Are you looking for a laptop with an innovative design and high performance? The MSI Prestige 15 A12UC is for you!

The MSI Prestige 15 is an ambitious laptop with premium quality with a surprisingly affordable price tag– so it's worth a bargain for everyone!  

MSI or Micro-Star International stands out in the tech industry for manufacturing top-notch laptops, desktops, and components. If you check out everything the company makes, you can immerse completely in its product line.  

If you look at its gaming line, you'll see its Prestige series has evolved from the MSI PC performance and power into a thin-and-light portable device. What results is a slim and powerful laptop that, even though less polished than flagship models tailored for creative professionals and hardcore gamers, offers plenty of features to handle your productivity and creativity on the go. 

Given that, the Prestige 15's wows with its architecture – the exterior boasts diamond-cut edges and sandblasted elements. You'll get an Intel Core i7 processor and dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Max-Q graphics inside. 

Still, does MSI Prestige 15 claim a spot on your best laptop list? Read the complete review to find out!  

MSI Prestige 15 Gaming Laptop | A Comprehensive Review

MSI Prestige 15 Intel Core i7-1280P

 

Pros

Cons
  • Core i7 Processor ideal for gaming and professional work  
  • Underwhelming build quality 
  • Sleek display 
  • Average trackpad  
  • Lightweight and excellent design  
  • No security lock slot 
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI, and USB-A ports. 

 
  • All-day battery life 

 
  • Impressive keyboard 

 

Specifications 

CPU 

Intel Core i7 Processor 

Screen Size 

15.6 inches 

Maximum Resolution 

1920 x 1080 

RAM 

8 GB GB 

SSD 

512 GB 

Graphics 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Max-Q Graphics 

Operating System 

Windows 11 Home Advanced  

Colour 

Grey  

Screen Refresh Rate 

60 Hz 

Keyboard 

Backlit  

Weight 

1.69 kg 

Connectivity 

HDMI 2.0, Headphone / Mic, MicroSD Card Reader, Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A 

Warranty  

1 Year  

Security  

Discrete TPM2.0 

Fingerprint Sensor 

Aesthetics and Build

Over a long time, MSI has become the talk of the town due to its unfussy aesthetic. If you look at the exterior, the Prestige 15 comes with diamond-cut edges that are clean and gently curved, and you will not see any extraneous finish elements. So, MSI Prestige 15 A12UC has a minimal and classy look, making it the best choice for people looking for a laptop that showcases their personality and style.  

The Prestige 15 comes in two colours: silver or grey. These colours will not disappoint you in their shimmering quality and decent ruggedness. It is crafted with aluminium and plastic, so you don't have to worry about durability and reliability. Although it lacks the drop-hinge architecture seen in its counterparts, the screen can easily fold back to lie flat against the surface. 

On the left side, you'll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.0 output. Two full-size USB ports and a microSD slot are on the right side. On the front of the screen is a webcam that provides the functionality of Windows Hello but a very average image quality.  

This MSI gaming laptop excels in portability point of view, with a weight of 1.69kg and being only 18.9mm thick and 357mm wide.  

On the other hand, if we compare Prestige 15 with Dell and Huawei laptops, they are thinner in shape but are bulkier than Prestige.  

According to MSI claims, The Prestige 15 gaming laptop has been undergone by MIL-STD-810G testing, indicating that it can withstand shocks, dips, and falls. So, overall, this MSI Prestige 15 is a masterpiece that can easily survive daily bumps and extreme conditions, combining compelling design with ample connectivity options.  

Display

While the aesthetics are the best hit, the MSI prestige series also measures up to the display quality. The Prestige 15 boasts an IPS panel, best known for its incredible colour accuracy and consistency. This panel type includes high response times and non-touch-based distortion.  

So, let's come to the display size and features. The screen is 15.6 in length and includes a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920 x 1080 resolution, which is adequate for basic computing and everyday tasks.  

The display also boasts good quality, with a brightness of 339 nits, perfect for indoor and outdoor. That figure combines with a black point of 0.27 nits to deliver a contrast ratio of 1,256:1, which is pretty okay in a machine with this price tag. With this much contrast ratio, you can rest assured that you'll get ample depth in dark areas and high vibrancy in brighter parts.  

Likewise, a 60 Hz refresh rate is adequate for single-player games and light multitasking. The bad news here is that Prestige may need to catch up when compared with its rivals. The Dell XPS 15's 16:10 aspect ratio, at 500 nits, and Huawei's 3:2 aspect ratio with Ultra HD resolution means they rank higher in image sharpness and accuracy.  

