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This Windows laptop is my pocket pick for best MacBook Pro alternative – and it’s $800 off

MSI/ZDNET

Gaming laptops have undergone an interesting metamorphosis these past five years or so. In the past, these devices were bulky and heavy, but over time, they have slimmed down to sport a sleek design. If you’re thinking of buying one of these new wave gaming laptops, I suggest the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, which is currently on sale.

Also: The best laptops for graphic designers

Over at Best Buy, the laptop is retailing for $2,500, a $800 discount. It houses decently powerful hardware, which consists of an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, an Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, 32GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. The CPU and GPU may be older models, but they’re still pretty powerful. Expect video games to run incredibly well and in ultra-high resolution.

Above the keyboard is a stunning 18-inch UltraHD+ display with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,560 pixels, or 4K. Image quality is nothing short of fantastic, and the 120Hz refresh rate ensures that on-screen animations feel lifelike. Even if you’re not a big gamer, I still recommend the Stealth 18 AI Studio for graphic design, 3D rendering, and just about any job that requires powerful hardware.

There are other notable features that are only mentioned on MSI’s listing page. Keeping the internals is a Vapor Chamber Cooler that manages the local temperature by directing hot air outside through heat vents. Support for Wi-Fi 7 ensures that you’ll always enjoy speedy wireless connections. Additionally, inside the Stealth 18 AI Studio<!–> is a six-speaker surround sound system finetuned by loudspeaker company Dynaudio to deliver an immersive audio experience few can replicate.

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As much as I think this laptop is great, there is one major issue — its size. 18 inches is pretty big for a device like this. It weighs over six pounds, so you may have some difficulty carrying it around. MSI also claims its model has a “day-to-night battery”. However, speaking from personal experience, a laptop with hardware like this doesn’t last for very long. All those high-end components demand a lot of energy.

Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

How I rated this deal

As per ZDNET’s rating system, I grant this deal a 3/5. $800 off this laptop is about a 25% discount. That’s pretty good for a machine like MSI’s Stealth 18 AI Studio. I strongly suggest taking advantage of the discount while it lasts.

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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com