MSI Cyborg 14 A13V Hands-On: First Immpression

MSI recently introduced the Cyborg 14 A13V laptop at CES 2024, showcasing its powerful integration and support for AI task processing. As part of the update, we’ve provided a quick MSI Cyborg 14 hands-on article below.

Despite the lack of popularity for 14-inch gaming laptops in the current market, technological advancements like AI and improved performance without excessive resource consumption suggest that laptop companies may more actively pursue this segment in the future.

Notably, the latest laptop models, such as the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V, highlight advancements in technology, top-tier power, and sleek, aesthetic design to enhance users’ experience.

MSI Cyborg 14 Hands-On: First Immpression

Design

The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V is a gaming laptop with a sleek and modern design. The black matte plastic back features the MSI logo positioned slightly upward in the middle, giving it a gaming aesthetic. The transparent light blue plastic part that showcases the internal components adds to the overall cool look of the device.

The laptop’s back expands to reveal copper-colored heatsink slots, enhancing heat dissipation and creating a visually appealing highlight. The device’s corners have same-color plastic stands for stability and improved ventilation on flat surfaces.

The hinge of the laptop pleasantly surprised me. You can easily open it with one hand without needing to support the base, and it feels smooth and sturdy. In the past, MSI laptops were known for having creaky and unimpressive hinges, but with the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V, they have addressed and fixed this issue.

Weighing only 1.6kg, the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V is a technological masterpiece that combines strength and lightness. Despite its powerful gaming capabilities, it is as light as a regular office computer.

Keyboard and touchpad

The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V laptop stands out with its blue LED keyboard, which adds a cool aesthetic to the overall design, avoiding the typical “hot” red color found in previous versions.

Furthermore, the transparent design of the WASD keys and power button enhances the visual appeal and distinctive characteristics of the Gaming line, giving it a unique and attractive highlight.

However, looks are not everything; quality is important too. The frame consists of plastic, which is not as sturdy as the aluminum frames found on other contemporary laptops. Nevertheless, I found the keyboard to be quite satisfying in terms of sensitivity and response speed, which is a major advantage of the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V.

The typing experience on this compact 14-inch gaming laptop is quite impressive, thanks to the reasonably deep 1.7mm key travel. Even content creators will enjoy using this keyboard.

Moving on to the touchpad, it operates smoothly, with practically zero latency, allowing for quick and precise mouse pointer movements.

Display

The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V is a 14-inch gaming laptop with full HD resolution and a scan frequency of up to 144Hz. This makes it ideal for playing fast-paced FPS games like CSGO, Overwatch, or PUBG, as it offers a smoother gaming experience.

If you’re unsure whether a 14-inch laptop is suitable for gaming, the answer is yes, especially if you primarily play esports games or FPS games. The smaller screen size allows for better focus on the game without distractions from other visual elements.

While the screen parameters may not be as impressive as other gaming laptops, it is still more than sufficient for tasks like web surfing and movie watching. Additionally, in terms of entertainment and basic graphics needs, the Cyborg 14 A13V can still deliver a satisfactory performance.

The only drawback I noticed with this laptop is the thickness of the webcam area. It protrudes quite significantly and has excess space, resulting in thicker borders around the screen, which may be less visually appealing.

Configuration

The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V offers impressive performance with its 16GB DDR5 RAM and SSD drive that can hold up to 512GB. It features a 13th-generation Intel i7 13620H processor, which has 10 to 15 cores. Notably, it also boasts the Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB 45W graphics card.

What sets this 14-inch gaming laptop apart is its ability to upgrade the RAM. It has 2 slots for RAM upgrades, allowing for a maximum capacity of 64GB. This makes it an attractive option for those seeking a thin, lightweight, upgradeable, and durable laptop.

I believe the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V will be a strong and affordable competitor with its powerful setup.

Connectivity

The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V gaming laptop stands out as one of the few 14-inch laptops that includes a rear LAN port, making it ideal for professional gamers or anyone who requires a stable network connection. Unlike many similar products, this laptop offers a valuable advantage in terms of connectivity.

The Cyborg 14 A13V offers multiple connection options, making it versatile and suitable for various tasks. On the left side, you’ll find a USB A port and a 3.5 mm jack. On the right side, there’s a charging port, an HDMI port, a USB A port, and a Type C port. Considering the size of this gaming laptop, these ports are more than sufficient for most users.

By including a LAN port and offering a generous selection of connection options. The MSI Cyborg 14 A13V establishes itself as an impressive 14-inch gaming laptop that meets the needs and expectations of gamers in terms of connectivity and flexibility.

AI integration

MSI recently launched a line of laptops, including the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V, that are equipped with AI technology. This integration enhances the laptops’ ability to handle long-term AI tasks and ensures optimal performance in various situations. However, it may take some time to fully experience the benefits of this technology.

Among the noteworthy AI applications available is AI Artist, which improves the work efficiency of content creators. Another useful feature is AI Noise Cancellation Pro, which ensures studio-like recording quality even in noisy environments.

Final line

After sharing our hands-on experience with the MSI Cyborg 14 A13V. It’s clear that this high-performance gaming laptop is an ideal choice for those seeking a compact and versatile option.

The 14-inch gaming laptop, MSI Cyborg 14 A13V, is currently priced at £1,199 on Amazon.co.uk.