The Evolution of MSI's Creator Z17: A Laptop Review

I've had the pleasure of using MSI's Creator Z17 as my personal laptop for over a year now, and I'm excited to share with you the latest updates and improvements that make this model a top contender in its class. This year's new model has some impressive upgrades that make it worth considering, especially for content creators like myself.

The Build Quality of the MSI Creator Z17

One of the first things I noticed about the new Z17 is its clean lunar gray finish and CNC unibody chassis. The metal lid feels solid to the touch, and the keyboard deck doesn't flex much when pushed hard, giving me confidence in the overall build quality of this laptop. It's not just about looks; the materials used are also high-quality, which makes a big difference in terms of durability.

The Screen: A Key Feature for Content Creators

As a content creator, I know how important it is to have a great screen that can handle demanding tasks like video editing and color grading. The Z17's 17-inch 165Hz QHD+ touchscreen delivers accurate colors and gets fairly bright, making it perfect for work on the go. I also appreciate the 16:10 aspect ratio, which provides an all-viewable screen space without any bottom chin, minimizing distractions while I work.

Stylus Support and Performance Modes

The Z17 also features stylus support with 4096 pressure sensitivity levels, allowing me to use MSI's Pen 2 for precise drawing and sharing content with others. The laptop's performance modes, managed through the MSI Center software, offer different levels of processing power, which can be adjusted depending on my needs. This feature is particularly useful for gamers who want to customize their experience.

Performance: A Significant Improvement Over Last Year's Model

The new Z17 boasts a significant boost in performance compared to last year's model. With an Intel Core i9 processor and a 4-cell 90Wh battery, this laptop can handle demanding tasks like video editing, color grading, and gaming with ease. The 2TB Gen 4 SSD also provides fast storage for my files, making it easy to work on the go.

The Z17's Battery Life

While the battery life is not as long-lasting as I would have liked, lasting only a little under 5 hours while playing a video, it's still reasonable considering the power-hungry performance of this laptop. However, with the larger charger for the i9 model and the ability to use Type-C charging, it's possible to get away with smaller, more portable chargers for lighter on-the-go work.

Customization: A Key Feature for Gamers and Content Creators

Like all other MSI laptops, the Z17 comes with a vast array of customization options through its advanced BIOS. This feature is particularly useful for gamers who want to fine-tune their settings or content creators who need more control over their workflow. With this level of customization, it's no wonder that I've been able to get so much out of my previous Z17.

Upgrades and Accessory Options

While the motherboard is upside down, allowing for only limited access to upgrades like the Wi-Fi 6E card, there are still some nice touches on the back of the laptop. For example, there are two memory slots and a PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slot, which provide more flexibility than many other laptops in this class.

The Four 2-Watt Speakers

One of my favorite features of the Z17 is its four 2-watt speakers, which sound pretty good for a laptop. They get loud and remain clear with a little bass, making them perfect for online meetings or video conferencing.

Camera and Microphone Quality

The camera on the Z17 is also worth mentioning. It's placed in a convenient location under the display, allowing me to easily capture myself while working or recording video. The quality of the camera and microphone is pretty decent compared to other laptops I've tested.

Conclusion

In conclusion, MSI's Creator Z17 is an excellent choice for content creators who need powerful performance, high-quality displays, and customization options. With its improved build quality, faster processor, and more storage, this laptop has taken my video editing and color grading workflow to the next level. While there are some minor drawbacks, such as a relatively short battery life, I'm confident that the Z17 is worth considering for anyone in need of a reliable content creation laptop.

