2-in-1 hybrid laptops are typically bulky, awkward to use, or have too many trade-offs that you'd usually be better off getting a dedicated laptop and tablet instead. While there still isn't one device that can perfectly do both, MSI is getting pretty close. The MSI E13 Flip Evo is arguably the most premium 2-in-1 ultrabook available with the latest 12th-Gen Intel CPU and the fewest sacrifices.

Configurable with up to an Intel Core i7-1280P with Iris XE graphics, this may not be as powerful as many larger laptops with an i7-12700h and a dedicated GPU, however, you still have a very capable processor that allows for a more efficient and smaller form factor laptop. At just 2.9 pounds and barely more than half an inch thick, the E13 Flip is not only great for taking on the go, but is also surprisingly easy to use in tablet and tent mode too.

The included USB-C rechargeable pen with physical buttons feels good in the hand and is great for signing documents, highlighting notes, and even drawing. Granted, it's not as enjoyable to use in tablet mode compared to an iPad, but it also has the benefit of giving you a seemingly non-compromised ultrabook that runs Windows 11, with features that feel on par and even better than many non-touchscreen ultrabooks.

The Perfect Balance

Compared to its two biggest competitors, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and the HP Spectre x360 13.5 2-in-1, the MSI E13 Flip Evo has a much better port selection, larger battery, and several business-focused features which make it the more compelling 2-in-1 device. This includes built-in privacy and security tools, faster and more reliable Wi-Fi, and improved video calls.

Even with that, MSI has priced the E13 Flip Evo on par, and in some configurations, less than similarly specced competing models. The Flip Evo is also offered in a 14" and 16" variant in case you want a larger screen, larger battery, additional full-size USB-Type-A, and even a dedicated NVidia RTX 3050ti GPU (only on the 16").

These larger variants might be ideal when stationary, but they come at the expense of being heavier and harder to use handheld, especially in tablet mode. With one of its biggest selling features being its 2-in-1 design, I think the 13" model reviewed here strikes the perfect balance of size and practicality. With anything smaller, your laptop experience becomes too limited from a screen that isn't ideal for multitasking. Anything larger and you'll rarely use its other touch-screen modes.

Configurations

Despite its smaller size, the E13 Flip Evo manages to fit a gorgeous 13.4" (16:10) 1920x1200 120hz IPS display as well as plenty of ports including a full-size USB-Type-A and full-size HDMI, which is basically unheard of for anything of this size and form factor. My review unit (A12MT-026) has an Intel i7-1280p, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD.

As with most of their other laptops, MSI offers the Evo in a variety of other configurations. What's confusing, however, is the pricing. For $1299 you can either get the i7-1280P with a 1TB SSD or the i5-1240P with a 512GB SSD. The i7-1260P with a 512GB SSD regularly costs $1499. At its current price, the i7-1280P with a 1TB SSD is of course the way to go and easily undercuts all other competing models even those with the weaker i7-1260P processor.

Evo Flip Features

While the Evo still can't beat a dedicated tablet like the iPad Pro 11, there are few 2-in-1 Windows devices that are as enjoyable and practical to use in either laptop or tablet form as the MSI. Perhaps most surprising, is that the E13 Flip Evo is only slightly larger and heavier than regular ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13 Plus. In stark contrast, though, the XPS only has two USB-C ports... and that's it.

The Evo's array of ports is nearly identical to last year's version, though the newer one has opted for a full-size HDMI instead of a third USB-C (USB 3.2, not Thunderbolt). In many ways, its full-size HDMI which supports up to 4K 60fps, while more limited than Thunderbolt, can be especially important for fast and reliable video output without the need for additional dongles or adaptors. I imagine MSI took feedback from the previous Evo and discovered that HDMI was a desired feature for this business-targeted device.

Both USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 for fast data transfer, video output, and charging the laptop. Additionally, you also have a full-size USB-A, which even the new MacBook Pro doesn't have.

There is also a hidden Micro-SD card reader on the right-hand side, though it's designed more to expand the storage of your device than to act as an easily accessible card reader for your cameras.

The Evo Flip Webcam

In addition to this change, MSI has also upgraded this year's model to a better 1080p 30fps webcam.

