If you are looking for power and portability the MSI Stealth 16 Studio 16-inch gaming laptop is a great option. The hardware has been designed with gamers in mind, incorporating plenty of features into a very thin form factor. Many gaming laptops tend to be quite bulky with RGB components flickering everywhere. MSI has struck a great balance between subtle design and exceptional performance with the Stealth 16 Studio. It’s only 1.99KG which translates to 4.39 lbs., making it one of the lightest laptops in its class. The Stealth 16 is not only a powerhouse for gamers, but also a versatile machine for content creators and professionals. With a great display, excellent performance and plenty of gaming-centric features this laptop is ideal if you need power on the go. In this review, I’ll delve into the key features, performance, and my overall experience using the laptop.
Unboxing and setting up the MSI Stealth 16 Studio
The unboxing process is quick and simple, with everything you need in the box to get set up. In the package, you’ll find the laptop, power unit plus its cord, and a user manual. The laptop looks sharp straight out of the box with its Star Blue magnesium alloy finish. This model comes in grey and navy blue treatments. The build quality feels solid despite the thin form factor and is quite light.
The charging brick is large, adding around 1.5 pounds to the overall “on-the-go” package. The longest part of the setup was getting Windows 11 updated then I was off to the races.
Wide range of connectivity options on the Stealth 16 Studio
The Stealth 16 has a wide selection of modern input ports on both sides of the device. On the left side, you’ll find a 2.5-gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1 port, a MicroSD card slot and a USB type-C. On the opposite side, you’ll find a power connection port, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C input and 3.5mm audio jack.
Fully featured SteelSeries keyboard
Right from the unboxing and setup, I really liked the overall design and feel of the Stealth 16 hardware. It has a backlit keyboard with multi-colour zones and the touchpad is smooth. The keyboard is recessed a little flatter due to the slim design of the laptop but still feels great. Whether typing or gaming it was responsive and tactile enough that I wasn’t getting keystrokes not registering—even playing FPS games. SteelSeries teamed up with MSI for the keyboard design and it features “per-key RGB ambient lighting.” This lets you customize your experience from colourways to animation patterns. I like the inclusion of a shrunk-down “numpad”. It’s great for gaming and productivity. It’s also been sized in such a way that the central QWERTY keyboard keys remain large enough to type comfortably.
MSI Stealth 16 touchpad and fingerprint scanner
The Stealth 16 Studio has an extra large trackpad that has smart positioning for productivity and gaming. The glass touchpad offers a smooth and responsive-to-touch experience that was great for internet browsing, email and other multitasking. It is aligned to the centre of the keyboard, making it easier and more comfortable to use than offset trackpads. It also supports Windows multi-finger gesture controls so you can pinch to zoom and navigate. Along with this, it has a fingerprint scanner to the right of the touchpad for convenient and secure login.
Videoconference with the Stealth’s IR FHD camera
I’ve reviewed many webcams and laptop cameras, and I am happy to share the Stealth 16’s camera performs great. The built-in camera is capable of 1080p resolution at 30 fps and overall looks quite sharp. It also has an infrared camera for use with Windows Hello facial recognition system. It was effortless to log on and wake the laptop from sleep with just a glance. The Stealth 16 also has a physical webcam shutter for privacy, which is a great touch if you wanted the added extra layer of security.
Speaker system capability
The Stealth 16 Studio model features 6 speakers (2 woofers and 4 tweeters) that output great audio from a thin chassis. There are two upward facing near the laptop’s palm rests, two on the outside edges and the rest are across the bottom. The sound quality is quite good, especially considering the form factor, but I did find the sound “tinny” at times. In my testing, the audio highs were also quite sharp, and in comparison to the audio on my Macbook Pro the Stealth 16 leaves something to be desired. It still offers an audio experience that is good enough for most users on the go for most gaming and entertainment applications.
Display performance
The Stealth Studio sports a 16-inch FHD+, IPS-level display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. When it comes to higher-end games’ refresh rate and resolution, the monitor performance is quite good. Unfortunately, the colour gamut is a little washed out. The Stealth 16 is marketed as a device for creative professionals, but it falls short in the colour accuracy department. The FHD+ (1920 x 1200) monitor has a 240 Hz refresh rate which is great for gaming. When compared to other pro series laptops the colours aren’t as punchy as I would like to see. That being said, it does offer a good contrast ratio and excellent performance in games, especially in first-person shooters the action remains smooth.
