MSI’s Panther Lake Laptop Delivers on Intel’s Promise of Power Plus Efficiency

The MSI Status 14 Flip AI Plus is the primary laptop computer I’ve examined with an Intel Core Extremely Sequence 3 processor. On the coronary heart of this 14-inch two-in-one is a Core Extremely X7 358H processor from Intel’s Panther Lake series. Intel has touted the brand new chips for his or her software and AI efficiency, whereas additionally offering longer battery life. However most notably, the built-in Arc B390 graphics processor delivers gaming and content-creation efficiency sometimes unprecedented from an iGPU. With Panther Lake, the most important query is that this: Have we lastly arrived on the promised land the place an iGPU has sufficient 3D muscle to permit a typical thin-and-light laptop computer with a long-running battery life to even be a gaming laptop computer?

As spectacular as its efficiency is on the entire, I would not classify the Status 14 Flip AI Plus as a gaming laptop computer. Calling it an ultraportable laptop computer with some gaming capabilities is a extra correct description. It gives playable framerates in AAA titles, even if you happen to’ll must make use of Intel’s Xe Tremendous Sampling Body Era in some situations for clean gameplay. And the Status 14 Flip AI Plus operates in close to silence whereas providing all-day battery life, two objects which can be by no means a part of a real gaming laptop computer’s checklist of capabilities. 

To assist launch Intel’s new processor, MSI introduces a brand new design for its Status sequence, and it is a large enchancment over previous efforts. New Intel internals and a totally redesigned look from MSI — let’s leap in.

Panther Lake particulars

Let’s begin on the within. Manufactured on Intel’s new 18A (2-nanometer) manufacturing course of, the Core Extremely X7 358H is a 16-core processor with six efficiency cores, eight environment friendly cores and two low-power environment friendly cores. This is similar core association as earlier Arrow Lake chips, however the 2nm course of is a die shrink from Intel’s former 3nm course of to enhance energy effectivity. Panther Lake additionally introduces two new structure options: RibbonFET transistors and PowerVia bottom energy supply, which additional improve energy effectivity and thermal administration. Intel is the primary to maneuver to a 2nm course of; Apple’s M5 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 series chips are 3nm, and AMD’s Zen 5 is 4nm.

Just like the earlier Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake chips, the Core Extremely X7 358H is unthreaded, so the variety of processing threads is similar because the variety of bodily cores. And the 16 cores are not any higher than what you may get in earlier Intel chips. The place the cores have elevated is with the GPU. The “X” within the Core Extremely X7 denotes the presence of Intel’s new top-of-the-line built-in GPU, Arc B390, which options 12 Xe3 graphics cores, up from a most of eight Xe2 cores in Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake. The brand new Xe3 graphics cores additionally promise higher energy and effectivity than the Xe2 era.

AI efficiency will get a lift, too, and it comes principally from the GPU. Panther Lake’s neural processing unit will get solely a modest bump to 50 trillion operations per second (TOPS) from Lunar Lake’s 47 TOPS, however the Arc B390 graphics is able to 122 TOPS, up from 64 TOPS with Lunar Lake’s Arc 140V GPU and 74 TOPS from Arrow Lake’s Arc 140T GPU.

MSI Status 14 Flip AI Plus efficiency

The Status 14 Flip AI Plus pairs the Intel Core Extremely X7 358H with 32GB of 8,533MHz DDR5 reminiscence and turned in sturdy efficiency and lengthy battery life in testing. Its multi- and single-core outcomes on Geekbench 6 had been excellent, trailing solely these of Apple’s newest M5 MacBook Pro and the Lenovo Yoga Professional 9i 16 Aura Version, which options the Core Extremely 9 285H from Intel’s Arrow Lake sequence. It additionally completed behind these two laptops and gaming laptops with RTX 4050 or 5050 graphics on the multi- and single-core checks for Cinebench 2024, however forward of previous-gen Intel laptops and people with Qualcomm Snapdragon X sequence chips.

You would possibly consider these outcomes as middling, however this stage of CPU efficiency seems higher when you think about the effectivity you additionally get with the Status 14 Flip AI Plus and the battery life it offers. Calling it “all-day battery” life undersells it. It ran for greater than 25 hours on our YouTube streaming battery drain take a look at, which places this x86-based laptop computer on the identical stage as fashions with Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X sequence processors and Apple’s Arm-based M sequence chips. The Status 14 Flip AI Plus lasted greater than 2 hours longer than the 14-inch M5 MacBook Professional in battery testing. 

With gaming, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus turned the primary laptop computer with built-in graphics I’ve examined to hit 60 frames per second on the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark. It averaged 64 frames per second on the take a look at at 1080p with high quality settings at Highest. That may’t match the framerates of RTX 4050 and 5050 laptops, however it’s definitely playable while not having to sacrifice high quality settings (30fps is the naked minimal we search for, however you need 60fps for clean gameplay). It was a number of frames per second sooner than the M5 MacBook Professional and greater than double the 31fps that the Dell 14 Premium with Arrow Lake’s Arc 140T GPU averaged on the take a look at.

