MSI held a Virtual Summit last week to unveil a new line of business laptops, updates to their current productivity laptop offerings, and an update to their mobile gaming laptop.
The online event, held virtually due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, provided a quick introduction to the new lineup of devices and updates to existing product lines. The big boast in this new selection of devices is they are using some of the latest technologies to deliver up to 20% faster performance. Included among these technologies across these devices is the Intel 11th Generation CPU, PCIe Generation 4 Solid State Drives (SSDs), Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 ports for peripheral connectivity, and iRIS Xe graphics.
Typically known as a high-end gaming brand, MSI’s move into business and productivity comes at a time when much of the global work force is doing so in a work from home/remote environment. With companies making this setup more permanent following the pandemic, solid devices that deliver on productivity and reliability will be critical. MSI hopes to meet those needs with their new Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series laptops.
Summit Series
There are four devices models in this series, and they are broken into two categories:
- Premium: Summit E14 and E15
Summit E15 Specifications
Processor: 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel Core i7 U-series processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home / Windows 10 Pro for Business
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti GDDR6 4GB with Max-Q design
Display: 15.6” UHD 4K 60Hz, 100% Adobe RGB, IPS-level display with thin bezel design; 15.6” FHD Touchscreen, NTSC 72%, IPS-level display with thin bezel design (10-points multi-touch); 15.6” FHD 60Hz, NTSC 72%, IPS-level display with thin bezel design
Memory: Up to DDR4-3200, 2 Slot, Max 64GB
Storage: 1x M.2 SSD Combo (NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 / SATA), 1x M.2 SSD PCIe Gen4x4
Webcam: IR HD type (30fps@720p)
Audio: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth v5.1
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (support power delivery, DP1.4a, and USB4.0), 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 1x HDMI(4K@60Hz), 1x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS-III), 1 Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo Jack
Keyboard: Single Backlit Keyboard (White)
Security: TPM 2.0, Finger Print Reader (support Fido 2)
Software: MSI Center for Business & Productivity
Battery/Adaptor: 4-Cell , 82 Whr (support fast charging), Support Type-C PD 3.0 charging 90W(discrete), 65W(UMA)
Dimensions/Weight: 356.8mm (W) x 233.7mm(D) x 16.9 mm (H) / 1.79kg
Summit E14 Specifications
Processor: 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel Core i7 U-series processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home / Windows 10 Pro for Business
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti GDDR6 4GB with Max-Q design
Display: 14” UHD 4K 60Hz, 100% Adobe RGB, IPS-level display with thin bezel design, 14” FHD Touchscreen, NTSC 72%, IPS-level display with thin bezel design (10-points multi-touch), 14” FHD 60Hz, NTSC 72%, IPS-level display with thin bezel design
Memory: LPDDR4X-4266, onboard with Dual channel design
Storage: 1x M.2 2280 SSD (NVMe PCIe Gen4x4) (Max, up to 2TB)
Webcam: IR HD type (30fps@720p)
Audio: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth v5.1
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (support power delivery, DP1.4a, and USB4.0), 1x Type-A USB2.0, 1x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS-III), 1x Mic-In/Headphone-out Combo Jack
Keyboard: Single Backlit Keyboard (White)
Security: TPM 2.0, Finger Print Reader (support Fido 2)
Software: MSI Center for Business & Productivity
Battery/Adaptor: 3-Cell 52Whr (support fast charging), Support Type-C PD 3.0 charging 90W(discrete), 65W(UMA)
Dimensions/Weight: 319mm (W) x 219mm(D) x 15.9 mm (H) / 1.34kg
- Essential: Summit B14 and B15
Summit B15 Specifications
Processor: 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel Core i7 U-series processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home / Windows 10 Pro for Business
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Display: 15.6″ FHD, IPS-Level thin bezel, 72%NTSC, close to 100% sRGB, support True Color 15.6″ FHD, IPS-Level thin bezel, 45%NTSC
Memory: Up to DDR4-3200, 2 Slot, Max 64GB
Storage: 1x M.2 SSD Combo (NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 / SATA), 1x M.2 SSD PCIe Gen4x4
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Audio: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) + Bluetooth v5.1 / Intel Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac) + Bluetooth v5
Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 4 (support power delivery, DP1.4a, and USB4.0), 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x HDMI(4K@60), 1x Micro SD Card Reader, 1 Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo Jack, 1x DC-in
Keyboard: Single Backlit Keyboard (White)
