MSI Stealth A16 AI+ Review: Powerhouse in a Suit

The MSI Stealth A16 AI+ combines the power of Nvidia’s latest laptop GPUs with AMD’s strongest mobile processors. The laptop is a relatively subtle powerhouse, which unfortunately suffers from the same flaws as its siblings in the Creator series.

Everything about the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ exudes quiet power. The laptop, with its black magnesium-aluminum alloy casing, looks subtly impressive. The whole thing feels very high-quality. MSI’s dragon logo is barely visible on the back, but it’s there. That’s a nice metaphor for this Stealth device: you might not see it immediately, but inside roars a powerful fire.

The laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. It’s the same CPU as in the MSI Creator A16 AI+, although that laptop looks more impressive or gaudy, depending on your taste in these things. The Stealth and the Creator have more in common, such as 32 GB RAM, 2 TB PCIe SSD storage, and the OLED screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.

Both laptops also have an Nvidia graphics card under the hood. In our test sample of the Creator, that was an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, and that GPU is still impressive today. However, our MSI Stealth A16 AI+ has a fresh Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti on board.

Tireless CPU

With this Stealth, MSI hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to make laptops. This device brings 2.13 kg of computing power into your home.

The processor scores the same in this casing as in the Creator A16 AI+. That’s not surprising: if you ignore color and finish, the casing of both 16-inch laptops is virtually identical. The cooling is the same too, so AMD’s twelve-headed monster delivers the same performance.

The CPU peaks at a clock speed of 4.7 GHz. The fan makes itself heard after a while, but for good reason. The cooling is sufficient to dissipate the heat, and the chip doesn’t have to throttle during our tests: 4.7 GHz is the impressive plateau.

Strong together

For combined workloads, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti shows its added value. We measure significantly higher performance for photo editing, video editing, and 3D visualizations.

We also notice that the SSD in this Stealth laptop performs slightly differently. We measure higher read speeds and slightly lower write speeds.

In any case, the combined hardware proves to be very capable.

In terms of AI, Nvidia’s latest chip also offers clear added value. This is partly because it’s a Ti variant of the GPU. We see the architectural improvements in the 50 generation in action in terms of inference.

It won’t surprise you that even the heavier spreadsheets are no problem for the MSI Stealth A16 AI+. For office work, the device is overqualified, so expect everything to go as smoothly as you can expect.

Robust Battery

Like the Creator, the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ has a 99.9 Wh battery on board. Given the powerful hardware, it doesn’t last very long. We do see differences (thanks to the different GPU), but the general trend is the same: you can go for a few hours without a power outlet, but not a full workday.

Moreover, the laptop doesn’t perform at full power when it’s not connected to the included 240-watt charger with its own plug. Charging with USB-C PD is also possible, but in that case, the laptop doesn’t get enough power for peak performance. This device is mainly mobile in the sense that you can easily move it. It’s not your designated companion for a multi-day conference abroad or frequent long commutes.

How quickly you can recharge has little to do with the GPU. Consequently, you can fully charge the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ in the same time as the Creator. It’s not super fast, but then again, the battery is very large.

It’s not super fast, but then again, the battery is very large.

Typing with a Rainbow

We already noted that the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ has a lot in common with the Creator A16 AI+. This is even more true in daily use. MSI provides a spacious keyboard with keys that give pleasant feedback. The presence of a numeric keypad is always a plus.

MSI wouldn’t be MSI if those keys didn’t have configurable RGB backlighting. You can go for subtle in line with the Stealth concept, or make the laptop shine in all colors of the rainbow. The touchpad is spacious and clicks pleasantly: we have no comments.

Unfortunately, MSI also brings the downsides of the Creator to this Stealth A16 AI+. We already ranted extensively about what we called a port debacle in the review of that device, and we’ll summarize the essence here as well.

