XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen Comparison

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XMG Neo 15 E21

15.6 inches | January 2021

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MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

15.6 inches | July 2021

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XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen Comparison Overview

XMG Neo 15 E21

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MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ry...

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XMG Neo 15 E21

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MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ry...

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In this review, we will be comparing Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen, two laptops from XMG and MSI. XMG Neo 15 E21 was introduced to market in January 2021 and MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen was launched in July 2021. There is only 6 months difference between Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of XMG Neo 15 E21 and MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen before getting into our more detailed comparison.

XMG Neo 15 E21 Key Specs

Launched in January 2021
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB
8GB Ram
359.8 x 243 x 26 mm (14.17 x 9.57 x 1.02 inches)
Weight: 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen Key Specs

Launched in July 2021
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
GPU: Radeon RX 5500M 4GB
8GB Ram
359 x 259 x 24.9 mm (14.13 x 10.2 x 0.98 inches)
Weight: 2.35 kg (5.18 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen 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 XMG Neo 15 E21 over MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

Weight	2.10 kg vs 2.35 kg	0.25 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~76.8% vs ~72.2%	Larger screen area ratio
Refresh Rate	240 Hz vs 144 Hz	Smoother media experience
sRGB Color Space	90% vs 62.8%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
Max Brightness	300 nits vs 250 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	17.5 TFLOPS vs 4.632 TFLOPS	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-A Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Better HDMI connectivity
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 2.0	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Better typing feel
Key Travel	2 mm vs 1.7 mm

Reasons to choose MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen over XMG Neo 15 E21

Side Bezel Thickness	6.8 mm vs 7.2 mm	0.4 mm thinner bezels
GPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 8 nm	Newer Generation GPU
Number of Microphones	2 vs 1	Better Sound capture
Bluetooth	v5.1 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity

Common Strengths of MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen and XMG Neo 15 E21

Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
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 3.0 (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	v6 vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
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
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs Yes	Fast connection to Network via ethernet cable
Numeric Pad	Yes vs Yes	Fast way to input numbers
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen and XMG Neo 15 E21

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support
Fingerprint Sensor	No vs No	No fingerprint login feature

XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the XMG Neo 15 E21 and the MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)	2.35 kg (5.18 lbs)
Surface Area	874 cm2 (135.6 inches2)	930 cm2 (144.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~76.8%	~72.2%
Side Bezel Thickness	~7.2 mm	~6.8 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.13 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.286 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Black

Comparison of the XMG Neo 15 E21 and the MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen External Dimensions

Weight

Neo 15 E21 weighs 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs), whereas the Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen weighs 2.35 kg (5.18 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

XMG Neo 15 E21

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

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Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

XMG Neo 15 E21

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

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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 XMG Neo 15 E21 is 0.13 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen 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
Microsoft Surface Pro 12: 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

XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	AMD Ryzen 7 5800H AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX	AMD Ryzen 5 5600H AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Base Frequency	3.2 GHz	3.3 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.4 GHz	4.2 GHz
Number of Cores	8	6
Number of Threads	16	12
L3 Cache	16 MB	16 MB
Integrated GPU	Radeon RX Vega 8	Radeon RX Vega 7
CPU Fabrication Process	7 nm	7 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1461	1426
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	7439	6579
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1426	1371
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	12233	9758

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 XMG Neo 15 E21 and MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen.

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

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile 16GB	Radeon RX 5500M 4GB
Base Clock Frequency	1110 MHz	1375 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1560 MHz	1645 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	115 W	65 W
Nvidia Optimus	MUX
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	15.97 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS
Memory Size	8 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	256 bit	128 bit
Memory Speed	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective	~14 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	5120	1408
TMUs	160	88
ROPs	80	32

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. XMG Neo 15 E21 has a FLOPS value of 17.5 TFLOPS whereas the MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen ' has a FLOPS value of 4.632 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR4
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 3.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Neo 15 E21 and the Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 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	XMG Neo 15 (E21)	MSI Bravo 15 2021 (Ryzen)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✖ 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	93 Wh	53.5 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	No	No
Charging Port Position	Bottom	Left
Charge Power	230 W	150 W
AC Adapter Weight	890 gramm	490 gramm

Moreover, the Neo 15 E21 boasts a larger battery capacity of 93 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen's54 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

XMG Neo 15 E21

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

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STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 4 TB, the Neo 15 E21 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen's max. storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 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.

XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the XMG Neo 15 E21 and MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen 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. Both Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the Neo 15 E21 is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Both Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen feature the same pixel density with 141 pixels per inch (PPI).

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

XMG Neo 15 E21

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

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Refresh Rate
The Neo 15 E21 offers a higher refresh rate of 240 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Neo 15 E21 offers a higher maximum brightness of 300 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

XMG Neo 15 E21

MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen

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XMG Neo 15 E21 vs MSI Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Neo 15 E21 (v6).

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 Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen have USB-A ports. Neo 15 E21 has 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen feature 1x USB 3.2 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
Neither Neo 15 E21 nor Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen feature an HDMI port. Neo 15 E21 offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

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
Neo 15 E21 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Neo 15 E21 and Bravo 15 2021 Ryzen 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)	v6	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 5)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	Yes
SD CardReader	Yes	No
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes