At first glance, this is the laptop that I have to put at the top of the list of the most impressive laptops of 2024 at first sight without even holding it in my hand. From the moment I saw and used it, I knew this MSI gaming laptop had won me over. Am I praising it too much just because of its stunning design? Let’s find out in the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio review below.
The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V is definitely a “tough opponent”, putting a lot of pressure on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 (Intel version). It’s hard to find weaknesses in this almost perfect professional creative laptop.
MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio Review
Design: Elegant, Refined, Sleek, Yet Sturdy
The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V features a Star Blue color tone, with the entire body made of aluminum. You could also describe it as Dark Blue or Navy Blue—both are accurate.
At 2cm thick and 2kg in weight, the laptop strikes a perfect balance between size and weight. While not as thin and light as the Zephyrus G16, its overall design and grip feel masculine and powerful, thanks to its sharper edges and more defined lines.
The A-side of most MSI laptops features only a single dragon shield logo, either red or gray-white, depending on the model. The design is simple yet sophisticated and minimalist, especially on the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio. The gray-white color of the logo combined with the Blue background color is very suitable. Right at the screen hinge cluster, a transparent mica strip with the word “STEALTH” is printed quietly, but when turned on, it will light up with a unique white LED color.
The two front corners of the chassis are each equipped with two mesh clusters located on the top and edge. These are speakers with superior quality, contributing to the unique mechanical accent. The two rear corners feature extra space between the hinge axis and the square screen, adding a sense of solidity and quality.
The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio’s display hinge feels quite good. The smooth mechanism allows easy one-handed opening, and the display remains stable on a desk without wobbling. Although the Zephyrus G16 offers superior build quality, the 16-inch Stealth still has much to offer.
The screen has an ultra-thin bezel, much slimmer than MSI’s typical gaming laptops. The 16:10 aspect ratio provides a spacious viewing experience for movies, gaming, work, and mixed entertainment. The newly designed keyboard features a 98% layout, omitting some function keys, but still offers a comfortable numeric keypad and touchpad.
The bottom is designed with thick silicone foot pads, creating height for the large radiator cluster. This design creates space between the device and the tabletop, improving air intake and exhaust. Additionally, two radiator grilles on the bottom edge and both sides enhance heat dissipation.
However, if you pay attention, the rubber pad on the bottom of the laptop is about 3-4mm thick. While this design raises the device’s bottom to improve air intake, it’s important to note that when placing the laptop in a backpack, this rubber strip can easily bump against other objects and may peel off. Therefore, you should be careful when carrying the device to avoid this situation.
I am very picky about sweat and fingerprints on the laptop’s body. Despite its matte finish, the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio still shows a noticeable amount of fingerprints. I can overlook this, though, because the laptop’s color is stunning. The deep navy blue tone effectively conceals about 80% of those marks.
Connectivity: Subpar Port Layout
I want to emphasize that this is a minor drawback, but I still find it puzzling why the charging port, Type-C port, and 3.5mm AUX jack are positioned on the right side of the device. This location interferes with mouse use, and when plugging in headphones, charging, or plugging in the Type-C Hub, it will be inconvenient and difficult to move the mouse.
Check out the ports on the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio, including 2x Type-C ports, 1 port for data transfer, and a Display Port on the left side, along with MSI’s exclusive Killer LAN port and 1 Micro SD card reader slot. The remaining Type-C port is ThunderBolt 4 standard, outputting images and charging 100W on the right side of the device.
The LAN port features exclusive Killer technology, which enhances Wi-Fi 7 network speeds and provides users with various options to optimize bandwidth for a stable connection. It is made possible by the Killer software installed on the device.
Use only GaN chargers with a capacity of 65W or higher and a Type-C cable for light office tasks. For multimedia, clip editing, or image creation, charge with a 240W adapter to ensure the GPU and CPU receive enough power for optimal performance.
2K Display with a Range of Filters
Do you believe that the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio can customize color tones, display styles, and even mimic filters found in photo editing tools? With the MSI True Color software, the 16-inch, 240Hz 2K (2560×1600) display is fully compatible with all content creation tasks.
MSI True Color offers a total of 7 customizations to meet individual needs. These filters provide standard display effects tailored for specific uses. For example, when playing games, the filters increase brightness and detail, enhancing the colors in line with the game’s graphics engine. When editing photos, you can switch to sRGB or DCI-P3. For reading articles and browsing the web, select the Anti-Blue mode, and for watching movies, choose the Movie mode, and so on.
The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio boasts impressive specifications, particularly its 240Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. As a result, I can confidently affirm that the color accuracy is exceptional. Watching movies and playing games is a fantastic experience, especially with its 2K resolution, which delivers sharp and vibrant visuals.
If I had to suggest one improvement for this display, it would be thinner bezels. This change would create a more appealing edge-to-edge look and help reduce the device’s overall size.
High-Quality Audio and Advanced Camera
With the speaker grille positioned in the two front corners of the device and two speaker strips on the keyboard surface, the sound quality of the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio is awe-inspiring. It features two treble speakers and four woofers. I was pleasantly surprised while listening to music. The volume is high, the bass is well-defined, with depth and clarity, and the singer’s voice sounds excellent.
Playing Space Marine 2 with explosions, artillery shells, and close combat, the sound effects are very impressive even with the volume set at 60%.
The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio has a 1080p resolution lens cluster with 30FPS for very easy-to-see images and is quite detailed. The webcam cover switch is also manually made to give users more control over their privacy.
