It wasn’t long ago that gaming laptops were bulky machines, significantly heavier than standard laptops, offering better gaming performance but falling short in battery life. Fast forward to 2025, and laptops are now dominating the market—capable of replacing desktop computers in many cases. However, with so many options and varying specs, finding a laptop that can handle everything you need isn’t always easy.
MSI’s new Stealth A16 AI+ gaming laptop might just hit the sweet spot between slim portability and powerhouse performance. My unit, which is priced at around $2,000, may sound steep, but once you hear what it offers, your opinion might change. It is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, paired with 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a Gen4x4 1 TB NVMe SSD. It also boasts a 240 Hz, 2560×1600 display.
While other models come equipped with higher-end 50-series GPUs or more RAM, they likely come at a significantly higher price. Additional specs include a 99.9 WHr battery—the largest legally allowed on airplanes—Wi-Fi 7 and Windows Hello support, features not typically found on most gaming laptops.
Design
It didn’t take long for me to find plenty to appreciate about what MSI has delivered with this generation of Stealth laptops. Looking at the left side, in terms of ports, you’ll find a Kensington lock slot, a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.1 jack and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, along with various vent holes. On the right side, there are two more USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a USB4 Type-C port and a combo headphone/mic jack, along with additional vent holes.
“MSI’s new Stealth A16 AI+ gaming laptop might just hit the sweet spot between slim portability and powerhouse performance.”
Given the remaining space, I would’ve liked to see an SD or microSD card slot and perhaps an extra USB Type-C port. However, considering the Stealth A16’s slim profile of only 0.78 inches, the port selection is fairly generous and should meet the needs of most users.
When you flip open the screen, you’re greeted by a large trackpad, a fingerprint reader and a full 99-key SteelSeries keyboard featuring per-key RGB lighting—more on all of these later in the review. To my delight, MSI opted for upward-facing speakers, unlike many companies that still prefer downward-firing ones, which often get muffled by a bed or your lap when using the laptop away from a table or desk.
MSI’s choice of materials is impressive when it comes to this years Stealth A16 AI+. The entire laptop chassis features a magnesium-aluminum alloy build that is rigid enough to minimize overall deck flex when typing or gaming aggressively yet light enough to reduce the overall weight to just 2.1 kg.
Unlike most gaming laptops on the market that have an appearance screaming they’re gaming units, MSI stays true to the Stealth name with a subtle matte black design that wouldn’t look out of place in a professional business setting or workplace. Even the MSI dragon logo blends into the lid, further concealing its true identity—like a superhero hiding their persona.
Display
Displays are your gateway to an immersive experience when using a device, but in many cases, gaming laptops tend to get the short end of the stick. Fortunately, MSI has incorporated an impressive display into the Stealth A16 AI+. With a QHD resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio, you can truly immerse yourself in your games with even crisper graphics.
Colour accuracy is also excellent, delivering full 100% DCI-P3 coverage on both IPS and OLED options, making colours more vibrant and rich during use. But MSI didn’t stop there—they’ve also provided up to a 240 Hz refresh rate, offering exceptionally smooth gameplay and video playback. Returning to my 60 Hz display on my Ultrabook was not an easy task—everything felt sluggish in comparison.
Audio/Speakers
To further enhance your gaming and media consumption needs, MSI has gone beyond conventional gaming laptops by equipping the Stealth A16 AI+ with six Hi-Res Audio-certified speakers that support Nahimic by SteelSeries. During my testing, these speakers may not have competed with high-end Ultrabooks, but I found them significantly better than those in gaming laptops I’ve owned or tested in the past. While a little extra bass would certainly improve the overall sound quality, I still found the audio more than pleasant and was able to easily immerse myself in whatever I was playing or watching.
Keyboard/TouchPad
Keyboards and touchpads have often been areas where gaming laptops fall short. Whether it’s the keyboard feeling too mushy, the keys lacking stability, or the touchpads being too small or unresponsive, these have long been aspects I felt needed improvement. Thankfully, MSI has done an impressive job this year with the Stealth A16 AI+.
