Smartphones at affordable prices are now able to bring a number of flagship features, aka the specifications are getting better. What about laptops? More or less the same. So for a flagship laptop, it must really have complete or perfect features. And MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo tries to come to compete with others.
In addition to gaming laptops, MSI is also well known for its reliable business laptop series. Both in terms of performance, as well as durability, which is supported by special military certifications. As the name implies, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo is a convertible variant of the Summit E14 series. With a more flexible screen, it can target more types of laptop users, of course.
After two weeks of using this laptop, I can say that MSI is quite “all out” through the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo. Satisfactory in terms of performance to battery life, and equipped with security features that are truly complete. Here’s the full review.
Business laptops are generally designed to be unobtrusive, appear in dark colors and tend to be plain. The design of the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo itself at first glance is similar to the latest MSI Modern 14 series—only at a glance, because if you look further, you can definitely guess if this is a more premium variant.
The material looks and feels much sturdier, although it’s equally easy to leave fingerprints, especially on the outer body. There is only the MSI logo on the outer body, placed in the middle and using a silver color that is not too bright. The hinge also looks solid, which is important because this is a convertible laptop.
That is, you can open and rotate this laptop screen up to 360 degrees backwards. Can be opened with one hand, but when it has passed 90 degrees it will feel more rigid. So that the laptop can be used in various tilt angles, in addition to tablet mode of course. Plus, so that the screen does not shake when touched, because it is also supported with a stylus.
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo weighs 1.6 kilograms, and has a thickness of 17.9mm. Not the lightest and thinnest for the size of a flagship business laptop, but still okay to fit into a laptop bag, backpack to messenger bag. It also has MIL-STD-810G certification for extra-high durability standards.
Screen
Instead of 3:2, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo screen measures 14 inches with a 16:10 ratio, which MSI says is more suitable for productivity support. The three bezels on the left, right and top have been made quite thin, especially already carrying a number of infrared camera sensors. While the bottom is a bit thick but still in a reasonable level.
The screen resolution itself is quite high reaching QHD+, and although the official specifications page mentions an IPS-level panel, the viewing angles are already very wide. And also supports the DCI-P3 color standard fully aka 100%. So it is also suitable for those who require high color accuracy such as content creators.
The maximum brightness level of 500 nits is quite enough for outdoor use. And the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo screen also supports touch input, plus the MSI Pen stylus included in the sales package. Can be used to create sketches or other types of images with precision, supports different levels of depth.
The screen ratio of the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo in my opinion is more suitable for hybrid use. Working while opening a number of applications at the same time is still comfortable, and when watching movie content such as from Netflix, there are not too many black parts or black borders like on a 3:2 ratio screen.
Ports & Connectivity
Because it is not the thinnest business laptop, the advantages that MSI can offer are above-average port completeness. On the left side of the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo, you can find two standard Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports which are also used for charging, as well as full-size HDMI (up to 4K 60Hz). So you don’t just need a dongle to connect to a big screen.
On the opposite side, there is an audio combo jack, microSD card reader, a physical switch to close the webcam and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port. popular, especially for smartphone users.
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo’s keyboard also feels very comfortable to use for typing. The size and shape are just right, and the keyboard sound is not too noisy. The brightness level can be adjusted according to taste, and the power button is made harder so that it is safe when accidentally pressed while typing.
The touchpad size of the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo also feels wide enough to input multiple finger gestures at once, and is precise when moved, according to Windows Precision Driver standards. This laptop also uses the Wi-Fi 6E standard, as well as Bluetooth 5.2 which supports Windows Swift Pair.
Other Features
There are two main parts that I want to discuss as well as appreciation at the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo. The first, a 2MP webcam embedded at the top of the screen. Apart from supporting Windows Hello and having a physical enclosure, the quality is really good. In accordance with today’s flagship laptops.
The viewing angle is wide, and precisely provides the right brightness on the face, without high noise (thanks to Cam’s Noise Reduction technology), including in backlight conditions. This laptop is also supported by four microphones, so for virtual calling needs, it is very, very adequate.
