The new line of gaming and creator laptops from MSI, shown at CES 2024, support sustained AI workloads on the new Intel Core Ultra processors, built with NVIDIA RTX 40 series graphics.
The new line-up of mainstream gaming and content creation laptops from MSI, announced at CES 2024, includes a series of models designed for sustained AI workloads that can run on the new Intel Core Ultra processors. All are equipped with NVIDIA RTX 40 series graphics and 6 vents for heat dissipation, resulting in smoother content creation and immersive gameplay.
Sustained AI Workloads
Intel Core Ultra processors feature a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) optimized for AI tasks and are built on the Intel 4 process node (Intel’s 7nm processing), focussed on extreme efficiency and performance.
The IntelCore Ultra's Low Power Efficient (LPE) cores keep power usage low for routine tasks, aiming to extend battery life, and the integration of Intel ARC graphics approximately doubles the graphical performance per watt compared to earlier generations, according to Intel. The increase supports standard office applications, streaming, light content creation and gaming. Common tasks associated with content creation such resolution enhancement and image retouching can be handled faster with the AI capabilities built into ARC graphics.
As well as dedicated AI acceleration, the IntelCore Ultra processor’s Xe Media Engines feature wide codec support. Intel ARC graphics processing stands out for its hardware-accelerated encoding of the AV1 video codec, now adopted by the major online video platforms. It means the new MSI laptops are among the first PCs to support AV1 encoding, as well as VP9, H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC. Hyper Encode functionality requires less time to export projects, using the multiple media engines built onto the processor.
AI Hardware
The specialised tensor cores inside MSI laptops deliver the performance needed to apply AI to gaming, creation and everyday productivity. Their NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs are also built to support new AI developments. Running on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, the cards feature DLSS 3 (deep learning super sampling), which produces very high frame rates in demanding games by using AI to independently generate extra frames, and output photoreal environments and assets through ray tracing.
Content Creation Series
MSI’s updated content creation product line includes Creator Z17 HX Studio, the new Creator 16 AI Studio A1V, Creator M14 and Creator M16 HX. The Creator Z17 HX Studio has a vapor chamber cooler thermal design that gives it more processing power than MSI’s other content creation laptops.
The Creator 16 AI Studio A1V is a new MSI model that features a 16:10 4K display for applications that depend on accuracy. Weighing less than 2 kg, the Creator 16 can be specified with up to the IntelCore Ultra i9 processor 185H with integrated NPU for power-efficient AI acceleration and local inference, and up to the NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU.
Its display is a 16:10 4K MiniLED screen that achieves 100% DCI-P3 (Typical) coverage and a 120Hz high refresh rate. Compared to earlier Creator 16 models, the display’s peak brightness of 1,000 nits and contrast are improved, with a wider colour gamut meeting DisplayHDR 1000 specifications, deltaE<2 and UHD+ (5K) resolution.
This laptop has six P-cores, which are optimised for high-performance tasks, and eight E-cores for energy efficiency and background tasks. Comprehensive connectivity includes HDMI 2.1 up to 8K@60Hz and 4K@120Hz, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A, an SD Card Reader for cards up to UHS-III, DC-in, Thunderbolt 4 and others. Seven heat pipes are attached to both the CPU and GPU to improve the thermal capability under extreme loads.
MSI is also expanding the range of options for content creation laptops with new models, the Creator M14 and Creator M16 HX. The M14 is available with up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. The Creator M16 HX can be specified with up to Intel Core i9 14900HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, and is built with MSI’s Cooler Boost 5 for CPU and GPU.
As mentioned, this hardware gives users AI-powered DLSS 3 with full ray tracing, and the NVIDIA Max-Q suite of AI-powered tools to optimise system performance, resulting in fast, thin, quiet laptops with long battery life. Connectivity includes USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A and Gen2 Type-C/DP, and HDMI 2.1.
Business Productivity Models
MSI’s Prestige series is now updated with AI features as well, powered by the Intel Core Ultra processors. The top of the line is the Prestige 16 AI, weighing only 1.5kg. Built of magnesium-aluminum alloy, it houses a robust 99.9WHrs battery for 19hrs battery life. The Prestige 14 AI has the largest battery (90Whrs) in the 14-inch class. Both models support up to PD 3.1 140W charging.
Certified by Intel Evo and NVIDIA Studio, the Prestige 16 AI and Prestige 14 AI series combine high performance with lightweight portability by incorporating the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series Laptop GPUs for creative applications. The Prestige 13 AI Evo, at only 990g, has a 75WHrs battery. Both the Prestige 16 AI and Prestige 13 AI Evo feature 16:10 OLED displays with 100% DCI-P3 Color gamut coverage.
MSI AI Software Suite
Inside the new hardware is MSI’s new AI-driven software. The AI Engine aims to enhances user experience by automatically optimizing laptop settings such as display, audio, power profiles and keyboard backlight based on the application used, to result in more efficient content creation.
The AI Artist is a text-to-image service, used offline to avoid network latency and security risks by running on the performance of the laptops. Artists can use it to generate images directly onto their laptop with short prompts, and also generate words within images. AI Artist is compatible with oen-source models. Prompting options include text-to-image, image-to-image and image-to-text, resulting in layered PSD files for exporting to Photoshop for editing.
AI Noise Cancellation Pro, which merges microphone hardware with AI-powered noise cancellation software, delivers studio-quality voice output for remote meetings or professional recording, even in noisy environments, with customizable microphone pickup positions. au.msi.com/Laptops
