MSI Prestige 16 (2023)

First Impressions

The MSI Prestige 16 (2023) is a laptop designed for content creators, promising both a high-end graphics performance and long battery life to challenge the MacBook Pro. And by seemingly packing Intel’s next-gen processor, it may very well meet those expectations. 

Introduction

I’ve seen countless laptops labelled as the next ‘MacBook Pro’ killer, but few – if any – have ever managed to mount a serious challenge. 

Apple’s balance of high performance and long battery life is unmatched, with existing AMD and Intel processors unable to reach the same level of efficiency as the Apple Silicon chips. 

But MSI is confident this is going to change with the launch of its Prestige 16 (2023) laptop, which has a claimed battery life target of 24 hours – that’s frankly unheard of for a laptop with a high-powered GPU such as the RTX 4060, which can handle high-end content creation. 

MSI says this is possible thanks to a new mystery processor. It’s confirmed as an Intel Core i7 chip, but MSI has told me that it’s not from the current 13th generation. With a release date scheduled for September 2023, all signs point to this laptop being powered by the next-gen 14th Intel Core processor, although that’s not confirmed. 

After spending some time with the MSI Prestige 16 (2023) laptop at the Computex 2023 exhibition, here are my first impressions of the potential next-gen laptop. 

Design

• Weighs just 1.5kg, making it lighter than MacBook Pro
• A huge selection of ports
• Not the most eye-catching laptop designs

When checking out the MSI Prestige 16 (2023) on the Computex 2023 show floor, I couldn’t help but think there was a mismatch between the design and specs – surely someone had got the laptops mixed up?

But remarkably, this slimline 16-inch laptop truly does pack an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU. Usually, the addition of such a powerful graphics chip will result in a beefy frame and cumbersome weight, but that’s not the case here. 

Thanks to the magnesium-alloy chassis, this laptop weighs up to just 1.5kg. That’s over 600g lighter than the base 16-inch MacBook Pro, making it a far more portable option. It’s not quite as thin as Apple’s laptop though, with a depth of 18.99mm, but it still appears slender enough to easily slot into a rucksack. 

MSI has thankfully still managed to fit in a slew of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet and a headphone jack – it’s an impressive array. 

It’s not the most eye-catching design, however. The white-rimmed keys juxtapose the dark metallic chassis nicely, while the screen’s bezel is just about slim enough to keep up with modern trends, but it’s otherwise unremarkable in terms of styling. That said, I can appreciate that many people will want to avoid a flashy laptop for the office. 

Screen 

• 16-inch panel with a Quad HD resolution 
• 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures accurate colours 
• Misses out on an OLED or Mini LED panel

The MSI Prestige 16 (2023) features a 16-inch screen with a Quad HD (2560×1600) resolution. While I didn’t have enough time with the laptop to properly evaluate the display, it still proved suitably bright and colourful enough for a pleasant viewing experience. 

Colour accuracy will be the key element for a creative-minded laptop, and MSI claims a 100% DCI-P3 coverage, which should prove accurate enough for professional content creators. We’ll need to test that for ourselves when we get a review sample.

Disappointingly, it looks like MSI has opted for an LCD panel instead of an OLED or Mini LED. That means it’s going to be lacking in terms of contrast compared to the high-end competition, including the MacBook Pro. As a result, the screen’s picture quality won’t be quite as striking as the very best laptops available. 

MSI has fitted the laptop with Tobii technology, which can detect your presence in order to power down the display whenever you move away from the laptop. It’s difficult to test out this feature on a busy Computex show floor, yet it’s still a feature I appreciate to save on battery life and ensure privacy. 

Performance and battery life

• Potentially sporting next-gen Intel chip
• Target 24-hour battery life
• Intel Evo and Nvidia Studio credentials 

MSI claims the Prestige 16 (2023) is the very first laptop to receive both Intel Evo and Nvidia Studio accreditation, and that accomplishment is even more impressive than you’d first think. 

Firstly, Intel Evo accreditation means the laptop meets numerous requirements, including all-day battery and a lightweight design. It’s been difficult for any laptop focused on content creation to meet those requirements, and yet the MSI Prestige 16 bucks the trend by achieving official accreditation from Intel. 

There’s no doubts in regards to its graphics credentials either, packing an RTX 4060 GPU which is easily powerful enough for graphics-intensive workloads. The Nvidia Studio accreditation not only means it comes with optimised Studio drivers out of the box, but also that Nvidia has approved this laptop as a laptop capable of demanding creative work. 

So how has this Windows laptop managed a feat that no portable has managed before it, providing both top class stamina and graphics performance? MSI explained that’s all thanks to the impressive efficiency of the mystery Intel chip that’s powering the device. 

MSI told me the laptop uses an Intel Core i7 processor, but it’s not of this generation. MSI wouldn’t comment further on this topic, but with a target release of September 2023, it seems highly likely to me that this laptop wields a next-gen processor, possibly from the upcoming 14th Generation (Meteor Lake). 

If so, this is a very promising debut from the chip. MSI claims the Prestige 16 (2023) has a target 24-hour battery life thanks to the combination of processor’s excellent efficiency and the 99Whr cell inside. That’s remarkable stamina for a laptop with a power-zapping RTX 4060 GPU installed. What’s more, the laptop supports speedy 140W charging. 

We’ll need to test out these battery claims when we finally get our hands on this laptop later in the year. I’m also intrigued to see how the performance holds up, as there’s no word from MSI or Intel on what kind of gains we can expect from the next generation of processors. 

Otherwise, MSI has been secretive regarding additional specs. The Prestige 16 (2023) supports LPDDR5, but in what quantity is unknown. There’s no mention of the SSD capacity either, but that’s not a big surprise given how far away the laptop is from release. 

Early Verdict

The MSI Prestige 16 (2023) is one of the most impressive laptops at Computex 2023, mostly because of that outstanding 24-hour battery life claim despite focusing on high-end creativity. No laptop with an RTX 4060 GPU can currently last that long on a single charge, so this would be a huge innovative leap. 

And with MSI implying this laptop could well be using a never-before-seen Intel Core processor, this could well be an exciting first glimpse of the next generation of Windows laptops. Is that enough for MSI to finally topple the MacBook Pro? I’m sceptical, but it’s possibly the best Windows laptop challenger yet. 

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