MSI Prestige 16 review: Light on your back and wallet

Rate When Reviewed

$1,649.99

Finest Prices Today: MSI Prestige 16

The sluggish shift towards bigger laptop computers over the previous 5 years triggered an uncomfortable rift in laptop computer styles. Numerous laptop computers now have 16-inch display screens, however not all of those laptop computers are effective and the price-to-performance available can show uninviting. MSI’s Prestige 16 AI EVO B1MG handles to prevent that issue, supplying fantastic processor efficiency, strong integrated graphics, and long battery life in a mid-range 16-incher that weighs simply a hair more than 3 pounds.

Searching for more choices? Take a look at PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptop computers readily available today.

MSI Prestige 16: Specs and functions

The MSI Prestige 16’s specs are excellent. It sets an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with 32GB of memory and an enormous 2TB strong state drive. Those requirements are essential, as they enhance the laptop computer’s worth versus its rivals. It likewise has Intel Arc graphics and a 4K OLED screen.

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5 6400MHz
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc graphics
• Show: 3840 × 2400 16:10 OLED 60Hz
• Storage: 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe strong state drive
• Cam: 1080p 60fps
• Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 4/ USB-C 4.0 with USB Power Delivery, Displayport Alternate Mode, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5 mm combination audio, 1x SDcard reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 99.9 watt-hours
• Measurements: 14.11 x 10.02 x 0.75 inches
• Weight: 3.31 pounds
• MSRP: $1,649.99 (presently $1,600 on Amazon)

MSI provides a number of designs of the Prestige AI EVO, and the one I got for evaluation is amongst the most pricey. Devaluing to a 1TB strong state drive and IPS show lowers the rate to $1,400. Those options may show appealing for those who do not require a 2TB drive, though I ‘d suggest adhering to a design with an OLED display screen if possible.

MSI Prestige 16: Design and construct quality

The MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO B1MG does not measure up to its name at very first blush (I imply “Prestige,” not the alphanumeric salad that follows). It’s a completely traditional, middle-of-the-road style. Its products are appealing, however average, and there’s no style or twist to make the laptop computer stand apart from the crowd.

My modest impression enhanced after investing a couple of hours with the laptop computer. Construct quality isn’t at the level of a MacBook Pro or Dell XPS, however it’s great. Flex can be discovered when opening the display screen panel, however it’s well handled and the exact same holds true of the laptop computer’s bottom half. MSI has an edge over thinner, lighter laptop computers like LG’s Gram line, which can typically feel lightweight.

The Prestige 16 stays light and portable. It weighs simply 3.31 pounds and steps simply.75 inches thick. You can discover lighter laptop computers like the LG Gram SuperSlimhowever the MSI is portable for a 16-inch device. It likewise has a little footprint (for its screen size) at approximately 14 inches deep and 10 inches broad, so it will suit many knapsacks and bags developed for a 15-inch laptop computer.

MSI Prestige 16: Keyboard, trackpad

A roomy keyboard with numpad extends throughout the MSI Prestige 16’s interior. The laptop computer utilizes the bulk of the readily available area, so there’s adequate space to supply big type in the majority of scenarios. Just the arrow secrets and left-side Alt and Control secrets are substantially undersized. The numpad secrets are shaved down a hair, however so little that I didn’t instantly discover.

Typing is an enjoyment. The Prestige 16 supplies excellent secret travel and a good tactile experience with each secret’s bottoming action. That comes together with a little bit of audible feedback in a conclusive click-clack. Do not get me incorrect; this is not a mechanical keyboard. I do believe it’s louder than the majority of and I like it. The keyboard is likewise stiff throughout its whole surface area, avoiding warp and wobble throughout furious social networks battles.

The touchpad determines 6 inches large and almost 4 inches deep, which is typical for a modern-day 16-inch laptop computer however still sufficient area for Windows multi-touch gestures. It was responsive and precise, too, and the touchpad surface area varies enough from the surrounding palm rest to discover it by feel. MSI places the touchpad far to the left, however, to keep it focused with the keyboard. That’s not my choice (in reality, I choose not to have a numpad at all), however those who desire a numpad needs to be pleased.