Combined with its AI Noise Cancellation and Quadruple Mic setup, you can have relatively high-quality video calls without the need of additional peripherals. On the software side, you'll find an HDR mode, and noise reduction to help when filming low-light environments. Compared to your usual 720p webcams and array of basic microphones, the MSI is a noticeably better experience.

Pen Input

Similar to the HP Spectre x360 13.5, MSI also includes a pen in the box with a few different tips. The pen weighs 13.5g and has a 1.3mm pen tip.

It supports 4096 pressure levels, tilt sensing, and has a 266Hz sampling rate, with about 8-10 mm hover. The pen charges via USB-C and lasts for up to 65 hours. I tried a few examples of drawing with it, and it felt very accurate with little lag.

I was able to trace over the same line a few times without any noticeable variation caused by input inaccuracies. Palm rejection worked alright but wasn't perfect, especially when drawing.

I frequently had the side of my palm detected when I was shading detail. Certain apps like Adobe Fresco, for example, allow you to disable touch inputs when the pen is detected in order to reduce this issue. When not using the pen, it can magnetically attach to the left side of the laptop. It's a strong attachment that should keep the pen in place mostly, though there were a few times when I threw this in a backpack where it did fall off.

Security & Safety

The MSI E13 Flip Evo uses its camera IR sensors to support Windows Hello face recognition for fast logins. On the right-hand side below the down arrow, there is also a fingerprint reader. You can easily register one or more fingerprints through the Windows security/login settings page. It has worked quickly and flawlessly in my time using it.

As part of its focus on security, MSI has a physical camera toggle switch located on the right-hand side of the laptop. Instead of covering up the front of the camera, similar to what you would find on an Amazon Echo Show, this switch disconnects the webcam. When you attempt to access the webcam while it's disconnected, you are presented with an error message saying that a camera could not be detected. When the webcam is in use you'll see a blinking LED light indicator next to it so you always know when it's on.

To help keep the contents on screen protected, MSI uses Tobii Aware, a combination of sensors and software to detect when you (the intended user) are looking at the screen, or if anyone else is snooping around. With Privacy Screen the contents on the screen are blurred when the user looks or steps away, and unblurred only for the correct active user. Auto-lock will automatically lock the laptop shortly after the user leaves. Lastly, and most futuristic, you have Peeker detection which uses subtle visual clues to let you know when a person behind you is looking at your screen, with automatic or reaction-based privacy screen blur to protect the information in scenarios that require a high level of privacy.

Beyond that, MSI also helps you keep track of your laptop's location in case it ever gets lost or stolen through MSI Tile. Using a built-in Tile that continues to work so long as your laptop has battery life, you can ring your laptop, view its last known location and enlist the secure help of the Tile Network to help in the search if needed. Just as with other Tile trackers, this uses Bluetooth to locate the laptop and works whether it's on, in standby, powered off, or hibernating.

Windows 11 Limitations

Even with its great hardware, Windows 11 is still a very keyboard and mouse input experience. As with other touch screen laptops and 2-in-1 devices, the software can be a big limitation and potential deterrent when deciding if you should buy one for yourself.

While more apps are able to natively take advantage of touch and pen inputs, like drawing, PDFs, word processors, and e-readers, many of them and the overall Windows operating system will still make this experience feel like an afterthought rather than a core feature. In most ways, unless there is a specific Windows app or integrated workflow process that you need to do on your PC, an iPad will still provide a much better tablet experience as it is lighter and easier to hold with one hand.

User Experience

The laptop is able to stay quiet and cool for most of my productive tasks which usually involve a Chrome browser with over 20 tabs open, iTunes, Slack, Mail, and a few file explorers too. Provided the active task wasn't too demanding, the MSI E13 Flip Evo would hover around 1GHz with 5-8% CPU usage. The laptop is able to turn its fans off and operates nearly silently. The laptop never feels sluggish and the i7-1280p should be plenty of performance for most users.

In fact, dropping down to the i7-1260p model shouldn't make too much of a difference for general productivity. 6 vs 4 performance cores and 20 vs 16 threads are beneficial for more demanding tasks, however, your money might be better spent on SSD or RAM upgrades instead. Personally, 16GB of RAM would be more of a limiting factor, and in how I use my laptops, I would upgrade to 32GB instead of worrying about the CPU.

