Designed for the various trendy content material creators who typically journey whereas working, MSI’s Stealth 14 Studio (begins at $1,699.99; $1,899.99 as examined) packs sufficient energy to allow your finest work. Our take a look at mannequin featured an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop computer graphics chip, an Intel Core i7-13700H processor, and a 2,560-by-1,600 IPS show. A {hardware} loadout like this comes down on the pricier facet, however, should you soar between desks and tray tables as typically as you modify your garments, shortlist it for a compact media-wrangling laptop computer. A number of too many drawbacks, although, preserve it from our Editors’ Selection award for high-end content material creation laptops.
Suited Up for a Studio Viewers
MSI’s “Stealth” moniker could be a bit deceptive, given Razer’s parallel Blade Stealth laptop computer advertising and marketing, however that is most positively an MSI machine. We obtained the higher-end $1,899.99 mannequin in an white-on-black body, however MSI sells a barely much less highly effective $1,699.99 mannequin in a colour it calls Star Blue.
Each fashions have the MSI dragon protect emblazoned on their high covers.
The upper-end mannequin has that Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop computer GPU, supplemented by a 1TB NVMe solid-state drive. All fashions embrace 16GB of DDR5 RAM (by way of two 8GB sticks) and have Wi-Fi 6E for high-speed connectivity. It’s spectacular to see an H-series CPU and an RTX 4060 crammed into such a thin-and-light housing.
The place a bigger gaming laptop computer may need ports on the again, the Stealth 14 Studio has the phrase “STEALTH” reduce out in its rear-edge grille. This cutout options RGB results in sync with the consequences on the keyboard. On the left facet of the laptop computer, you’ll discover the barrel plug for the included 240-watt charger, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C (20Gbps) port with energy passthrough.
On the precise facet, we’ve a 3.5mm headphone jack (nonetheless hanging on right here, although positioned far ahead), a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A (10Gbps) port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s a different quantity of connections, together with the more and more elusive HDMI, however these of you with many legacy peripherals may discover the only USB Kind-A port a disgrace. Content material creators may discover the dearth of an SD card reader disappointing, as nicely.
Thankfully, the Stealth 14 Studio is comparatively light-weight, which makes carrying a separate USB hub a straightforward repair for the dearth of ports and card readers.
The laptop computer weighs in at about 3.75 kilos, and it suits effortlessly into most baggage. In contrast with the larger-screen MSI Katana 15 gaming laptop computer, which is available in at greater than 5 kilos, the Stealth 14 Studio is nearly a light-weight laptop computer. Checked out subsequent to equally sized laptops in its 14-inch class, although, the Studio’s weight is much less spectacular and begins to fall in line.
Utilizing the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
With the laptop computer in use, the keyboard lights up within the full RGB spectrum by default, however you may alter it by the preloaded MSI Middle app. The keyboard is your commonplace chiclet model, though the arrow keys have been minimized to suit the profile of the remainder of the keys. They make scrolling pages and navigating spreadsheet cells a little bit of a labor, although that’s offset a bit by the big touchpad.
The touchpad makes looking and dealing in several functions a breeze as you pinch to zoom out and in on the big floor. Whereas the arrow keys are a bit cramped, the remainder of the keyboard is freed from this downside, and a fast MonkeyType take a look at confirmed this.
MSI’s Stealth 14 Studio show is not fairly the 4K panel you may discover a high-end workstation laptop computer just like the HP ZBook Studio G9, however it’s sharp sufficient for spot work whereas on the go or for nonetheless media work. The display screen additionally refreshes at 240Hz, which is quicker even than most gaming laptops.
Above the 16:10 display screen is the laptop computer’s webcam, with a bodily privateness shutter for added safety. The webcam is a reasonably commonplace 720p decision that information at 30 frames per second. This could deal with the occasional Zoom assembly, however we have seen higher-resolution webcams on equally priced laptops. With videoconferencing changing into the office norm, the dearth of a greater digital camera at shut to 2 grand is disappointing, although MSI is way from the one laptop computer maker nonetheless neglecting the digital camera on some dear fashions.
