MSI Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

Trade in MSI Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

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Last year, MSI took the checkered flag with its Mercedes-AMG partnership — capturing my racing heart with its sleek motorsport design and delivering ample power.

Fast forward one year to Computex 2024, and the enthusiasm remains strong with the introduction of an 18-inch big brother. Presenting the MSI Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, a name as lengthy as its $3,899 price tag.

For this price, you receive a slightly updated racing chic design, an astonishingly beautiful UHD OLED panel (or mini-LED if preferred), and impressive horsepower under the hood…emphasis on the “impressive.”

Despite the incremental updates, including Wi-Fi 7 speeds, MSI has adhered strictly to the Series 1 Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. Technically, it cannot be labeled a Copilot+ PC, leading MSI to navigate around this with its AI+ PC branding.

Given the hefty price, why didn’t the company opt for the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series for a quicker launch, or simply wait for Lunar Lake’s Q4 debut? It’s a perplexing decision that might disappoint high-end buyers seeking cutting-edge technology.

MSI STEALTH 18 MERCEDES-AMG MOTORSPORT: SPECS

MSI STEALTH 18 MERCEDES-AMG MOTORSPORT: WHAT WE LIKE

MSI’s partnership with Mercedes has placed it squarely in the premium laptop category, a luxury evident at first glance.

Large and (luxuriously) in charge

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From the subtle pattern across the magnesium alloy deck and its ‘engine-start’ button paired with glossy red WASD keys, to the signatures emblazoned on a metallic panel underneath, it recreates that supercar experience with impressive elegance.

The aesthetic may not appeal to everyone, but for a sim racing enthusiast like myself (you can check out my recent escapades testing Revosim’s new wheel months before its release), it’s magnificent. Additionally, thoughtful ergonomic enhancements are evident, including the giant touchpad, a great-feeling keyboard, and upward-firing speakers that help counter the noise of the blasting fans.

At under one inch thick, this slim system fits easily into most backpack spaces (as long as you account for its other dimensions, so consider a larger bag if you plan on carrying it around).

Mouthwatering for all your entertainment needs

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I’ve already mentioned the speakers, but they need to be paired with a good screen, and MSI absolutely delivers with an 18-inch UHD OLED panel at a 16:10 aspect ratio. Colors melt off the display, and the contrast ratio provides every picture with rich HDR depth.

Whatever games you throw at the system’s impressive specs, which include the RTX 4080 GPU and up to 96GB of RAM (with one notable exception I’ll discuss later), they will look stunning and run smoothly with the 120Hz refresh rate.

MSI STEALTH 18 MERCEDES-AMG MOTORSPORT: WHAT WE DON’T LIKE

So far, so luxurious. But with any supercar purchase (not that I’d ever get the chance to buy one), you’d expect the internal workings to be flawless for such an exorbitant price tag. Unfortunately, that’s not entirely the case here.

Intel Core Ultra what now?

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Yes, this is technically Intel’s latest chipset, but it’s turned out to be merely a transitional CPU for Team Blue. With only a quarter of the NPU performance required to qualify as a Copilot+ PC, it was simply a course correction towards better chip development.

The real power lies in Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake. So why didn’t MSI just wait for its Q4 debut and include it here? While most people might be satisfied with this machine’s power, we’re not talking about most people here.

If you’re spending nearly four grand on a laptop, it’s reasonable to expect the best of everything — future-proofed specs that will last. This CPU choice doesn’t meet that expectation. If speed to market was the priority, AMD’s latest Ryzen AI laptop chips were available.

All that horsepower from the RTX 4080 is likely to get bottlenecked. We’ve seen it before with Intel Core Ultra Series 1, and it’s likely we’ll see it again. It’s a puzzling decision that will frustrate potential buyers.

MSI STEALTH 18 MERCEDES-AMG MOTORSPORT: OUTLOOK

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It’s OK to hope for more — especially with a $3,899 price tag. But that’s not to say the MSI Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport doesn’t come damn close to being an unstoppable luxury gaming laptop.

The GPU power is packed into a slim, sleek body with a rich racing heritage, and that screen is a marvel to behold. However, with a Meteor Lake-shaped flat tire, how long will it be before you need to dive into the pits for Lunar Lake?

Source: Tom’s Guide