MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: The Worth Is Proper

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Worth and Configurations

MSI has a few configurations of the Cyborg on the menu. I examined the $900 model at present out there at Greatest Purchase. It has a 2.4-GHz Intel Core i7-13620H processor with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD Gen 4×4 SSD, an built-in Intel UHD Graphics, a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU with 8G GDDR6 of VRAM, and a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 show with 144Hz refresh fee.

Adorama additionally has a number of pocket book fashions starting from $1,500 to $1,000. The specs begin with an Intel thirteenth Gen Core i5 CPU maxing out at Core i7, with 16-32GB of RAM, 512GB-1TB SSD, and several other Nvidia GPUs, together with 2050, 4050, and 4060 GPUs.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Design

As soon as upon a time, a gaming laptop computer meant a pocket book swathed in a garish mixture of black and purple. Fortunately, the world has matured considerably. The Cyborg, regardless of its mid-tier worth, appears to be like quite premium. The onyx anodized aluminum lid is stately, and the MSI emblem is proudly emblazoned within the middle. The semi-gloss emblem catches simply sufficient gentle so as to add some understated aptitude.

The hinge, vents, and laptop computer’s undercarriage are made in a clear bluish-gray plastic. The colour performs up the copper warmth pipes. However I actually like all of the intricate patterns etched into the fabric. The again portion of the undercarriage has a circuit board design, whereas the entrance half is extra geometric, with a honeycomb sample with stars interspersed. To elevate some airflow, MSI put in 4 rubber toes in that cool bluish-gray. There’s a pair of bottom-firing audio system on the perimeters and eight black screws holding all the things in place.

I want the inside had a few of the shade and elaborations discovered on the pocket book’s backside, however alas, outdoors of the clear WASD, and energy keys, it’s a bland affair. The black metallic deck isn’t dangerous; it’s a secure observe after teasing people concerning the laptop computer’s backside. That mentioned, the palm relaxation is massive and comfy, and the touchpad is massive. The keyboard sits above a barely recessed deck.

The show and deck are held in place by the 2 hinges. Some quite thick bezels encompass the 14-inch show. An enormous MSI emblem is stamped in the course of the underside bezel, whereas the highest extends right into a pronounced lip housing the 720p webcam and mics. Relating to ports, MSI provides a modest set with a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the precise, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and AC energy enter. On the left, you have got one other USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port with a headset jack and a safe lock slot.

The 12.4 x 9.2 x 0.88-inch Cyborg 14 weighs 3.5 kilos, only a bit heavier than the three.2-pound, 12.2 x 8.9 x 0.67 ~ 0.78-inch Asus TUF Gaming A14.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Show and Audio

The 14-inch IPS matte show is vibrant, however I want it have been brighter. Watching the “Sinners” trailer was disappointing. The film already has a light sepia forged, which, with the show’s dim forged, exacerbates the issue. The sky took on a yellow-gray forged, and the pores and skin of the actors Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku appeared washed out. Probably the most vibrant second of the trailer was when Jordan was sporting a sapphire newsboy hat, which stored my eye on him.

Issues appeared higher after I performed Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle. The jungles have been lush and verdant with clear babbling brooks. Intricate particulars just like the joints in a tarantula’s legs or the ugly, raised scars on actor Tony Todd’s face and milky eye have been clear whilst his character tossed Indy round like a bag of soiled laundry. The 144Hz refresh fee helped the motion comparatively clean.

If I had three needs, the primary could be for world peace. The second could be that each technology of my household could be comfortably wealthy, and the final could be the top of bottom-firing audio system. Regardless of the preinstalled DTS Audio Processing software program, the 2W audio system are a quiet riot. Regardless of the setting, the Cyborg might barely fill my lounge with sound. The tender audio system took a few of the gravitas away from Indy’s working and gunning. The whip lacked the crispness you anticipate from being cracked in opposition to an enemy’s torso.

