MSI’s new high-performance laptops have something for every type of student: Here's how to pick the right one

If you’re looking for a new high-performance laptop that can keep up with demanding school workloads and some gaming sessions after class, look no further than MSI’s broad range of new options. Between its Crosshair, Cyborg, and Prestige lines, there's something for everyone. You can find robust heavy hitters in the Crosshair line, slim and stylish sleepers that fit into the office as well as the LAN party in the Prestige line, and cost-conscious options that offer performance and value in equal measure in the Cyborg line. Let’s look at each of the product lines and their highlights to narrow down the ideal fit for you and your gaming needs.

MSI Crosshair: For potent, sustainable performance

The new MSI Crosshair family consists of three models: the Crosshair 16 Max HX, Crosshair 16 HX, and Crosshair A16. These systems are built with performance at the forefront and boast mecha-inspired designs for a futuristic look. They’ll be your secret weapon for gaming, so they have the looks to match.

For fans of red, there’s the Crosshair A16. It comes built around an AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX CPU that’s a powerhouse for gaming and CPU-intensive workloads alike. Whether you’re heavy into esports or need CPU and GPU performance that can keep up with an engineering courseload, the Crosshair A16 has plenty of speed and sustain, especially thanks to MSI’s OverBoost and Cooler Boost technologies. The former ensures the components get ample power delivered so they can operate at their full potential, and the latter keeps them running cool with phase change thermal compound, five copper heatpipes, and dual fans so they can perform for the long-haul. With upgradeable storage and memory, the system is also ready to grow with you through your education.

The Crosshair A16 includes a sharp, 2,560x,1,600 IPS-level display that can run at a blistering 240Hz for smooth visuals. 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space gives you a vivid color palette to work with in design environments while also adding that much extra depth to games or movies. Meanwhile, the Nahimic Virtual Headset provides 3D sound effects without an expensive audio system.

In addition to the Crosshair A16, MSI offers Intel-powered options. The Crosshair 16 HX brings many of the same benefits, including Cooler Boost Technology and OverBoost technology, as well as up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. It uses an earlier but still extremely efficient Intel Core i9-14900HX processor. The Crosshair 16 Max HX sits at the top, bringing a metal chassis to the mix for a premium look and feel. It features up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU for extreme processing performance and fits up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM. It also uses MSI OverBoost Ultra and MSI Cooler Boost Technology. The Crosshair 16 Max HX features a QHD+ OLED that runs at 165Hz.

These Crosshair models are ideal if you’re the kind of gamer who likes to play all the latest games and dial up the graphics settings and resolution. Their extra GPU horsepower and cooling help them keep up with lengthy play sessions and the heavy graphic loads of AAA titles. When playtime is over, all that computing muscle can be put to good use in STEM courseloads or to run AI applications.

You can find the Crosshair A16 at Amazon.

MSI Cyborg: Clean and cost-conscious for mainstream gamers

MSI’s Cyborg 15 Max and Cyborg 15 don’t break the bank, but provide all the performance you’ll need for the latest games and even compute-intensive courseloads. The two models have a lot in common. Plus, they feature McLaren-inspired designs to provide simple, subtle, refined aesthetics.

Inside, the Cyborg 15 Max and Cyborg 15 have Intel Core 200H Series processors and NVIDIA RTX 50 Series graphics. The Cyber 15 can go up to an RTX 5060 Laptop GPU and Intel Core 7 240H with a combined 150W. which is plenty to play recent games while maintaining a light 4.37-pound footprint. The Cyborg 15 Max can step up to an RTX 5070 and 180W of power while adding just a little extra weight and thickness.

The choice of these recent Intel processors helps give the Cyborg line efficiency on the go. That’ll help when you’re running from class to class and need to get by on battery power for hours at a time. The lighter weight of these laptops also make it that much easier to sling in a backpack and hustle between classes. Between the CPU and discrete GPUs, the Cyborg line has more than enough horsepower for typical liberal arts courseloads and can even handle design and engineering tasks.

Both models provide 15.6-inch IPS-level displays that show games smoothly at 165Hz while providing 100% coverage of the sRGB color space and crisp, full HD visuals. That sRGB color space is commonly used on the web, making the display a good match for web design work for the aspiring graphic designer. The Cyborg laptops also include 60Wh batteries to work or play on the move, and offer over 100W Power Delivery 3.0 for broader compatibility with mobile chargers.