MSI Stealth 16 hardware specifications
The Stealth 16 Studio offers excellent performance in an ultra-slim form factor. At the centre of the hardware’s architecture is a 2.4GHz 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H processor and 32GB DDR5 memory. In terms of storage, the Stealth has a 1TB solid state drive offering plenty of space for games and more. The Studio 16 also packs 8GB dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card that can handle many of the AAA games at medium to high settings. If you’re looking for more seamless online gaming and HD streaming connections, the laptop features a hardwire GB LAN Ethernet input. If you opt for a wireless connection the Stealth has Intel’s Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i, ensuring an ulta high-speed internet connection. The hardware also has Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity for greater compatiblility with devices like mice, keyboards, headsets, and controllers.
Stealth 16 gaming performance
The Stealth 16 Studio really shines when it comes to gaming and media production. I tested the laptop with a few games like Fornite and Halo Infinite. It handled those titles requirments easily at 1080p resolution with high to ultra settings, playing smoothly without any stutter or major frame drops. The Stealth can handle a variety of AAA games at medium to high settings. The 240Hz refresh rate helps to keep gameplay smooth, particularly in titles like first-person shooters.
When playing games like Fortnite and Halo, I was able to get 4 hours out of the battery before needing to charge. While the colour accuracy may not be the best for creative professionals, like photographers, the display’s contrast ratio and performance in games is commendable. The Stealth 16 Studio provides an enjoyable gaming experience without compromising on portability, making it an ideal choice for gamers who need power on the go.
Final thoughts on the MSI Stealth 16 Studio
Overall, the MSI Stealth 16 Studio gaming laptop is a great option for those seeking a powerful and portable gaming machine. It has sleek design, impressive hardware specifications, and gaming-centric features make it a top contender in its class. Despite some minor drawbacks in the audio and display departments, the Stealth 16 offers a great gaming and creative workflow experience. If you’re looking for a laptop that balances power, portability, and performance, the MSI Stealth 16 Studio is a great piece of hardware that balances all of these features.
The MSI Stealth 16 Studio 16-inch Gaming Laptop is available now on bestbuy.ca along with a wide assortment of other gaming laptops.
Table of Contents
- Unboxing and setting up the MSI Stealth 16 Studio
- Wide range of connectivity options on the Stealth 16 Studio
- Fully featured SteelSeries keyboard
- MSI Stealth 16 touchpad and fingerprint scanner
- Videoconference with the Stealth’s IR FHD camera
- Speaker system capability
- Display performance
- MSI Stealth 16 hardware specifications
- Stealth 16 gaming performance
- Final thoughts on the MSI Stealth 16 Studio
The big game changer for me in this laptop would be how lightweight it is. Portable enough so that I can take it anywhere.
The big game changer for me in this laptop would be how lightweight it is. Portable enough so that I can take it anywhere.
The big game changer for me in this laptop would be how lightweight it is. Portable enough so that I can take it anywhere.
The feature mentioned in this article that would make the biggest difference in my life if I win this prize is the 1TB SSD so I can store a large number of games on the laptop.
“per-key RGB ambient lighting.” I just love small details like this that separate this laptop from everyone else.
Fully featured SteelSeries keyboard; no matter what anyone says, a proper keyboard helps a lot whether your gaming or writing a novel.
Being able to handle the latest PC game requirements easily at 1080p resolution with high to ultra settings, playing smoothly without any stutter or major frame drops would make the biggest difference in my gaming life. If I was lucky enough to win this. Thanks for the chance!
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics and the 240 Hz refresh rate will help smooth video display.
For me it would be the 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card the framerate on my old laptop is an issue with many of the newer games. Going to have to get a laptop like this to play Starfield. Plus the 6 speakers would allow me to ditch my old headset.
Those hardware specs are incredible, and compared to my current laptop it would make a huge difference in reducing loading times on all kinds of software as well as allow me to run programs and games that I can not currently. That would make the biggest difference.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics so I can enjoy all these new games coming out
The performance as I have not upgraded my Laptop since 2015. Gaming on a newer system would be a big change.
The biggest difference for me would be the huge memory and the speed of the laptop. I can’t play too many modern games on the one I have.
That screen would be so so very nice. Also having that much ram would be such a huge upgrade for me
The Stealth Studio sports a 16-inch FHD+, IPS-level display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. Will make a world of a difference for me when playing my fav games! I will see every detail!
The 240hz screen would give the ultimate in smooth gaming performance.
The feature that would would make the biggest difference in my life has to be the incredible performance is such a lightweight and compact package. Would make portable gaming an absolute breeze.