Terrible Port Placement

The port selection and placement is poor. MSI provides only one USB-C port (not full Thunderbolt) and it’s on the right, next to a 3.5 mm connection and a USB-A port. What’s also in the middle there is the power plug. It’s grandly in the way of both the other connections and a potential external mouse. By shifting the port to the middle, the bulky power cable sits right where you would move that mouse for ergonomic use. A laptop stand might provide some relief here.

On the left side are HDMI, Ethernet, and another USB-A port, but no USB-C. To connect a dock or screen that’s on the left to the right port of this large laptop, you need to have a long cable (probably longer than what your screen manufacturer provided). And quality USB-C cables aren’t free.

The port placement is really unfortunate and causes frustration and impractical situations. In other devices, MSI finds space for the power connection at the back. An alternative placement of that plug and an extra USB-C/Thunderbolt port is something you should expect for a laptop of this caliber.

Accurate Colors

The screen of the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ is of good quality. Out of the box, it’s slightly less correctly calibrated than that of the Creator, but with an average DeltaE of 3.3, the color reproduction is excellent. We find the biggest deviation in absolute white and red, although it’s all quite good.

On this device, you can safely perform color-sensitive tasks such as photo and video editing. With some calibration, you can even get close to DeltaE 2, which you get with very professional graphic displays. We measure a maximum brightness of 378 cd/m² on our panel, which isn’t very much for a glossy display. If you’re sitting in front of a window and the sun is shining, you’ll notice reflections.

Software

Where we still struggled with the MSI Center on the MSI Creator A16 AI+, that software gives us no problems on the MSI Stealth A16 AI+. The tool provides you with a dashboard where you can, among other things, keep an eye on the hardware and select color profiles.

In practice, it remains a collection of different tools. Other manufacturers manage to deliver more polished software, although we must say that the included software is rarely of great added value.

Video and Audio

The laptop has quite sturdy speakers and is equipped with an FHD webcam. It’s sufficient for video calling. With this device, you can dive into a professional digital meeting without any problems.

Windows Hello is supported for facial login. For those who definitely don’t want to be on camera, there’s a privacy slider.

Verdict

The MSI Stealth A16 AI+ is an even better laptop than the MSI Creator A16 AI+, which, like its brother, does NOT get the ‘editor’s choice’ stamp due to the poor implementation of the ports. Too few connections, very awkwardly placed, cause daily annoyance. Although a longer USB-C cable or a USB-C hub functionally solves such issues, we expect more from a device that costs 2,561 euros excluding VAT.

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MSI Creator A16 AI+ review: when a champion trips at the finish line

Stumbling at the finish line, as they say. The MSI Creator A16 AI+ is indeed an excellent laptop with powerful and balanced specifications. Nvidia’s latest graphics card offers a nice added value compared to the previous generation in terms of inference, although we’re also simply testing a more powerful variant.

AMD’s CPU is an excellent powerhouse that gets all the room to do its thing thanks to the fantastic cooling. The chip simply doesn’t get tired, so feel free to schedule your video or 3D renders in batches. Finally, the glossy OLED screen is beautiful, sharp, and sufficiently well-calibrated.

Subtly Tough

MSI packs all these goodies into a neat housing that, in line with the Stealth series concept, is both tough and subtle. The slightly more business-like appearance makes us prefer this Stealth over the Creator. Functionally, there’s no difference between two configurations with the same hardware. This device can serve perfectly as a workstation in front of clients. The fact that you can also game after work hours is a nice bonus.

Are you left-handed, never planning to work with just an extra mouse, or don’t mind the charging cable getting in the way or do you work with a laptop stand? And do you have a long enough connection for a USB-C screen, no extra screen, or is yours on the right? Then there’s little to stop you from buying this MSI Stealth A16 AI+. Apart from the ports, MSI does everything right.

Tested configuration: Stealth A16 AI+ A3XVGG-223NL – AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD, 16 inch glossy OLED screen (2,560 x 1,600 pixels), Windows 11 Home