Earlier, a laptop from the Sword line came to us, but in a different configuration. Today we will consider the “younger” version – MSI Sword 15 A12UE-487XRU. Let’s try to understand the combat options using the most popular games as an example. And to begin with, let’s say that the design of the model used the ideas of the Japanese illustrator Tsuyoshi Nagano (Tsuyoshi Nagano).
Learn more about the laptop
Appearance and iron
The color of MSI Sword 15 A12UE-487XRU is unusual for modern devices. The cover and keyboard of a snow-white shade are successfully combined with black inserts around the screen and at the bottom of the laptop. In addition to the spectacular appearance, a clear plus is the plastic, which is pleasant to the touch and does not leave fingerprints. Body without sharp corners with expressive wavy lines. All parts fit together perfectly, there are no squeaks and play.
There are vents on the left side of the device (they look like jet engine nozzles) to blow hot air, and cutouts on the bottom known from other MSI laptops are for suction. Such a ventilation system is not entirely ideal: the keyboard gets hot in hardware-demanding games. Critical temperatures are not expected, but the heat will at least reach the hands.
The screen tilts 180 degrees. The lid is easy to open and close with one hand. With a weight of approximately 2.25 kg and dimensions of 359 (W) x 259 (D) x 24.9 (H) mm, you can easily take a laptop with you to and from work. It probably won’t fit in a miniature bag, but it won’t be difficult to fit it into a standard backpack.
The keyboard has a standard 107×62 mm touchpad and a miniature numeric keypad with arrows. The popular ANSI layout is used (long left Shift and single-level Enter). Using the function keys, you can adjust the audio volume and backlight brightness, disable the touchpad and microphone, enable the webcam, adjust the backlight of the keys, and use other default options. On the arrows there are buttons for starting the maximum ventilation mode and activating the sight on the screen, which allows you to easily shoot sniper rifles from the hip.
The keyboard is backlit with a pleasant turquoise hue and three brightness levels, as well as the ability to turn it off completely. Even with a minimal glow, there will be no problems finding the right key. All buttons respond to pressing and do not stick. The stroke is 1.7mm.
There are ports on the sides of the device for connecting devices. On the left is the USB 3.2 Type-A and USB 2.0 Type-A power connector. Right – RJ45, HDMI 2.0 ([email protected]Hz), USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A and a 3.5mm hybrid headphone and microphone jack. No fuss, but connecting a monitor, telephone charging cable and other peripherals is no problem.
Let’s move on to ironing. The laptop is equipped with a 15.6-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution (1920×1080) and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Such indicators provide a smooth picture even in the most dynamic shooters. The image is clear, without flashes and any flaws. At the top of the lid above the screen is a standard webcam with HD resolution. Revelations aren’t worth the wait, but the image quality is enough for a Zoom call. The sound in games and when watching streams and videos is nice, but for movies and TV shows it is better to use extra accessories.
MSI Sword 15 A12UE-487XRU features state-of-the-art hardware – Intel Core i7-12700H processor, RTX 3060 graphics card with 6 GB memory, 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory modules, Micron 2400 (MTFDKBA512QFM) 512 GB NVMe SSD and a network module with Wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
The battery capacity is 53.5 Wh, which allows you to work at maximum brightness for two hours. In modern games, this time is halved.
The laptop comes with a 240W Chicony power supply.
Specifications
- Display: 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080, IPS, 144Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
- Memory: 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR4-3200 expandable
- Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3600 6GB GDDR6 Notebook
- Disk subsystem: 512 GB NVMe SSD
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2
- Connections: 1x Type-C USB3.2 Gen1, 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB2.0, 1x RJ45, 1x (4K @ 60Hz) HDMI
- Battery: non-removable, 53.5 Wh
- Dimensions: 359 (W) x 259 (D) x 24.9 (H) mm
- Weight: 2.25 kg
Performance. Synthetic testing
All CPU-Z device specs and results from CrystalDiskMark can be seen in the screenshots below.
We also evaluated the performance of MSI Sword 15 A12UE-487XRU in Full HD 3DMark tests – Time Spy, Port Royale, Fire Strike Extreme, Wild Life, Night Raid DirectX Raytracing Feature Test, PCI Express Feature Test, VRS Feature Test and DLSS function test (Quality mode).
Performance. Test game
For testing, we took The Callisto Protocol, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remaster, and the Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition benchmark. All calculations in the highest possible graphical modes.
In The Callisto Protocol (after the patches!) it will be possible to play at 60-70 FPS with drawdowns up to 30-35 in cutscenes and dynamic moments with many effects. Lowering the graphics settings to custom (automatically suggested by the game) will improve frame rates.
In Cyberpunk 2077 with ultra-ray tracing, you can’t get more than 40-45 FPS, but if you lower it to the minimum value, the frame rate rises to 60-62 FPS. By turning off the technology completely and activating DLSS, you can achieve even better performance. It’s worth noting that with the maximum graphics settings available, it’s comfortable to play CD Projekt RED’s creation, even with a floating frame rate at borderline values.
In the updated version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with ray tracing enabled with the “Ultra” option, the player sees no more than 28-30 FPS. In this case, you can play, but you will not achieve much comfort. We disable this technology, activate the “Outrageous” quality mode and average 57-60 FPS. By tweaking DLSS you can “play” with the frame rate and, with balanced or performance options, gain an extra 8-10 FPS. In any case, the “next-gen version” of The Witcher 3 looks incomparable at about the maximum detail settings.
Metro Exodus benchmark showed average values of 30, 45 and 56 FPS in Extreme, Ultra and High modes. After enabling DLSS technology in Extreme on Ultra Performance (ultra-performance), the frame rates immediately reached 46 FPS.
Results and awards
MSI Sword 15 A12UE-487XRU is a high-end gaming device with a unique design for the current market and a good set of hardware that can run modern games at acceptable settings for a gamer. You shouldn’t expect miracles, but you can’t call a laptop unproductive either. RTX 3060 can handle high loads well, so the laptop can be safely recommended to players as a mobile solution.
View price
The current version with Intel Core i7-12700H, 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD can be purchased for 100 thousand rubles.
Guardian of the treasury. Moderate (by today’s standards) price and hardware suitable for games. And you can play on high graphics settings.
KRASIVO. Stylish design will please the eye every day.
Source: VG Times