Designed specifically for content creators and professionals, Creator Z16 A11UET laptop features the Intel Core i9-11900H, 32GB DDR4 and the RTX 3060.
Product on Review: Creator Z16 A11UET-056AU
Manufacturer: MSI
Street Price: GBP £2500 | USD $2599 | AUD $3699
MSI has for a long time focussed solely on the gaming industry with their laptop models, but in the last year or two that direction has moved in a slightly different direction as the company now provides an option for the content developers and professionals. This movement steps away from a traditional gaming “look” and takes inspiration from the sleek, understated curves found in Apple’s camp.
Today we’ll be taking a look at the MSI Creator Z16; a 16-inch laptop designed for professionals. Inside the model we’ll be examining, we have the Intel Core i9-11900H, 32GB DDR4 and the RTX 3060. MSI has also equipped Z16 with a Quad-HD multi-touch screen that has a 120Hz refresh.
MSI on their Z16
The finest creations are often based upon precise calculation and design. Some of the most representative works come from the Renaissance, the era that’s known for mathematic and geometrical beauty formed by the “Golden Ratio”. From the era of The Renaissance, the scientific revolution, and The Enlightenment, the great evolutions are all built upon the craftsmanship of humanistic aesthetics and science. Our new Creator Z16 applies the Golden Ratio on product design with innovative technology, leading you into a new chapter “Technology meets Aesthetic”.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical details surrounding the Creator Z16 from MSI:
OS
Windows 10 Pro
Display
16″ (2560×1600) 120Hz DCI-P3 Touch Panel
CPU
Intel Core i9-11900H
Graphics
NVIDIA RTX 3060 (6GB)
Memory
32GB (2×16) DDR4 (3200MHz)
SSD
1x 1TB M.2 SSD Gen4
Webcam
720p / 30fps
Communication
WiFi – 802.11ax (WiFi 6e)
Audio Jack
1x Mic-in 1x Headphone-out
USB 3.2 Gen2
2x
Thunderbolt 4
2x
Card Reader
Micro SD Card Slot
Video Out
None
Battery (Type)
4-Cell Li-Ion 90Wh
AC Adapter
180W adapter
Dimension (WxDxH) mm
359 x 256 x 16.8
Weight (kg w/ Battery)
2.2 KG
Windows 10 Pro
Display
16″ (2560×1600) 120Hz DCI-P3 Touch Panel
CPU
Intel Core i9-11900H
Graphics
NVIDIA RTX 3060 (6GB)
Memory
32GB (2×16) DDR4 (3200MHz)
SSD
1x 1TB M.2 SSD Gen4
Webcam
720p / 30fps
Communication
WiFi – 802.11ax (WiFi 6e)
Audio Jack
1x Mic-in 1x Headphone-out
USB 3.2 Gen2
2x
Thunderbolt 4
2x
Card Reader
Micro SD Card Slot
Video Out
None
Battery (Type)
4-Cell Li-Ion 90Wh
AC Adapter
180W adapter
Dimension (WxDxH) mm
359 x 256 x 16.8
Weight (kg w/ Battery)
2.2 KG
Closer Look Video Review
For this review we’ve produced a video which reveals a close, detailed overview of Z16. Please check out the video below for a comprehensive look at this new product:
Benchmarks: Temperatures
For our first benchmark test we observe the max. CPU/GPU temperatures of the system while allowing Unigine Heaven 4.0 to run on a 30 minute loop. To report back on the temperatures we use CoreTemp and GPU-Z which provide the peak figures.
Benchmarks: Boot Time & Battery Uptime
In this test we observe how fast the boot into Windows 10 is by using a digital stopwatch. Battery uptime is another important observation, for this we charge the notebook up to 100% and then disconnect the charging unit and leave Heaven 4.0 running on a continuous loop until the notebook loses all power.
Benchmarks: Cinebench R20 & 7-Zip
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user. Best of all: It’s free.
Benchmarks: PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is the latest version in our series of industry standard PC benchmarks. Updated for Windows 10 with new and improved workloads, PCMark 10 is also faster and easier to use.
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With express, extended, and custom run options to suit your needs, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With express, extended, and custom run options to suit your needs, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
Benchmarks: 3DMark TimeSpy & Port Royal
Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark test for gaming PCs running Windows 10. With its pure DirectX 12 engine, built from the ground up to support new API features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading, Time Spy is the ideal benchmark for testing the DirectX 12 performance of the latest graphics cards.
Benchmarks: Metro Exodus, Apex Legends, AC: Odyssey, Fortnite
Z16 uses the RTX 3060 for graphics delivery, in this section we test popular gaming titles to see how effective the 3D capabilities are. We report on the average framerate using FRAPS or in-game benchmark tool.
Conclusion
This is the first laptop we’ve reviewed which features the Intel Core i9-11900H and its performance is impressive. Placing such a processor inside a laptop which has more of a focus on content creation is a good move by MSI, especially when it’s combined with 32GB DDR4.
In the graphics department, MSI has chosen to equip Creator Z16 with the mid-range RTX 3060 which has 6GB VRAM. Admittedly, this GPU does fall behind the rest of the hardware specification and a laptop of this nature should feature no less than the RTX 3070. With content development tasks aside, if Z16 is to be dabble in some gaming, indeed, the RTX 3060 and 2560×1600 is a difficult challenge. We found, even in the less-demanding games that frame rates under the high detail preset dipped below 60 FPS.
The display on our Z16 is stunning. It is super-sharp, features a 120Hz refresh and comes with DCI-P2 gamut. Although it may not be a deal breaker, this display is also a multi-touch screen – which will extend the functionality in certain situations.
Adding in dual Thunderbolt 4 ports is something that users looking at this laptop will expect. Not only can these ports allow for fast data transfers to compatible devices, but they also carry a video signal – giving the option to output to a dedicated display, should you require it.
Pricing for Creator Z16 sees it hit the shelves at: GBP £2500 | USD $2599 | AUD $3699. It also arrives with a decent 2 year warranty.
MSI has clearly got their sights on offering a Macbook Pro alternative for the professional. The Creator Z16 is a beautiful laptop which is packed with great features and handles the work environment well.
Pros
+ Beautiful design
+ Sharp, 16” touch display w/ 120Hz refresh
+ Supplies dual Thunderbolt 4 ports
+ Features biometrics
+ RGB backlit keyboard
+ Dynaudio is impressive
+ Utilises powerful Intel i9 CPU
+ Comes with 32GB DDR4 – perfect for creators
+ Features a super-fast PCIe 4 SSD
+ 2 Years warranty
Cons
– Lacks HDMI/DP video outputs and ethernet ports
– Difficult to upgrade
– RTX 3060 holds performance back
+ Beautiful design
+ Sharp, 16” touch display w/ 120Hz refresh
+ Supplies dual Thunderbolt 4 ports
+ Features biometrics
+ RGB backlit keyboard
+ Dynaudio is impressive
+ Utilises powerful Intel i9 CPU
+ Comes with 32GB DDR4 – perfect for creators
+ Features a super-fast PCIe 4 SSD
+ 2 Years warranty
Cons
– Lacks HDMI/DP video outputs and ethernet ports
– Difficult to upgrade
– RTX 3060 holds performance back
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