MSI Laptop Modern 15 A5M-287 AMD Ryzen 5 5000 Series 5500U (2.10GHz) 8GB Memory 512 GB NVMe SSD AMD Radeon Graphics 15.6″ Windows 11 Home 64-bit

Overall Review: My previous laptop was an MSI GE72VR Apache Pro. I no longer game on my laptop and I wanted to replace it with something that was good for all my IDEs/coding projects as well as running multiple VMs. I upgraded the RAM in this machine with a 32GB kit from G Skill and it runs everything like butter. I can run Ubuntu and MacOS in a VM while using Windows with no hiccups at all. It is a very well built laptop and upgrading the RAM/SSD is a breeze.

Pros: It’s not a gaming laptop, but after I upgraded the m.2 and the ram to 32gb, this thing is super fast. Takes about 11 seconds to startup all the way from being off. Takes about 6 seconds to shutdown completely after clicking shutdown. It has 2 slots for ram, and it has 2x m.2 slots. It takes the gen 3 x4 type of m.2. It comes with windows 11, but I ended up installing windows 10 on the new m.2 (2tb) that i installed. It is fast and has 8 cores/16 threads. I wanted it for dj’ing and for school and I am very happy with this computer. It feels very tough yet also kinda light. I don’t like the trackpad (i like a more smooth feeling trackpad found on macbooks, this one I feel like my finger gets stuck at low speeds), but I do really like the feel of the keyboard. It is a great value for what it is, I got it for $550 + tax on shellshocker sale. The display looks good, maybe not as good as a macbook, but still very good. The speakers aren’t super loud out of the box, but I found software that can add volume that gets high enough for me now. Really good wifi good bluetooth . Only reason i take off one egg is i wish it had better graphics card and sound card. As a dj those things are a little bit important for me. So far one time it wouldn’t play sound or video and then I restarted it and everything worked again. I had been doing a lot of intensive programming stuff for a few days straight, so it’s possible I was just pushing the laptop to it’s limits for too long of a period. It doesn’t feel very hot even having it work hard for a while. the hdmi output is a nice touch. I haven’t streamed anything on it yet but from what I can tell it should play movies to a big screen just fine. I tested the hdmi and it plays sound through the hdmi cable and video looks very good on my 47″ 1080p tv. I was using it while it was on my lap and it didn’t feel very warm at all. I feel like I could have kept it there for an hour or more without it causing discomfort. Cons: It so far only once didn’t play sound or youtube videos for me after working on it for a few days straight without a restart. After restart, everything worked fine again. The drivers were kind of a pain to install, but that was only after I installed windows 10 on the new ssd I got for it. I haven’t tested it out with the windows 11 that came with the laptop, but it’s possible it runs better with windows 11. I just really like windows 10 because I know all of my software that I typically use all runs on that operating system very well… One thing I don’t really like about it is it is a fingerprint magnet.. So just be warned! but if you clean it regularly it shouldn’t matter that much. The mini sd card for me is useless, but maybe someone would like to use it.. Overall Review: I would recommend getting this laptop for school or for anything that uses a lot of cores. For example when you analyze your music for dj’ing, you really want more cores and threads as it makes the job take much less time. If you are using software that needs to crunch numbers very quickly, such as matlab or python or C++, this laptop should get the job done for you no problem. If you want to game, I would say go find a different laptop. I know it will probably do ok at 1080p at 30 fps for many games run at intermediate, but I’m not really a gamer anymore and so I wouldn’t recommend this laptop for gaming. Overall it is very fast and I really like feel and look of it. I feel like it is nice and rigid and will take a beating over its lifetime. It’s not too heavy, has a backlit keyboard (white only). I am not a fan of AMD at all but for the price and what you get, this laptop is actually pretty nice overall. It would make a great gift for someone that isn’t trying to game very much with it. It should play cs:go and minecraft with at least 60 fps on 1080p mid to max settings. Overall, $700 isn’t too bad. Definitely get it for $550 if it goes back on sale again!!

