Notebookcheck Logo

MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR Laptop Review: For bargain hunters

AMD set to attack. Longstanding market leaders in terms of performance, Intel and Nvidia are increasingly experiencing pricing pressure. This is the "fault" of devices such as the MSI Bravo 15, which we have tested in its configuration with a Ryzen 7 4800H and a Radeon RX 5300M.
MSI Bravo 15

If you are looking for a gaming notebook for around $1000 and would prefer an AMD chip, you will want to take a closer look at the MSI Bravo 15. The 15-inch device offers a good price-to-performance ratio and is clearly aiming for our Budget-Top-10 list. The processor is a Ryzen chip from AMD's 4000 series and the graphics chip is either a Radeon RX 5300M with 3 GB of VRAM (A4DCR) or a Radeon RX 5500M with 4 GB of VRAM (A4DDR). Images are displayed on the Full-HD display, which also supports FreeSync, with 120 or 144 Hz. 

Our test unit, which is equipped with a Ryzen 7 4800H, a Radeon RX 5300M, a 144-Hz panel, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (2x 8 GB of dual channel mode) and two 1-TB SSDs, is a presample. This means that there might still be some changes to the inside or outside of the final product. For example, the keyboard backlight didn't work on our test unit, which we didn't include in our overall rating. 

MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR (Bravo 15 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H 8 x 2.9 - 4.2 GHz, Renoir-H (Zen 2)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX 5300M - 3 GB VRAM, Core: 1036 MHz, Memory: 14000 MHz, GDDR6, Adrenalin 19.40.30, Switchable Graphics
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, Dual Channel, all slots occupied, 64 GB max.
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS-Level, Full-HD, FreeSync, glossy: no, 144 Hz
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, 1024 GB 
, NVMe SSD, slots: 2x M.2 Type 2280 (all occupied)
Soundcard
Realtek ALC233 @ AMD K17.6 - Audio Processor
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22 x 359 x 254 ( = 0.87 x 14.13 x 10 in)
Battery
51 Wh, 4500 mAh Lithium-Polymer, 3 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD (720p)
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 180-Watt power supply, Dragon Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.96 kg ( = 69.14 oz / 4.32 pounds), Power Supply: 632 g ( = 22.29 oz / 1.39 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

The Bravo 15's competition includes other 15-inch budget gamers such as the Asus TUF FX505DT, the Dell G5 15 5590, the HP Omen 15 and the recently tested Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44. All these notebooks are included in our comparison tables.   

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
79.5 %
07/2020
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
R7 4800H, Radeon RX 5300M
2 kg22 mm15.60"1920x1080
79.8 %
06/2020
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
2.2 kg24 mm15.60"1920x1080
80.4 %
07/2019
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.2 kg26.8 mm15.60"1920x1080
79.6 %
10/2019
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.7 kg23.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
81.5 %
07/2019
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.3 kg25 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

Unlike some competitors, MSI has not just settled for a load of plastic but offers a certain level of quality even in this $1000 range. The lid and top of the base unit are made of brushed aluminum. Stability isn't perfect despite the use of metal, however, with both the cover and the base unit susceptible to being warped and bent in several areas. This can lead to creaking and cracking. The workmanship is good and all edges had a nice finish on our test sample.

MSI has chosen a rather discreet look for its Bravo 15. Only the red keyboard backlighting and the winged creature on the lid point to the device's gaming origins. Otherwise the case is very simple and has a subtle dark surface.

MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15

The Bravo 15 is surprisingly light. It is the lightest device of our comparison field at 2 kg (~4.9 lb). The competition weighs at least 200 g (~7 oz) more. These devices are all thicker than our test unit (2.2 cm/~0.87 in) as well. These moderate dimensions (slim bezel design) make the Bravo 15 a nice travel companion.

Size Comparison

364 mm / 14.3 inch 273 mm / 10.7 inch 23.7 mm / 0.933 inch 2.7 kg5.98 lbs360.4 mm / 14.2 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 26.8 mm / 1.055 inch 2.2 kg4.92 lbs363 mm / 14.3 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.2 kg4.8 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg5.11 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2 kg4.32 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports

MSI was rather strict when it came to port selection. The device lacks a DisplayPort, a card reader and a Thunderbolt 3 port. The available USB ports (2x Type A + 2x Type C) don't even support the 3.1 Gen 2 standard and instead are based on USB 3.0. The HDMI port isn't really up to date either (only 30 Hz @ 4K). The RJ45 port, the gold audio jack and the Kensington Lock only partly make up for these deletions.  