Security: TPM 2.0, Finger Print Reader (support Fido 2)
Software: MSI Center for Business & Productivity
Battery/Adaptor: 3-Cell 52Whr (support fast charging), Support Type-C PD 3.0 charging 90W(discrete), 65W(UMA)
Dimensions/Weight: 356.8mm (W) x 233.7mm(D) x 16.9 mm (H) / 1.6kg
Summit B14 Specifications
Processor: 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel Core i7 U-series processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home / Windows 10 Pro for Business
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Display: 14″ FHD, IPS-Level thin bezel, 72%NTSC, close to 100% sRGB, support True Color, 14″ FHD, IPS-Level thin bezel, 45%NTSC
Memory: Up to DDR4-3200, 1 Slot, Max 32GB
Storage: 1x M.2 2280 SSD (NVMe PCIe Gen4x4) (Max, up to 2TB)
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Audio: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) + Bluetooth v5.1 / Intel Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac) + Bluetooth v5
Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 4 (support power delivery, DP1.4a, and USB4.0), 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x HDMI(4K@60), 1x Micro SD Card Reader, 1 Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo Jack, 1x DC-in
Keyboard: Single Backlit Keyboard (White)
Security: TPM 2.0, Finger Print Reader (support Fido 2)
Software: MSI Center for Business & Productivity
Battery/Adaptor: 3-Cell 52Whr (support fast charging), Support Type-C PD 3.0 charging 90W(discrete), 65W(UMA)
Dimensions/Weight: 319mm (W) x 215mm(D) x 16.9 mm (H) / 1.3kg
As you can see by the specs, there are some nice touches in both the Summit Premium B15 and Summit Essential E15 models compared to their smaller B14 and E14 siblings. Variations in processors, graphics, memory, webcams, and battery sizes will be the key differentiators between the two options in each category.
However, with that said, on paper both models in each category look like solid performers. Based on my recent experience with NVMe PCIe Generation 4 M.2 SSDs in my new PC build – those are fast drives. That alone will make an enormous difference in performance alone before even adding in the video capabilities, fast Wi-Fi 6, fourth generation Thunderbolt and USB ports, plus fast charging support to get your battery back up and ready to go mobile.
In addition, they support all the modern features such as TPM 2.0 for device security, touch screens, instant wake, always connected, and Windows Hello facial recognition for user identification to log in.
It will be interesting to see these devices in the real world to evaluate their overall performance and battery life.
Modern and Prestige Series
The updates to these laptops not only bear the new MSI logo on the lid but they have also expanded the color choices, focus on value yet high functionality. The Prestige 14 Evo, according to MSI is one of the first to be certified on the Intel EVO platform. These devices enjoy all the modern capabilities such as strong and fast Wi-Fi connections, instant wake, quick login, PCIe Generation 4 NVMe M.2 SSDs, and fast port connectivity with Thunderbolt and USB 4.
The specifications for these devices are in the gallery below.
Stealth 15M
Of course, since this is an MSI product launch and they are known for their gaming machines, it would only be appropriate to launch a new addition to the companies gaming lineup.
The Stealth 15M is the world’s thinnest 15-inch gaming laptop according to MSI. In addition, just like the Summit, Modern, and Prestige devices, it supports modern technologies like PCIe Generation 4 NVMe M.2 SSDs, Thunderbolt 4, an 11th Generation Intel CPU, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or GTX 1660 Ti video for serious graphics output.
Stealth 15M Specifications
Processor: 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel Core i7 U-Series Processors
Display: 15.6” FHD 144Hz IPS-level display with thin bezel design (45% NTSC) (optional)
Graphics: NVIDIA RTX2060 with Max-Q Design
Memory: DDR4-3200, 2 Slot, Max 64GB
Storage: 1 x NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD, Max 2TB
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Communication: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.1, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(802.11ax) + BT5.1
Keyboard: Single Backlit Keyboard (White color)
I/O Port: 1 x Thunderbolt 4 (support power delivery, DP1.4a and USB 4.0), 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1 x HDMI(4K@60Hz), 1x Micro SD Card Reader (support UHS-III), 1 Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo Jack
Audio: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified, Nahimic
Adapter/Battery: 120W AC adapter / Support Type-C PD 3.0 charging 3-Cell, 52 Whr (support fast charging)
Dimension/Weight: 14.09 inches(W) x 9.76 inches (D) x 0.63 inches (H)/ 3.92lbs
This configuration looks like a stealthy, no pun intended, performer and one I am looking forward to seeing in action.
MSI Summit, Modern, Prestige, and Stealth Device Gallery
Modern and Prestige Device Specifications
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