When listening to music, I discovered the percussion tinny, the vocals crowded, and the instrumentals bloated. When you’re a bass fan, this isn’t your laptop computer, because the low finish is nonexistent. The audio system sound greatest when the Cyborg rests on a desk, however place it in your lap, and also you’re doomed to muffled audio.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Options and Software program

The Cyborg 14 has a full-size island-style keyboard with keycaps accommodating most fingers. The area between keys is sweet, and the sunshine blue backlighting permits hunt-and-peck typists to see the keys in a darkish room. The WASD keys are clear to assist them stand out much more. The keys are agency and springy when typing. I had no downside hitting my common 70 phrases per minute on the MonkeyType typing check.

My solely criticism is that you would be able to’t swap out the backlighting or create macros like you’ll be able to on costlier MSI laptops.

The Cyborg comes with the standard suite of Home windows apps, together with Microsoft Copilot, discovered on most laptops. Nevertheless, MSI Middle is the app you’ll use most, because it permits you to examine system diagnostics, handle community prioritization, regulate energy profiles, and accesss different options. Third-party software program contains DTS Audio Processing and Nvidia Broadcast, which is AI-powered and designed to boost the webcam and mic and add a digital background throughout streaming periods.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Efficiency

Armed with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU with 8GB of video reminiscence, you’ll be able to anticipate respectable body charges on most video games. You simply must be aware of the settings. My Indiana Jones playthrough was comparatively clean on low. If I tried to transcend low, I promptly bought a warning stating that my wishes exceeded what the VRAM might deal with. Nonetheless, the sport appeared respectable on low. Nevertheless, I did discover the background surroundings sharpened if I stayed nonetheless and waited for all the things to render.

I ran a few video games with in-game benchmarks to point out you ways effectively the Cyborg can recreation. I ran the Cyberpunk 2077 check with and with out ray tracing enabled. With the expertise turned on at 1920 x 1200 decision on Extremely, the laptop computer produced 35 frames per second, which rose barely to 39 fps on Medium. After I dropped the ray tracing and re-ran the check, I bought 57 and 79 fps on the Extremely and Medium, respectively. Switching over to Black Fable: Wukong, I noticed a body fee of 110 fps on Cinematic and 49 fps on the Medium graphical preset.

The Cyborg’s Intel Core i7-13620H processor permits the laptop computer to modify from play to work with out breaking its stride. I’m a tab hoarder. I’ve 55 Google Chrome tabs working with a mixture of G-Suite apps, information, social media, movies, and random bric-a-brac. The MSI pocket book stored pushing unabated. I additionally did some gentle photograph enhancing in Adobe Photoshop, and the Cyborg was nonetheless unbothered.

When it was time to run some benchmarks, the Cyborg continued to carry its personal. On Geekbench 6, the pocket book produced 2,403 on the single-core check and 11,672 on the multi-core run, placing it on par with most laptops of its ilk. Nevertheless, the Cyborg was just a little sluggish in the course of the Handbrake video transcoding check, taking 5 minutes and 31 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. On the Blender benchmark, the place the system’s CPU is tasked with rendering a picture of a BMW, the MSI took 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It’s a decent rating however not sufficient to beat the Asus TUF Gaming A14, which accomplished the duty in 2:15.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Battery Life

Gaming laptops aren’t recognized for his or her battery life, so it was no shock that the Cyborg tapped out in beneath 4 hours. I ran the PCMark 10 Fashionable Workplace benchmark with the show brightness set to 100%. The check runs by means of a simulated workload (social media, spreadsheets, video conferencing, internet looking, and many others.) till the laptop computer’s battery runs down. The MSI lasted 3 hours and 42 minutes. However since it is a gaming laptop computer, working the Gaming model of the check is barely truthful. The Cyborg was performed after 59 minutes.

MSI Cyborg 14 Overview: Verdict

Is the MSI Cyborg 14 essentially the most highly effective gaming laptop computer within the land? No, nevertheless it’s additionally not the costliest. This sub-$1,000 gaming system delivers stable gaming and total efficiency in a trendy, comparatively light-weight chassis. The keyboard is extraordinarily snug to sort on, and there’s a good quantity of ports. However at this worth level, it’s important to anticipate just a few compromises. Within the case of the Cyborg, meaning a vivid show however not the brightest, weak audio, and an absence of RGB backlighting and macros. Nonetheless, for a gaming laptop computer beneath $1,000, the MSI Cyborg 14 is a superb choice for entry-level players or people on a funds.