For years, laptop makers have tried to make a Windows 10 version of the MacBook Pro, with some coming close, such as the Dell XPS 15, an impressively slim and powerful laptop. But the MacBook Pro still holds its own with its neat aluminum construction and very clean design.
But the new MSI Summit laptop series may change that. Best known for its gaming laptops and hardware, MSI is moving toward producing laptops for creators and professionals. Its latest creation is the Summit series, a slim aluminum-constructed machine with a new Intel Tiger Lake 11th generation processor.
The series consists of 15- and 14-inch models and a 13-inch 2-in-1 model. These models will be the Summit E15 and Summit B15, the Summit B14 and Summit E14, and the convertible Summit E13 Flip model.
The Summit B models will feature Intel's new Tiger Lake chip with Iris Xe GPU, while the E models will have Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics as an option. Other internal specifications include up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD storage, with additional NVMe slots on the Summit B15.
Displays will be available in 1080p touchscreen and non-touchscreen options, with a 4K non-touchscreen variant on standard laptop models. The 2-in-1 Summit E13 Flip will also feature a touchscreen, but MSI has not revealed resolution options for this machine.
Other specs include 10 hours of battery life, USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, USB Type-A and microSD card ports, and a 3.5 headphone/microphone combo jack. Oddly, the E14 lacks an HDMI port, slightly limiting its connectivity to displays.
Other little features include a fingerprint reader and facial recognition with Windows 10 Hello. The laptop is available in blue, gold, gray, and dark gray options, all with a matte finish that looks quite sleek.
Pricing for the Summit series has not been revealed; MSI could make these laptops business-specific, but such a move would be rather surprising.
However, if MSI can price the Summit series sharply, we could see a selection of laptops that could challenge the MacBook Pro 13 in terms of compactness and sharp design and offer better specs. The Summit laptop could also compete with laptops from Dell XPS 15, Lenovo, and Asus.
MSI has not yet revealed a release date for the Summit series. However, given that it will feature a Tiger Lake processor, it is expected to be available in mid-fall, perhaps in October or November.
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