MSI Creator Z17: when there is plenty of raw power, what makes the difference is its QHD+ miniLED screen

MSI unveiled several gaming, productivity, and content creation laptops at CES last year, but it still had a few tricks up its sleeve. We talk about its most attractive gaming equipment in the article in which we have compiled the gaming laptops presented at this event that they have impacted us the most, but the proposal in which we are about to investigate goes in other directions.

Due to its configuration, this Creator Z17 should perform like a charm with any latest game (especially if we choose it with the most ambitious specifications with which it is available), but its purpose is above all to deal with solvency with the applications of content creation, which can also be extremely demanding on hardware.

To resolve this usage scenario, MSI has opted to integrate into this computer a 12th generation Intel Core microprocessor with Alder Lake microarchitecture, DDR5-4800 memory, a graphics processor belonging to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 family and a secondary storage solution with PCI Express 4.0 interface. As you can see, on paper it looks really good. However, its best asset, what really makes it attractive, are the irresistible display specs.

MSI Creator Z17: Technical Specifications

The latest from Intel and NVIDIA so that we do not lack power

This laptop will be available in several different configurations. We do not yet know the specifications of the most modest version, but we do have, as usual, those of the most powerful review. And, as you can see in the table that we publish above these lines, MSI has not given a stitch without thread.

The 12th generation Intel Core i9 CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU are the most striking components of this team, but it is worth not forgetting what it can incorporate up to 128 GB of main memory type DDR5-4800 and two SSD drives with PCI Express 4.0 interface. In addition, it will be available with both the Home version of Windows 11 and the Pro edition, although those who opt for the latter will surely have to pay a little more for their laptop.

When it comes to connectivity, this laptop is up to the task. The HDMI output implements the 2.1 standard, so we can use it to transport 2160p signals at 120 Hz to our television. It also has two USB-C ports that implement the Thunderbolt 4 protocol (one of which acts as a charging port for other devices), an additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and an SD card slot. When it comes to wireless connectivity we have nothing to object: it has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

This miniLED QHD + screen goes all out (and its digital pen helps)

As I mentioned in the first lines of this article, the component that is going to cause many users to notice this laptop is its screen. And it is that it incorporates an IPS type LCD panel with QHD + resolution (2560 x 1600 points), 17 inches and mini-LED backlight.

MSI hasn’t disclosed how many independent local dimming zones this display incorporates, but it will likely have at least as many. 240 zones with which the original version of this team that arrived in stores in 2020 had.

However, the attractive features of this laptop screen do not end there. Regarding the precision with which it solves colorimetry, which is an essential section in equipment dedicated to content creation, it offers us 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, and also a calibration of factory with precision Delta-E < 2.

This last parameter simply means that on paper it should reproduce the color with very high precision, which makes it interesting for photo retouching and video editing, among other usage scenarios.

In any case, this is not all. Its panel allows us to use the MSI digital pen to act directly on it, a feature that reinforces its vocation as a team for content creation. One more note: the pencil is not included in the package with the laptop (must be purchased separately).

MSI Creator Z17: price and availability

MSI has confirmed that this team will hit stores in early February, although all