Other MSI Laptops to Check Out

If you're looking for more options from MSI this year, be sure to check out other laptops like [insert links or titles]. These models offer similar features and upgrades, but may have some differences that set them apart from the Creator Z17.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI’ve been using MSI’s Creator Z17 for about a year now as my own personal laptop,  but this year’s newer model has some nice updates and I’m thinking it might be time to upgrade.MSI have sponsored this video so I can show you all about it!The Z17 has a clean lunar gray finish and a CNC unibody chassis, so it’s solid metal,  kind of like a Windows version of Apple’s MacBook Pro. The metal lid feels solid,  and the keyboard deck doesn’t flex much when pushing hard, overall build quality feels good.It wouldn’t be a creator laptop without a great screen, and the Z17 does not disappoint here.  The 17” 165Hz QHD+ touchscreen provides accurate colors and gets fairly bright.I really like that it’s 16:10, so it’s pretty much all viewable screen space without any bottom chin.The screen has stylus support too with 4096 pressure sensitivity levels, so it’ll work well  with MSI’s Pen 2, and you can bend it right back either for drawing or sharing content with others.My configuration has Intel’s Core i9-13950HX processor,  Nvidia’s RTX 4070 graphics and 32 gigs of RAM.The MSI Center software lets us pick between these different performance modes. Higher modes offer  better single and multi core performance, but with more fan noise. The performance is actually  quite impressive compared to other MSI laptops that we’ve tested so far, only beaten by much  thicker models like the Raider GE68 or Titan GT77. This year’s newer model also offers a massive 63%  boost compared to my older Z17, as I don’t think they did the Z17 with an HX chip last year.Performance is still great even if we unplug the charger and run on battery  power. Last year’s model dipped quite harshly in single core performance,  but the newer Z17 scored 111% higher here and just felt snappier to use without the charger.That’s an awesome performance improvement considering that both laptops are the same  size and are on the thinner side at just 19mm or 0.75 inches. The newer one is a  little heavier though, which is because it's been upgraded to a vapor chamber cooler,  so there’s just more material to keep the CPU and GPU cool.MSI says the new vapor chamber provides 76% more cooling area for a 4 degree Celsius  lower surface temperature, but I actually found the difference to be bigger than that.  This year’s newer model feels noticeably cooler comparatively while also performing much better.GPU performance was in-line with other RTX 4070 laptops tested, despite the fact that  the GPU power limit is actually lower than the others. This is due to Nvidia’s voltage limit,  so the 4070 doesn’t really go above 90-100 watts in most workloads anyway, meaning  there’s no real downside to using the 4070 in a thinner laptop like this. In any case,  it’s 40% ahead compared to my older 3070 Ti model.Although it’s not a gaming laptop, with these specs it’s absolutely possible to  get some gaming done after work. Games look great thanks to the bright, colorful screen.The connectivity options are excellent for creators too, with the right having an SD  card slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and HDMI 2.1 output, while the left has the  power input at the back, two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack.Both Type-C ports provide DisplayPort support, so you can connect an external screen to either,  and those as well as HDMI connect directly to the Nvidia graphics,  bypassing optimus for optimal performance.There’s a 1080p camera above the display, and it has IR for Windows Hello face unlock.Here’s how the camera and microphones look and sound, and the quality is  pretty decent compared to a lot of other laptops I’ve tested.There’s also a fingerprint scanner just under the arrow keys, which I found accurate and fast.The keyboard and touchpad worked well too, no problems there.The four 2 watt speakers sound pretty good for a laptop too,  they get loud and remain clear with a little bass.Unfortunately the motherboard is upside down, so upgrades are a bit more involved. We can  only access the Wi-Fi 6E card here, but on the other side there are two  memory slots and a PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slot, something most laptops don’t offer yet.The speeds from the installed 2TB Gen 4 SSD were quite good,  but the SD card slot wasn’t able to get the most out of my V90 card.The Z17 is powered by a 4-Cell 90Wh battery. Battery life lasted a little under 5 hours  while playing a video, and under 2 hours while playing a game. The charger for the i9 model  is larger at 280 watts compared to the smaller and lighter 240 watt one that comes with the i7  version as the higher tier CPU just needs more power, but with 100 watts of Type-C  charging you can get away with a smaller, more portable charger for lighter on the go work.Just like all other MSI laptops, even this creator model has a crazy amount of customization  available through the advanced BIOS. It’s great to see that this isn’t only for the gaming models,  as it gives you the option to change pretty much anything you can imagine,  from memory timings, thermal limits, power limits and more.If you’re after a laptop for content creation,  then MSI’s Z17 is worth considering, and I say that as someone that used last year’s model  for over a year. Before I recently bought my new desktop PC with Hardware Unboxed,  I was using the Z17 as my primary system to edit every video on this channel. And now  with newer hardware, it’s significantly faster at both gaming and content creator workloads.There are plenty of other new MSI laptops this year, check out this video next to find out about  all their other options! Or the link below if you’re after more information on the Z17.\n"