MSI Sword 17 HX B14VFKG-008NL

The MSI Sword series is the mid-range gaming laptops, with which you can smoothly play medium-heavy games. Think for example of Hogwarts Legacy and Jedi Masters. The model I tested had an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 video card, with a 14th generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM memory. I played a number of open world games and simulation games, in which I focused on increasing the frame rate to 100+. In addition, I edited some small videos to test the combination of the video card and processor. In this review you can read my findings. Video card suitable for medium-heavy games The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 video card makes this laptop suitable for medium-heavy games, which I tested at 1,080p and 1,440p. With Star Wars Jedi Masters I was really amazed. The graphics looked razor-sharp on the WXGA screen and the colors came out very well. For the test, I increased the frame rate to 120 fps, which went without any problems. I didn't experience any lag or stuttering for a single second in 1,080p high. Hogwarts Legacy also ran without any problems, so I tried it at 1,440p. At 1,440p high, I saw some stuttering, but overall I played the game very smoothly. In addition to the heavy games, I also played Cities Skylines in 4K. Because this is a light game, this went very smoothly without many large buildings and structures on the map. After a while of building, the laptop got heavier, but it shows that the RTX 4060 is more than suitable for gaming in a high resolution. Powerful processor and RAM combination Thanks to the 14th generation Intel Core i7 processor and the 16 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM memory, I found this laptop suitable for a test with video editing. Everything ran smoothly and on the sharp screen I had little trouble adjusting small details. The 4000 series has more power for editing lighting effects. I also saw this in the shadows and reflections, which looked much better. Just like with the games, the same rule applies here. Sleek gaming design with fast fans The design has an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is the sturdy metal and plastic design in combination with the RGB keyboard lighting. This matches nicely with each other and the WASD (ZQSD in Belgium) buttons are made transparent for an extra gaming effect. The weight is a disadvantage. The laptop feels very heavy and at 2.6 kilograms is quite heavy in a backpack. The biggest advantage I think is the shortcut for the fans. I turned on this boost while playing Hogwarts Legacy and the laptop stayed well cooled.

I bought the MSI Sword as a replacement for my crashed Acer laptop. In retrospect, I made a choice too quickly, because the Sword turned out not to be 'my' laptop. It is fast, has a nice screen and does all tasks without problems, but there are also some features that really bothered me. (And yes, that is personal ...) The keyboard lighting was not exactly soothing, but that is easy to adjust. By the way, that setting is not 'per key', but per group of keys. I found the transparent WASD keys annoying and difficult to read. (For gamers - which I am not - this is probably nice.) What I found most annoying was the 'noise' of the fans, even on the 'balanced' setting. Two days after purchasing, I returned this product to the store and exchanged it for an Acer. That suits me and my computer use much better. The service from Coolblue was, as I was used to, unsurpassed. Is the MSI Sword recommended or not? That depends a lot on your own needs and preferences. It is a good computer in itself. But not for me.