MSI Prestige 16: Display, audio

I’m beginning to lack methods to state that OLED shows appearance stunning. And, if you’re in a rush, that’s all you truly require to understand. The Prestige 16’s 3840 × 2400 OLED screen is sharp, dynamic, and immersive. You’ll enjoy it.

Desire more information? Ok, here goes: the MSI Prestige’s screen has an almost unlimited contrast ratio and can precisely show an extremely large range of color. Together, these qualities produce a reasonable and true-to-life image that supplies a sense of depth and dimensionality. It’s more like browsing a little window than taking a look at a display screen. It’s likewise a terrific suitable for material production, as the display screen’s color efficiency is method above what many people will require to modify images, digital art, or video for social networks.

Sharpness is outstanding. The 3840 × 2400 resolution exercises to 283 pixels per inch. That’s even more than a 27-inch 4K screen, which loads simply 163 pixels per inch, and much better than an Apple MacBook Pro 16 at 256 pixels per inch. It’s really rather tough to discover any laptop computer screen or desktop display with a greater pixel density. With that stated, however, this panel is not distinct to the Prestige 16, and lots of high-end 16-inch Windows laptop computers have a similar resolution.

Movement clearness is one prospective drawback, as the screen is restricted to a refresh rate of 60Hz. This no doubt has something to do with the display screen’s high resolution, however it’s still worth discussing, as lots of laptop computers now use a boosted refresh rate of a minimum of 90Hz and frequently 120Hz or more. Asus’ Vivobook Pro 16X OLED is a fine example of a laptop computer that much better strolls the line in between work and home entertainment. To be reasonable, the Prestige 16 isn’t intended at players and it’s much thinner and lighter than the Asus.

The Prestige 16’s audio quality sadly disappoints the display screen. It has downward-firing speakers that provide modest volume and do not have a low-end to produce any tip of bass. That in turn muddies the noise at high volume. It’s not the worst I’ve heard, however it’s not fantastic, and you’ll wish to keep earphones close by.

MSI Prestige 16: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A 1080p web cam with a physical personal privacy shutter hangs out above the MSI Prestige 16’s display screen. It provides average however functional image quality that’s more than appropriate for video conferencing. The microphone likewise succeeds, providing great worth with some seclusion from background sound.

MSI consists of 2 techniques of biometric login. A finger print reader is constructed into the power button, which lies on the keyboard. There’s likewise an IR cam that supports facial acknowledgment through Windows Hello. Both alternatives worked well in my time with the laptop computer, though I personally discover facial acknowledgment more effective.

MSI Prestige 16: Connectivity

The MSI Prestige 16 leans greatly on contemporary connection with 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, both of which assistance USB 4.0, USB Power Delivery, and DisplayPort Alternate Mode. That implies both can charge the laptop computer, be utilized with a USB-C dock, or link to a Thunderbolt or USB-C screen.

Those flexible ports are signed up with by simply one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2. It’s good to see USB-A is still consisted of, however an extra port would come in handy. The Prestige 16’s extra connection is fantastic. It has an HDMI 2.1 port, an SDcard reader, Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm combination audio jack.

There’s a catch, or at least a compromise. The bulk of the ports, consisting of both Thunderbolt 4 ports and the USB-C port, are discovered on the laptop computer’s badonkadonk. That makes linking and detaching USB gadgets less hassle-free On the other hand, however, this decreases cable television mess when the laptop computer is docked at a desk, considering that the cable televisions are quickly routed from the laptop computer’s back.

Wireless connection is exceptional, as the laptop computer supports both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Wi-Fi 7 is a fresh brand-new requirement (it was licensed in January of 2024), so it’s exceptional to see assistance for it here.

MSI Prestige 16: Performance

The MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO B1MG has Intel’s brand-new Core Ultra 7 155H. It’s a 16-core processor with 6 efficiency cores, 8 effective cores, and 2 low-power effective cores, along with an optimum Turbo frequency of 4.8 GHz. Here it’s coupled with 32GB of memory and a 2TB strong state drive, which are strong requirements for the cost.

