Review MSI Modern 15: Fast modern laptop

Adam Munsterman

The MSI Modern 15 is a laptop that is available in two configurations and has been developed for office automation work, both on the road and at home. We test the model with the fast 12^e generation Intel i7 processor, there is also a version with an i5 processor and 8GB RAM.

Design and screen
The business gray MSI Modern 15 has a sleek smooth design and with a weight of 1.7 kg and dimensions of 24 x 36 x 2 cm, this model is very portable. The covers are made of hard plastic and feel sturdy. The keyboard has adjustable lighting, well-functioning clear keys with short travel, a narrow separate numeric cluster and a touch pad of 7.5 x 12 cm.

The full-HD 15.6-inch IPS screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The brightness is a maximum of 250 nits and this is useful indoors, but not in full sun. The color coverage is < 60% SRGB, which is less suitable for photo and video editing, for example, but good for standard KA work. The viewing angles and contrast are fine.

Internal
Inside is a powerful combination consisting of the Intel i7-1255U processor with built-in Iris Xe graphics controller, 16GB DDR4 soldered memory and a fast 512GB PCIe3 Kingston SSD with a maximum R/W speed of 2537/1208MB/sec. Even under heavy load, the system continues to perform well and the noise of the well-functioning cooling remains limited. This makes it a laptop primarily for general office tasks, but also very useful for playing less demanding games up to full HD.

Communication, software and battery
Wireless communication is up to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The USB connections are two slow USB2.0 ports and super fast 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C with Power Delivery. There is also a slot for a micro SD card, useful for photo sharing, for example. An additional screen can be connected via the HDMI 1.4 port. There is no RJ45 plug for Ethernet, but that can be arranged via an optional USB adapter. The HD webcam is good for video conferencing. The two speakers radiate sound from below and sound a bit thin, the sound is fine via the 3.5mm jack or bluetooth.

Windows 11 Home starts up quickly thanks to the fast SSD and then responds well. Unfortunately, there is no fast login method such as a Hello-compatible webcam or fingerprint reader. The updates for BIOS and drivers etc. must be obtained from the support site, the Modern 15 has no program that checks and arranges this. The battery measures 37,800 mAh, which is economical but good for an average day’s work. A compact 65W charger with round connection plug is included.

Conclusion:
the MSI Modern 15 is a laptop with recent fast processor technology and therefore delivers a high processing speed, but is otherwise economically equipped without comfortable frills.

Product: MSI Modern 15 type B12M-028NL