We weren't particularly impressed by port distribution either. The fact that all USB ports are positioned on the right side with the power supply placed in the middle is rather awkward.

Left side: power supply, HDMI
Left side: power supply, HDMI
Right side: audio, 2x USB-A 3.0, 2x USB-C 3.0, RJ45-LAN, Kensington Lock
Right side: audio, 2x USB-A 3.0, 2x USB-C 3.0, RJ45-LAN, Kensington Lock

Communication

There is nothing to complain about in terms of Wi-Fi performance. MSI has equipped its Bravo 15 with the speedy Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module, which easily passed the 1000 MBit/s mark in our sending and receiving test (1 m/~3.3 ft distance to the router). The results are only comparable to the Acer Nitro 5 due to our recently updated test setup. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1340 MBit/s +13%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1190 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1412, n=14, last 2 years)
1006 MBit/s -15%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s -43%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
676 MBit/s -43%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
617 MBit/s -48%
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1390 MBit/s +4%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1340 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=14, last 2 years)
1203 MBit/s -10%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
691 MBit/s -48%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
646 MBit/s -52%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
586 MBit/s -56%

Webcam

Don't expect a good webcam from the Bravo 15. The image quality is very modest - as with most laptops.

ColorChecker
13.1 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
16.6 ∆E
10 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
20.5 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
11.2 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
3.8 ∆E
13.7 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
9 ∆E
ColorChecker MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR: 11.29 ∆E min: 3.76 - max: 20.52 ∆E

Accessories

The test configuration comes with a rather flat 180W AC adapter that is fairly light at 630 g (~1.4 lb).

Maintenance

In order to reach the inside of this device users will have to remove 12 Phillips screws and lift off the bottom cover with a flat tool (e.g. a spatula). Users then have access to two SO-DIMM banks, two M.2 slots (all occupied), the network module, the battery and the cooling system. The latter consists of two fans and several heat pipes (see photo).

MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15
MSI Bravo 15

Warranty

The warranty covers 24 months (pick-up and return service).

Input Devices

Keyboard

If you are used to typing on standard keyboards, you might need some time to get used to the MSI laptop's layout. The enter key is reduced to one line and several keys have been moved around - this makes it difficult to get going at first. The fairly loud typing noise and fact that MSI has foregone a number pad might be an issue for some users. The device nevertheless receives a rating of "good" due to its decent dimensions (including arrow keys). Unlike on the Bravo 17, the wrist rest is adequately large. 

Touchpad

The 10.5x6.5 cm (~4.1 x 2.6 in) large touchpad is a mixed bag. While it offers a smooth surface and guarantees fast, precise cursor control, its integrated mouse buttons appear cheap with their rather loud clatter. The touchpad overall is not very sturdy (particularly in the right lower corner). In short: MSI could still improve its input devices.

Display

Some aspects of the Bravo 15's 144-Hz panel are a lot more appealing than the 120-Hz screen on the Bravo 17. 

