MSI Creator M16 Review: Power for Creators
MSI Creator M16: Specification
- Brand: MSI
- Storage: 1 x NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD
- CPU: Intel i7 12700H
- Memory: 16GB
- Operating System: Windows 11
- Battery: 3-Cell, 53.5Whr
- Ports: 1x Type-C USB3.2 Gen1, 2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB2.0, 1x RJ45, 1x HDMI (4K@60Hz), 1x Audio combo jack
- Camera: 720p Webcam
- Display (Size, Resolution): 16″ QHD+ (2560*1600), 60Hz
- Weight: 4.98 lb
- GPU: NVida RTX 3050ti
- Dimension: 359 (W) x 259 (D)x 23.95(H) mm / 2.26 kg
- Speakers: 2x 2W Speaker, Hi-Res Audio Certified, DTS
- Price: Starts at $1499
- Model: Creator M16
- Adaptor and Battery: 180W AC adapter (support Fast Charging) / 3-Cell, 53.5Whr
The MSI Creator M16 (A12UE-631) boasts the latest Intel Core i7-12700H processor, approximately 30% faster than its predecessor, catering to creative professionals while offering impressive performance for productivity and gaming. Its 16-inch 16:10 QHD+ True Color display with slim bezels can rotate 180° for enhanced screen space compared to standard 15.6-inch 1920x1080 displays. Despite its plain all-black design with a glossy MSI dragon logo, it appeals to creators, gamers, and business users alike. The laptop, though thick and heavy at 1.08 inches and 4.97 pounds, provides durability, ample connectivity including Gigabit LAN, full-size USB, and HDMI ports, and effective cooling with the Cooler Boost 5 system. The MSI M16 stands out for its larger, color-accurate display and sleek design, prioritizing these over gaming-centric features like a higher refresh rate.
MSI M16: Storage and GPU
The MSI M16 allows memory slot upgrades for future flexibility. However, storage expansion is limited to one PCIe Gen 4 slot, necessitating a full main drive replacement. It's generally more cost-effective to purchase a laptop with desired configurations upfront.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB is exclusively paired with the Intel Core i7 12650h processor, available only through Amazon with 32GB RAM and 1TB NVMe storage. The RTX 3050ti, around 30-40% slower, may impact performance in 3D tasks and gaming. The extra 2GB VRAM of the RTX 3060 can be crucial for certain tasks. While the Core i7 12700h might offer slight performance gains, overall, choosing the RTX 3060 model is preferable. If feasible, opting for the RTX 3060 configuration with 32GB RAM and 1TB NVMe is highly recommended.
MSI Creator M16: Display
The MSI Creator M16 boasts a standout 16-inch 16:10 "golden ratio" 2560×1600 QHD+ display with thin bezels, providing 11% more screen space compared to a typical 15.6-inch display. Its extra height is particularly beneficial for creative tasks like video editing in Premiere Pro and using apps with large toolbars like Blender and Cinema4D. The display also offers excellent color accuracy, covering 100% of the sRGB color space with six customizable color profile presets, facilitating collaboration on color-sensitive projects. While its 60Hz refresh rate may disappoint gaming enthusiasts, it suits creators prioritizing screen real estate and color precision.
MSI Creator M16: Battery
MSI has stuck with the same three-cell 53Wh battery found in last year's M16 Creator laptops. Windows 11 predicts around 2 hours of battery life, but based on my testing with a mix of tasks like web browsing and video watching at 50% screen brightness, you can expect 3-4 hours of battery life.
This should be sufficient for activities like note-taking during class or working without being plugged in for a few hours. However, if you're doing tasks that heavily use the GPU, like 3D modeling or video exporting, the battery life will drop significantly to less than two hours. In fact, it could go down to one hour or less if you're continuously using GPU-intensive applications. Additionally, the MSI M16 doesn't deliver the same level of performance when running on battery power compared to the ROG G14 and the MacBook Pro.
MSI Creator M16: Portability, Design and Build Quality
Weighing in at almost 5 lbs (2.26kg), this laptop is on the heavier side. Although its thickness of 1.08" isn't too bulky for its size, there are definitely lighter options available. Carrying the MSI M16 around for extended periods can be quite noticeable.
While the lid and bottom of the laptop have a sleek and premium appearance, thanks in part to the honeycomb vents, the all-plastic construction feels somewhat cheap, despite being sturdy and resistant to flexing. Interestingly, the keyboard deck seems to be made of a different type of plastic, as it doesn't attract fingerprints as readily as the top lid, which quickly became smudged after unboxing.
MSI Creator M16: Keyboard & Trackpad
The MSI Creator M16 features a full-size keyboard with keys that travel 1.5mm when pressed. It's comfortable for typing and even works well for gaming. Surprisingly, it doesn't attract many fingerprints after a few weeks of use. MSI is known for its high-quality gaming keyboards, which they include in all their product lines. The keyboard has white backlighting with three brightness levels. Unlike their gaming laptops, this one doesn't have fancy RGB lighting effects, which I kind of missed.
The trackpad is decent but not outstanding. It accurately responds to scrolling and gestures. However, it could be larger. The trackpad has built-in left and right-click buttons, which work well but are more responsive at the sides than in the middle. There's also a fingerprint sensor at the top left of the trackpad, making login faster.
MSI Creator M16: Thermal Management and Noise
The MSI M16 uses the same Cooler Boost 5 Cooling System as last year's model. It has special cooling for both the CPU and GPU, each with four heat pipes. The laptop can handle intense tasks like running Cinebench for over an hour without overheating. However, the fans start up early, even with lighter tasks.
During gaming or other tasks that use the GPU, the laptop gets pretty loud, so we recommend using headphones to block out the fan noise.
MSI says their MSI Center controls make this "The Cleverest Gaming Laptop Ever." It has features like Smart Auto, which adjusts power settings based on what you're doing, and Ambient Silent AI, which is supposed to adjust the fan speed based on the noise around you.
Honestly, these modes do not make much of a difference, especially when the laptop is under heavy load.