MSI at IFA 2024: laptops, portable game console and accessories

MSI has brought a lot of new products to IFA 2024, ranging from updated laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra (2 series) processors to PC components. In addition, the manufacturer has updated the MSI Claw gaming console, which received a new platform and a larger battery. Let’s take a closer look at all these novelties.

Summit 13 AI+ Evo

A 13.3-inch laptop-transformer in Ink Black color with a thin and relatively light body. The model is only 15.9-16.2 mm thick and weighs 1.35 kg.

Summit 13 AI+ Evo features a 13.3-inch FHD+ (1920×1200 pixels) IPS touchscreen display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The screen reproduces 100% of the sRGB color space and supports the MSI Pen 2 stylus, allowing you to take notes and draw directly on the display.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with 32 GB LPDDR5x-8533 dual-channel RAM and Intel Arc 140V GPU graphics. The laptop is equipped with a fast NVMe M.2 SSD with PCIe Gen4 x4 interface and Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 and Bluetooth v5.4 wireless modules. It also has additional sensors such as a proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer. The model has a fingerprint scanner and an infrared camera for face recognition.

The port set consists of two Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5 mm headphone or microphone jack.

Summit 13 AI+ Evo’s audio system consists of two 2W speakers with DTS Audio Processing and Hi-Res Audio Ready support. The laptop also has three built-in microphones with spatial recording.

The device is equipped with a 4-cell 70 Wh lithium-polymer battery with fast charging support and is supplied with a 65 W power supply.

Prestige 13 Al+ Evo

The laptop has a thin and light body, with a thickness of 16.9 mm and a weight of 990 grams, making it one of the lightest in its class.

Prestige 13 Al+ Evo has a 13.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2.8K (2880×1800 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio and 60 Hz refresh rate. The screen reproduces 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and has a light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness depending on the environment.

In the maximum configuration, the laptop is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor. The RAM is 32 GB LPDDR5x-8533 in dual-channel mode. The built-in Intel Arc 140V accelerator is responsible for the graphics part. The laptop has Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 and Bluetooth v5.4 wireless modules.

The Prestige 13 AI+ Evo has one slot for an NVMe M.2 SSD with a PCIe Gen4 x4 interface, and the manufacturer does not specify the size of the storage, which is likely to be the standard 1 TB. But if necessary, users will be able to swap out the SSD for a larger one.

The set of ports in the model includes two Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort support and PD 3.0 charging, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, one HDMI 2.1 with support for up to 8K 60 Hz or 4K 120 Hz, a microSD card reader, and Kensington Lock for physical protection of the device.

The laptop is also equipped with advanced security and privacy features, including:

• Microsoft Pluton Security Technology;
• Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0;
• Fingerprint scanner for fast and secure authentication;
• Webcam curtain;
• Proximity sensor that automatically locks the screen as soon as the user moves away from it;
• The IR webcam supports face recognition for logging in.

The laptop’s audio system consists of two 2W speakers and supports DTS Audio Processing and Hi-Res Audio Ready.

The device is equipped with a 4-cell 75 Wh lithium-polymer battery with fast charging support and is supplied with a 65 Wh power supply.

Prestige 14 Al+ Evo

It’s another relatively compact laptop in MSI’s lineup, but it has one feature that makes it 18.95 mm thick and weighs 1.7 kg, which is more than we’re used to seeing in modern 14-inch models. The fact is that Prestige 14 Al+ Evo is equipped with a 90 Wh battery. Such batteries are usually found in 15- and 16-inch laptops.

The Prestige 14 Al+ Evo has a 14-inch display with two configurations:

• OLED panel with 2.8K resolution (2880×1800 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage;
• IPS panel with FHD+ resolution (1920 × 1200), 16:10 aspect ratio, 144 Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB color space coverage.

At the heart of the laptop is an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with 32 GB of LPDDR5x-8533 dual-channel RAM, with Intel Arc 140V GPU responsible for graphics processing. The Prestige 14 AI+ Evo is equipped with two NVMe M.2 SSD slots with PCIe Gen4 interface, which allows you to expand or replace storage as needed. The laptop has Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 and Bluetooth v5.4 wireless modules, but it also has built-in Gigabit Ethernet for wired connections.