322
cd/m²
317
cd/m²
317
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
311
cd/m²
314
cd/m²
292
cd/m²
324
cd/m²
329
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 329 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 313 cd/m² Minimum: 13 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 311 cd/m²
Contrast: 723:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.65
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.129
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS-Level, 1920x1080
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Panda LM156LF-2F01 (NCP004D), IPS, 1920x1080
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
Panda LM156LF-GL, IPS, 1920x1080
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
AU Optronics B156HAN (AUO23ED), IPS, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
LGD05CE, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
-32%
-34%
34%
-36%
Display P3 Coverage
62
41.16
-34%
39.56
-36%
83.1
34%
38.37
-38%
sRGB Coverage
86.8
61.8
-29%
59.5
-31%
99.9
15%
57.6
-34%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
62.7
42.56
-32%
40.91
-35%
96.8
54%
39.69
-37%
Response Times
-172%
-128%
-194%
-168%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16 ?(7.6, 8.4)
40.8 ?(19.2, 21.6)
-155%
30.4 ?(14, 16.4)
-90%
48 ?(22.8, 25.2)
-200%
40 ?(21.2, 18.8)
-150%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(6, 4.4)
30 ?(16.8, 13.2)
-188%
27.6 ?(17.6, 10)
-165%
30 ?(16.8, 13.2)
-188%
29.6 ?(17.2, 12.4)
-185%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-11%
-30%
-19%
-23%
Brightness middle
311
287
-8%
286.2
-8%
234
-25%
251
-19%
Brightness
313
271
-13%
267
-15%
216
-31%
232
-26%
Brightness Distribution
88
88
0%
84
-5%
87
-1%
76
-14%
Black Level *
0.43
0.25
42%
0.33
23%
0.22
49%
0.17
60%
Contrast
723
1148
59%
867
20%
1064
47%
1476
104%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.5
4.77
-6%
5.45
-21%
6.52
-45%
6.2
-38%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.97
17.15
-115%
18.08
-127%
10.58
-33%
18.6
-133%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.65
3.73
-41%
4.47
-69%
3.56
-34%
4.8
-81%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.3
2.7
18%
5.3
-61%
5.33
-62%
4.2
-27%
Gamma
2.129 103%
2.115 104%
2.1 105%
2.86 77%
2.32 95%
CCT
7227 90%
7187 90%
7679 85%
5983 109%
7454 87%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
63
43
-32%
37.6
-40%
36
-43%
36.5
-42%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
86
61
-29%
59.1
-31%
57
-34%
57.4
-33%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-72% / -35%
-64% / -43%
-60% / -31%
-76% / -43%

* ... smaller is better

For one, both brightness and color space coverage are higher. While 313 cd/m² isn't the best result, it is sufficient for most situations (although things might get a little more difficult outdoors and/or in direct (sun)light). 86 percent sRGB coverage and 63 percent AdobeRGB coverage is reasonable for this price range.

CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Color saturation
CalMAN: Color saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Color saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Color saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)

The color accuracy is average, as is the contrast ratio: The Bravo only reaches 720:1 due to its mediocre black value of 0.43 cd/m².

MSI Bravo 15 vs. sRGB (86%)
MSI Bravo 15 vs. sRGB (86%)
MSI Bravo 15 vs. AdobeRGB (63%)
MSI Bravo 15 vs. AdobeRGB (63%)
Subpixel
Subpixel

Instead, the 144-Hz panel offers good viewing angles, FreeSync support and a short response time of 10 ms black to white and 16 ms gray to gray. We did not notice any PWM flickering on the panel.

In the sun
In the sun
In shade
In shade
Viewing angle
Viewing angle

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 8.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Testing conditions

The preinstalled Dragon Center enables users to make numerous changes to the system. Our measurements were conducted in the "user" scenario (performance level "high" + fan speed "auto").

Dragon Center
Dragon Center
Dragon Center
Dragon Center
Dragon Center
Dragon Center

Performance

Although the CPU offers high-end speeds, the Bravo 15 really belongs into the mid-range segment. Even now, the Radeon RX 5300M often reaches its limits during 3D applications.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
AS SSD Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark

Processor

The AMD Ryzen 7 4800H is a real firecracker that not only challenges Intel's hexa-core processors but also their octa-core modules. 

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load

The 7-nm Renoir model has eight cores and supports SMT to work up to 16 threads simultaneously. The Ryzen 7 4800H's turbo boost is put to good use in our Bravo 15. The CineBench R15 multi-core test, which maxes out all cores, resulted in an average 3.6 GHz. The base clock rate of this chip is 2.9 GHz. In ideal conditions, this CPU even reaches 4.2 GHz.

09018027036045054063072081090099010801170126013501440153016201710Tooltip
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR: Ø1697 (1664.03-1741.33)

The competition's processors can't keep up with the 4800H - whether it's the Core i5-9300H or the Ryzen 7 3750H. Both CPUs fall behind by more than 50 percent during our multi-core test. Only the Ryzen 5 4600H in the Nitro 4 can almost keep up (-20 percent).

