MSI Prestige 15 A12UC (2022) review: sleek and affordable

You’d count on to spend hundreds to get a laptop computer that delivers enormous quantities of energy and a head-turning design, however the MSI Status 15 claims to suit the invoice whereas costing simply $1,302 within the US and £999 within the UK.

To get the job performed, the Status 15’s exterior boasts diamond-cut edges and sandblasted textures. On the within you’ll discover certainly one of Intel’s newest processors alongside devoted Nvidia graphics.

When extra of us than ever earlier than are blurring the traces between residence and work – and when extra folks use the identical laptop computer for each – it’s necessary to have a one that may deal with each job.

Provided that state of affairs it’s unsurprising that the MSI faces some robust contenders. The Dell XPS 15 begins at $1,399 within the US and £1,399 within the UK, and the Huawei MateBook 16s prices £1,299. Can the MSI Status 15 declare a spot on our greatest laptop computer chart?

Design & Construct

• Engaging and lighter than rivals
• Extra ports and connectors than the competitors
• Some construct high quality

MSI’s massive speak about design interprets to an unfussy aesthetic. These diamond-cut edges are clear and gently curved, and also you gained’t discover any extraneous design touches – the Status is minimal and fashionable.

It’s out there in gray or silver shades – each of which have a matte, barely shimmering high quality – and it’s constructed from aluminium and plastic. The display folds proper again so it’s flat in opposition to the desk , however it doesn’t have the drop-hinge design you’ll discover elsewhere.

The left-hand edge has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.0 output. On the right-hand edge, there are two full-size USB ports and a microSD slot. Above the display there’s a 720p webcam that gives Home windows Hiya, however solely middling picture high quality.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

That connectivity compares effectively to rivals. The Huawei solely has one Thunderbolt 4 socket and no card reader, whereas the Dell consists of an SD slot however no full-size USB connector, one thing many individuals nonetheless need.

MSI’s pocket book does effectively on the scales, too. The Status weighs 1.69kg, is just 18.9mm thick and 357mm extensive. The Dell and Huawei machines are slimmer and narrower, however they’re heavier than the MSI.

The Status 15’s massive weak spot is stiffness. Its display is sturdy sufficient, however the base feels weaker – the realm past the keyboard is simple to depress and it doesn’t take a lot drive to flex the whole base.

MSI says the laptop computer has been by means of MIL-STD-810G testing, so ought to face up to shocks, drops and falls, however the reality stays: it simply doesn’t really feel strong. And it isn’t the primary time we’ve stated this. We observed it on the Status 14 Evo as effectively, and it clearly hasn’t been addressed.

However, the Status 15 ought to survive commutes and family life and elsewhere the MSI combines glossy, engaging design with stable connectivity, so it’s begin.

Keyboard & Trackpad

• Satisfying, constant and quick typing
• Some format quibbles, and no numeric keypad
• A large however underwhelming trackpad

Begin typing and also you’ll quickly overlook in regards to the flexing base. The buttons have an honest 1.5mm of journey, and the typing motion is great: crisp, quick, and simply snug sufficient to resist complete days of typing. The backlight is vibrant, and it simply matches Dell and Huawei’s {hardware}.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

Our solely disappointments concern the format. On a optimistic notice, you get further Web page Up and Web page Down keys and full-size cursor buttons. Negatively, there’s no quantity pad, the Return secret’s single-height – very annoying for those who recurrently swap between a desktop PC keyboard and a laptop computer – and the Operate secret’s tiny. The important thing presses are fairly loud, too.

The trackpad is inconsistent. It’s extensive, easy and features a fingerprint reader, however its mechanical design means clicks on the backside are too mushy and deep, they usually require an excessive amount of drive on the prime.

Display & Audio system

• A very good display providing affordable high quality
• Restricted gamut, and 60Hz refresh price
• The audio system are fantastic, however nothing particular

The 15.6in display is commonplace fare. It’s an IPS panel with a 16:9 side ratio and a 1920 x 1080 decision, which is ok for on a regular basis working and shopping.

We’ve acquired not complaints about high quality. The brightness of 339 nits is nice sufficient to for indoor and outside use in most conditions, besides when it’s actually sunny and vibrant, That determine pairs with a black level of 0.27 nits to provide a distinction ratio of 1,256:1.

That rock-solid outcome means you get ample depth in darkish areas and loads of vibrancy in all places else. The Delta E of 1.16 is great, too, and means correct colors.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

It’s price remembering that the MSI Status 15 is a comparatively inexpensive laptop computer, although, and it has limitations. It renders 90.1% of the sRGB color gamut and little greater than 60% of the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color areas, so it’s okay for many issues however not for duties the place it’s a must to be completely exact with colors. Normally, we’d count on a display like this to handle 100% sRGB.

Equally, its 60Hz refresh price is just appropriate for single-player video games and informal e-sports play.

Rivals have higher screens. The Dell XPS 15 makes use of a 16:10 side ratio to ship somewhat further vertical area and, at 500 nits, is brighter. The Huawei’s 3:2 side ratio and 2520 x 1680 decision imply you get extra space and sharper definition.

Don’t count on a lot from the audio system, both. The 2W items supply first rate mid-range readability they usually’re not tinny, however they’re not bassy or significantly loud. They’re fantastic, however that’s it.

