MSI Prestige 14: Compactly-packed performance

With a fast Intel Core i7-10710U and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650, the basics for demanding work are met. Combined with 16 GB of RAM and Samsung's very fast 1 TB SSD, users shouldn't be slowed down by the system even in the long run. In our endurance test, the CPU can't develop its full power for a prolonged time and shows a significant drop of 30%, but the performance available thereafter is still very good.

The 4K screen comes with True Tone certification and is already very well calibrated out of the box. Our measurements only show very small deviations, which eliminate the need for subsequent calibration. Although the contrast ratio is also good at 1,247:1, it should be a little better, just like the black value. If you don't need the high resolution of this panel, you might be better off with the Full HD version, which should also offer  longer battery life.

Thanks to fast-charging technology, users can use their Prestige 14 on battery mode again for 1.5 hours after just 15 minutes of charging, according to MSI. We couldn't verify this in an exact way, but with only 2 hours for a full charge, the battery is, in any case, quickly ready to be used again.

What struck us negatively in the test, however, was the port configuration. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports sound very good at first. Of these, however, one is needed to charge the 14-inch laptop. By eliminating HDMI, the second port is also quickly occupied by a display adapter. Unless a docking station is connected in between, only the two USB 2.0 ports on the opposite side of the device are left in the end.

The keyboard and the ClickPad, on the other hand, won a lot of praise. While the mouse replacement allows a good navigation of the mouse pointer due to its size and smooth surface, it's the big keys that convince us with the keyboard. MSI didn't skimp on costs here either and made the arrow keys in normal size. Some users will find the double assignment of the page up/page down buttons with home and end a bit annoying, but other manufacturers now simply pack them on the F-keys as a second assignment.

The quite high temperatures under load are still to be mentioned. At some parts of the case, we measure above 50 °C (~122 °F), which can also have a negative effect on performance, particularly in summer. Prospective buyers have to make a few compromises with the MSI Prestige 14, but how big of an effect these have will vary by user. However, those who decide to buy this laptop should not be disappointed.