MSI PS42 8RB-243IN

MSI PS42 8RB-243IN User Review and Ratings

• Review after using it for 2 months.
  Swagatam Sanyal (Jan 31, 2019) on Amazon
  Well to be honest, I dont have this laptop of my own, but my room mate does. I used his laptop for the past 2 months after he bought his new macbook pro.Let me just tell this thing perfectly.Built & Design -The narrow-bezel matte 1080p display is one of the best aspects about the PS42. Content appears crisp like a glossy screen without most of the color grains that often plague matte panels. Contrast is respectable at almost 1000:1 and colors are both deep and extraordinarily accurate. Our impressions are similar to those for the Zenbook UX3410UA since both systems utilize Chi Mei N140HCE IPS panels.Performance -Current SKUs include the Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U CPU with either UHD Graphics 620 and GeForce MX150 graphics. All SKUs with the i5-8250U, however, ship with just 8 GB of RAM whereas the i7-8550U SKUs have 16 GB. The same 1080p IPS display is used across the entire lineup.It's important to note that the PS42 is limited to single-channel memory that can potentially reduce performance depending on the application. Optimus is included in the GeForce MX150 SKUs to lengthen battery life.I/O ports -Port selection is wide with a few glaring omissions. Most notably, the system lacks Thunderbolt 3 and even USB Type-C Gen. 2 for more limited connectivity options. Output to 4K60 is not possible either as there is no HDMI 2.0 port.Thermals -When under high loads, the PS42 will draw anywhere from 55 W to 63 W or noticeably more than many other Ultrabooks including the Matebook X Pro and Zenbook UX3430UN. The full-power GeForce MX150 in the MSI is likely responsible for the higher power consumption as the slower and less demanding '1D12' MX150 variant is more common in competing Ultrabooks. Competitors with integrated Intel UHD Graphics only, such as the XPS 13 or Spectre 13, can be twice as power efficient as the MSI when under high loads.Final Verdict -The MSI PS42 has a lot going for it, but the handful of cut corners are hard to ignore. For one, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 limits connectivity and versatility. This wouldn't have been an issue if the PS42 was cheaper, but it retails for about the same price as the XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, or MateBook X Pro which all have Thunderbolt 3 as standard. The dimmer display, slower 1x1 WiFi, single-channel RAM, slightly under-performing CPU, and less rigid chassis are all disappointing to see when most competitors offer better options.The redeeming qualities of the PS42 are its light weight, very accurate 1080p matte display, and full-power GeForce MX150 GPU. This is probably the only 14-inch laptop using a 25 W '1D10' MX150 GPU instead of the slower 10 W variant. Users can game or perform graphics-intensive tasks without fear of GPU throttling.If GPU performance and portability are of utmost performance, then the PS42 can be a good option. Otherwise, invest $200 to $300 more in the 13.9-inch MateBook X Pro as it is the stronger laptop for word processing and day-to-day usage.
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• Best of the Best
  Geetanjali (Oct 10, 2018) on Amazon
  I purchased it last month.Looks - Incredible.Keypads - Excellent,Resolution - BestI would be happy if there was an extended warranty.One of the best buying decision made.I love it....
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• Single channel RAM workhorse
  Gaurav (Sep 27, 2018) on Amazon
  Let's see..you are getting the latest 8th gen i7 16gb RAM and hi performance SSD at a price point of 1lakh. You won't get this configuration from any other manufacturers period. So what has msi done which makes this cheap? The only downside of this laptop is that it uses single channel RAM instead of dual channel by used by it's competitors. Hence you won't be able to upgrade it beyond 16GB RAM and the performance dip is about 10-15% which you won't even notice if you are doing regular work and didn't have the above fact in your head :)I would recommend it since it's pocket friendly and let's face it, one never needs more than 16GB in a laptop.Dell XPS is a great machine but this configuration would cost you 1.4 lakh with the XPS. Use that extra 40k somewhere else where it's worth it.
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• Good. But my device's battery is not charging
  Manu (Apr 10, 2019) on Amazon
  On a typical day, I use the laptop anywhere between 8-10 hours. I come from a Mac Pro for the past 4 years or so.The laptop is good. The form factor is good. Works well. Great keyboard. No overheating or anything. I come from a Mac and I like this. That's a big tell. The touch pad is good but could have been a bit bigger. Speakers are a bit underwhelming. But who uses those. The service center is responsive. It is available on call or support section of the website.A bit of concern for people who do video calls a lot:1/ There's a hardware switch for the camera but not for wifi or bluetooth2/ The camera is at the bottom of the screen. That can lead to very off angles for a callNotes about the battery:1/ It's been just 5 days and the battery on my piece is not charging anymore. At least Windows is telling me that much. Looks like I'll have to get it replaced.2/ Even at 95% charge on Better Battery mode, Windows estimates a 5-6 hour backup for me. Obviously, YMMV.
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• Overpriced
  Amazon Customer (Sep 26, 2018) on Amazon
  Better to buy XPS.If u r getting this around 75k - 80k then it's reasonable.
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