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=247, last 2 years)
265 Points +42%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
186 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
178 Points -4%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points -8%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
169 Points -9%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
157 Points -16%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=248, last 2 years)
2986 Points +72%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1741 (1664.03min - 1741.33max) Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1398 (1313.46min - 1397.77max) Points -20%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
818 Points -53%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
799 Points -54%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
769 Points -56%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
643 Seconds * -126%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
345 Seconds * -21%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
284 Seconds *
Average of class Gaming
  (87 - 1259, n=241, last 2 years)
208 Seconds * +27%
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Gaming
  (2685 - 7581, n=242, last 2 years)
6034 MIPS +32%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
4626 MIPS +1%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4584 MIPS
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
4471 MIPS -2%
7z b 4
Average of class Gaming
  (11386 - 140932, n=241, last 2 years)
74398 MIPS +57%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
47520 MIPS
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
36693 MIPS -23%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
20736 MIPS -56%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=243, last 2 years)
690 Points +45%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
477 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
428 Points -10%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
419 Points -12%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
404 Points -15%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
386 Points -19%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=243, last 2 years)
7152 Points +81%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
3956 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
3224 Points -19%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
1821 Points -54%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1793 Points -55%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
1723 Points -56%
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (158 - 2193, n=246, last 2 years)
1786 Points +55%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1154 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1108 Points -4%
Multi-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (1946 - 22200, n=246, last 2 years)
13156 Points +77%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
7453 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
5260 Points -29%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Gaming
  (3 - 37.6, n=245, last 2 years)
20.5 fps +75%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
11.7 fps
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
9.27 fps -21%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
5.7 fps -51%
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
93.9 s *
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
64.1 s * +32%
Average of class Gaming
  (32.8 - 332, n=239, last 2 years)
49.6 s * +47%
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
0.626 sec * -5%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
0.597 sec *
Average of class Gaming
  (0.3609 - 4.47, n=242, last 2 years)
0.4753 sec * +20%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1741 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
111 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Help

System Performance

The Bravo 15's excellent system performance, which is due in large part to the speedy processor, lands it first place in our comparison table. The 5639 points in PCMark 10 could also be coming from a notebook that costs two or three times as much.

However, similar to the Bravo 17, the 15-inch version does have to deal with occasional short freezes in some situations (e.g. when opening programs). These might be connected to the graphics switching technology. We also noticed several blue and black screens, which is not uncommon in AMD laptops (drivers!). 

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=208, last 2 years)
7531 Points +34%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Radeon RX 5300M, R7 4800H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5639 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
4892 Points -13%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
4873 Points -14%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4732 Points -16%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, KBG30ZMS128G
4615 Points -18%

DPC Latencies

MSI could also improve on their latencies. Although our 4K YouTube video was displayed smoothly, the LatencyMon tool didn't give the Bravo 15 particularly good marks.

Latencies
Latencies
Latencies
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Radeon RX 5300M, R7 4800H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
1423 μs *
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
1000 μs * +30%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The storage configuration in our test unit will probably not be available for purchase. Our presample was equipped with two SSDs with a capacity of 1000 GB each. The model, however, might be used in serial production. The PM981a is a fast NVMe drive from Samsung that should easily manage to keep up with its competition from SK Hynix (Acer Nitro 5), Intel (Asus TUF FX505), Kingston (Dell G5 15) and WDC (HP Omen 15). The M.2 SSD reaches a sequential rate of over 2000 MB/s.

MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
KBG30ZMS128G
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-31%
-31%
-67%
-14%
Write 4K
118.3
94.7
-20%
137.5
16%
65.3
-45%
112.1
-5%
Read 4K
43.73
38.91
-11%
57
30%
29.71
-32%
42.01
-4%
Write Seq
2854
1056
-63%
984
-66%
128.8
-95%
1964
-31%
Read Seq
2302
1183
-49%
1564
-32%
859
-63%
2065
-10%
Write 4K Q32T1
418.5
445.3
6%
237.4
-43%
95.8
-77%
318.2
-24%
Read 4K Q32T1
517
477.7
-8%
340.7
-34%
197.6
-62%
406.7
-21%
Write Seq Q32T1
3008
1063
-65%
959
-68%
132.5
-96%
2534
-16%
Read Seq Q32T1
3568
2154
-40%
1732
-51%
1208
-66%
3438
-4%
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3568 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3008 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 517 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 418.5 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2302 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2854 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 43.73 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 118.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

In line with the 7-nm CPU, the GPU is also a 7-nm chip of the Navi generation. The Radeon RX 5300M is a trimmed-down version of the RX 5500M.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
36032 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
39264 points
3DMark 11 Performance
14048 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
32417 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9404 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
3872 points
Help

While the amount of Shader units is identical (1408), the video memory only offers 3 rather than 4 GB (interface: 96 vs. 128 bit), which can become an issue particularly when playing modern games (freezes increased both in duration and severity). The RX 5300M also has significantly lower clock rates, which means that the maximum turbo reaches 1445 rather than 1645 MHz.

