MSI Status 16 Studio Evo hands-on

Amid all the joy over generative AI, valuations, and such, shopper PC information was a little bit of an afterthought at Computex 2023. That’s why I used to be so excited to find this gem buried in the midst of MSI’s very loud and crowded present flooring sales space: the Status 16 Studio Evo. That is coming within the second half of this 12 months, with pricing nonetheless to be introduced, and I’m very eagerly ready.

First issues first: This machine has acquired Intel’s coveted “Evo” certification. The rationale that is thrilling is that, to my information, no machine with a GeForce RTX GPU has acquired the Evo certification because the program’s inception in 2020. (It’s doable there’s one on the market someplace I don’t find out about, however even when so, it’s nonetheless a really uncommon phenomenon.)

The explanations for this are considerably apparent. To earn the Evo certification, Intel requires {that a} machine supply a sure degree of battery life and efficiency inside a sure weight class, which is tough to attain with a power-hungry discrete GPU inside. However the Studio Evo can embrace as much as a GeForce RTX 4060 — and that’s a professional GPU that ought to lend a giant hand in gaming and graphic work, in contrast to among the weaker MX chips that you just usually see in these thin-and-lights, which aren’t too distinguishable from Intel’s built-in choices today. MSI’s representatives have been very clear with me on the sales space that the RTX 4060 mannequin, particularly, is Evo-rated.

Small numpad to your quantity wants.

Now, in my expertise, the Evo label isn’t at all times assure of issues like speedy efficiency and all-day battery life. However, the truth that an RTX 4060 system was performing effectively sufficient that Intel would even take into account it for this system excites me vastly.

Recommending a very stable Home windows laptop computer for content material creators proper now could be robust, and I believe there are actual openings out there this Status 16 may fill. It may be an actual ache to make use of applications like Premiere Professional and Blender on a 14-inch display, and I usually advise professionals to go greater if they’ll. However 15-inch and 16-inch gadgets with discrete GPUs inside them can get actually heavy actually quick — which can be not nice for a lot of video of us, who may have to hold their laptop computer to shoots alongside numerous different cumbersome gear. I’ve been ready — like actually, eagerly ready — for a 16-inch machine with a discrete GPU to return alongside that isn’t a complete tank. A stable battery lifespan would actually seal the deal.

The Status 16 Studio Evo is 3.3 kilos — near pound and a half lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Professional. I can let you know, having held the factor, that it is vitally gentle. LG Gram gentle. “Are you certain this isn’t an empty chassis?” gentle. It will be a dream to hold round in a packed backpack. I’m wistful simply remembering what it was like to select this up.

This was after I’d tried to smudge the lid. Not too dangerous.

That’s very true as a result of the end feels a stable step above what I’ve skilled from MSI earlier than — this firm usually places out laptops which can be lined in fingerprints like, 5 seconds after unboxing. I attempted very arduous to smudge the Status’s lid on the present flooring, and I truly couldn’t.

The Status 16 Studio Evo additionally has a 99Whr battery, which is the biggest battery you’ll be able to carry on a aircraft (and thus, the biggest you’ll possible see in a shopper laptop computer).

Have a look at these ports. Attractive!

There’s yet another nifty factor about this product, which is that it seems to be prefer it is likely to be one of many first 14th-Gen Meteor Lake laptops we’ve seen within the wild. The spec sheet within the sales space simply lists “newest Intel Core i7 processor,” and — as Notebookcheck additionally found — the processor within the present flooring unit was merely listed in System Supervisor as “Real Intel(R) 0000” and confirmed 22 threads. It definitely isn’t a Thirteenth-Gen cell i7, since there’s not a 22-thread providing in that lineup.

Now, I don’t need to get my hopes up or jinx something. However I’m questioning whether or not possibly, simply possibly, it is a good signal for the effectivity of the upcoming Meteor Lake era. In any case, a lot of right this moment’s workstation laptops have dangerous battery life and a hefty chassis for a motive: Intel’s present heavyweight processors are inefficient and sizzling.

The phrase “MacBook Professional different” is thrown round rather a lot. However this Status is shaping as much as be one of many closest contenders I’ve seen in 2023 to date. Now, let’s wait to listen to concerning the worth.

Images by Monica Chin