The MSI Modern 14 (2023) is a budget ultraportable Windows laptop. It replaces the MSI Modern 14 from 2022 (model C12M). It's nearly identical to its predecessor, as the only change is the CPU from Intel 12th Gen to 13th Gen, up to a Core i7-1355U. It's only available with an FHD display, 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It has Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, a 720p webcam, and a 39Wh battery. Ports include three USB-As, a USB-C, an HDMI, a MicroSD card reader, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging and DisplayPort. You can get this laptop in three colors: Beige Rose, Urban Silver, and Classic Black.
You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Easy to carry around.
- CPU can handle most general productivity tasks.
- Quiet fan under load.
- Wide port selection.
- Short battery life.
- Dim and washed out display.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- Mediocre 720p webcam.
The MSI Modern 14 is mediocre for gaming. Its low-power CPU and integrated graphics can't handle demanding games. You can play some lighter or older titles, but you'll likely have to play at 720p or with low graphics settings to get playable frame rates. Also, you can only get this laptop with a 60Hz display, which has a slow response time and lacks VRR support.
- Quiet fan under load.
- Fast, user-replaceable SSD.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- 60Hz display with slow response time.
- No VRR.
The MSI Modern 14 is mediocre for media consumption. It's very easy to carry around, thanks to its thin and light design. Its 14-inch display looks sharp but doesn't get very bright, meaning you'll likely have visibility issues in well-lit rooms. Also, the display has a narrow color gamut that makes most content look washed out, and its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray in dim settings. The speakers get decently loud but sound tinny and unnatural, with no bass whatsoever. Battery life is terrible at less than four hours of video playback.
- Easy to carry around.
- Speakers get reasonably loud.
- Flicker-free display.
- Short battery life.
- Dim and washed out display.
- Speakers sound tinny and unnatural, with almost no bass.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
The MSI Modern 14 is good for use as a workstation. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU performs relatively well for a low-power processor, so you can do some moderately CPU-intensive tasks; however, its slow integrated graphics aren't ideal for demanding workloads. Also, its low-quality display isn't suitable for color-critical work. On the upside, the laptop doesn't get overly hot or loud under load. Its port selection is excellent, but sadly, there's no Thunderbolt 4 support.
- Quiet fan under load.
- Wide port selection.
- Fast, user-replaceable SSD.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- No Thunderbolt 4 or USB4.
- Low-quality display isn't ideal for color-critical work.
The MSI Modern 14 is decent for business use. It has a thin and light design that makes it easy to carry around, and its Intel 13th CPU can easily handle productivity tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and video calls. The display looks sharp and provides just enough room for split-screen multitasking; however, it doesn't get very bright, so visibility may be an issue in well-lit rooms. It has a spacious keyboard, a reasonably large touchpad, and a wide port selection. Its 720p webcam isn't very good, though, and its battery lasts less than five hours of light use.
- Easy to carry around.
- CPU can handle most general productivity tasks.
- Quiet fan under load.
- Wide port selection.
- Short battery life.
- Dim and washed out display.
- No Thunderbolt 4 or USB4.
- Mediocre 720p webcam.
Changelog
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Updated Mar 07, 2025:
Added mention of the Acer Aspire 15 (2024) as an alternative available with a higher resolution QHD display in the Screen Specs section.
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Updated Nov 01, 2024:
Added mention of the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) as an alternative with longer battery life in the Battery section.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
- Updated Nov 16, 2023: Added mention of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 (2023) as a 2-in-1 alternative in the Hinge section.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the MSI Modern 14 (model C13M-606US) with an Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The CPU and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below.
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You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The MSI Modern 14 C13M is a decent general productivity laptop. It performs well for an ultraportable with a U-series CPU; however, its short battery life and dim display make it hard to recommend over other laptops in its class, like the Dell Inspiron 14 (2023).
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops for college, the best business laptops, and the best budget and cheap laptops.
The MSI Prestige 14 Evo (2023) is better than the MSI Modern 14 (2023) for most uses. The Prestige is a more premium model with a sturdier build, a brighter, more colorful display, a more comfortable keyboard, and longer battery life. It's also available with faster Intel H-series CPUs, so it can handle significantly more demanding workloads.
The Dell Inspiron 14 (2023) is much better than the MSI Modern 14 (2023). The Dell has a better keyboard, Thunderbolt 4 support, and significantly longer battery life. Also, you can get the Dell with a faster Intel P-series CPU and a discrete NVIDIA GPU if you need more processing power.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) is better than the MSI Modern 14 (2023) for most uses. The Lenovo has a sturdier build, a better keyboard and webcam, a longer battery life, and a fingerprint sensor. However, the Lenovo is more portable since it's a smaller device.
The HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2023) is better than the MSI Modern 14 (2023) for most uses. The HP has a brighter and sharper display, a more comfortable keyboard, a higher resolution webcam, and a fingerprint sensor. Additionally, it's available with faster Intel P- and H-series CPUs and NVIDIA discrete GPUs for more demanding tasks.
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