0510152025303540Tooltip
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR Radeon RX 5300M, R7 4800H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR: Ø38.5 (34-41)

At least the Bravo 15 maxes out the GPU boost under load. There were no noticeable issues during our 60 minute Witcher 3 test and the Radeon RX 5300M completed our set of benchmarks with similar results to the GeForce GTX 1650 (Ti), which is what we expected.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=250, last 2 years)
28955 Points +174%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Radeon RX 5300M
10550 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
10209 Points -3%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
9536 Points -10%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
9428 Points -11%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
9239 Points -12%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=248, last 2 years)
11781 Points +233%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
3773 Points +7%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
3568 Points +1%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
3565 Points +1%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Radeon RX 5300M
3539 Points
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
3488 Points -1%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=246, last 2 years)
39499 Points +174%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Radeon RX 5300M
14437 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
13927 Points -4%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
13575 Points -6%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
13447 Points -7%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
13233 Points -8%

Gaming Performance

Provided you are happy with high rather than maximum details, the Radeon RX 5300M should be a good companion for the Full-HD panel. The GPU usually reaches over 40 FPS in this scenario. Only very demanding or badly programmed/optimized games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 might still be difficult to play smoothly 

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=177, last 2 years)
213 fps +255%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H
67.7 (56min) fps +13%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, R7 3750H
62.7 fps +5%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
62.2 fps +4%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Radeon RX 5300M, R7 4800H
60 (48min) fps
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
59.8 (50min) fps 0%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=245, last 2 years)
114 fps +198%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H
38.3 (29min) fps 0%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
Radeon RX 5300M, R7 4800H
38.3 (31min) fps
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
37 fps -3%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, R7 3750H
36.2 fps -5%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
34.4 (26min) fps -10%

If possible, users should update the GPU driver. The fact that the version installed was too old came up with several titles during testing (Doom Eternal wouldn't even start).

low med. high ultra
GTA V (2015) 163 86.1 42.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 178 122 60 38.3
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 113 108 97.9 94.7
Fortnite (2018) 131 114 81.8 58.2
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 98.4 51.6 29.3
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 118 70.4 60.8 38.3
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 51.5 39.5 34.9
Monster Hunter World (2018) 80.6 60.1 52.2 42.6
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 114 60 48 36
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 72 59 42 25
Hitman 2 (2018) 74.5 65.7 55.8 48.8
Battlefield V (2018) 140 91.8 79.4 70.8
Darksiders III (2018) 155 76.8 62.2 54.9
Just Cause 4 (2018) 108 79.1 56 52.5
Apex Legends (2019) 143 87.2 68.6 67.6
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 88 69 64 58
Metro Exodus (2019) 105 51.2 36.1 28.6
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 190 110 89.9 49.5
The Division 2 (2019) 120 75 63 42
Anno 1800 (2019) 83.4 60.3 39.7 20.6
Rage 2 (2019) 121 54.8 30.4 29.8
F1 2019 (2019) 176 106 94 81
Control (2019) 132 41.8 29.4
Borderlands 3 (2019) 97.3 63.6 40.9 36
FIFA 20 (2019) 190 172 160 153
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 82 51 41 22
GRID 2019 (2019) 164 76.8 54.8 25.5
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019) 127 72.2 57.9 47
Need for Speed Heat (2019) 78.6 67.9 58.6 52.9
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 71.2 61.1 53.1
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019) 95.4 41.2 32.1
Escape from Tarkov (2020) 121 80.5 70.1 56.7
Hunt Showdown (2020) 137 53 43.2
Doom Eternal (2020) 0 game wont start 0 game wont start 0 game wont start 0 game wont start
Gears Tactics (2020) 231 100 66.4 47.5