Our very first standard, PCMark 10, is a holistic system criteria however tends to lean towards the CPU. Here the Prestige 16 returns a strong rating of 6,767, which is much better than a lot of comparable laptop computers we’ve just recently examined. It beats laptop computers from 2023 with an Intel Core i7-1360P processor or AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor, however can’t rather match those with the Core i7-13700H, such as the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra

It’s a comparable story in Cinebench R20, a greatly multithreaded CPU test. Here the MSI Prestige 16 when again beats most comparable laptop computers from 2023, however it can’t squeeze ahead of those with a more power-hungry Core i7-13700H processor.

That, to be reasonable, is anticipated. The Core Ultra 7 155H is a processor that attempts to stroll a line in between efficiency and power intake, so it will not beat those that lean more towards raw efficiency.

Our Handbrake video encoding test, another multithreaded CPU standard, enhances the findings from the very first 2 standards. The MSI Prestige 16 transcoded a 1080p film in 21 minutes and 9 seconds, an outcome that’s great when compared to comparable laptop computers from 2023, however behind bigger and more power-hungry laptop computers.

The MSI Prestige 16’s processor efficiency is unsurprising however strong. It typically beats laptop computers with an Intel Core i7-1360P processor, which is what the majority of laptop computers like it used in 2015. The Core Ultra 7 155H must deal with the bulk of jobs tossed at it, from 1080p video modifying to setting to 3D modeling. Just the most requiring users will press it restricts.

Intel’s Core Ultra processor comes loading Intel’s Arc incorporated graphics. It now offers 8 Xe cores (the equivalent of 128 execution systems) with an optimal graphics frequency of 2.25 GHz– and it carries out rather well.

The MSI Prestige 16 reached a 3DMark Time Spy rating of 3,861. That approximately doubles the efficiency of Intel’s previous integrated graphics service, and it typically beats laptop computers with AMD’s Radeon 780M.

Do not get too thrilled. Numerous AAA video games are playable, however framerates are frequently at the cusp of playability at high information settings. Shadow of the Tomb Raiderfor example, balanced 31 frames per 2nd at 1080p and the video game’s Highest’s information settings. More requiring video games, like Cyberpunk 2077are playable just at low or medium information (depending upon the resolution and upscaling choices you choose).

Still, Intel’s Arc incorporated graphics offers an appropriate 1080p video gaming experience in a wide array of older 3D video games, from Wow to Grand Theft Auto VIt can manage a strong bulk of the most popular video games on Steam. The MSI Prestige 16 isn’t a video gaming laptop computer, however it’ll carry out in a pinch.

One last note: the Prestige 16 I examined had 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. These specs are less of a consider our criteria however worth keeping in mind, as both are exceptional for the rate, and will assist the laptop computer age with grace.

MSI Prestige 16: Battery life

MSI packs a substantial 99 watt-hour battery in the MSI Prestige 16. That captured me off-guard. Laptop computers of this size typically have big batteries, however many that opt for a 99 watt-hour battery (the biggest allowed electronic devices you can continue to a plane) are thicker and much heavier than the Prestige 16.

Naturally, picking a bigger battery settles in battery life.

The Prestige 16 withstood for over twelve hours in our basic battery test, which loops a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of SteelNot a leading outcome, it’s rather strong, and normally much better than other 16-inch laptop computers we evaluated through last year. The Prestige 16’s battery life is enough to last through a work day of light to moderate usage consisting of Microsoft Office app or Google Docs.

As pointed out previously, the Prestige 16 has 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports that support Power Delivery, and MSI ships the laptop computer with a little 100-watt USB-C battery charger. Those who wish to lighten their load might choose a compact GaN battery charger.

MSI Prestige 16: Conclusion

The MSI Prestige 16 AI EVO B1MG is an outstanding choice for anybody seeking to purchase an effective 16-inch laptop computer with great battery life and a slim style. It likewise has a fantastic keyboard, great touchpad, stunning screen, and includes a lot of RAM and storage. MSI’s style is dull and does not have a particular function or grow to assist it stand apart, however it nails the fundamentals.

MSI’s rates is competitive. Definitely not low-cost at $1,650, the Prestige is a bit less costly than likewise geared up rivals like the LG Gram 16 and 17 or Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro. Regardless of that, the MSI is not at a downside when compared versus those laptop computers, that makes it a clear option for budget-conscious purchasers.

Finest Prices Today: MSI Prestige 16

Author: Matthew S. Smith