The feature that I most like is that the 240Hz refresh rate! This makes the system feel smoother, more responsive and guarantees smooth gameplay.
what would make a difference would be the Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity for greater compatibility with devices like mice, keyboards, headsets, and controllers., Nothing worse than trying to get everything hooked up to a new unit..
The large SSD drive – my current laptop spends days trying to defrag (Yes – one of those type of hard drives) before failing. Double the size to boot.
I personally would love the graphics card upgrade from my current MSI model. It would improve the visual quality quite a bit.
Having a RTX 4060 and 240Hz display on laptop that thin and light is pretty magical
The biggest difference for me would be the Stealth’s IR FHD camera since my current laptop doesn’t have a camera! So difficult to do video conference on the phone all the time!
Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity for greater compatiblility with devices like mice, keyboards, headsets, and controllers., Nothing worse than trying to get everything hooked up to a new unit..
The exceptional performance, light weight and 16″ screen makes it an amazing laptop for to use at home or on to go.
The 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD… I am a photography teacher, this much space would allow me to use the same device for editing and playing!
The big game changer for me in this laptop would be how lightweight it is. Portable enough so that I can take it anywhere.
The light weight of 1.99 kgs, would make a big difference for me.
The difference is that this is a big upgrade to my current hardware and will allow me to play newer games with my friends
I love to game, but I’m also a photographer and the software that I use tis resource heavy. The chip set on the MSI Stealth 16 is amazing. The 2.4 GHz 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB of DDR5 RAM would run any game I want as well as all the editing software. Right now, I have storage issues on my laptop and the 1GB SSD would be a huge upgrade.
I like that the battery lasts a long time when playing
The feature that I would truly enjoy if I won this MSI Stealth Studio gaming laptop would be the 240Hz refresh rate that would give me the ultimate smooth gaming experience.
Killer Wi-Fi is the best feature for me, allow me to play work and access anywhere, or almost anywhere…
The MSI Gaming Laptop would be soooo beneficial to my entire household… we’d have access to our television!!! The fingerprint scanner for secure login, the graphics, speakers, storage.. ALL make this a premium gamers laptop. Would love to win this for my son.. he’s wanted one for so long.
I like how lightweight it is; I carry enough stuff around with me. My chiropractor would appreciate if things were lighter for sure!
My current laptop is built as a business system – all of the features would be a major upgrade.
The feature that would make the biggest difference if I won the prize is the full HD screen with 240hz refresh rate which would improve my gaming.
I love that this laptop has full keyboard with a numpad, so rare on portable devices nowadays, making it just that much more functional. Truly a beast of a computer, perfect for work and play.
The wide selection of modern input ports on both sides of the device so I can attach my additional screens, charge my Apple watch and my phone. It would be very convient.
I like that the keyboard would let me comfortably type as well as a numpad. I want to be able to use a laptop for games as well as work.
The biggest game changer from the MSI is certainly the RTX 4060 in its thin form factor. Splendid performance for any task like gaming on maximum settings, video editing, and art projects for on the go.
To be honest it has to be the fingerprint scanner for secure login. I cannot tell you how often my son invades my games and continues on or other members of my household sneak use it and I lose valuable docs etc that i have been working on. It has so many wonderful gaming features for sure but security is number one in this house lol
I like the backlit keyboard so I can use it at night
I would enjoy the backlit keyboard so I could play at night.
glass touchpad will work better with sweaty fingers
Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity for greater compatiblility with devices like mice, keyboards, headsets, and controllers., Nothing worse than trying to get everything hooked up to a new unit..
The SteelSeries keyboard for working would be excellent!
Compared to my lenovo t500 (yeah, 2008) this computer packs a whole bunch of features that really speak to me.
The sharp display wouild enable me ot continue my graphics arts studies, the keyboard to help moderate my discord server, and the camera to make telecommuting to work possible.
I mean, I really got this computer to work as fast as it can, and…
Literally a new Pi4 is just as powerful.
This Beast of a laptop up there though? No cap, would do something weird for it.
The speaker system would be a big game changer for me in a laptop. I like laptops that have good sound so that I don’t feel that I need to plug in external speakers to game or watch a video. I don’t mind that it may be ‘tinny’ at times, I just like that the speakers are somewhat facing me so that I don’t have to crank the volume high to hear and end up bothering people around me.
I appreciiate the great specs while still being lightweight/portable, making it easy to take with me on the go.
The biggest difference for me is the 1TB SSD and 32GB DDR5 memory which gives me enough space to store all my games and run them without fear of slowing down.
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