Second, namely the security section. The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo is not only supported by Windows Hello via the camera, but also has a fingerprint sensor located to the right of the touchpad. The sensor is instant and accurate for finger input detection, and the two options can be activated simultaneously.
Still related to security, there is Tobii Aware technology which automatically makes the laptop screen blurry when it is detected that someone else is trying to peek at the screen. The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo also has an integrated Tile sensor. Its function? Like having an AirTag in a laptop, it can help track if the laptop is lost.
It’s good that from the start using a laptop, you have accessed and activated a number of the security features above. The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo is also equipped with a two-speaker setup with 2W each output. The quality itself is quite okay, only in volume, not the loudest.
Performance
To provide the best performance as a premium business laptop, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo is powered by a 12th generation Intel Core i7 processor, more specifically the i7-1280P series. Paired with an Intel Iris X3 graphics card, 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB of NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD storage.
Carrying Intel Evo certification, this laptop can turn on instantly in a sleep state, and guarantees responsiveness when used. The RAM capacity is large enough to access multiple documents as well as dozens of tabs in the Microsoft Edge browser and a number of other applications at the same time. Just using daily office applications feels quite overkill.
The one that plays a significant role in performance is the MSI Center Pro application. In it, users can set whether they want to provide maximum performance, or want to save battery power. Even with AI technology, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo can detect crowds around and adjust the fan rotation so it doesn’t interfere.
The fan on the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo can spin very fast until it looks like a gaming laptop, but don’t worry, this condition is really only active when the laptop is running a lot of applications. Of course, you can adjust its performance through the MSI Center Pro application.
A little note, generally the body above the keyboard feels quite hot to the touch. At least in that part, while areas that are more often touched by the skin such as the two sides next to the touchpad tend to be cold, or at least awake.
Battery
Although present as an office laptop with a portable convertible screen, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo battery has a large enough capacity. Namely 72WHr (4-cell), which is claimed to be used for up to 10 hours for productivity use. If you already pocketed the Intel Evo certification, it should be economical.
And sure enough, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo can be used to work all day—but there are exceptions. The profile on MSI Center Pro must first be changed to power saving mode. Otherwise, it will last about 7 hours. When activated, it can achieve almost the claims of MSI.
This indicates that MSI can really do fine-tuning on CPU usage as well as through software, and when using power saving mode, its performance is still fast. This laptop can be charged using standard USB-C Power Delivery. It claims it can be charged up to 60% in 53 minutes with a 65W charger.
Our test results take about 100 minutes to fully charge. When using a 65W adapter from a third party, it still works, it’s just that the speed is not optimal. So if you really want to charge fast, it’s better to use the default charger adapter.
Conclusion
Through this best business laptop, MSI offers a combination of hardware and software that is able to work optimally. A high resolution camera that is supported by AI, as well as its performance, makes the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo able to function as the user wishes.
With a price tag of IDR 25 million, consumers can get a device that is quite commensurate with what they pay for. A premium multifunctional business laptop that is comfortable to use while working to enjoying entertainment content, both in laptop and tablet mode.
MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo A12MT Specifications
General
| Device Type | Laptops |
| Models / Series | MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo A12MT |
| Released | June 13, 2022 |
| Status | Available |
| Price | USD $1,664 |
Platforms
| Processor | Intel Alder lake i7-1280P |
| VGA (Graphic Card) | Intel Iris Xe |
| RAM (Memory) | 16GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
Body
| Dimensions | 314 x 227.5 x 17.9 mm, weight 1.6 kg |
| Display | 14 inch, QHD+, 16:10, DCI-P3 100%, Pen touch panel, IPS-level |
| Battery | 4 cell 72WHr 65W fast charging |
Connectivity
| Webcam | Full HD 1080p, IR |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Intel® Killer™ AX Wi-Fi 6E |
| NFC | |
| I/O Interface | 2x Type-C (USB / DP / Thunderbolt™ 4) with PD charging 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2 1x (4K @ 60Hz) HDMI 1x Micro SD Card Reader |
Other
| Audio | 2x 2W Speaker |
| Features | Backlight Keyboard (Single-Color, White) |