Pros: Specifications, namely 16 GB RAM. Latest wifi6 and BT. SSD and HDMI. Backlit keyboard. 4 USB ports (3xUSB 3 and one USB C). MicroSD slot. Windows 11 already installed. Weight and overall design. Cons: 1- No Kensington security lock. 2- No Ethernet port (Only wireless). 3- No separate keypad (personal preference). 4- No optical drive (personal preference), though it is the norm nowadays. 5- Single audio (Mic/Headphone) vs. separate connectors (personal preference). # 3, 4 and 5 above not a deterrent to buying though. Overall Review: Great specifications with pleasant surprise. Newegg and MSI site both show above product (Modern 15 A5M-288) with 8GB RAM. I received mine with 16GB (8GBx2) listed on box label. Laptop starts quick and memory confirmed as 16GB (8GB in each slot), both in settings/system/about, as well as in BIOS set up (Press delete on power on start). I did not open the back cover as I did not want to risk voiding the warranty by breaking the ‘factory seal’ label sticker over the center screw. Because of that, I do not know what memory brand is installed, though you tube videos show it is likely Hynix (I am personally biased in favor of Crucial/Ballistix). The SSD listed in BIOS/set up is Kingston 512 GB, as seen in you tube videos. It is easy to upgrade if needed (add another M.2 SSD and/or max memory to 64GB. Based on listed specifications of 8GB RAM, I was planning to add another 8GB stick. Now I don’t have too, saving about $30 and not having to open the bottom cover and risk voiding the warranty. I am not a gamer and don’t do any graphics design/editing, just everyday use (Browsing, email and office 365). For me, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD is more than adequate. At least the option of future further upgrades is there and looks easy to do. It came very well packaged, both from MSI and Newegg and arrived in 2 days with standard free shipping. I am very pleased with an excellent first impression. Time will tell. I would purchase again and highly recommend at a sale price of $549. You certainly can spend a lot more for additional features/specifications based on your own personal preferences and usage requirements. Thank you.

Overall Review: Caveats to my review: 1. I don’t know what happened but mine came with two 8gb 3200 SODIMMS instead of the listed single 8gb. Factory seal sticker was on. The screws weren’t as tight as I’d expect from a brand new right-out-of-the-box device. Not complaining but can’t help but wonder. 2. I got this on sale for $549.00. I’m convinced that it would have costed just as much as if not more than purchasing all the parts and building it myself. 3. On this laptop I code (VS Code & JS) and make beats (FL Studio). Other than that, browsing. Consider these use cases. Pros: 1. The 5700U, while obviously not the best in the market, is a solid performer for all my tasks. I’m a bit sour about it being based on the Zen2 architecture still, but when it comes to the daily driving experience itself, I can never complain. Coupled with the dual channel memory, this thing can mow down anything I throw at it. The new scheduler of Windows 11 probably helps. 2. The Kingston SSD, while also not the best in the market, serves adequately well with its rated 2400/1100mbps. Boot takes a couple more seconds than wake-up which is almost instantaneous. 3. Room for enough upgradability down the line. With M.2 SSDs reaching as high as 8gb in capacity and DDR5 on the horizon, it should be easy to snag a few decent sticks at reasonable prices. Laptops usually last 3-5 years anyway. This one uses DDR4 though–just making sure. 4. Battery life. I don’t have time to test things but boy was at around 30% near the 6hr mark after many installing and uninstalling with Chrome tabs and VS Code open. That’s pretty good in my book. We’ll see how long this lasts. 5. Heat + Noise is minimal. I have never had a laptop that was pleasant to use actually on top my lap. Messes with my posture though. Quite a triumphant balance between performance and efficiency. 6. Looks pretty cool. The adapter charger too. Cons: 1. As many have already mentioned, the speakers are pretty terrible. This I do not mind however, as I usually have some pair of headphones with me at all times. I have rarely had use for the built-in speakers in any laptop. 2. Probably won’t game too well. But then, why would you game on this? 3. The keyboard backlight has 3 settings, all of which are too bright when the screen brightness is set to lowest. The backlight reflects off the screen. Minor complaint. 4. Built-in webcam is sh!t, but hey. I was sick of Zoom anyway. Mehs: 1. The display. It’s meh with 45% NTSC, although the brightness and viewing angles aren’t too bad. Nothing unusable. I wouldn’t edit photos if my life depended on it. 2. The keyboard. Feels a bit cheap. Don’t know what these switches are. Your typical low profile tippy-tappy. Is it membrane??? idk… 3. It’s a laptop. I am biased against laptops. They’re expensive for how well/badly they perform, and can easily become bulky, to a point where the initial appeal of portability becomes a bygone memory. This one’s alright. But for $799? Not too sure.