For many years, I've practically begged PC manufacturers to respect the fact that neither children nor playful adults are interested in their version of what a traditional "gamer" looks like. Yes, there is evidence that gaming enthusiasts want RGB lighting, but the days when Alienware's clunky pseudo-futuristic laptops were gasping for air during English class in high school are truly over. In other words, manufacturers need to wake up and realise that when the price for performance—especially in laptops—is so high, the actual packaging should also be tasteful, usable, and functional.
MSI has listened, and after using a somewhat condescending design language—if nothing else, purely aesthetically—for years, the latest MSI Stealth 16 AI+ (B3WG) represents a quantum leap forward. Of course, MSI has been on this journey for quite a few years, continuously refining their profiles, their chassis, and the usability of their laptops, but it all culminates here.
Before we get that far, however, we should perhaps just note that you get up to an Intel Core Ultra 9-386H processor, an Nvidia RTX 5070, up to 128GB of DDR5-7200 RAM, and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots, serious specs in a serious machine that, overall, is just 19.99 millimetres tall and weighs under two kilograms. This machine is big, wide, and powerful, yet fits into the same physical footprint as a MacBook Pro 16 or similar, and that is truly impressive.
To wrap up the first part of the technical tour, you get the traditional selection of ports, from RJ45 LAN to two Thunderbolt 4 ports. There are two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, HDMI 2.1, and a combined audio jack, and the battery is 90Whr with a matching 240W adapter. Thanks to Intel's far more efficient, latest Core Ultra series, we actually squeezed 12 hours of mixed use out of a single charge, which isn't bad at all, MSI. You get a 1080p webcam and a Dynaudio sound system that's a lot better than you'd expect, though it doesn't come close to the aforementioned MacBooks.
The keyboard is centred this time, as MSI has finally cut out the numpad, creating a much more symmetrical experience when using it. The perforated holes for the speakers give the sound more room to breathe, and the massive trackpad is both responsive and well-proportioned. This machine is incredibly comfortable to use, whether you're gaming or just typing.
The display is a true highlight. We're talking about a 16" QHD+ (2560x1600) 16:10 OLED display that runs at 240Hz, has VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification, and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. This means that this super-responsive display can easily be used for serious colour work, without compromising on anything at all. It's truly sublime for everything from Netflix to responsive, twitchy shooters, and finally, more immersive titles.
In various native tests, where we ran Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Forbidden West at the monitor's 2560x1600 resolution, we saw 77 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on High (with DLSS set to Quality) and 89 fps in Horizon on High as well. Conversely, titles like Counter-Strike 2 easily break the display's refresh rate with an FPS well over 240. In GeekBench 6, it surpassed 122,000 points, and 3DMark Time Spy achieved a score of 13,856. What we saw, in the big picture, aligned well with expectations for Intel's Panther Lake architecture and Nvidia's RTX 50 series. But there were minor trade-offs.
Yes, just as you might have guessed, there are thermal consequences, because even though we didn't directly experience thermal throttling, the fans kicked in pretty quickly, even when we ran actual benchmarks in games. There are small rubber standoffs on the bottom to ensure the laptop is slightly raised off the surface, but even with that, the underside got noticeably warm, and even the keyboard got a bit "toasty." Furthermore, the noise was significant, though not enough to worry about the components' health. Fortunately, this wasn't something we noticed while idle or under normal conditions, which means that with a good headset and access to a power outlet, you have a machine with surprisingly good battery life when you aren't gaming, and plenty of horsepower when you need it.
I'm very impressed with MSI's Stealth 16 AI+. It feels like the culmination of a journey for the manufacturer, and the most tasteful gaming (or "creator") laptop on the PC side I've seen in a long time.