For starters, the keyboard keys are well-stabilized—almost comparable to my HP EliteBook—allowing me to reach my full typing speed quickly and easily. This also made gaming a much more enjoyable experience, as I rarely encountered accidental or missed key presses. The addition of a number pad was another welcome feature, though I found it slightly cramped compared to other 16-inch gaming laptops, such as the HP Victus 16. Still, as the saying goes, something is better than nothing, and I’m glad MSI chose to include it.
MSI has also integrated per-key RGB lighting, which can be exceptionally helpful for colour-coding keys based on command categories such as movement, weapon selection, and other frequently used actions. When not gaming, I generally set the lighting to a solid colour to minimize distractions while working. However, I do wish the white lighting was closer to true white, as it had a noticeable blue tint compared to other brands.
The touchpad is one of the largest I’ve seen on a gaming laptop—almost larger than my phone. At no point did I find myself running out of space during day-to-day use, and even while gaming, its accuracy was impressive. To my relief, MSI opted for a traditional diving-board-style touchpad rather than the haptic feedback models that more laptops are beginning to adopt.
Battery Performance
Battery life has often been an area where gaming laptops fall short. Most manufacturers tend to install smaller batteries that struggle to support high-performance hardware for extended periods. MSI has pushed the Stealth A16 AI+ to its limits by installing a 99.99-watt-hour battery—the largest legally allowed on airplanes and one of the biggest I’ve seen in any laptop.
“When it came to gaming, this was by far my best experience on any system I have used.”
When using the laptop for lighter tasks such as web browsing, emailing and typing documents, I consistently achieved an impressive 8–10 hours of use on a single charge. It would be easy to take this to work and get through nearly a full day at the office before needing to recharge. While this may not match the battery life of less powerful Ultrabooks, it’s remarkable for a machine of this size and performance class. The Asus Zephyrus G14 I previously owned was the only gaming laptop I’ve used that offered more, reaching over 10 hours. However, its smaller size meant it didn’t require as much power as the MSI.
Not surprisingly, gaming results in significantly less battery life. However, the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ still impressed me in this regard. Depending on the game, I could often get a few hours of gaming on a single charge.
Performance
I am always blown away each year as each new generation of chips is released, and I get to see what they are capable of. This MSI was no exception and did not disappoint. Running benchmark tests such as Cinebench R23 or 3DMark — often considered industry standards — is a common method I use to assess performance. In Cinebench, I achieved a score of 20,372, making this one of the best results I have seen to date on any laptop. 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark produced a result of 9,387, which is equally impressive.
“I was truly amazed by how much MSI was able to pack into such a sleek-looking gaming laptop.”
When it came to gaming, this was by far my best experience on any system I have used. Whether playing highly demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077, GTA V or BeamNG, nothing stood in the way of the MSI Stealth A16 from delivering crystal-clear visuals and smooth gaming sessions, even when cranking settings to their absolute maximum to push the system to its limits. While my unit “only” came with an Nvidia 4060, other versions are available with a 4070 or even 50-series graphics cards to further enhance the experience.
The entire time I was gaming, I had the laptop on my lap and never felt it getting too hot for comfort — neither on my legs nor on my hands while using the keyboard. MSI has done an excellent job keeping the system cool to the touch with its thermal solution, which is something anyone who pushes the system hard will truly appreciate. To further aid cooling, MSI includes a hotkey to boost fan speed and help reduce internal heat, though it can get quite loud in quieter environments.
Upgradability
Future-proofing the MSI Stealth A16 AI+ is, unfortunately, one aspect where I find myself with mixed emotions. While my unit has impressive hardware on board, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, meaning I can’t upgrade it later should the need arise. However, you can install a total of two NVMe drives to maximize your storage needs, allowing you to bring your entire game library with you on the go — or load up with tons of music and movies, as I am often guilty of doing.
To wrap everything up, I was truly amazed by how much MSI was able to pack into such a sleek-looking gaming laptop. Its appearance makes it suitable for nearly any environment where you may need a laptop, and it has the power and endurance to get you through a full day or handle even your most demanding gaming sessions. I easily managed to use all my devices at once thanks to its generous offering of ports, and I look forward to seeing what more I’ll be able to accomplish in my time using the Stealth A16.