Amidst the flood of new laptops based on Intel Core Ultra chips, MSI is introducing its own series of products. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo & Prestige 13 AI Evo are notably the first Core Ultra-based laptops to debut, exclusively launching this December 2023.
Both the MSI Prestige 16 & Prestige 13 are marketed under the ‘AI Evo’ moniker, highlighting Intel’s emphasis on AI with their new Core Ultra processors. These laptops can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, the successor to the Core i9.
Expect higher power limits with the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo laptop’s 16-inch design. Regarding build quality, these laptops feature magnesium-aluminum chassis. The design is lightweight; the MSI Prestige 16 weighs 1.5kg, while the Prestige 13 weighs 990g.
For the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo (13-inch display), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 14th Gen processor is offered at the highest-end variant. The base variant will feature the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H.
The MSI’s new Prestige 13/16 laptops offer up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory. The battery size is significant, with a 99.99 WHr battery on the 16-inch model and a 75 WHr battery on the 13-inch model. MSI claims its new laptops can achieve up to 14 hours of battery life.
| 14th Gen CPU Variant | Total 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 |
Core Configuration encompasses P-Core, E-Core, and Low Power Island E-core.The new Core Ultra chips introduce several features, including Intel Arc integrated graphics, an NPU chip for AI processing, and the innovative Low Power E-Core (LP E-Core).
MSI is also integrating its suite of AI features into the laptop, such as AI noise cancellation and AI artist (image generator). MSI plans to launch its AI Engine in early 2024.
Regarding the display, two options are available: a standard 2560×1600 resolution panel and the highest-end variant featuring a 3840×2400 OLED panel.
MSI offers a dedicated Nvidia GPU option for Prestige 16 AI Studio edition laptops. The Studio edition will offer RTX 4050/RTX 4060/RTX 4070 GPU options too, part of Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series mobile lineup. Another feature of these new laptops (all Prestige variants) is support for WiFi 7 connectivity (with Bluetooth 5.4).
This is useless without a compatible WiFi 7 router, but it’s good to know WiFi 7 adoption (which offers 5Gig networking) has 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 boast an extensive port selection. The 13-inch Prestige 13 AI Evo features 2 Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports and 1 HDMI 2.1 port. The Studio and standard versions of the Prestige 16 AI offer 1 Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port alongside 1 USB Type-C 3.2 port. Additionally, the Prestige 16 includes a full-sized SD card slot, while the Prestige 13 features a microSD card slot.
MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo: Price & Availability
The new MSI Prestige 13 & 16 AI Evo laptops, equipped with Core Ultra CPUs, are set to launch this month, in December 2023. Notably, only a few Intel Core Ultra 14th Gen processors will debut late in 2023, with the majority becoming available in early 2024, and some manufacturers projecting availability as late as April/May 2024.
MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo starts at $1,049, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo starts at $1,399, with the special Studio edition available at $1,899. Intel stated that the Core Ultra 9 processor will launch later, thus the highest-end variants will not be for sale.
Share your thoughts on MSI’s latest Prestige laptops featuring the newest Intel Core Ultra processors in the comments below.
Pritam Chopra is a seasoned IT professional and a passionate blogger hailing from the dynamic realm of technology. With an insatiable curiosity for all things tech-related, Pritam has dedicated himself to exploring and unraveling the intricacies of the digital world.
