Activities
Divisions
Programs
Activities
Divisions
Programs
A Review on MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Exceptional Performance in a genuinely compact and portable size
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V gives a remarkable performance despite its unexpectedly small size. Moreover, it also includes a QHD+ 14-inch, 240Hz screen, one of the quickest in a laptop.
Advantages: – Impressive 14-inch screen with a 240Hz refresh rate – Exceptional performance – Great quality speakers – Stylish layout considering its high performance – Convenient to use as an everyday device due to its portability
Downsides: Lacks an SD Card slot- Mediocre battery life- The 720p camera is underwhelming considering the cost- The device's heat management could be improved
Cost: Rs 1,75,890/- Score: 4 out of 5
MSI is often considered a frontrunner in the realm of gaming laptops. The pair of MSI Titan GT77s we evaluated in the previous two years are unequivocally the top gaming laptops, regardless of cost. Nevertheless, MSI, similar to other manufacturers, often finds it challenging to create a fully functional gaming laptop that's also easy to carry around. However, this might not be the case if you opt for their Stealth series.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V, as implied by its name, isn't solely designed for dedicated, intense gamers but also for committed mobile content creators desiring virtually boundless performance. The Stealth 14 Studio is an appealing laptop that both looks and operates superbly. Its sleek and fashionable design doesn't compromise its potent capabilities, making it an excellent choice for both home and office use. In addition, it's fantastic for producing content such as videos or art, as well as for gaming.
The combination of the Intel Core i7 13700H and NVIDIA's RTX 4060 laptop GPU creates a high-performance machine that far surpasses its rivals. Additionally, it features a stylish QHD+ IPS display with a refresh rate of 240Hz.
After all is said and done, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio remains, at its core, a gaming laptop. It does have a few downsides typical of most high-performance laptops. But does this in any way diminish the appeal of this powerful machine? Let's discover.
Review of MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Structure and StyleThe MSI Stealth 14 Studio boasts a straightforward design that I find appealing. It's a gaming laptop with a stripped-down look that truly catches my eye. I'm not particularly fond of excessive RGB lighting on my laptop. If you share my preferences, you're likely to enjoy the subtle style of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio boasts an elegant and clean aesthetic, highlighted by a white top cover adorned with the MSI dragon emblem on a magnesium-aluminium alloy frame. The laptop's base is also white, contrasting with the semi-glossy black interior. Lifting the lid reveals the black Chiclet-type keys, each with white lettering and individual RGB illumination.
The structure and RGB configuration don't loudly announce "gaming," making it suitable for use in professional environments without drawing unnecessary attention. Even though there are occasional RGB lighting elements, MSI has managed to maintain a harmonious equilibrium.
The rear of the laptop, specifically where the screen connects, features a completely black cooling grill that also has RGB lighting, marking it as a Stealth 14 model. You might also spot faint pink and blue RGB shades at the back corners. MSI refers to these as the Afterburner Lighting, which is built into the back grill. The word "Stealth" is also displayed on the grill, made visible by the RGB lights. While it may seem ironic, this design element is quite clever and serves as a reminder that the device is, in fact, a gaming laptop.
When it comes to construction, the Stealth 14 Studio is incredibly sturdy. With dimensions of 12.4 x 9.69 x 0.75 inches and a weight around 1.7 kg, the Stealth 14 Studio is small and light due to its magnesium-aluminium alloy frame.
The device's metallic construction lends to its lightweight nature, ensuring it's not a burden to transport in a laptop case. Its stylish appearance, coupled with a striking difference between the outside and inside, makes it a head-turner, be it at a coffee shop or while traveling.
The Stealth 14 comes with a variety of ports and I/O that should suffice for many users. The right side houses a 3.5mm combo audio jack, a USB Type-A port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. The left side, on the other hand, features a USB Type-C port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an AC power port. It also includes air vents on both sides for cooling purposes. However, it lacks a card slot or a MicroSD Card slot, which could be a setback for gamers and content creators.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V review examines the keyboard and trackpad. The keyboard on this model is quite compact due to its slim design, which is to be expected given its size. Fresh from the package, the keyboard's RGB lighting is preset to Disco Mode, which may be a bit too flashy or overstimulating for some users. However, the SteelSeries GG application allows users to customize the RGB backlighting on each key to their preferred style. This software makes it effortless to create and manage custom profiles, and smoothly transition the atmosphere of your setup for gaming and streaming.
The keyboard features adequately sized keycaps that are evenly distributed, providing a somewhat pleasing feedback due to their responsive switches. It might require some time to adapt, but typing becomes a pleasure once you become familiar with it. Regrettably, the keyboard has a noticeable flex, negatively impacting the high-end perception of the laptop. Moreover, the standard color setting of the RGB lighting lacks sophistication, instead coming across as a bit too flashy and inexpensive. MSI could have opted for a slightly brighter RGB lighting for the keys, with less intense colors.