Emissions

System Noise

Fan control didn't turn out particularly well judging by our presample. On the one hand you have the fans that sometimes turn up while idling, seemingly for no reason, reaching around 40 dB(A), on the other the Bravo 15 becomes rather loud under load. 48 to 54 dB(A) are not for the fainthearted, which is why we would recommend users to connect headphones during 3D applications.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.335.535.837.338.52537.838.739.437.943.13132.7343333.235.64035.137.433.632.937.15049.237.836.733.848.86334.134.131.734.136.58030.529.329.729.631.910028.329.231.329.433.212527.928.530.728.831.916029.725.927.825.133.920029.724.928.125.534.12502923.324.722.233.631530.722.826.522.736.340031.32225.921.637.450031.521.325.519.936.863033.620.326.91938.280032.119.926.618.337.610003519.730.21840.5125036.920.63118.342.5160037.419.831.51843200038.119.330.317.643.6250036.818.827.517.943.4315038.818.525.718.144.3400037.918.124.81844.6500035.718.121.91841.7630029.518.118.917.936.7800028.71818.217.835.91000024181817.831.51250020.617.817.817.726.81600018.717.817.717.721.7SPL47.931.639.630.753.7N61.73.11.59.1median 31.3median 19.8median 26.5median 18.1median 36.8Delta42.95.22.24.5hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseMSI Bravo 15 A4DCR

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 32 / 40 dB(A)
Load
48 / 54 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
R7 4800H, Radeon RX 5300M
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
5%
11%
2%
17%
14%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
28.2
6%
30
-0%
28.8
4%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=194, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
31
30
3%
28.2
9%
31
-0%
28.8
7%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=195, last 2 years)
17%
Idle Average *
32
32
-0%
28.2
12%
32
-0%
29.5
8%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=195, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
40
34
15%
31.4
21%
35
12%
31.1
22%
30.7 ?(21.9 - 47, n=195, last 2 years)
23%
Load Average *
48
46
4%
39.8
17%
49
-2%
35.2
27%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=195, last 2 years)
10%
Witcher 3 ultra *
48
47
2%
47
2%
47
2%
35.2
27%
Load Maximum *
54
49
9%
50.2
7%
53
2%
41
24%
53.2 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=195, last 2 years)
1%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The temperature development of the Bravo 15 is neither particularly low nor particularly high. We measured a maximum surface temperature of 51 °C (123.8 °F/top) and 50 °C (122 °F/bottom) after 60 minutes under full load (FurMark & Prime95) - that's very typical for a gaming notebook and reminds us of the temperature we measured on the Acer Nitro 5, equipped with a Ryzen 5 4600H and a GeForce GT 1650 Ti. The surface temperature remains fairly comfortable at around 30 °C (86 °F) while idling.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Full load top
Full load top
Full load bottom
Full load bottom

The CPU and GPU heat up differently during our stress test. While the Radeon RX 5300M remains below 80 °C (176 °F), the Ryzen 6 4800H reaches over 90 °C (194 °F) at a certain point. 

Max. Load
 51 °C
124 F
51 °C
124 F
48 °C
118 F
 
 47 °C
117 F
47 °C
117 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 34 °C
93 F
35 °C
95 F
32 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 51 °C = 124 F
Average: 42.9 °C = 109 F
42 °C
108 F
49 °C
120 F
50 °C
122 F
32 °C
90 F
39 °C
102 F
41 °C
106 F
31 °C
88 F
31 °C
88 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 50 °C = 122 F
Average: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  47 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42.9 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 51 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 50 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 41.9 °C / 107 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-7.1 °C / -12.8 F).
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
R7 4800H, Radeon RX 5300M
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
5%
3%
7%
16%
0%
Maximum Upper Side *
51
49
4%
41.2
19%
49
4%
40.3
21%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=194, last 2 years)
9%
Maximum Bottom *
50
50
-0%
40
20%
55
-10%
48.5
3%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=194, last 2 years)
1%
Idle Upper Side *
30
28
7%
34.6
-15%
25
17%
23.9
20%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=194, last 2 years)
-5%
Idle Bottom *
31
28
10%
34.4
-11%
26
16%
24.6
21%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=194, last 2 years)
-5%

