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MSI Modern 15 B13M Review with Core i7-1355U

Introduction and technical specifications of the MSI Modern 15 B13M

We present you the MSI Modern 15 B13M Reviewthe update of MSI’s Modern Series laptops with Intel’s 13th generation “Raptor Lake” processors in its low-power variant U, with a 10-core Core i7-1355U embedded under a 15.6-inch display and a body less than 2 cm thick.

This laptop is aimed at mainstream use for those looking for a slim 15-inch device at a reasonable price. let’s get started

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Technical Characteristics of the MSI Modern 15 B13M

  • CPU: Intel Core i7-1355U (10 cores, 2 P-Cores and 8 E-Cores, 5GHz Max, 15-55W).
  • RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 soldered on the board.
  • SSD: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0.
  • GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs at 1.3 GHz.
  • Screen: 15.6 inches IPS-Level FullHD 60 Hz.
  • Wireless connectivity: WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
  • Physical connectivity:

    • 1x USB-A 3.1 (3.2 Gen 2).
    • 1x USB-C 3.1 (3.2 Gen 2 with PD).
    • 2x USB-A 2.0.
    • 1x micro-SD card reader.
    • 1x HDMI 1.4 (4K@30HZ).

  • White backlit keyboard.
  • 39.3 WHr battery.
  • Dimensions: 359 x 241 x 19.9mm.
  • Weight: 1.7KG.
  • Price: 999 euros (without Operating System)

Design and connectivity

The external design of the MSI Modern 15 B13M it uses a metal layer together with a dark color decorated with the MSI logo in silver. We do not have aggressive shapes or lighting, since we are dealing with a laptop oriented both for home use but also for productivity or office environments.

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Despite being a 15.6-inch laptop with a fairly contained price, its weight remains at 1.7 kg and its thickness at 19.9 mm. To do this, it has been combined with a low-power Core i7-1355U processor that allows for finer cooling systems.

On the back we can see four small openings for the air outlet of the internal fan that cools the processor. Two hinges located at the ends are responsible for allowing the opening of the screen.

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On the right side we have a small microSD card reader and two USB-A type 2.0. In the middle of the year 2023, it is missing that these ports are not USB 3.1 (3.2 gen 2) or at least 3.0, since USB 2.0 falls short for data transfer and everything that is not connecting a mouse or keyboard in many cases.

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Luckily, on the left side we have a 10 Gbps USB-A type 3.1 (3.2 gen 2) next to another USB-C with the same bandwidth. This port also supports Power Delivery, although the laptop is powered by a small 65W charger that plugs into a round charging port.

It is a pity that another USB-C for charging has not been incorporated, which would also give us the option of using it for data or video. Precisely speaking of video, we have an HDMI capable of outputting a 4K signal at 30 FPS together with an audio minijack for microphone and headphones.

For wireless connection, we have WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

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Opening the lid we find a large space where a membrane keyboard with white backlight is located. The space has been used to the maximum to also place a small numeric keypad in the right area.

The large size of the touchpad also stands out, very comfortable to use and placed in the central area of ​​the laptop

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MSI Modern 15 B13M Screen

the screen of MSI Modern 15 B13M It is based on an “IPS-Like” panel with similar features to IPS panels with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 60 HZ refresh rate.

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contrast and brightness

The screen brightness of the MSI Modern 15 is very modest, staying at a maximum of 233 nits and clearly insufficient even indoors with good lighting. The maximum brightness in black is 0.175 nits, which gives us a contrast of 1,335:1, values ​​somewhat above the 1,000:1 typical of this type of panel.

  • White Peak Brightness: 233.0 cd/m².
  • Black brightness: 0.175 cd/m².
  • Contrast ratio: 1,334.6:1

color coverage

Regarding color coverage, we have a very mediocre coverage, one of the lowest that has gone through our laboratory. With 65.8% coverage of the sRGB gamut, 46.3% of Adobe-RGB and 47.3% of DCI-P3, it is therefore not a particularly recommended laptop for editing or multimedia tasks.

