MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U Comparison

Laptop to replace

Change

MSI Creator 17 B11UX

17.3 inches | May 2021

CHECK PRICE

Change

MSI Creator Z17 A12U

17 inches | January 2022

CHECK PRICE

MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U Comparison Overview

MSI Creator 17 B11UX

See at AMAZON

MSI Creator Z17 A12U

See at AMAZON

MSI Creator 17 B11UX

See at AMAZON

MSI Creator Z17 A12U

See at AMAZON

In this review, we will be comparing Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U, two laptops by MSI. MSI Creator 17 B11UX was introduced to market in May 2021 and MSI Creator Z17 A12U was launched in January 2022. There is only 8 months difference between Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U are members of MSI's Creator series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

MSI Creator Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
MSI Creator M16	January 2024	16.0"	359 x 259 x 26.95 mm	2.25 kg (4.96 lbs)
MSI Creator M14	January 2024	14.0"	314.7 x 233.5 x 18.6-22.3 mm	1.6 kg (3.53 lbs)
MSI CreatorPro 16 AI Studio	January 2024	16.0"	355.8 x 259.7 x 19.95-21.55 mm	1.99 kg (4.39 lbs)
MSI Creator 16 AI Studio	January 2024	16.0"	355.8 x 259.7 x 19.95-21.55 mm	1.99 kg (4.39 lbs)
MSI Creator Z17 A12U	January 2022	17.0"	382 x 260 x 19 mm	2.49 kg (5.49 lbs)
MSI Creator Z16	September 2021	16.0"	359 x 256 x 15.9 mm	2.2 kg (4.85 lbs)
MSI Creator 17 B11UX	May 2021	17.3"	396.1 x 259.4 x 20.2 mm	2.45 kg (5.4 lbs)
MSI Creator 15	January 2021	15.6"	358 x 248 x 19.8 mm	2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of MSI Creator 17 B11UX and MSI Creator Z17 A12U before getting into our more detailed comparison.

MSI Creator 17 B11UX Key Specs

Launched in May 2021
17.3" Mini LED, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 11800H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
396.1 x 259.4 x 20.2 mm (15.59 x 10.21 x 0.8 inches)
Weight: 2.45 kg (5.4 lbs)

MSI Creator Z17 A12U Key Specs

Launched in January 2022
17.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
382 x 260 x 19 mm (15.04 x 10.24 x 0.75 inches)
Weight: 2.49 kg (5.49 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose MSI Creator 17 B11UX over MSI Creator Z17 A12U

Weight	2.45 kg vs 2.49 kg	0.04 kg lighter
Side Bezel Thickness	6.6 mm vs 7.9 mm	1.3 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	17.3 inches vs 17 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen PPI	255 ppi vs 178 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels vs 2560 x 1600 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
DCI-P3 Color Gamut	100% vs 98%	Wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut
Max Brightness	1000 nits vs 350 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	12 TFLOPS vs 11.8 TFLOPS	Easy login with fingerprint
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-A Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.2	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose MSI Creator Z17 A12U over MSI Creator 17 B11UX

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~84.4% vs ~80.3%	Larger screen area ratio
Refresh Rate	165 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
RAM Type	DDR5 vs DDR4	Faster RAM Type
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.2	Faster USB-C connection

Common Strengths of MSI Creator Z17 A12U and MSI Creator 17 B11UX

Launch Dates	May 2021 vs January 2022	Both laptops are recent models
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.2 vs v5.2	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Numeric Pad	Yes vs Yes	Fast way to input numbers
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the MSI Creator 17 B11UX and the MSI Creator Z17 A12U.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.45 kg (5.4 lbs)	2.49 kg (5.49 lbs)
Surface Area	1027 cm2 (159.2 inches2)	993 cm2 (154 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~80.3%	~84.4%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.6 mm	~7.9 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.14 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.308 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Gray
Cover Opening Angle	180Â°	180Â°

Comparison of the MSI Creator 17 B11UX and the MSI Creator Z17 A12U External Dimensions

Weight

Creator 17 B11UX weighs 2.45 kg (5.4 lbs), whereas the Creator Z17 A12U weighs 2.49 kg (5.49 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Creator 17 B11UX 2.45 kg

MSI Creator Z17 A12U 2.49 kg

Min 1.29 kg

Average 2.74 kg

Max 4.23 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Creator 17 B11UX 20.20 mm

MSI Creator Z17 A12U 19.00 mm

Min 8.60 mm

Average 24.26 mm

Max 38.00 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the MSI Creator 17 B11UX is 0.14 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the MSI Creator Z17 A12U is 0.15 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i7 11800H Intel Core i9 11900H Intel Core i9 11980HK	Intel Core i7 12700H Intel Core i9 12900H
Base Frequency	1.9-2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz
Number of Cores	8	14
Number of Threads	16	20
L3 Cache	24 MB	24 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (32 EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1563	1750
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	8909	12242
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1504	1800
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	12182	16309

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the MSI Creator 17 B11UX and MSI Creator Z17 A12U.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 11800H

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 12700H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile 16GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile 16GB
Base Clock Frequency	900 MHz	900 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1425 MHz	1425 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	80 W	80 W
Nvidia Optimus	Yes	Yes
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	192 bit	192 bit
Memory Speed	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	3840	3840
TMUs	120	120
ROPs	48	48

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. MSI Creator 17 B11UX has a FLOPS value of 12 TFLOPS whereas the MSI Creator Z17 A12U ' has a FLOPS value of 11.8 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Creator 17 B11UX may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR5
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	64 GB	64 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Creator 17 B11UX and the Creator Z17 A12U, come with similar RAM capacities of 16 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	MSI Creator 17 (B11UX)	MSI Creator Z17 (A12U)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	99.9 Wh	90 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left
Charge Power	230 W	240 W

Moreover, the Creator 17 B11UX boasts a larger battery capacity of 100 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Creator Z17 A12U's90 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Creator 17 B11UX 100 Wh

MSI Creator Z17 A12U 90 Wh

Min 37.00 Wh

Average 76.88 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
The Creator Z17 A12U offers a larger max storage capacity of 4 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Creator 17 B11UX's storage capacity of 2 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the MSI Creator 17 B11UX and MSI Creator Z17 A12U since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Creator 17 B11UX has a display size of 17.3".On the other hand, Creator Z17 A12U has a smaller 17.0" display.The total usable screen area of the Creator 17 B11UX is 825cm² / 128inch² whereas the Creator Z17 A12U's total usable screen area is 838cm² / 130inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Creator 17 B11UX features a higher pixel density with 255 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Creator 17 B11UX 255 ppi

MSI Creator Z17 A12U 178 ppi

Min 106 PPI

Average 141 PPI

Max 266.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Creator Z17 A12U offers a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Creator 17 B11UX offers a higher maximum brightness of 1000 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Creator 17 B11UX 1000 nits

MSI Creator Z17 A12U 350 nits

Min

200 nits

Average 368 nits

Max 1200.00 nits

MSI Creator 17 B11UX vs MSI Creator Z17 A12U Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6E), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U have USB-A ports. Creator 17 B11UX has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while Creator Z17 A12U has 1x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U have USB Type-C ports. Creator 17 B11UX has 2x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Creator Z17 A12U has 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U feature an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.1) for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Creator 17 B11UX and Creator Z17 A12U are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 3.2	2x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.1
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	No