MSI Modern 15 A10M-028

Specifications

Price comparison

Reviews for the MSI Modern 15 A10M-028

70% MSI Modern 15 review: A mostly middle-of-the-pack machine that sometimes swings above its weight
Source: Good Gear Guide Archive.org version
On paper, the MSI Modern 15 provides plenty of bang for buck. In practice, it’s as likely to disappoint you as surprise you. MSI have made a more-than-competent workhorse of a laptop but, on some level or another, it feels like most consumers buy around the possibilities of what they might do with their next PC over what they actually do. And on the metaphorical metrics of might and maybes, the MSI Modern 15 struggles to keep up.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/22/2020
Rating: Total score: 70%

70% MSI Modern 15 review: A mostly middle-of-the-pack machine that sometimes swings above its weight
Source: PC World Australia Archive.org version
On paper, the MSI Modern 15 provides plenty of bang for buck. In practice, it’s as likely to disappoint you as surprise you. MSI have made a more-than-competent workhorse of a laptop but, on some level or another, it feels like most consumers buy around the possibilities of what they might do with their next PC over what they actually do. And on the metaphorical metrics of might and maybes, the MSI Modern 15 struggles to keep up.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/22/2020
Rating: Total score: 70%

Foreign Reviews

Trên tay MSI Modern 15 A10M: Quá đẹp, quá mạnh, quá đẳng cấp
Source: FPT shop VN→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Premium design; solid workmanship; powerful hardware; high gaming performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/22/2020

Trên tay & đánh giá nhanh laptop MSI Modern 15 A10M: Nhắc MSI không chỉ có laptop chuyên cày Game
Source: The Gioididong VN→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Powerful hardware; high gaming performance; excellent display; compact size; high mobility. Negative: Easy getting fingerprints.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/22/2020

Comment

Model:

The MSI Modern 15 A10M-028 is the 15.6-inch display version of its predecessor, the 14-inch model. The Modern 15 incorporates a sleek, lightweight aluminum chassis with up to a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio for users’ convenience. Along with that, this model also incorporates the Chi Mei N156HCE-EN1 IPS panel, which is similar to the one found in the 2017 Asus ZenBook Pro UX550 series, the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-15IKB and also in the Lenovo Yoga 720-15IKB. Therefore, the Modern 15 shares similar core characteristics in terms of color coverage, response times and contrast ratios with these systems. The Modern 15 comes with a FHD screen, promising a better viewing experience for users. The display is also of the non-glare type, which again accounts for an overall improved user experience in terms of viewing pleasure. On the other hand, in comparison to the more expensive 4K UHD Prestige 15, this FHD Modern 15 definitely shows faster response times for less ghosting, but, of course, with a dimmer backlight and narrower color spectrum than the former.

As for outdoor visibility, this device offers quite an okay viewing experience in the shade because of its matte overlay and wide viewing angles with the 180-degrees hinges. However, it is better to acquire a laptop with much better brightness, such as the XPS 15, the MacBook Pro or the Prestige 15, if the user is prone to using the laptop outdoors frequently. The Modern 15 also does not support touch screen features, which might be a drawback for some users. In terms of its keyboard, the ergonomic design caters for an optimized typing experience. With the supporting backlit feature, it is even possible to enjoy an awesome typing experience in a dim place. In addition, the 1.5mm key travel is just enough to enhance a user’s typing accuracy and comfort while improving the overall experience.

As far as the performance is concerned, this device carries a quad-core Core i7-10510U Comet Lake-U CPU and Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU. This processor definitely promises uncompromised performance, even when multiple real-time workloads are stacked. Apart from that, the MSI Modern 15 has also been equipped with Cooler Boost 3 Technology, which comes with two fans and three heat pipes to help maintain the temperature of the laptop even during intense usage. In terms of port options, the Modern 15 comes with a single USB Type-C port compared to the two Type-C ports in the Modern 14. However, there is an addition of a USB Type-A in the Modern 15 along with a MicroSD-card reader. The 52Wh battery within this device is capable of providing an overall usage time of up to 9 hours after having been fully charged, which definitely increases the overall productivity and users’ convenience. While all laptops have their own pros and cons, the choice of choosing the right one depends entirely on the user’s preferences and needs.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Intel UHD Graphics 620: Integrated GPU (GT2, 24 EUs) found on some Kaby-Lake-Refresh CPU models (15 W ULV series). Technically identical to the previous Kaby-Lake GPU called HD Graphics 620.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

i7-10510U: Comet Lake based low power quad-core processor (technically identical to Whiskey Lake and still produced on 14nm++). The CPU cores can clock between 1.8 and 4.9 GHz (all 4 cores 4.3 GHz max.) with HyperThreading (8 threads). The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2666 and using cTDP up/down the performance can be adjusted by the OEM (10 - 25 Watt possible, 15W default).» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.60":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI) was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. MSI is especially known as a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards for PCs, but also offers computer accessories, complete systems, motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and other components. However, the Microstar brand name in Germany belongs to the Medion company. MSI is known for its gaming products and has developed a wide range of gaming laptops and desktop PCs. The company is also active in workstations, servers and industrial automation. MSI has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

70%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

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