- MSI Prestige 16 and Prestige 13 AI Evo laptops are launching this month, i.e., December 2023.
- Highlights include the Intel Core Ultra CPUs built on the latest Meteor Lake architecture and several AI-focused features.
- The pricing starts from $1,049 for the 13-inch model and $1,399 for the 16-inch one. A Studio model is also available with up to RTX 4070.
Amidst the flood of new laptops based on Intel Core Ultra chips, MSI too, is introducing its own series of new products. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo & Prestige 13 AI Evo are notably the first Core Ultra-based laptops to launch. Moreover, it seems like it is only MSI’s laptops that will launch this month itself, in December 2023.
MSI Prestige 16 & Prestige 13 are both marketed with the ‘AI Evo‘ moniker. This is because AI is a major focus for Intel’s new Core Ultra processors. The laptops can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. This is the Core i9 successor from Intel.
We could expect higher power limits, given the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo laptop’s 16-inch design. Speaking of build quality, these come with a magnesium-aluminum chassis. The design is quite lightweight as the MSI Prestige 16 weighs just 1.5kg, while the Prestige 13 weighs 990g.
On the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo (with 13-inch display), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 14th Gen processor is offered at the highest-end variant. The base variant of the 13-inch laptop will come with Intel Core Ultra 5 125H.
The MSI’s new Prestige 13/16 laptops have up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory. The battery size is huge here, with a 99.99 WHr battery on the 16-inch model and a 75 WHr battery on the 13-inch model. MSI has claimed its new laptop can have up to 14 hours of battery life.
| 14th Gen CPU Variant | Total No. Of Cores (C) / Threads (T) | Core Configuration (P/E/LP-E) | Intel Smart Cache (LLC) | Max P-Core Turbo Frequency | Max E-Core Turbo Frequency | Integrated GPU, Xe Cores, GPU Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | 16C/22T | 6+8+2 | 24M | 5.10 GHz | 3.80 GHz | Arc Graphics, 8 Xe Cores, 2.35 GHz |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | 16C/22T | 6+8+2 | 24M | 4.80 GHz | 3.80 GHz | Arc Graphics, 8 Xe Cores, 2.25 GHz |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | 14C/18T | 6+8+2 | 18M | 4.50 GHz | 3.60 GHz | Arc Graphics, 7 Xe Cores, 2.2 GHz |
The new Core Ultra chips bring forward several new features. These include the Intel Arc integrated graphics, an NPU chip for AI processing, and a new core type known as Low Power E-Core (LP E-Core).
MSI is also putting its own suite of AI features on the laptop. These include AI noise cancellation, AI artist (image generator), and more. MSI notes that its own AI Engine will launch later, in early 2024.
Speaking of the display, two different options are available here. One is a 2560×1600 resolution panel, as the standard display. The highest-end variants will have a 3840×2400 OLED panel.
MSI also offers a dedicated Nvidia GPU as an option for Prestige 16 AI Studio edition laptops. The Studio edition will offer RTX 4050/RTX 4060/RTX 4070 GPU options too. These are part of Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series mobile lineup. Another notable feature of these new laptops (all Prestige variants) is the support for WiFi 7 connectivity (with Bluetooth 5.4).
This is technically useless without a compatible WiFi 7 router. Still, it is good to know the adoption of WiFi 7 (which offers 5Gig networking) has already begun! For storage, MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo & the special Studio edition both come with up to a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The smaller 13-inch Prestige 13 AI Evo will be available in up to 1TB capacity.
MSI’s new laptops have a featureful port selection too. The 13-inch Prestige 13 AI Evo features 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports and a 1x HDMI 2.1 port. However, the Studio variant and normal variants of the Prestige 16 AI come with 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C paired with a normal 1x USB Type-C 3.2 port. The Prestige 16 has a full-sized SD card slot, while the Prestige 13 has a microSD card slot.
MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo: Price & Availability
These new MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo laptops with Core Ultra CPUs are launching this month, i.e., December 2023. Notably, very few Intel Core Ultra 14th Gen processors are launching in late 2023. Most of them will be available in early 2024, with some manufacturers quoting April/May 2024 as well.
In terms of prices, MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo starts at $1,049. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo starts at $1,399, with the special Studio edition MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo available at $1,899. Intel said that the Core Ultra 9 processor will launch later, so the highest-end Core Ultra 9 variants will not be for sale.
What are your thoughts on MSI’s latest Prestige laptops with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors? Let us know in the comments below.