The laptop can also handle more demanding tasks like video editing, photo editing, and even some gaming. I was able to do some quick edits in Premiere Pro and complete batch edits in Lightroom CC without issue. The laptop will get noticeably louder and hotter quickly, but that's expected with a laptop this size. What's nice, is that as soon as a really intense task that had the fans running at 100% finishes, the laptop is quick to quiet down and go back to idle. We've run some benchmarks to give you a better idea of its performance.

Despite its smaller size, the 16:10 screen on the MSI E13 Flip Evo made it feel almost as large as my MacBook Pro 14. The multitasking experience was very good, and unless I was trying to use more than two apps at the same time, or video edit and have a Chrome browser open, I rarely wanted a larger screen. The IPS panel provides deep blacks and very impressive viewing angles. Provided you are not using the laptop in direct sunlight, its 500 nits of brightness should be plenty. I used the laptop outdoors during golden hour into sunset and my only complaint was the glare from the sun.

The overall build quality is also very good, though I did notice a few things. Everything feels very high quality even though most of the chassis is made of plastic.

There is virtually no flex, even when you flip or use the Evo in tablet mode. That said, I did find a bit of back panel separation near the left full-size USB-A port. This is only found when you put a fingernail or guitar pick in that spacing, but I feel an additional screw back there would have been better.

Typing feels good and I found the keys to have enough travel. However, I'm not a fan of the page up and page down key locations, which are above the left and right arrows. Too frequently I would tap on the page up or down when trying to use the arrow keys. The placement is too crowded and I've still not gotten used to it. Similar to my MacBook Pro 14, I also find the Evo to have very sharp edges which can make it uncomfortable when lying your palms and wrists on the key deck at certain angles.

Although the laptop is very light, you need to be careful where you hold it from. As the fan is located on the back near the top middle section, you'll want to avoid gripping here too strongly. Without much effort, I was able to squeeze enough to cause the fans to wince and slow down. The laptop can get noticeably warm as well, especially near the top left portion of the MSI both on its front and back sides. Thankfully, this heat doesn't carry to the keyboard very much except in the first two rows.

I wasn't very impressed with the two 2W speakers that sit underneath the laptop in the front on either side. They don't get very loud and they lack detail and bass. In louder environments including my outdoor tests, I had a very difficult time hearing them clearly over the other sounds. Turning the volume up just makes things sound muddy and begins to shake the laptop too. Even while typing, I could feel the little speakers' vibrations carry all the way through.

Performance and Benchmarks

As mentioned earlier, while performance is impressive for a laptop of this size and form factor, you are paying a premium for these conveniences, and it also comes at the cost of a weaker CPU and the lack of a dedicated GPU. If having a 2-in-1 device is a must, and you are willing to sacrifice some horsepower, then this shouldn't be an issue. In my tests, the biggest letdown I found was its Intel Iris Xe graphics which significantly struggled with most GPU tests.

Test Systems

While we don't have any other ultrabooks or devices with the same CPU and GPU to compare our benchmarks, we have two other MSI laptops that cost about the same.

Benchmarks

TimeSpy

FireStrike

PCMark10

While this is not going to be a great choice for gaming, it can handle more casual titles and some AAA games at lower settings; even at 1080p.

You can run Overwatch and League of Legends and easily hit 60 FPS and higher. I actually enjoyed playing Overwatch and was surprised by how well it played despite not having a discrete GPU. With Rise of the Tomb Raider, the MSI E13 Flip Evo was very close to hitting an average 30FPS but unfortunately fell short. Lowering your resolution to 720p will help boost your FPS and give you smoother gameplay.

Rise of the Tomb Raider (1080p Min Settings)

Final Thoughts

As a 2-in-1 ultrabook, the MSI E13 Flip Evo looks great, is feature-packed, and has impressive productivity performance.

As expected, its smaller form factor does come at the expense of a slightly weaker CPU and the lack of a discrete GPU, however, this can be overlooked and not too noticeable if you don't plan on using the Evo for gaming or heavy GPU tasks. Using it as a laptop or tablet is practical, enjoyable, and for the most part, works extremely well. The MSI E13 Flip Evo is currently one of the best 2-in-1s you can buy.