Keyboard and Touchpad: SteelSeries RGB Per Key
First, let’s discuss the keyboard design. I’d rate it a 10 for its neat arrangement and full set of keys. The Copilot+PC functionality is essential, especially with the Core Ultra 7 AI CPU in this MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio review unit. The square buttons with rounded corners are closely placed, leaving no extra space, which creates a balanced and visually appealing layout.
The keyboard is a collaboration between MSI and SteelSeries. While I’m uncertain if it’s a chiclet or a standard keyboard, the typing experience is solid. The key travel is moderate, providing a premium feel and satisfying sound reminiscent of a high-end chiclet keyboard. Each key features eye-catching RGB LEDs, which create a beautiful radiance effect, and the keycaps display clear illumination.
The touchpad is also a perfect experience when using the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio. I felt like I was using the touchpad of the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Current laptop manufacturers invest heavily and focus on the keyboard and trackpad to stay competitive with Apple. The touchpad quality of this MSI laptop is excellent.
On the right, just a few centimeters away, is a small square that functions as the device’s fingerprint sensor. However, its separate placement makes it somewhat difficult to notice. Integrating the sensor into the touchpad would enhance usability.
MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio review test
You may have heard that the Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU has recently received widespread acclaim from many top reviewers as an exceptional processor for gaming. With outstanding performance, combined with RTX 4070 105W, MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio will be a machine that handles all tasks from heavy to light at lightning speed.
MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio Specifications
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7-155H, 3.8-4.8 GHz, 24MB L3 Cache
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6 105W
- Display: 16-inch QHD+ (2560×1600), 16:10, 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3, MSI True Color
- Memory: 32GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM (16GB x2)
- SSD: 2TB NVMe SSD Gen4x4
- Webcam: 1080p FHD with shutter
- Keyboard: SteelSeries per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key (99 Key)
- Speaker: Sound by Dynaudio, 2x2W Speaker, 4x2W Woofer
- Connectivity: Killer E3100G LAN, Killer WiFi 7 BE1750 WLAN, Bluetooth 5.4, Micro SD 4.0
- Battery: 4 cells (99.9Whr) Li-Polymer, 240 W Power Adaptor
- Dimension: 14″x 10.22″x 0.85″
- Weight: 4.39 lbs
Equipping Intel Core Ultra on gaming laptops and high-end graphics has been quite popular recently. The RAM capacity of these laptops, including our MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio review model, has been packed with 32GB and upgraded to 64GB. This enhancement allows users to experience improved performance without the need for upgrades.
Equipped with a 2TB NVMe SSD, it offers ample storage and fast read and write speeds. Opening applications and starting the computer are now twice as fast as before.
Benchmark Performance
The precision and performance of the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio speak for themselves. The benchmark tests below clearly illustrate this, with impressive scores in Cinebench, Geekbench 6, 3DMark, and PCMark 10. It excels in various applications, from basic tasks to advanced needs.
Cinebench R23:
Geekbench 6:
3DMark Time Spy / Time Spy Extreme:
3DMark Steel Nomad:
PCMark 10:
For better overall laptop management, there is an official MSI Center software. Here, users can monitor the operation and performance and use exclusive software tools.
A Comparison with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)
Comparing the performance of MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Intel Core Ultra 7 with 32GB RAM, we have the same results. MSI excels in performance optimization, scoring about 2,000 points higher than Asus in Cinebench R23 and nearly 1,000 points higher in Geekbench 6. During benchmark tests, temperatures reach around 100 degrees Celsius.
What advantages does the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio offer over the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Intel? The hardware impresses with its sophisticated and durable color tone. Additionally, its sturdy mechanical design provides a significant advantage when comparing these two high-end laptops. In terms of performance and temperature, while the Stealth 16 AI Studio runs a few degrees Celsius hotter, it offers superior overall performance.
2K Gaming
When it comes to gaming, I always test two fundamental esports titles: League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2. Both games run smoothly at maximum settings. While CS2 can increase the resolution to 2K, League of Legends remains at Full HD. The temperatures during gameplay are moderate, averaging around 80 degrees.
League of Legends:
Counter-Strike 2:
When I played Space Marine 2 at Ultra settings and 2K resolution, the graphics were stunning. Despite the continuous influx of enemies, the slashing and shooting actions remain smooth. GPU temperature peaks at just over 60 degrees Celsius, with a load of only 83%. The MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio has ample power for the latest AAA games, including Space Marine 2.
Space Marine 2:
Not only is it impressive, but the game’s frame rate during combat remains stable at over 40 FPS. You won’t experience any low frame rates, as there is no lag, tearing, stuttering, or overheating. The RTX 4070 and Intel Core Ultra 7 handle heavy AAA games exceptionally well.
Black Myth: Wukong requires minimal specifications to run, making it easy to play; a GTX 1060 is sufficient. Although using an RTX 4070 at 105W isn’t a significant problem, it does cause the laptop to heat up more than Space Marine 2, reaching temperatures over 80 degrees Celsius.
Black Myth: Wukong
Battery Life Is Good
Long battery life is definitely something you expect the most when you are looking for a laptop with a high configuration. MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio, although equipped with a battery capacity of up to 99 Whr, the actual usage time after fully charging and using basic and office tasks is only more than 3.5 hours.
While still better than gaming laptops with similar configurations, this point makes me hesitate, especially since Asus excels in this area.
Final line
Despite its strengths in design and performance, plus a few weaknesses such as an unoptimized battery, it must be admitted that the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio is still an outstanding machine in the high-configuration, thin, and light laptop segment.
With a price tag exceeding $2,000, several other options are available on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Newegg.com. However, the standout appeal of this one is undeniable. You’ll be impressed by its masculine design. Don’t miss the chance to experience it; you might find yourself eager to purchase it!
