MSI Summit E16 Flip review: A solid laptop for content creators

MSI made its title with gaming laptops and desktops however has expanded to the place it now provides a wide range of enterprise laptops. The Summit sequence sits on the prime of its three enterprise laptop computer strains and provides high-end options not accessible on the Prestige and Modern fashions. The Summit E16 Flip is the most recent addition to the Summit sequence. It’s a 2-in-1 convertible laptop computer with a roomy 16-inch show powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

As a laptop computer, the massive, high-resolution show offers content material creators room to work and its 165Hz refresh price helps you to dabble in some gaming after hours. As a pill, the Summit E16 gives an enormous canvas on which digital artists can jot, draw, and sketch with the included energetic pen. It’s much less of a match as a general-use pill, nevertheless, as a result of it’s a bit too large and heavy to carry one-handed. With its high-end {hardware}, large show, and excessive worth, the E16 Flip is a specialised 2-in-1 for inventive professionals relatively than enterprise executives in search of a flexible system that can be utilized equally as a laptop computer and pill.

MSI Summit E16 Flip specs and options

Our MSI Summit E16 Flip (mannequin A12UDT-006) is promoting for $1,999 at Amazon and Newegg and options the next specs: 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1260P
• Memory: 32GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti @ 40 Watt TGP
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 16.0 inch,16:10, 2560 x 1600 decision with 165Hz refresh price
• Webcam: 1080p with kill change
• Connectivity: Left aspect: 2 x USB-C (with Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1. Right aspect: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, microSD card reader, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: IR facial recognition, fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 82 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.12 x 10.15 x 0.70 inches
• Measured weight: 4.35 kilos (laptop computer), 0.79 kilos (AC adapter)
• Price: $1,699

The baseline MSI Summit E16 Flip mannequin is presently promoting for $1,699 and options the identical Core i7 CPU as our check system, however drops you right down to 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and RTX 3050 graphics. The center configuration prices $1,899 for the Core i7 half, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and RTX 3050 Ti graphics. All three fashions are primarily based on the 16-inch, 2560×1600 contact show and include Windows 11 Pro.

Better laptop computer than pill

A 16-inch 16:10 show is a well-liked decide amongst laptops geared towards content material creation and for good motive: it gives ample display screen actual property with out getting too unwieldy. It’s simpler to hold in your commute or right down to your native espresso store than a burdensome 17.3-inch 16:9 laptop computer. A 16-inch 16:10 laptop computer could be extra compact and lighter, in truth, than a 15.6-inch 16:9 laptop computer. The Summit E16 Flip is considered one of numerous latest examples of a 16-inch content material creation laptop computer with a squarer 16:10 side ratio. It follows the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED and the HP Spectre x360 16, and the Dell XPS 17 could be included on this group however is an inch bigger with a 17-inch 16:10 show.

The Flip’s show is just not solely large, but it surely’s additionally brilliant. It’s rated for 500 nits of brightness, and we measured it to be barely brighter than that. Its 2560 x 1600 decision creates a crisp picture and one which we discovered produced correct colours. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. The Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED and the HP Spectre x360 16 every function a 4K show, however the 2560 x 1600 decision gives ample pixel density on a 16-inch show that we aren’t craving for the next decision on the Flip.

What we’re left wanting is an OLED panel that each the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED and the HP Spectre x360 16 have. An OLED panel boasts unparalleled distinction with true black. The Flip’s distinction ratio is respectable, however it will possibly’t match that of an OLED show.

MSI contains an energetic pen with the Summit E16 Flip however provides no place on the system the place you may stow it. The pen affixes magnetically to the left aspect of the laptop computer, which helps preserve issues organized in your desk however is much less helpful than a garaged pen could be throughout transit. The massive show makes the system awkward to deal with in pill mode; the system is simply too large and heavy to deal with one-handed. Digital artists, nevertheless, will respect the massive canvas. While it’s too large for easy note-taking, it’s a terrific match for content material creation.

The Flip will not be the most effective match for all tablet-related endeavors, however it should serve you properly as a laptop computer. The roomy show offers you the wanted area for multitasking and juggling a number of home windows, and the laptop computer stays impressively skinny and pretty gentle. It’s solely 0.7 inches thick and weighs an inexpensive 4.35 kilos. That’s gentle sufficient to tackle a each day commute and on par with different 16-inch 16:10 laptops we’ve reviewed not too long ago. By comparability the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED weighs 4.30 kilos, and the HP Spectre x360 16 weighs 4.45 kilos.  

While it’s not as cumbersome as a gaming laptop computer, it will possibly definitely sound like one when its cooling followers rev up. During basic Windows use, the Flip operates in close to silence, however it will possibly get fairly loud when its followers are spinning at most velocity throughout intensive graphics duties.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The Summit E16 Flip is gentle sufficient to take to the workplace every day and likewise seems to be the half. The laptop computer options an all-metal, corporate-black chassis with minimal adornment. There is an MSI brand on the lid and one other on the underside bezel beneath the show, however each are black and mix in with the remainder of the monochrome look. The keyboard and touchpad are each black, and the one little bit of chrome to be discovered is the slim border framing the touchpad.

