The MSI Modern 14 H offers a robust performance at a budget-friendly price, designed for professionals who need reliability without the frills. With its powerful Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and ample 16GB RAM, it balances performance and affordability effectively.
Key Specs and Features
- CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 5.4GHz
- RAM: 16GB DDR4, upgradeable up to 64GB
- Storage: 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Display: 14″, 1920 x 1200, IPS, 60Hz
- Battery: 53.8Wh, survivability—about 6 hours of office work
- Weight: 1.6 kg (3.53 lbs)
- Dimensions: 31.4 x 23.6 x 1.9 cm (12.4 x 9.3 x 0.73 inches)
MSI Modern 14 H Review: Design and Build Quality
The MSI Modern 14 H uses a 14-inch frame that provides a compromise between portability and being only a little larger than the ultralights. Its lid and bottom panel are made of metal, with most of the shell built with strong plastic to make up most of the body. Its design houses a good variety of ports, like USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 support, HDMI 2.1, and a 1Gb Ethernet connection. This setup ensures it can run through multiple peripherals and external displays with ease.
The laptop’s screen can be laid almost flat, making it convenient to share content with colleagues. The display itself, though not overwhelmingly bright, is enough to get through office tasks decently. Onboard is a 720p webcam with a physical shutter to record videos for meetings, but still, video quality is not any more than basic, not having advanced features like facial recognition.
MSI Modern 14 H Review: Performance
A processor like the Intel i9-13900H makes the MSI Modern 14 H quite competitive in terms of performance compared to other systems within its price category. With the i9-13900H, this device will perform flawless multi-tasking and be able to bear resource-intensive work without speed slowdowns of any importance. Keeping the CPU at top speed under heavy loads is done by its effective cooling system.
Benchmarks run well on this laptop, which benchmarks high performance compared to other similarly rated options. It scores 13,337 in multi-core tests on the Cinebench R23, while 6,510 on PCMark 10 gives this device an extra push to run those heavy-duty applications. Coupled with a 1TB SSD, this offers real-world fast reading and writing.
MSI Modern 14 H Review: Battery Life
It’s a pretty good battery life, considering it’s a big device: 6 hours 23 minutes on our benchmark for typical office tasks, but going as long as 7 hours in video playback. This wouldn’t get one through a full working day, but the laptop does support fast charging, with the device charged to 50 percent in slightly over 30 minutes. This could be useful to some users who want to top up between meetings or during short breaks.
Usability and Comfort
The MSI Modern 14 H keyboard is backlit and pleasant to type on, except for the slight flex. Its large trackpad is responsive, so one can scroll and click through smoothly and precisely. Including Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports makes the laptop easily connectable to docking stations and all peripherals, thus increasing its productivity in a working professional environment.
Pricing and Availability
The MSI Modern 14 H will be priced at $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 in the US, UK, and Australia respectively. Well, it’s not always easy to get hold of, with limited availability in the US and UK. If you want a bigger screen, then there is a similarly specified MSI Modern 15 H that is also priced identically.
MSI Modern 14 H Review: Conclusion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Blistering Intel i9-13900H CPU performance
- Fold-flat screen
- Thunderbolt 4 support
Cons:
- No Windows Hello support
- Could be a brighter display
- No fingerprint reader
The MSI Modern 14 H stands among the leading options among professionals searching for a high-performance laptop at an affordable price. While it misses some advanced features like facial recognition or a fingerprint reader, its robust performance, decent battery life, and versatile connectivity options give it great value for business use.
For those who want above-par performance and value for money, the MSI Modern 14 H comes very highly recommended. If all-day battery life or a more sophisticated display is what you need, you should probably look elsewhere.
Should You Buy It?
Buy it if:
- You have to fire up a potent CPU to take on heavy jobs.
- You frequently make use of a USB-C dock.
- You seek value for money.
Don’t buy it if:
- You want a laptop able to keep up all day on one charge.
- You want premium display quality.
- You need 32GB of RAM (although the RAM is upgradable).
Even so, the ability of the MSI Modern 14 H to strike that great balance between performance and price makes it one of the most desirable business laptops out there.