Despite being created primarily as a gaming laptop, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V stands out due to its fairly large trackpad. It is placed on the left side to facilitate easy typing, providing additional space on the right. The trackpad is designed to provide accurate tracking and sensitivity, ensuring its usage is both simple and precise. Although it's ideal for regular use, gamers may choose to use an external mouse to alleviate any minor issues with the trackpad.
Review of MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Evaluation of Webcam and SpeakersThe quality of the webcam on the MSI Stealth 14 Studio falls short of impressive. In comparison to other Windows laptops of a similar cost, the webcam performs poorly due to its 720p/30FPS capabilities. The picture quality leaves a lot to be desired, considering the laptop's high price tag. Even in well-lit surroundings, the image has considerable noise. For video conferencing, it will suffice, but only given sufficient lighting conditions.
Nonetheless, it comes with a privacy cover, providing reassurance against unintentional triggers during video chats. Looking at the positive side, the microphone arrangement yields lucid and evenly distributed sound.
In terms of sound, the four-speaker system fine-tuned by Dynaudio improves the overall audio quality. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is compatible with SteelSeries' Nahimic audio software, providing characteristics akin to DTS-X audio and Dolby Atmos. Users have the ability to modify the spatial audio and presets according to their liking, with choices such as Music, Movie, Communication, and Gaming presets. The Smart Profile feature auto-adjusts the audio for particular tasks, providing more ways to tailor the sound.
The final outcome is that the speakers generate a full-bodied sound with great depth, potent bass, and satisfactory treble, offering a well-rounded output. They are capable of reaching high volumes without any distortion, effortlessly permeating a room without the necessity to crank up the volume to its maximum.
Review of MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Screen
The 14-inch screen of the Stealth 14 Studio model we tested appears bigger than its actual size due to its 16:10 aspect ratio. The display is clear with a QHD+ resolution of 2560X1600. Although it doesn't offer the level of clarity seen in 4K screens of premium workstation laptops, it still provides sufficient sharpness for tasks and media work on the move, including gaming.
When it comes to gaming, the standout feature of the display is its remarkable 240Hz refresh rate. Few gaming laptops available currently can match this exceptionally high refresh rate. This contributes to the MSI Stealth 14 Studio's visuals being seamless, devoid of tearing or any other distortions. Honestly, when playing high-speed games, such as Valorant, the gameplay feels extremely smooth and offers an amazing experience.
While the IPS screen means you don't get the intense blacks and vibrant hues, the color quality is still satisfactory for watching your top streaming shows. This is attributed to the screen's full coverage of the DCI-P3 color range, which guarantees vivid and precise colors throughout. Despite lacking HDR or Dolby Vision capabilities, the screen's clarity and precision are praiseworthy.
The peak brightness of nearly 450 nits ensures outstanding indoor visibility. Even outside, the display maintains its visibility when the brightness is turned up to the maximum, saving me the trouble of having to squint in the sunlight.
The perspectives are quite impressive, as colors generally maintain their intensity, even when viewed from unusual angles. Moreover, the laptop comes with MSI True Color, providing users the ability to adjust and calibrate the display to their liking. It offers roughly seven modes to select from, along with extra settings for in-depth customization.
The screen has immense possibilities and necessitates you to refine and adjust details. Once that's done, both media viewing and gaming turn into highly pleasurable activities. Despite its impressive accuracy and vividness, which makes it suitable for most professional content editing tasks, there are still steps to be taken. Even though you can adjust the colors of your videos and photos, it is crucial to properly set up and calibrate the display.
Review of MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Assessing its Performance
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V comes with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H Processor that can accelerate up to 5 GHz. It has 14 cores in total, six are for performance and eight are for efficiency, along with 24M Cache. This, along with a 16GB DDR5 RAM operating at 5200 MT/s in a dual-channel set-up, results in a commendable performance.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, which operates at 2250Mhz and includes 8GB of GDDR6 Memory and a 128-bit bus, is responsible for managing graphics. This setup guarantees exceptional performance from the Stealth 14 Studio, particularly when you take into account its cost.
The i7-13700H processor shines in numerous synthetic benchmarks, achieving a harmony between tasks requiring high performance and regular applications. It particularly stands out in single-threaded performances due to its top boost clock speed of 5GHz.
Although benchmark scores provide some understanding, actual usage gives a more definitive view. When it comes to gaming, the Stealth 14 Studio performs impressively, providing one of the finest experiences for its cost. Experiments were run in Discrete Graphics Mode, with power and performance configurations at full capacity. Games operated seamlessly at 1920×1200 resolution and the utmost available settings, constantly yielding superior frame rates without any noticeable lag or substantial reductions.
