The MSI Sword laptops are a slightly lower-tier device compared to MSI’s Stealth, Raider and Vector series. This means users should be ready to face some compromises in terms of performance or build quality. Here, we are reviewing the MSI Sword 17 HX B14V in its entry-level configuration, which is still a powerful laptop for gaming and some creative work. However, the price also rises significantly if equipped with higher-end hardware.
Speaking of technical specifics, the Intel Core i7-14700HX is the only processor option in this MSI series. This 20-core (8 P-cores and 12 E-cores) and 28-thread processor provides sufficient power for content creation, photo/video editing or gaming. The graphics card is also impressive, featuring a 115W Nvidia Ada Lovelace RTX 4070 with a MUX switch.
This is a large laptop, so it’s not surprising that it offers some upgrade options post-purchase – it can accommodate two NVMe SSD storage drives and one of the two M.2 slots is designed for the newer and faster NVMe PCIe 5.0 drives.
In terms of display, the base model of this MSI Sword 17 comes with a 1920 x 1200 resolution 165 Hz screen. For those interested, there’s a more expensive version available with a 2560 x 1600 display and a 240 Hz refresh rate. However, MSI has clearly cut back on connectivity options – there’s only one fast Type-C port and the other USB ports do not support high-speed data transfer or charging.
The modest 200W power supply casts a shadow of doubt, as it could become a limiting factor during very heavy workloads. Typically, laptops of this caliber receive around 300 to 330W power supplies.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-14700HX, 5.5 GHz, 20 cores (8 P-cores, 12 E-cores) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8 GB GDDR6, 2115 MHz, 115 W, MUX Switch) |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5-5600, expandable up to 96 GB |
| Display | 17″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 165 Hz, IPS, 16:10 aspect ratio |
| Storage | 1 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD (second slot supports PCIe 5.0) |
| Ports | 1x USB-C (with DisplayPort & Power Delivery), 3x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x LAN |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3 |
| Size & Weight | 383.2 x 279.9 x 22.2-27.3 mm, 2.6 kg |
| Battery | 65 Wh, 200W charger |
| Extras | RGB keyboard and case lighting, 1080p webcam |
| Software | MSI Center |
| Price | $1499 |
Design and Build
As I mentioned earlier, the MSI Sword 17 laptop offers impressive speed, but in terms of design, it feels outdated, as if it’s stuck at least three years in the past. This is especially noticeable in the keyboard and touchpad areas, where you’d expect more from a laptop that costs nearly €2000.
The entire build of the MSI Sword 17 is plastic, but the quality and assembly feel quite solid. The hinges are excellent—you can open the laptop with one hand and it can fold open to a full 180 degrees, which is rare for this type of laptop.
The port selection is reasonable, with one port on each side and an extra square-shaped USB Type-A port at the back. The only USB Type-C port is on the left side. There’s also an HDMI port and an RJ45 LAN port on the back, along with a headphone jack on the right side. For a laptop of this size, it would be ideal to have at least one more USB Type-C port and a card reader.
The underside of the laptop features large cooling vents, revealing a copper cooling system beneath.
The MSI Sword 17 we received was slightly used, with a few visible scratches and some marks where the screen’s rubberized edges touch the case. Additionally, there were a few ingrained fingerprints that couldn’t be removed. This likely gives an accurate idea of how the laptop might look after a few months of use.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The MSI Sword 17 laptop keyboard does include a Copilot key, but this doesn’t improve the overall experience—the keyboard is subpar and the touchpad is even worse. Specifically, the keyboard feels like it was taken from a gaming laptop that’s at least 8 years old. Although it has RGB LED backlighting, typing on it is far from enjoyable.
The touchpad might be one of the worst ever seen or used. It registers touch fairly well, but the clicking function is simply terrible. Overall, the input tools on the MSI Sword 17 laptop would earn at best a 4 out of 10, just out of courtesy.
Display
The MSI Sword 17 laptop features a large 17-inch screen with a very appealing 16:10 aspect ratio. This time, we received the more affordable version, equipped with a 17-inch 1080p+ (1920 x 1200), 165 Hz IPS-Level screen that also has the 16:10 aspect ratio.
MSI is positioning the Sword 17 not only as a gaming laptop but also as a device suited for digital artists. However, this screen may not meet all professional needs, so it might be worth considering the 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 240 Hz display. I can’t confirm if it’s better, but that resolution is more fitting for a 17-inch display. Keep in mind, though, that games will run at noticeably lower frame rates at this higher resolution.
Software
The MSI Sword 17 laptop comes with the MSI Center app, which allows you to add apps and games to a list that automatically switches the laptop to its highest available performance mode or even uses AI to optimize performance. I ran a few performance tests, both with and without this special mode, but didn’t notice any significant improvements.
The app also lets you switch the graphics card from hybrid mode to using only the RTX 4070. MSI Center provides insight into the laptop’s performance, load and disk usage but that’s essentially where its capabilities end.
Battery
The MSI Sword 17 comes with a relatively small 65 Wh battery. This battery can last close to 2.5 hours for office tasks, but gaming on battery requires caution. Performance is significantly reduced when the laptop is unplugged, so much so that some of our test games either wouldn’t start or took more than 4 minutes to load.
Performance
The great news is that for some reason the MSI Sword 17 is an incredibly quiet laptop even considering its powerful processor and graphics card. Typically, laptops of this type are unbearably loud but the MSI Sword 17 can be considered the quietest gaming laptop we’ve had. At least, I can’t remember any that were even close in terms of quietness. Such low processor temperatures are also uncommon in gaming laptops, whether they use Intel or AMD processors.
However, the everyday performance tends to be a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it feels like the laptop takes too long to process even simple tasks, like copying files or opening an application. This could likely be partially addressed by using a faster NVMe SSD. While the SSD performance tests aren’t outstanding, they aren’t so poor that they would significantly slow down the laptop’s overall operation.
In the Passmark PerformanceTest 9.0, this laptop achieved a very high score, with other gaming laptops previously tested scoring between 3500 and 6300 points. The Raider GE68 HX 14VHG scored just under 14,000 points in this test, while the ROG Strix SCAR 18 scored 10,570 points. It’s worth noting that, on paper, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 is a significantly more powerful laptop but its performance might have been hindered by an insufficient cooling system.
The Cinebench score is also quite high – other laptops tested earlier scored between 4500 and 5500 points. Both the Raider GE68 HX 14VHG and the ROG Strix SCAR 18 scored 12,150 and 10,856 points, respectively.
Next, we look at the 3D Mark tests, where the Raider GE68 HX 14VHG and ROG Strix SCAR 18 scored about twice as many points, with ROG Strix SCAR 18 still leading the pack.
In built-in performance tests in games, we select Ultra visual settings and use the laptop’s native screen resolution. In this scenario, the MSI Sword 17, with its 1080p+ screen, has a significant advantage over 1440p and certainly over 4K screens, even though those might be paired with more powerful components.
MSI Sword 17
$1499Conclusion
I would like to highlight a few good and not-so-great aspects of the MSI Sword 17 laptop. First, I must say that the gaming performance is truly impressive, although this is helped by the relatively low screen resolution. The screen itself, with a 16:10 aspect ratio, looks perfect for everyday use, even though the manufacturer refers to it as IPS-level, which could imply some compromises in terms of black color reproduction and viewing angles. Whether this screen is suitable for digital art creation, I can’t say for sure.
The build quality and number of ports are acceptable, but I’m not particularly fond of the MSI Sword 17’s keyboard and touchpad. For the price, I definitely expected something significantly better. The same can be said for the occasional lag even in simple everyday tasks, such as data copying, which wasn’t particularly fast.
