Amidst the influx of new laptops adopting Intel Core Ultra chips, MSI joins the trend by introducing its new series of products. Notably, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo & Prestige 13 AI Evo stand out as the initial laptops based on Core Ultra chips to hit the market. Interestingly, it appears that MSI’s laptops will be the sole launches scheduled for this month, arriving in December 2023.
Both the MSI Prestige 16 and Prestige 13 bear the ‘AI Evo‘ label, emphasizing Intel’s substantial focus on AI within the new Core Ultra processors. These laptops offer configurations featuring up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, representing Intel’s successor to the Core i9.
Given the 16-inch size of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo laptop, higher power limits could be expected. As for build quality, both models feature a magnesium-aluminum chassis. The design emphasizes lightweight construction, with the MSI Prestige 16 weighing just 1.5kg, while the Prestige 13 comes in at 990g.
In the case of the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo with a 13-inch display, the highest-end variant offers the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 14th Gen processor. Meanwhile, the base variant of the 13-inch laptop will feature the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H.
MSI’s latest Prestige 13/16 laptops boast an impressive capacity of up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory. Notably, the battery sizes are substantial, with the 16-inch model housing a 99.99 WHr battery and the 13-inch model equipped with a 75 WHr battery. MSI has stated that these new laptops can deliver up to 14 hours of battery life.
The introduction of the new Core Ultra chips brings forth a range of innovative features. These include the integration of Intel Arc graphics, an NPU chip dedicated to AI processing, and the incorporation of a new core type named Low Power E-Core (LP E-Core).
MSI has incorporated its own set of AI features into the laptop, including AI noise cancellation, an AI artist for image generation, and more. MSI has indicated that its dedicated AI Engine will be introduced later, anticipated for an early 2024 launch.
Regarding the display options, there are two variants offered. The standard display features a 2560×1600 resolution panel. Meanwhile, the highest-end models boast a 3840×2400 OLED panel, providing enhanced visual quality.
MSI offers a dedicated Nvidia GPU option for the Prestige 16 AI Studio edition laptops, providing choices like RTX 4050/4060/4070 from Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series mobile lineup. All Prestige variants feature support for WiFi 7 connectivity (accompanied by Bluetooth 5.4), although its utility is contingent on compatible WiFi 7 routers, nevertheless, signaling the early adoption of WiFi 7 with its 5Gig networking capabilities.
In terms of storage, both the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and the special Studio edition are equipped with up to a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, while the smaller Prestige 13 AI Evo reaches up to a 1TB capacity.
For port selection, the 13-inch Prestige 13 AI Evo boasts 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports and 1x HDMI 2.1 port. On the other hand, the Studio variant and standard variants of the Prestige 16 AI feature 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C combined with a standard 1x USB Type-C 3.2 port. Additionally, the Prestige 16 hosts a full-sized SD card slot, while the Prestige 13 opts for a microSD card slot.
MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo: Pricing & Availability
Launching in December 2023, the new MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo laptops featuring Core Ultra CPUs arrive during a period with limited availability of Intel Core Ultra 14th Gen processors. The majority of these processors are slated for an early 2024 release, with some manufacturers projecting availability as late as April or May 2024.
Regarding pricing, the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo initiates at $1,049, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo starts at $1,399. Additionally, the specialized Studio edition of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is priced at $1,899. Notably, the highest-end Core Ultra 9 variants won’t be immediately available due to Intel’s delayed launch of the Core Ultra 9 processor.
What are your impressions of MSI’s latest Prestige laptops equipped with the newest Intel Core Ultra processors? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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