We carried out video game trials using games such as Forza Horizon 5, GTA 5, Control, F1 2022, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Valorant, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The outcomes were in line with our artificial benchmarks. The tests were done in performance mode while the laptop was connected to power.
In the game Shadow of The Tomb Raider, we managed to rack up an average of 133 frames per second (fps). Forza Horizon 5 operated with an average frame rate of 139. Grand Theft Auto 5 consistently delivered an average of 160 fps. Even in F1 2022, we observed an average fps of 122. Fast-paced multiplayer games such as CS: GO and Valorant exhibited an average of 315 fps and 280 fps, correspondingly.
The impressive performance of the Stealth 14 Studio's hardware is worth noting. By making small adjustments to settings, like choosing high over ultra graphics or turning off antialiasing, users can get even better frame rates without significantly sacrificing visual quality.
When it comes to managing heat, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio performs similarly to any other high-end gaming laptop with advanced equipment. Particularly near the top, the keyboard tends to heat up during intense gaming and benchmarking sessions. However, the Stealth 14 Studio comes equipped with an ingenious ventilation system.
The structure features two exhaust openings located on either side, with an extra one found at the rear, just behind the hinge. Intake is facilitated by a sizable opening at the laptop's base. Additionally, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V incorporates a Vapor Chamber, greatly enhancing the cooling process.
Additionally, the MSI Centre software gives you the ability to select various performance levels and fan speeds. In our synthetic and gaming performance tests, we maximized the fans using the Cooler Boost mode, which maintained the temperatures within our expected ranges for the Intel i7 13700H & RTX 4060 package. The fans can become fairly noisy, however, if you have headphones on, this shouldn't be a problem.
Overall, the Stealth 14 Studio is an incredibly powerful device that performs as strongly as you'd expect. It boasts substantial power and provides an impressive performance capability, particularly when taking into account the compact size of the laptop.
Review of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: Battery PerformanceThe MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V is equipped with a 72W 4-cell battery and a large 240W charger. Despite being a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU and a high-speed CPU, it offers quite respectable battery longevity. This is primarily due to its ability to manage GPU utilization and alternate between Intel's integrated GPU and the RTX 4060, provided you permit it to. However, if you operate it solely on the distinct graphics, the battery duration does drastically decrease.
Putting it another way, during a typical workday that included plenty of writing, some photo modification, extensive web surfing, and a significant amount of time spent viewing content on YouTube and Netflix, we managed to get around 4-5 hours of battery life with the screen brightness set at roughly 60 per cent, which is quite satisfactory. We repeated the same tests and usage patterns, but this time using only the standalone graphics, and found that the battery life was just slightly more than 3 hours.
Fortunately, the package comes with a 240W charger, which ensures the device is always powered up. However, remember that it takes more than an hour for the charger to fully charge the laptop from a completely drained battery.
Review Summary for MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V: The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V impressively manages to achieve an ideal equilibrium among speed, convenience, and efficiency.
The laptop shines in numerous aspects, but there are some significant missing features. It would have been great to see improved HDR support, and an enhanced webcam would definitely be beneficial. Moreover, it's odd that a laptop aimed at content creators lacks an SD card slot, a feature they often depend on. Still, the laptop's extraordinary functionality makes up for most of these deficiencies.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V, in the setup we examined, is highly suitable for gamers and mobile content creators. We didn't experience any frame drops or screen disruptions, and smoothly navigated through 4K timelines during video production. During our evaluation, we never felt a lack of processing capability.
The standout feature of this laptop is its remarkable efficiency in a genuinely compact size. While an extended battery lifespan and enhanced heat control would be beneficial, the undeniable strength provided by the Intel i7 13700H processor and NVIDIA RTX 4060 graphics card cannot be overlooked.
Indeed, there might be alternatives that are marginally superior and more affordable, particularly if you're open to a size larger than a 14-inch display. However, if your preference is for a 14-inch screen with a 240Hz refresh rate and a resolution exceeding 1080P, coupled with all the functionality you could possibly require, then the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V is your best bet.
Look for us on YouTube
Highlighted Programs
Associated Articles
Nothing Phone 2a Analysis: Establishing high expectations for affordable smartphones in 2024
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i 2024 Evaluation: An impressively thin and lightweight laptop with significant power
BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U Gaming Monitor Assessment: A 4K, 144Hz monster with excellent HDR capabilities
EarFun Free Pro 3 Critique: These compact TWS earbuds deliver a strong performance
Nothing Phone 2a Analysis: Establishing high expectations for affordable smartphones in 2024
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i 2024 Evaluation: An impressively thin and lightweight laptop with significant power
BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U Gaming Monitor Assessment: A 4K, 144Hz monster with excellent HDR capabilities
EarFun Free Pro 3 Critique: These compact TWS earbuds deliver a strong performance
can be found on YouTube.
Firstpost holds all rights, protected under copyright, as of 2024
+ There are no comments
Add yours