Webcam goes to 1080p

A 16-inch 16:10 laptop computer is a tweener by way of together with a numpad; some fashions just like the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED embody it and others just like the HP Spectre x360 16 don’t. The Flip suits in a numpad and does so with out placing the squeeze on the keyboard itself. The keyboard feels snug with the best Ctrl, Fn and Shift keys the one keys shortened because of the inclusion of the numpad. You do get 4, full-sized arrow keys, which regularly get the half-height remedy with the presence of a numpad. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The keys themselves really feel delicate with shallow journey. I might have most well-liked a snappier response when typing however loved the agency keyboard deck that had no trace of flex. I additionally preferred the three-level keyboard backlighting; it let me preserve the lighting on the proper degree in a wide range of darkened environments.

The touchpad is spacious and responsive. It precisely recorded my swipes and mousing gestures, and its click on response is neither too mushy nor too agency.

Secure logins are necessary for any laptop computer and notably so on a enterprise machine, and the Summit E16 Flip doesn’t disappoint by offering an IR webcam and a fingerprint reader. The IR cam helps you to use your face to log in through Windows Hello. And the webcam boasts a 1080p decision that may make you look clearer on video calls than a 720p cam. There’s no bodily shutter for the webcam, however there’s a change on the system’s left edge that kills the ability to the digicam to guard your privateness.

The laptop computer’s audio system are underwhelming. They don’t get very loud and sound tinny with nothing in the best way of bass response. They’ll suffice for video calls and YouTube, however you’ll need headphones for music playback. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

A pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 assist spotlight the Summit E16 Flip’s connectivity. It additionally options two USB Type A ports on the best aspect for connecting a mouse and older USB units while not having a dongle. The inclusion of a microSD card slot can be an appreciated inclusion.

MSI Summit E16 Flip efficiency

Our MSI Summit E16 Flip options an Intel Core i7-1260P processor, 32GB of RAM, RTX 3050 Ti graphics, and a 1TB SSD. The Core i7-1260P is a member of Intel’s Alder Lake-P sequence that’s the chipmaker’s new mainstream providing that gives efficiency whereas nonetheless permitting thin-and-light designs. These are 28-watt chips with Intel’s new hybrid structure with efficiency and effectivity cores. The Core i7-1260P has 4 efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 16 processing threads.

Because we evaluation extra gaming laptops than content-creation laptops, we now have pulled in some gaming programs to make use of as comparisons for the Flip. All function lower-end GeForce RTX graphics, both a RTX 3050, 3050 Ti or 3060 GPU. You’ll see a mixture of 11th- and 12th-gen Intel chips together with two AMD-based programs. The MSI Katana GF66 and Katana GF76 are the opposite two laptops with 12th-gen Alder Lake chips with the Flip.

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, net searching, and video chats. The two MSI Katana laptops led the pack, and the Dell XPS 17 snuck in forward of the Summit E16 Flip regardless that it makes use of a previous-generation CPU. Still, a rating above 6,000 is great and proves the Flip is overqualified as a productiveness machine.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark checks how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU masses over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Flip crushed the competitors on HandBrake and even edged the pair of MSI Kanata laptops that function a higher-powered, much less environment friendly 12th-gen Core i7 chip.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive check however one which renders a fancy 2D scene over a brief time period. The Flip did properly, however the two MSI Katanas have been capable of overtake it on the multi-threaded check.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Even although it’s geared extra towards content material creation and media modifying than 3D gaming, the Flip did properly on 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark. It took third place behind the RTX 3060-based Dell XPS 17 and the higher-end of the 2 MSI Katana laptops.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Although it’s not a gaming laptop computer, we needed to see how the Flip would possibly do as an after-hours gaming machine and ran two of our 3D gaming benchmarks, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Metro Exodus. It turned in a playable 64 fps when operating the older Rise of the Tomb Raider recreation at 1080p on Very High presets. On the extra demanding Metro Exodus, it managed solely 21 fps, however the RTX 3060-based Dell XPS 17 didn’t fare significantly better.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

To check the battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 11’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display screen brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an efficient brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. With its massive, high-resolution show, the Flip lasted simply over 9 hours, which could get you thru a workday on a single cost however not by sufficient that you may go away the charger at residence.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Alas, it’s OLED-less

As a lot as we love the expansive 16-inch 16:10 show in laptop computer mode, we warning you from lumping the MSI Summit E16 Flip in with the remainder of the 2-in-1 enterprise convertible crowd. We’ve seen smaller convertibles just like the Lenovo Yoga 9i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio that present much less display screen actual property however better versatility as a result of they really feel extra pure in pill mode. The Summit E16 Flip, in distinction, is a convertible that converts between a luxuriously massive laptop computer and content-creation pill for drawing or sketching or in any other case utilizing a particular graphics program. You won’t wish to navigate Windows or browse the Web in pill mode on the Flip with any nice frequency.

As a laptop computer, the Flip is impressively skinny and pretty moveable, given the scale of its show. The show is large and brilliant with a excessive decision, however the HP Spectre x360 16 convertible and the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X laptop computer are related 16-inch 16:10 fashions across the identical worth that serve up an OLED show, which is a function we’d think about is greater on any inventive professional’s want checklist for his or her subsequent laptop computer. We hope MSI delivers OLED goodness with the following replace to the Flip.