Live performance-Degree Fan Noise
In my testing, I cranked on Efficiency mode, which units the MSI laptop computer’s followers to their quickest setting to maximise cooling and due to this fact pace. What this does is totally unlock the efficiency of the processor and GPU by upping the cooling of each. You acquire higher outcomes and speeds at the price of fan noise…a lot of fan noise. It is loud sufficient that it even will get picked up by the laptop computer’s onboard microphone.
That’s the disadvantage of such a low-profile laptop computer, measuring simply 0.75 inch assume. Whereas the numbers I obtained in our efficiency checks had been spectacular, the laptop computer is greater than able to working primary applications at a lot decrease fan speeds, solely kicking as much as Efficiency mode robotically if wanted. Turning it on is so simple as holding down the perform key and urgent the up arrow key—in any other case, it may also be enabled by MSI Middle.
Testing the MSI Stealth Studio 14: Aggressive Artistic Energy
To place the Stealth 14 Studio by its paces, we wanted to seek out laptops with comparable use instances: gaming laptops which can be super-portable, with an emphasis on content material creation or gaming on the go.
We needed to embrace our present Editors’ Selection for ultraportable gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 14 (2023), a laptop computer in an analogous value vary with an AMD CPU/Nvidia GPU combo, with comparable numbers and tailor-made to the identical market. Subsequent up is the 2022 model of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, a gaming-focused laptop computer geared up with the much less widespread combo of an AMD Ryzen cellular CPU and a Radeon RX GPU.
We additionally threw within the bigger-screen MSI Katana 15, one other gaming-focused laptop computer with a higher-end GPU however lower-end CPU; that config prices about $300 lower than the Stealth 14 Studio. Final, we featured the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Extremely, a high-end desktop substitute laptop computer outfitted with the identical CPU and an RTX 4050 GPU. Earlier than working these checks, I activated the laptop computer’s Efficiency mode.
Productiveness Assessments
Our major productiveness benchmark, UL’s PCMark 10, executes a sequence of workplace duties corresponding to phrase processing, spreadsheeting, and videoconferencing to check a system’s aptitude for mainstream functions. We think about a rating of greater than 4,000 factors an indicator of wonderful on a regular basis efficiency. The benchmark additionally incorporates a storage take a look at to price the response time and throughput of a PC’s boot drive.
Three extra checks deal with the CPU, wringing out all out there cores and threads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 makes use of that firm’s Cinema 4D engine to render a 3D scene, whereas Geekbench by Primate Labs simulates real-world duties corresponding to PDF rendering, speech recognition, and machine studying. We use the open-source program HandBrake 1.4 to transform a video clip from 4K to 1080p decision and file how lengthy it takes.
Lastly, we run PugetBench by Puget Techniques, an automatic extension for Adobe Photoshop that runs a sequence of operations and filters within the standard picture editor to check a PC’s content material creation aptitude. Sadly, the extension crashed repeatedly throughout our checks, and we weren’t capable of file an correct quantity, however we’ve different profitable content-creation checks additional under.
The Stealth 14 Studio took dwelling first place in all of our productiveness centered benchmarks. Of explicit word was the PCMark 10 productiveness suite, by which the Stealth 14 Studio narrowly edged out the newest Razer Blade 14. This rating doubles that of the 4,000 baseline we anticipate from all efficient laptops in 2023, guaranteeing that the Stealth 14 Studio will ace most on a regular basis computing duties thrown at it.
Graphics and Gaming Assessments
We use a pair of applications to check simulated gaming efficiency, 3DMark and GFXBench. 3DMark has two DirectX 12 benchmarks, Evening Raid and the extra demanding Time Spy. In the meantime, GFXBench has its Automobile Chase and Aztec Ruins subtests, which take a look at OpenGL efficiency and run the checks offscreen to account for various show resolutions.
For gaming particularly, we additionally run sensible checks in video games with devoted benchmark instruments, particularly F1 2021, Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, and Rainbow Six Siege. These video games are run at 1080p and a number of settings, and symbolize totally different gaming genres (simulations, open world settings, and aggressive video games, respectively).