On Guardians of the Galaxy, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus averaged 53fps at 1080p and Excessive settings. That falls simply shy of the 60fps threshold for clean gameplay, however is sort of twice that of the 30fps of the Arrow Lake Dell 14 Premium. And once I dropped the standard setting to Medium, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus averaged 61fps at 1080p.

On a extra demanding AAA title like Murderer’s Creed Shadows, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus averaged solely 27fps at 1080p and Excessive settings. I used to be in a position to improve it to 47fps when XeSS Body Era however wanted to drop the standard settings to Low with XeSS FG enabled to realize a extra playable and stutter-free 65 fps at 1080p. 

In abstract, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus gives sturdy software efficiency and succesful 3D gaming efficiency mixed with the power to actually run across the clock (after which some) on a single cost (although, to be clear, not whereas gaming). This mix was unprecedented in a laptop computer earlier than Panther Lake. 

And even when operating video games, the laptop computer remained whisper-quiet. Solely once I lowered my ear to a couple inches above the keyboard may I hear the cooling followers spinning. The again half of the underside panel definitely acquired sizzling throughout longer gaming classes, however efficiency remained regular. You simply will not wish to play video games with the laptop computer resting in your lap with out utilizing a cooling pad.

Prestigious new seems

The Panther Lake processor is not the one new characteristic of the Status 14 Flip AI Plus. It additionally introduces a whole redesign for MSI’s Status line, and it is a large enchancment. Status laptops have at all times been impressively skinny and light-weight, however the total look was missing. There was little to differentiate their design from a generic OEM chassis. With the Status 14 Flip AI Plus, there is a design ID, beginning with a brand new MSI emblem on the lid.

The perimeters have been smoothed out, creating gently rounded corners and edges that remind me of Lenovo’s flagship Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition. The aluminum enclosure could be very skinny however feels inflexible to provide the Status 14 Flip AI Plus a premium really feel to go together with its premium seems. It is solely half an inch thick and weighs only a hair over 3 kilos. 

On the underside is a slot to stow the included MSI Nano Pen. It suits in between the 2 rubber toes on the entrance fringe of the underside panel. It is a intelligent option to home the pen on such a skinny laptop computer the place there is not room to storage it contained in the chassis, however the pen could be very slim and is healthier for jotting down a fast be aware than any severe inventive pursuits.

The show is a low-resolution OLED that is rising in popularity to supply an OLED’s unbeatable distinction ratio with near-perfect black ranges with no greater decision, which is able to shorten the battery life (whereas additionally including to the general price). The 14-inch OLED show includes a pedestrian 1,920×1,200-pixel decision and commonplace 60Hz refresh price. The pixel rely suffices for the dimensions; textual content and pictures are sharp sufficient. Given the gaming capabilities of the Arc B390 graphics, nonetheless, I am shocked MSI did not outfit the Status 14 Flip AI Plus with a minimum of a 90Hz panel to provide extra overhead for matching 3D body charges to the show’s refresh price.

The Status 14 Flip AI Plus finds room for quad audio system, and so they produce audio that is a bit fuller and extra dynamic than that of a typical thin-and-light laptop computer. The audio sounds higher with the Status 14 Flip AI Plus in tent or presentation mode than in commonplace laptop computer mode, the place the audio system hearth downward into your lap or desk.

Many compact laptops pressure you to make due with a restricted variety of ports, however the Status 14 Flip AI Plus upends this development. It serves up two Thunderbolt 4 ports in addition to a pair of USB-A ports and an HDMI connection, so you possibly can depart any adapters at house. You have additionally acquired two biometric choices for safe logins: a fingerprint reader built-in on the facility button and an IR sensor for facial recognition on the 1080p webcam.

I just like the agency, shallow-travel keys as a result of their really feel is similar to the keyboard on my work laptop computer, a MacBook Professional, however avid gamers will in all probability need a extra plush really feel with snappier suggestions. The touchpad is roomy however gives a normal mechanical click on response and the accompanying diving-board impact, the place clicks are a lot firmer on the highest half than the underside. For $1,300, the Status 14 Flip AI Plus is priced the place a haptic touchpad with a constant and customizable click on response just isn’t out of the query.

Is the MSI Status 14 Flip AI Plus a very good laptop computer?

It is skinny, mild, well-designed and gives unmatched versatility. Along with its two-in-one flexibility, the efficiency I noticed from the Core Extremely X7 358H processor and built-in Arc B390 graphics proves Intel’s claims of Panther Lake offering “mobility with out compromise.” Its mixture of energy and effectivity is unprecedented. You definitely will not confuse Arc B390 graphics with an Nvidia RTX GPU, however you’ll obtain playable body charges in AAA titles on the Status 14 Flip AI. And also you get this 3D efficiency in a thin-and-light design with around-the-clock battery life. 

The Status 14 Flip AI is the primary Panther Lake laptop computer CNET has reviewed, so it is too early to say the way it stacks up with the remainder of the sphere, however it definitely makes a constructive impression.