In general, the model’s port set includes two Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, the already mentioned RJ45 Ethernet, a 3.5 mm combined audio jack, and Kensington Lock.

The Prestige 14 AI+ Evo is equipped with a 5 MP IR webcam with HDR support and 3D Noise Reduction+ technology, and it is also used to log in to the system via Windows Hello face recognition.

The laptop’s audio system consists of two 2W speakers and supports DTS Audio Processing and Hi-Res Audio Ready.

The Prestige 14 AI+ Evo is equipped with a 4-cell 90 Wh lithium-polymer battery with fast charging support. The latter requires a 100W power supply.

Prestige 16 Al+ Evo B2VM

A 16-inch model with a body thickness of 16.85-18.95 mm, but a fairly small weight for its diagonal, only 1.5 kg, which makes it convenient to carry and use on the road.

The laptop is equipped with a 16-inch display with two configurations:

• OLED panel with UHD+ resolution (3840×2400 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio and 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage;
• IPS panel with QHD+ resolution (2560×1600 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio, 400 nits brightness and 100% DCI-P3 coverage.

In the maximum configuration, the laptop is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor with 32 GB of RAM, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, two NVMe M.2 SSD slots with PCIe Gen4 interface, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 and Bluetooth v5.4 modules.

The laptop’s ports are located on the sides, where you can find two Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet for wired network connection, SD Card Reader, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Prestige 16 AI+ Evo is equipped with a 5 MP webcam with an infrared sensor for face recognition. The model’s audio system consists of two 2W speakers and supports DTS Audio Processing and Hi-Res Audio Ready.

The Prestige 16 AI+ Evo has a 4-cell lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 99.9 Wh, which is the maximum capacity allowed for air travel. It also supports fast charging from a 100W power supply via USB-C port.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ portable game console

At IFA 2024, MSI showed the new Claw 8 AI+ portable gaming console, which is a continuation of its first Claw model. Since the previous version also used an Intel processor, the manufacturer decided not to change the platform in this generation. Thus, MSI Claw 8 AI+ became the first portable gaming console based on Windows 11 equipped with an Intel Core Ultra (2 series) processor.

It’s still an 8-inch portable gaming console with a 1080p IPS screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, but based on user feedback, MSI has made a number of improvements:

• An additional USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support has been added, which expands the ability to connect peripherals;
• Improved tactile feel of LB/RB buttons for more comfortable gameplay;
• Joysticks and triggers work on the basis of the Hall sensor, which means they will not have a drift problem;
• Increased battery capacity from 50.3 to 80 Wh, providing longer playtime without recharging;
• Replaced the charger with a lighter adapter for easy traveling;
• MSI claims that the new processor not only improves performance, but also improves energy efficiency, so you can play without access to an outlet for much longer.

After the official release of Claw 8 AI+, users will also receive a free one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass, which will allow them to play popular AAA games right away. However, there is no information on the price of the model or its release date.

Components

At IFA 2024, MSI also showed off MSI X870 motherboards with support for Ryzen 9000 processors.

Featuring updated screwless M.2 Shield Frozr, EZ M.2 Clip II, EZ PCIe Release, and EZ Antenna mounts, these EZ DIY motherboards allow for tool-free component installation.

The MAG CORELIQIOD I series is the first MSI liquid cooler to utilize the UNI Bracket, which simplifies the installation process. The pre-installed fans on the heatsink and cable cover also provide a clean and tidy look inside the PC case and make it easier to clean from dust.

The MEG Ai1600T power supply complies with ATX 3.1, PCIe 5.1 standards, has a rated power of 1600W and is equipped with two 16-pin connectors (12V-2×6). The power supply uses high-quality materials such as SiC MOSFETs for high-voltage systems. Additionally, it is 80 Plus Titanium certified and features a bridgeless configuration for higher efficiency.

The MPG VELOX 300R AIRFLOW PZ case, which is equipped with two Twin Gale 2 160 mm fans on the front panel. According to the manufacturer, they “optimize” airflow and lengthen it compared to standard designs. The chassis also supports two 360mm AIO liquid coolers on the front and top panels, ATX motherboards with rear slots, and graphics cards up to 390mm long. It has a multifunctional bracket: it supports the installation of a 120mm fan, SSD, or a pump-reservoir kit.