MSI Prestige 15 is a budget-friendly device, so you may have to compromise on some points. It is appropriate for most tasks but may not be optimal for applications that need absolute colour precision.  

Performance

The MSI Prestige 15 A12UC (9S7-16S811-034) outperforms its counterparts due to its excellent configurations.  

Let's discuss the processing power. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-1280P chip, known for its single-threaded Geekbench score 1,448. This processor type is designed for slimmer and lighter gaming devices and includes six Performance cores with a 4.8GHz top speed. Overall, it's an impressive CPU that consumes far less energy and ultimately helps you save on electricity bills.  

The MSI Prestige has enough processing capabilities for basic computing tasks but may need more high-end activities like video editing. However, you should not consider this device if your main concerns involve 3D gaming and content creation.   

Now, come to the graphics features. The Prestige 15 has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 entry-level mobile graphics chip with power consumption of up to 40W rather than 80W. The performance of this chip may be less than other Nvidia 3050 GPUs in the desktop PCs.  

The MSI laptop does an excellent job in 3D performance, but due to low graphics power, Prestige 15 cannot be marketed as the best gaming device. It managed to keep 63 frames per second steady when playing Sim Racing on Ultra graphics settings. However, don't expect it to tackle the most demanding games.  

Other performance features of Prestige 15 are just average. You'll get 8 GB of DDR4 RAM soldered to the motherboard, so upgrades are impossible. The SSD's read and write speeds are good, but its 512GB capacity will need to be increased for a few titles. The good news is that if you are not a dedicated gamer or professional., this storage room is adequate.  

The MSI Prestige's performance capabilities are fine for everyday workloads, eSport titles, and casual games, but you'll find more power elsewhere.  

Keyboard and Touchpad 

Prestige 15 A12UC will satisfy you regarding keyboard and touchpad ergonomics. The keyboard is smooth and comfortable so that you will forget the flexing base. The keys have a respectable 1.5mm of travel, and the typing experience is outstanding—crisp, quick, and comfortable for longer hours of operations. The backlight is also brilliant as compared to Dell and Huawei laptops. 

The only dissatisfaction is its layout. Undoubtedly, you'll get full-sized buttons and extra Page Up and Page Down keys. Negatively, the Prestige 15 lacks a number pad, a single-height Return key, and a tiny Function key. Under the hood, the key pushes are relatively noisy. 

Let's move toward the trackpad. It is inconsistent, comprehensive, and sleek. It also incorporates a fingerprint reader but a very ordinary design, which makes clicks at the bottom too soft and deep, and they demand too much force at the top. 

I/O Ports

Besides its excellent aesthetics and high performance, you'll get a decent collection of ports. You'll find two Thunderbolt 4 connections on the left side and an HDMI 2.0 output. Two USB ports and a microSD card slot are on the right edge. These ports and connectivity options are essential because they provide numerous alternatives for attaching monitors, peripherals, and external storage. 

Battery Life

The MSI 15 A12UC (9S7-16S811-034) laptop may not outperform its competition in many areas, but its battery performance stands out. The MSI can last approximately 12 hours in a typical daily computing activity, and this battery capacity is three times higher than Lenovo's and somewhat better than other laptops with this price tag.  

This much battery power is good if you use it for standard coding and development tasks.  

Price and Availability

The most impressive thing about the MSI Prestige series laptop is its affordability. The Prestige 15 A12UC (9S7-16S811-034) costs approximately £1200 in the UK.  

Given this price, you'll get a Core i7 processor with the RTX 3050, 8 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. The good news is that if you're in the UK, you can save cash with different configurations. You can grab a Core i5-1240P processor model for under £700; £800, you will get that CPU with RTX 3050 Ti graphics. 

You can purchase this device from the UK's Amazon, eBay, and Laptop Outlet. If you shop at Laptop Outlet, you may save up to £570.00, which will cost around £700.  

Final Thoughts 

The MSI Prestige 15 gaming laptop, despite its budget-friendly price, beats its most expensive rivals on excellent design, sleek display, high performance, keyboard quality, and connectivity. You can play games on it, so long as you don't expect to be throwing everything of ultra-high quality. Battery life is another incredible feature, and it's also lighter and slimmer than other MSI Prestige series laptops.  

Putting it all together, all we want to say is that you shouldn't neglect Prestige 15. It's a capable, lightweight, all-around laptop at an affordable price, making it an appealing alternative that won't disappoint you in performance and budget perspectives.  

So, are you ready to upgrade your device? Visit Laptop Outlet to get your hands on this incredible MSI gaming laptop for just £700. Act swiftly; this deal won't last forever!