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Color tests and calibration

The standard calibration also shows very mediocre data that make it clear that the screen of this equipment is not a priority. We have one of the three worst differentials between actual and displayed colors, with a mean deltaE of almost 7 points, with a high of 20.65. The colors, and it is something that is noticeable with the naked eye, are quite muted on the computer.

The grayscale tends towards greenish colors, since the RGB balance is -15%, +5%, -5%.

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Color Tests vs SRGB – Factory Screen

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Autonomy and Charger

Despite the fact that the Core i7-1355U has a base TDP of 15W, the battery in the MSI Modern 15 is very small and only has a capacity of 39.3 WHr, very meager for a 15.6-inch notebook.

To this we must add that the processor can reach 55 W in turbo. Therefore, despite the fact that the screen brightness is modest, the autonomy that it achieves in the Modern Office test is 5 hours and 7 minutes. That’s quite a low figure for a computer with a low-power processor. We can increase up to 7 hours if we lower the brightness more and put the energy saving mode.

Of course, it is capable of maintaining a good level of performance even with battery.

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Performance

2 high-performance P-Cores and 8 low-power E-Cores form the Core i7-1355U proposal that brings this laptop to life. It is a low consumption CPU from the U range with a TDP of 15W capable of going up to 55W in turbo Boost, when it reaches its highest speeds of up to 5 GHz.

The 16GB of RAM is a nice addition and helps keep the system moving smoothly, while the NVMe PCIe Gen3 SSD offers around 3.5GB/s read speeds – those are last-gen speeds, even It makes two when you consider recent PCIe 5 SSDs, but its performance is more than enough for a fast system and application startup experience.

As a PC for viewing multimedia, office automation, browsing or carrying out tasks that are not too heavy, the MSI Modern 15 is more than enough. The 96 EU Iris X3 integrated graphics is Intel’s most powerful option, but falls well short of AMD’s integrated offerings like the 680M or 780M,

Multi Core CPU Benchmark

Cinebench R23MP

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Cinebench R20MP

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GeekBench 6.1 Multi Core

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1-Core CPU Performance Test

Cinebench R23 SP

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Cinebench R20 SP

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GeekBench 6.1 Single Core

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Synthetic GPU Benchmarks

3DMark Firestrike

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3DMark TimeSpy DX12

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GeekBench 6.1 OpenCL

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PC Mark 10

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ssd

CrystalDiskMark SSD

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Temperatures and Noise

Externally, the Modern 15 maintains quite pleasant temperatures, with peaks on the keyboard that are around just over 40 degrees in the upper left area where the processor is located. In the rest of the keyboard we have lower temperatures during the execution of heavy tasks.

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Internally, the processor reaches 93 degrees maximum in cores and 95 degrees in total. Thermal Throttling and Power Limit appear quickly, preventing temperatures from rising any further. The equipment is quite quiet and that is prioritized over a greater cooling capacity, something that is not so critical in a laptop with a U-range processor.

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Analysis and Conclusion

The MSI Modern 15 B13M is a mainstream laptop for home users as well as those looking for a productivity or office machine. With a sober and serious design, it maintains a weight of 1.7 kg and a thickness of less than 2 cm.

To maintain a more or less affordable price, there are several concessions, the first is on the screen, with a FullHD panel at 60 Hz with poor color coverage, also quite low brightness and a rather mediocre calibration.

Connectivity is also modest, we have a USB-C of type 3.1, a USB-A of the same type and then two USB-A 2.0 that seem to belong to another era. Wireless connectivity remains with WiFi 6, without support for the 6 GHz of WiFi 6E and with Bluetooth 5.2.

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On the other hand, the Core i7-1355U is a solvent solution to handle the operating system and the vast majority of applications in the use cases that a laptop like this has. The 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory are also a complement according to its specifications and the 1 TB of PCIe 3.0 capacity, although it is far from the fastest models of today, it does not disappoint in response and speed of the equipment.

Its price of 999 euros makes it an interesting option for those looking for a light and thin 15.6-inch laptop for day to day.

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