As spectacular as our CPU checks had been, the RTX 4060 could not maintain a candle to its harder competitors, the RTX 4070. The Stealth 14 Studio ranked third behind the first-place Razer Blade 14 and runner-up MSI Katana 15. Regardless, you are taking a look at aggressive and up to date efficiency for each gaming and content material creation duties, as you may quickly see.
If you’d like a laptop computer that is even higher at gaming for tons of of {dollars} much less, MSI has that for you within the Katana 15. Nevertheless, know that it does not have practically as prepared of a show when it comes to colour copy because the Stealth 14 Studio—a key element for content material creators. In the meantime, the Blade 14 has an analogous show when it comes to colour high quality and quicker sport efficiency, however it prices tons of extra.
Workstation-Particular Assessments
We don’t run workstation checks on each laptop computer, however contemplating MSI is concentrating on this laptop computer at creators, we felt it prudent to run them. For starters, Puget Techniques additionally makes a benchmarking device for Premiere Professional, Adobe’s seminal video editor. The device runs a simulated set of duties inside the video editor which can be far more resource-demanding than Photoshop. Very like the Photoshop device, we file a quantity off the take a look at that gauges its efficiency.
Blender is an open-source 3D suite for modeling, animation, simulation, and compositing. We file the time it takes for its built-in Cycles path tracer to render two photo-realistic scenes of BMW vehicles, one utilizing the system’s CPU and one the GPU (decrease instances are higher).
Final, SPECviewperf 2020 renders, rotates, and zooms out and in of strong and wireframe fashions utilizing viewsets from standard unbiased software program vendor (ISV) apps. We run the 1080p decision checks based mostly on PTC’s Creo CAD platform; Autodesk’s Maya modeling and simulation software program for movie, TV, and video games; and the SolidWorks 3D rendering bundle by Dassault Systemes.
The Stealth 14 Studio underperforms in comparison with bigger desktop substitute laptops (not graphed right here), which are likely to favor efficiency over portability. Nevertheless, the Stealth 14 Studio is in a league of its personal towards equally sized and styled laptops. In the event you’re a content material creator who values a compact workspace, we would advocate the Stealth 14 Studio over the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 9 instances out of 10. Nevertheless, you probably have the scratch, the Razer Blade 14 would additionally possible be efficient in these areas. (We didn’t run the workstation suite on that machine, because it’s focused extra particularly at players.)
Battery and Show Assessments
To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we play a 24-hour loop of a 720p video file at 50% brightness and 100% quantity. We shut off Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting, till the system hibernates. Once we plug the laptop computer again in, we file the time the video file stopped at and use it as our battery life consequence.
We additionally use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and software program to measure the show’s colour protection. The sensor additionally lets us take a look at brightness in nits (candelas per sq. meter) on the laptop computer’s 50% and max brightness settings.
Sadly, the Stealth 14 Studio comes with the draw back of poor battery life. The laptop computer ran for a last-place time of three hours and 22 minutes, nicely behind the second-to-last-place MSI Katana 15, which got here in at 5 hours and 31 minutes. It is possible {that a} mixture of things contributed to this consequence: much less room for battery capability in a 14-inch laptop computer than the 15- and 16-inchers it has been in contrast with; a higher-res display screen than a few of its opponents; and the truth that it ran brighter at 50% than any of its comparability decisions.
The show, alternatively, proved fairly spectacular to the bare eye, and our checks backed up this reward. The colour illustration was practically similar to that of the Blade 14, though each had been topped by the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Extremely. (On the different finish of the spectrum, merely do not look to midrange gaming laptops just like the Katana 15 for colour protection for artistic duties.) The MSI Stealth 14 Studio trailed barely behind the Blade 14 when it comes to brightness. Regardless, it is a laptop computer that is prepared in your content material creation wants with dependable colour illustration and efficient brightness. Simply preserve the charger shut by.
Verdict: Efficiency That Cuts By the Noise
You may discover a versatility within the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we have examined of late. The small body lets you (doubtlessly) work from wherever with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a priority, run your most demanding of applications, because of some highly effective {hardware} inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is a lovely and highly effective choice in order for you a transportable laptop computer to be the middle of your content material work setup, and it comes from a model trusted by our readers, however its compact dimension works towards it in some areas, significantly battery life and a tighter keyboard than we would like.