* ... smaller is better

Speaker

The sound is better than that of the main competitor, Acer Nitro 5, although even the Bravo 15 cannot produce a full bass. The sound system, which is positioned in the front corners of the notebook, reaches a maximum volume of 83 dB(A) which should fill more than a small room.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.840.82539.644.43132.536.2403642.35043.746.16332.137.28032.135.410030.431.81253036.116029.444.52002853.325025.965.131523.767.340020.571.850020.47263022.771.980018.774.9100017.969.4125018.870.5160018.274200017.672.5250017.664.1315017.766.9400017.968.5500017.968630017.873.4800017.871.21000017.871.61250017.670.71600017.663.6SPL31.383.1N1.760.8median 18.2median 69.4Delta3.26.631.832.133.433.327.530.333.93434.530.231.430.825.727.223.726.522.42622.733.421.940.521.454.119.753.819.463.218.762.41871.417.969.818.469.218.270.417.96917.468.117.767.317.866.217.760.417.661.317.661.517.664.417.664.517.463.117.356.130.179.11.444.3median 17.9median 63.11.48.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI Bravo 15 A4DCRAcer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 25% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The Bravo 15 requires over 10W while idling despite having access to graphics switching technology. This is mainly due to the strong octa-core processor. The competition is powered by energy-efficient quad-core or hexa-core processors. The 15-inch laptop also consumes more power than its competitors under load (a maximum of 163W).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 11 / 14 / 25 Watt
Load midlight 72 / 163 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
R7 4800H, Radeon RX 5300M
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
33%
25%
28%
29%
-35%
Idle Minimum *
11
5
55%
7
36%
4
64%
4.04
63%
13.7 ?(2 - 64, n=191, last 2 years)
-25%
Idle Average *
14
8
43%
9.9
29%
7
50%
7.2
49%
18.9 ?(6.5 - 67, n=191, last 2 years)
-35%
Idle Maximum *
25
13
48%
12
52%
12
52%
11.4
54%
26.5 ?(9 - 101.1, n=191, last 2 years)
-6%
Load Average *
72
69
4%
68.4
5%
95
-32%
80.8
-12%
111.7 ?(32.1 - 202, n=191, last 2 years)
-55%
Witcher 3 ultra *
100
78
22%
94.9
5%
86
14%
93.6
6%
Load Maximum *
163
124
24%
130.9
20%
135
17%
144.5
11%
249 ?(64.5 - 418, n=190, last 2 years)
-53%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Due to the increased power consumption of the Bravo 15, it doesn't do quite as well in our battery test as some of its competition. Even under ideal conditions the device turns off after 7 hours. The 15-inch gamer only lasted around 4.5 hours in our Wi-Fi test (browsing the web according to a script with medium brightness). The competition does better: HP Omen 15 (~6.5 hours), Dell G5 15 (~8 hours), Acer Nitro 5 (~8.5 hours).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 58min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 28min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 53min
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
R7 4800H, Radeon RX 5300M, 51 Wh
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, 57.48 Wh
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 48 Wh
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 60 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
82%
27%
111%
69%
43%
Reader / Idle
418
828
98%
466
11%
867
107%
951
128%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
31%
WiFi v1.3
268
520
94%
285
6%
482
80%
385
44%
366 ?(57 - 745, n=191, last 2 years)
37%
Load
53
82
55%
87
64%
131
147%
71
34%
86 ?(36 - 173, n=155, last 2 years)
62%
H.264
482
392 ?(56 - 747, n=99, last 2 years)
Witcher 3 ultra
59
81.7 ?(47 - 155, n=23, last 2 years)

Pros

+ compact dimensions
+ very good CPU performance
+ low weight
+ 144-Hz panel

Cons

- keyboard layout needs getting used to
- high system noise under load
- case could be more stable
- low amount of ports

Verdict

MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR, test unit provided by MSI Taiwan
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR, test unit provided by MSI Taiwan

Fans of AMD chips will be (very) pleased with the Bravo 15.

If you leave aside the meager port selection, the fairly short battery life and the high noise level during 3D applications, the Bravo 15 is an attractive package for price-sensitive gamers that sets new standards for CPU performance in the $1000 range. The Ryzen 7 4800H offers a lot of power and is future proof. The 144-Hz display is satisfactory to a large degree.

However, we would recommend potential buyers to choose the configuration with the Radeon RX 5500M due to the borderline video memory of the Radeon RX 5300M (4 GB rather than 3 GB GDDR6). The advantage that brings users is definitely worth the surcharge.

MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR - 07/07/2020 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
73 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
53 / 80 → 66%
Weight
64 / 10-66 → 96%
Battery
60 / 95 → 64%
Display
84%
Games Performance
85%
Application Performance
93%
Temperature
84 / 95 → 88%
Noise
64 / 90 → 72%
Audio
81%
Camera
43 / 85 → 50%
Average
72%
80%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 4 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR Laptop Review: For bargain hunters
Florian Glaser, 2020-07-14 (Update: 2021-03-12)