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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a more powerful processor, a brighter display with higher resolution and color accuracy, and a larger battery capacity which should translate to longer battery life compared to the MSI Modern 14. It also has additional features like touchscreen, a backlit keyboard, and extra USB-C ports. However, it comes at a higher price and is marginally heavier than the MSI. The MSI Modern 14 is less expensive, slightly lighter making it more portable, and still offers comparable storage and RAM. It would be well-suited for general use and light engineering work. If you need a laptop for more intensive tasks, prefer better display quality or longer battery life, and don't mind the higher cost, the HP might be the better option. If cost and portability are more critical and you're not engaging in heavy-duty tasks, the MSI could be more appropriate. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- The MSI Modern 14 has no clear advantages over the HP Dragonfly Pro 14".
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
405.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is very good for general use, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is esteemed for general use due to its superior battery life, brighter and higher quality screen, and better portability despite being slightly heavier. Conversely, the MSI Modern 14, while lighter and with a commendable portability score, falls short in screen quality, speaker quality, and battery life in comparison, yet still is recognized as good for general purposes.
Engineering and Design
7.6
6.6
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is better suited for engineering and design due to its stronger CPU in the AMD Ryzen 7 series, enhanced integrated AMD Radeon GPU for graphical tasks, and higher-quality IPS display with superior brightness and color coverage. The MSI Modern 14, while more portable given its slightly lower weight and having fair screen quality for design work, operates with a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 series processor and integrated graphics, and its display has lower brightness and color accuracy.
Content Creation
7.9
7.2
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Modern 14 are both good for content creation, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.8
7.1
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Modern 14 are both good for software development, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.1
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the HP Dragonfly Pro's screen offers crisp visuals and vibrant colors due to its higher resolution and brightness, making text clear and multimedia engaging, whereas the MSI Modern 14's lower brightness and resolution mean that while adequate, it doesn't offer the same level of clarity and vibrance. When it comes to engineering and design, the HP Dragonfly Pro stands out with its wider color gamut, rendering accurate colors necessary for professional design tasks, whereas the MSI Modern lacks in this aspect, delivering less precise color representation. In contrast, for gaming and 3D applications, the HP Dragonfly Pro falls short due to its lower refresh rate that can lead to less fluid motion, while the MSI Modern, despite its fair performance, also doesn't provide the ideal smoothness or speed that high-refresh-rate panels bring to fast-paced games and complex 3D animations.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 has 6 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.0
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" with an AMD Radeon 680M gpu and the MSI Modern 14 with an embedded AMD Ryzen Vega 7 gpu provide fair gaming and 3D capabilities considering their integrated graphics, which are less powerful than dedicated gaming gpus, and their screens have a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is lower than the higher refresh rates preferred for gaming that creates smoother visuals.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Dragonfly Pro 14" | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.42 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.39" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.78" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64.6 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 405 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
MSI Modern 14
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Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"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."
Get a great deal on the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" or the MSI Modern 14
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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CEO and Laptops Editor
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