At CES 2024, MSI unveiled an impressive lineup of new and redesigned laptops that clearly reflect the feedback and evolving demands from users and reviewers alike. Their refreshed Stealth and Prestige series laptops feature cutting-edge Intel Core Ultra processors, advanced cooling solutions, and thoughtfully enhanced designs that target both gamers and content creators. Let’s explore the highlights that position these laptops as some of the most exciting releases for 2024.
Prestige Series: Streamlined Power for Creators and Professionals
MSI’s revamped Prestige lineup caters to creators and mobile professionals prioritizing portability, power efficiency, and premium displays. The series includes 13-, 14-, and 16-inch models with brand-new chassis and Intel’s latest Panther Lake CPUs. Notably, the laptops are impressively slim, averaging around 14mm thickness and tapering down to 12mm at the front for ergonomic comfort, ensuring the edges don’t dig into wrists.
The Prestige 14 and Prestige 16 adopt a dual form factor approach, with both traditional clamshells and versatile 2-in-1 “Flip” models. These machines emphasize portability—with the 14-inch weighing less than 3 pounds, around 20% lighter than last year’s versions.
A significant upgrade is the inclusion of a vapor chamber cooling system paired with quieter fans, a direct response from MSI to previous critiques about heat and noise issues. Combined with Intel’s power-efficient Panther Lake chips, users can expect balanced performance and better battery life. Speaking of battery, an 81Wh cell promises all-day productivity, augmented by panels engineered for efficient power consumption, like the 14-inch’s Full HD OLED display that combines rich colors with energy savings.
Display quality is paramount in the Prestige series, with 16-inch models boasting vibrant 2.8K OLED panels supporting 100% P3 color gamut and variable refresh rates up to 120Hz, perfect for color-critical creative work. Additionally, MSI integrated thoughtful input improvements, such as larger mechanical touchpads with gesture customization for fluid navigation and control.
The new MSI Nano Pen for Flip models innovates pen storage and charging — it nests safely in a groove at the laptop’s base and quickly charges via pogo pins, offering up to 45 minutes of use with just 13 seconds of charging. This clever design marks a practical step forward in 2-in-1 usability.
Stealth Series: Thinner, Cooler, and More Powerful Gaming Laptops
The new Stealth line exemplifies MSI’s commitment to refining gaming laptops that don’t compromise on performance or portability. The Stealth 16 models have shed weight and bulk to weigh under 2 kilograms, adopting a sleeker magnesium-aluminum chassis shared with their premium larger sibling, the Stealth 18 AI Studio.
MSI increased GPU wattage significantly, with higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 5070 Ti now running at 125 watts (up from 105 watts), enabling better gaming performance. The advanced vapor chamber cooling system efficiently dissipates heat through exhaust vents strategically placed away from the user’s hands, enhancing comfort during extended play sessions.
The Stealth’s 2560×1600 OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate promises sharp visuals, high contrast, and smooth gameplay. Other refinements include a larger trackpad, removal of the cramped number pad, and connectivity enhancements such as Wi-Fi 7 and an ethernet port thoughtfully repositioned to the left side near the rear power connector — all reflecting direct user feedback MSI took seriously.
Raider and Crosshair: Pushing Power and Customization Boundaries
Beyond the Stealth and Prestige, MSI’s Raider 16 Max Ajax and Crosshair 16 Max bring muscle with improved power delivery and cooler designs. The Raider can now support up to 300 watts total power (a hefty jump from 240 watts), driving top-end graphics cards like the RTX 5080 or 5090 at their full potential. A novel phase-change thermal compound replaces liquid metal, enhancing durability and addressing leakage concerns.
Both models offer easy user upgrades thanks to rear access panels for SSDs and memory, making maintenance hassle-free. Displays scale up to 240Hz OLED or IPS variants depending on user preference, with customizable aesthetics like per-key RGB lighting and light bars on the Raider adding a flair of personalization.
Conclusion: MSI’s Listen-and-Deliver Approach Sets a New Standard
With their 2024 lineup unveiled at CES, MSI demonstrates they are paying close attention to user and reviewer feedback. The combination of Intel’s next-gen Core Ultra processors, advanced thermal management, practical design tweaks, and AI-ready capabilities in both the Stealth and Prestige families mark a significant leap forward.
Whether you need a powerful, efficient laptop for professional creative work or a slim, high-performance gaming machine, MSI’s latest laptops deliver a compelling balance of portability, performance, and user-centric features. If MSI maintains their promise of addressing past shortcomings — especially regarding heat and noise — these new notebooks could become some of the most sought-after models in 2024.
