MSI’s Prestige 16 Laptop at CES 2024: A Small Chip with Big Gaming Performance
At CES 2024, MSI showcased its latest laptop, the Prestige 16, which may not seem like an exciting prospect for PC gamers at first glance. However, what sets this laptop apart is the inclusion of Intel’s latest Core Ultra 165H processor. This small mobile chip packs a punch with its six P-cores, eight E-cores, two Low Power E-cores, and eight Xe-cores, making it a powerful contender for gaming on the go.
Gaming Performance of Intel’s Core Ultra 165H Processor on MSI’s Prestige 16
Given the opportunity to test out the MSI Prestige 16, I turned my attention to gaming performance. While installing games on my own machine, a fellow journalist allowed me to dive into Shadow of the Tomb Raider on their laptop. The initial impressions were impressive for a mobile integrated GPU (iGPU). On the lowest graphics settings with XeSS (Intel’s upscaling technology) set to balanced, the Core Ultra 165H delivered an average of 71fps and a minimum of 60fps at 1080p. Although these numbers may not be as high as those achieved by discrete GPUs, it was a notable improvement compared to my own laptop’s performance.
The Impact of XeSS on Gaming Performance: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Benchmarks
To further explore the capabilities of the Core Ultra 165H, I ran additional benchmarks with various combinations of graphics settings in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The results showed that increasing the XeSS setting to performance mode while maintaining medium graphics quality still delivered respectable performance, with an average of 56fps and a minimum of 43fps. However, when XeSS was disabled, the frame rates dropped significantly, indicating the importance of upscaling technologies like XeSS or AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) for playable gaming experiences on integrated GPUs.
The Pros and Cons of Gaming on Intel’s Meteor Lake iGPU
While gaming on the integrated GPU of Intel’s Meteor Lake, it became evident that the key to achieving playable frame rates is utilizing upscaling technologies. XeSS, or similar upscaling methods, can significantly improve gaming performance on Meteor Lake. However, without these upscaling techniques, the iGPU’s performance can be underwhelming, as seen in the benchmark results of Horizon Zero Dawn, where the average frame rate reached only 38fps with noticeable hangs during gameplay. Nevertheless, when viewed as an added benefit to a work or school laptop instead of a gaming-specific device, the Core Ultra 165H offers a significant advantage in terms of gaming performance.
Battling Against AMD’s 7040 and 8040-series Chips: Intel’s GPU Performance
Intel’s Core Ultra 165H faces stiff competition from AMD’s 7040-series and upcoming 8040-series chips. Benchmarking numbers from Time Spy Extreme suggest that Intel’s integrated GPU performance outperforms the Ryzen 9 7940HS, a top-performing integrated graphics chip from AMD. However, it is worth noting that AMD has demonstrated strong gaming performance in the past, and Intel’s drivers need to optimize gaming performance to harness its potential lead. As the competition heats up, it will be interesting to see how Intel’s Arc graphics compares to AMD’s offerings in terms of gaming performance.
In summary
, the MSI Prestige 16 laptop with Intel’s Core Ultra 165H processor offers impressive gaming performance for an integrated GPU. Utilizing upscaling technologies like XeSS can dramatically improve frame rates and deliver an enjoyable gaming experience. While it may not replace a dedicated gaming laptop, the added benefit of gaming capability on a work or school laptop makes the Core Ultra 165H a valuable option. The key challenge for Intel will be competing against AMD’s strong lineup of integrated graphics chips, but with proper optimization and driver support, Intel has the potential to deliver a winning gaming performance.
Analyst comment
Positive news: MSI’s Prestige 16 Laptop with Intel’s Core Ultra 165H processor offers impressive gaming performance, especially when utilizing upscaling technologies like XeSS. It provides a valuable gaming capability on a work or school laptop. However, Intel faces stiff competition from AMD’s integrated graphics chips, and will need proper optimization and driver support to compete effectively.
