The new Z Series appears to be a content creator’s dream.
There are dozens of laptops in every category at CES 2023, but for content creators, the latest pair of MSI Creator Z Series laptops may capture your attention.
The Creator Z17 HX Studio and Z16 HX Studio offer high-end performance with the latest Intel 13th Gen HX CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40-Series GPUs, as well as a stylish design and premium feel, to win over MacBook Pro and other creator-oriented laptop users.
The new laptops are scheduled to be released in February, but here is a closer look at each model.
MSI Designer Z17 HX Studio
The Creator Z17 HX Studio offers up to an Intel 13th Generation Core i9-13980HX processor, which reportedly provides a 185% improvement in Cinebench R23 benchmarking over the i9-12900HK. The Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU offers a 30% improvement over its predecessor.
The performance specifications are completed by support for up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and up to 2TB of M.2 2280 SSD NVMe Gen5x4 storage. The latter results in extremely rapid transfer rates.
MSI claims that the 16-inch 16:10 QHD+ display has a refresh rate of 165Hz, but more importantly for creators, the True Pixel display offers a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and a sub-0.2 Delta-E color accuracy score. When we receive the laptop for review, we will test these results ourselves, but MSI is making all the right claims.
The Z17 HX supports the MSI Pen 2 with Microsoft’s new MPP2.6 technology for stylus users. The pen features 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and interchangeable tips, including a graphite option. A 5-minute charge can add up to 10 hours of battery life to the pen, eliminating the need to worry about downtime.
When you’re not using the touchscreen, you’ll appreciate the 16:10 touchpad which is 50% larger. This is followed by the full keyboard with a number pad, which features 1.5mm key travel and per-key RGB backlighting.
With four 2W onboard speakers and support for DTS and Hi-Res audio, the audio experience should also be top-notch. If you prefer facial recognition over the fingerprint sensor, the built-in IR 1080p webcam is a welcome addition, as it supports facial recognition.
MSI has not yet made any specific battery life claims, but the 90W battery and 240W charger appear to provide fast charging speeds. However, we will determine the battery life through testing.
MIL-STD-810G certification assures that the unibody CNC-milled aluminum chassis can withstand the rigors of your work, play, and travel. With a thickness of 0.74 inches and a weight of 5.49 pounds, it is slim and lightweight for a laptop with this much power. Despite this, it also features an extensive selection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-A, an HDMI 2.1 port, an Express SD card slot, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
MSI Designer Z16 HX Studio
Moving on to the Creator Z16 HX Studio, we will concentrate on the differences, as the overall experience will be relatively similar.
You once again have a 16-inch QHD+ 16:10 display with the same tuning, but the refresh rate has dropped to 120Hz and touch support is absent.
The Z16’s maximum CPU is the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which is a 156% improvement over the i9-12900H on the Cinebench R20 test.
You also lose two Thunderbolt 4 ports, but retain USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, an Express SD card slot, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
These modifications also result in a slimmer 0.72-inch frame and a lighter 5.18-pound weight.
Our resident creators can’t wait to get their hands on both of these laptops when they arrive next month, so stay tuned for their reviews.
