothers”, which are invested in better heat dissipation solutions! However, its clock level is lower than the Dell G15 5511, which is one of the direct competitors to the MSI Sword 15.
Built on the same frame from design to equipment configuration, the performance of Sword 15 is similar to Katana GF76. In addition, turning on CoolerBoost mode will reduce the temperature in the machine by 10 degrees Celsius, while the clock speed is increased by 1 bit.
The highest temperature radiated on the keyboard surface was measured at 48 degrees Celsius. However, that hottest location was not near the areas where users often manipulate. One more factor users should note is that when playing games and turning on CoolerBoost, the fan will sound quite loud, a bit jarring.
Advantage
Eye-catching exterior colors, a solid chassis structure.
Competitive price.
The ability to upgrade components is good.
Defect
Screen color coverage is not high.
Connection ports are not diverse.