MSI Creator Z16: MacBook competition from MSI

With the Creator Z16, MSI has introduced a new member of the Creator series, which is aimed at professional creatives. Equipped with Intel’s Tiger Lake H processor and the GeForce RTX 3060 as well as a QHD display, it acts as a MacBook competitor.

A lot of performance in the Creator Z16

Those interested in the new Creator Z16 have the choice between the Core i7-11800H, which comes with eight cores, sixteen threads and clock speeds of up to 4.6 GHz, and the Core i9-11900H, which manages clock speeds of up to 4.9 GHz. In both cases, the Creator Z16 presents itself as an extremely powerful device. In addition, the GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card from Nvidia provides 6 GB of GDDR6 graphics memory and up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM. Meanwhile, a maximum of two M.2 SSDs provide enough storage space.

QHD display and mini-LED keyboard

Video and photo editing also require the QHD display, which measures sixteen inches diagonally, offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz and can also function as a touchscreen. In 16:10 format, it not only offers a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, but also a brightness of 400 nits and full DCI-P3 coverage.

Besides the display, the device’s keyboard stands out, which is equipped with mini LEDs. MSI not only increases the luminosity of the keyboard illumination by up to 28 percent, but also breaks new ground: A notebook with such a keyboard is not yet available on the market. The installation of the light elements should not only increase the luminosity, but also reduce the power consumption of the keyboard illumination – by up to 23 percent. Furthermore, this form of keyboard illumination offers the advantage that each key can be controlled individually.

Prices and availability

It is not yet known when the device will be available in this country. In the US, it is supposed to be launched in the near future and cost around $2,600 with minimum equipment.