A fair like Computex is the ideal framework for launching products and also for displaying prototypes in which new technologies are tested. Sometimes they are displayed without the express intention of confirming components that have not been previously announced. This is what happened with the MSI Prestige 16 laptop.
A savvy NotebookCheck writer has delved into this laptop’s Windows device manager, finding references to a new Intel processor that matches what we know of Meteor Lake. The chip giant hasn’t expressly released the platform and is trying to keep up the feature and version suspense, barring the usual leaks and the official announcement about the visual processing unit (VPU) that will offload AI tasks.
Intel hasn’t held a public keynote event at this year’s Computex, but the company has invited some media to a showcase of the next-generation client platform for laptops. What was less expected was a ‘leak’ in the form of this MSI Prestige 16.
The notebook mounts a 16-inch screen and is thin and light with a weight of 1.5 kg. It has been redesigned from what is seen in current models for the occasion with the transfer of some ports to the rear and is compatible with USB Type-C Power Delivery 3.1 up to 140 watts. The fingerprint sensor is now integrated into the power button instead of the trackpad. It mounts a full size SD card reader and Ethernet LAN connector on the right side of the chassis.
The big news is inside, with a processor called “Genuine Intel(R) 0000” that is often used in engineering samples and that must be the same as the private presentation of Intel. Although it is not confirmed, it must have 16 cores (6R+8E+2E) and 22 threads, another novelty since the Raptor Lake Mobile only reached up to 20 threads.
In addition to the integrated VPU, Intel must improve the integrated graphics in the processor and also the compatibility to mount its dedicated graphics. However, in the list of MSI features it is explained that this laptop will optionally mount GeForce RTX 40 dedicated graphics . NVIDIA’s shadow is very long and manufacturers continue to use their solutions as the first option in graphics.
We will be attentive to see if we locate more laptops with the Meteor Lake that aim to launch later this year or perhaps already at CES in January 2024.