Specs & Efficiency

• The low-power CPU isn’t far behind extra power-hungry processors
• An Nvidia GPU delivers modest gaming means
• First rate battery life

Intel’s Core i7-1280P is an Alder Lake-P chip designed for slimmer, lighter laptops. It’s probably the most {powerful} chip on this explicit vary, so that you get six Efficiency cores with a 4.8GHz prime pace.

Elsewhere, the MSI’s specification is peculiar. There’s solely 8GB of sluggish DDR4 reminiscence, and it’s soldered to the motherboard so upgrades are not possible. The SSD’s learn and write speeds of 6,831MB/s and 5,096MB/s are good, however its 512GB capability will likely be exhausted after a couple of sport installs. Nonetheless, for those who’re not a gamer, capability shouldn’t be an enormous fear.

The GeForce RTX 3050 is Nvidia’s entry-level cellular graphics chip however MSI has chosen to ‘de-tune’ it for the Status 15 the place it makes use of as much as 40W of, reasonably than the 80W these chips can run at in different laptops. It’s additionally price remembering that the efficiency of the cellular RTX 3050 gained’t be nearly as good as a full-size RTX 3050 graphics card in a desktop PC.

The Status 15 packs Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, however there’s no wired Ethernet port.

Unsurprisingly, the Core i7 processor is the MSI’s finest element. Its single-threaded Geekbench rating of 1,448 equals the full-power Core i5-12500H you’ll discover within the Dell XPS 15, and it even matches the i7-12700H. The MSI’s multi-threaded results of 9,025 is somewhat slower than the i5-12500H and three,000 factors behind the i7-12700H, however it’s nonetheless spectacular from a CPU that consumes far much less energy.

The MSI simply handles day-to-day workplace duties and internet shopping, and it’s acquired the flexibility for gentle inventive workloads, like picture modifying. You must solely spend extra on an i7-12700H laptop computer for those who want multi-core means for powerful inventive duties akin to modifying 4K video.

The MSI’s PC Mark 10 results of 6,473 is great and additional underpins the Status’s prowess in on a regular basis duties. It’s not significantly noisy and doesn’t get sizzling, both.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

By way of 3D efficiency, the MSI isn’t half dangerous for a laptop computer that doesn’t invoice itself as a gaming one. It dealt with Far Cry New Daybreak’s Extremely graphics settings at a stable 63fps. It’ll play any e-sports title – it ran Rainbow Six Siege at 182fps – even for those who’ll must output to a 144Hz display to actually take pleasure in aggressive gaming.

Don’t count on to run probably the most difficult video games, although – the RTX 3050 may muster solely 42fps at Cyberpunk’s Medium settings.

Batter life is respectable. In a piece benchmark the MSI lasted for practically twelve hours, and it performed video for nearly as lengthy – outcomes that hardly differ from the Huawei and creep forward of the Dell. Until you’re actually working the processor and GPU, the Status 15 ought to make it by means of a complete day away from mains energy.

Value & Availability

The MSI Status 15 prices $1,302 within the US and £999 within the UK. The American mannequin has the marginally quicker Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics and a barely slower Core i7-1260P processor, however there’s no vital distinction in day-to-day use.

Not like within the UK, no different specs are at the moment out there within the US, so the solitary mannequin is obtainable from Amazon, Walmart, the MSI Retailer and Excalibur PC.

Should you’re within the UK, it can save you money with completely different configurations. For £699 you’ll get a Core i5-1240P processor, and for £781 you possibly can mix that less-powerful CPU with RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

You should buy these from Scan, Laptop computer Outlet, CyberPower and Ebuyer.

These costs ship combined worth. Within the UK, the Status 15’s £999 value seems to be unbelievable: you’ll should pay £1,399 for a Dell XPS 15 with a Core i5-12400H and £1,448 for one with a Core i7 processor. On the Huawei MateBook 16s aspect, it prices £1,299 for a Core i7 mannequin.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

The MSI is trickier to suggest within the US. The Dell XPS 15 value on the time of writing prices $1,399 for a Core i7 mannequin – and that laptop computer has a greater show. The Huawei isn’t bought within the US.

For extra alternate options, have a look our roundups of the most effective laptops and finest funds laptops to see all the highest choices.

Verdict

In the end, the MSI Status 15 – regardless of its cheaper price – competes with costlier laptops on processing efficiency, keyboard high quality and connectivity. You’ll be able to play video games on it too, as long as you don’t count on to be placing every little thing on Extremely high quality. Battery life could be very affordable and, if this issues to you, it’s additionally lighter than a few of its opponents.

What we didn’t like a lot was the inconsistent construct high quality, the actual fact the display could be very common, and you could get higher efficiency from equally priced alternate options.

The underside line is that you just shouldn’t overlook the Status 15. It’s a succesful, light-weight all-round laptop computer at value, so it’s a formidable possibility that gained’t break the financial institution.

Specs

• Mannequin examined
• OS: Home windows 11 Residence
• Show: 15.6in IPS, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz
• CPU: Intel Core i7-1280P
• Reminiscence: 8GB onboard
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
• Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: 2 x USB Kind-C/Thunderbolt 4, 2 x USB Kind-A, HDMI 2.0, combo audio jack, microSD card reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Battery capability: 82Wh
• Dimensions: 14.05 x 9.21 x 0.74 inches
• Measured weight: 1.69kg