The Cyborg 15 line is a good option when you need a laptop that’ll let you check out the latest games and can tag along when your classes aren’t always close together without weighing you down.

You can find the MSI Cyborg 15 at Walmart.

MSI Prestige: Sleek and portable with efficiency in mind

MSI’s Prestige 16 AI+ is a sleeper that can give you more performance than you’d expect from a package that looks this chic. The Prestige 16 AI+ is built for everyday users who need plenty of performance to get their work done, so it’ll keep up with the average college coursework without a struggle. And thanks to the powerful Intel Arc B390 integrated GPU, the Prestige 16 AI+ also has the muscle it needs for casual gaming.

That iGPU comes in the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, a high-performing CPU that’ll keep your system feeling responsive through work and play alike. It also features a dedicated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS for local AI processing.

If you don’t get back to your dorm often to charge or have lots of lecture halls without charging, the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ is going to be your friend. The integration of CPU, GPU, and NPU into one package is a recipe for efficiency, giving the Prestige 16 AI+ up to 24 hours of battery life for on-the-go productivity, something you won’t find from your typical gaming laptops. This efficiency also means the Prestige 16 AI+ can get away without beefy cooling that would add to its weight and thickness, so it ends up with a sleek aluminum chassis that’s as thin as 0.47 inches and weighs just 3.66 pounds. This makes the Prestige 16 AI+ the kind of laptop you can plug in for evening gaming sessions and then unplug for a busy workday away from power outlets without worries.

A quality display is also part of the package for the Prestige 16 AI+. It has a 16-inch OLED touchscreen with a crisp 2880x1800 resolution with tough Gorilla Glass for durability and 120Hz variable refresh rate for sharp, smooth visuals. The extra resolution and fast refresh rate make everything from scrolling webpages to gaming that much easier to enjoy. The OLED panel has vivid color and rich contrast, which goes beyond enhancing games and can serve you well if you’re in art or design classes and want a bigger color palette to work with. With full touch support, you can go hands-on for creative work or quicker interactions when a mouse or trackpad just won’t cut it.

You can find the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ at Costco.

With these details on the latest options in the MSI laptop family, you can find the right model for your needs. Hardcore gamers should find plenty to love in the Crosshair 16 line. The Cyborg 15 line can cover mainstream gaming needs without breaking the bank. And the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ offers efficient power and performance for both work and play in a professional design.

FAQ

What are the benefits of OLED?

OLED displays have a few benefits. Each pixel is its own light source, so you can have bright and pitch-black pixels right next to each other for extreme contrast that not only makes content look sharper but also more dramatic and bold. That’s great for gaming, entertainment, and even text. The color on OLED is also generally very vivid, with a broad gamut, giving you a lot to work with if you’re into design.

Do I need a discrete GPU or integrated GPU?

For most people, an integrated GPU will be just fine. This is enough to handle video playback and some lighter 3D rendering that you might run into online. Some newer integrated GPUs, like that in the MSI Prestige 16 AI+, can even handle some modern AAA games. For heavy engineering or AI workloads, serious video and design work, or for extensive gaming with maxed out visuals and higher resolutions, a discrete GPU becomes especially important because they offer far more graphical performance than most integrated GPU options.

Is a fast refresh rate just good for gaming?

While there are definite benefits to fast refresh rates for gaming, they can also be nice outside of gaming. Faster refresh rates simply make the display appear smoother, and that can be easier on the eyes if you’re scrolling through a lot of documents for research. It’s ultimately a matter of user preference. The benefits outside of gaming may be marginal once you go past 120Hz, and faster refresh rates can be detrimental to battery life, so you’ll have to weigh the benefits in your specific use cases yourself. Fortunately, most displays that offer fast refresh rates can also operate at slower speeds to conserve power.

What is a good color gamut?

Much of the web operates using the sRGB color space, so to make sure you’re seeing all the intended color out there, a display with 100% sRGB color gamut is generally recommended. The DCI-P3 color space is a much wider one and used in cinema and games. If you want more extensive color and more vivid visuals, a large coverage of DCI-P3 is great to have. With 100% coverage of DCI-P3, you’ll get sRGB covered, too.