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MagyarMSI Creator Z16P laptop in review: Creative work with an i9 and the RTX 3080 Ti
Expectations should be set correspondingly high for a device that costs just under 4,500 Euros (~$4,737). As such, the list of components reads like a collection of the best hardware currently available for laptops. With the Intel i9-12900H and the Nvidia GeForce 3080 Ti, the 16-incher even competes with powerful gaming laptops.
The difference, however, becomes clear even before you turn it on. The slim and elegant case can still be stored reasonably well in a bag or backpack in this format. This doesn't look like a gaming machine, but rather like a work device. This is, of course, matched by the display, which is precalibrated to almost completely cover the DCI-P3 color space and is ideally suited for video editing.
On the other hand, 4K or OLED have been left out, but this shouldn't result in any restrictions for creative work. It remains to be seen how well the fans can cope with the overwhelming energy consumption of an almost unrestrained Intel Alder Lake processor in such a small space.
While we reviewed the MSI Creator Z16 predecessor with a smaller graphics chip and "only" an i7, we now have the maxed-out version that requires twice as much power at its peak. There are also two less powerful versions. The MSI Creator Z16P with the i7-12700H and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is available for 1,000 Euros (~$1,053) less, depending on the rest of the configuration, but it still offers an identical display. An intermediate solution is to save on the graphics card by choosing the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max immediately presents itself as a logical comparison device. The Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 is also a direct competitor. It's also worth taking a look at the Alienware x17 R2, which has similar components, but has been designed with a considerably greater focus on continuous load.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.7 % | 06/2022 | MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 20.4 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 86.7 % | 11/2021 | MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.2 kg | 15.9 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 92.5 % | 11/2021 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max M1 Max, M1 Max 32-Core GPU | 2.2 kg | 16.8 mm | 16.20" | 3456x2234 | |
| 89.2 % | 05/2022 | Alienware x17 R2 P48E i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU | 3.1 kg | 20.9 mm | 17.30" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.7 % | 03/2022 | Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 22.4 mm | 16.00" | 3840x2400 | |
| 87.2 % | 06/2022 | Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 19.9 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 |
Case - Creator laptop housed in a solid chassis
Not only does the case look sober, but also quite premium. The aluminum display lid and keyboard frame provide the MSI Creator with a high degree of stability. In addition, the surface has been treated in such a way that it's almost impossible to get fingerprints on it. The bottom cover's plastic is by no means visible; you can only feel it.
What's remarkable, on the other hand, is the sturdiness of the construction. Nothing bends, gives way, or vibrates at any point. Even when it's open and you hold it from one corner, you can only sense a deformation at most, which is definitely something that has to be achieved with a weight of 2.4 kg. We didn't hear any noises either. This rigidity has a positive effect when using the laptop. The touchscreen hardly wobbles, which is due to the fact that it touches the surface with its own small rubber feet. Even during vigorous typing, the keyboard frame remains unaffected.
The size is quite average in comparison. Other 16-inch devices for media editing are similarly wide, deep, and thick. The display bezel is appropriately slim at just under 6 mm on the sides and 10 mm on the top. The MSI Creator Z16P only surpasses the competition in terms of weight. However, this isn't a surprise in view of the rich configuration.
On the other hand, a gaming laptop with comparable components, such as the Alienware x17 R2, is much heavier and bulkier. More space is needed for the cooling here, after all.
Connectivity - Only TB4 really does the MSI Creator justice
Connectivity seems rather poor. The single Thunderbolt 4 port is particularly striking, which just about does justice to the MSI Z16P's premium segment. The second USB-C port only manages 10 Gb/s, i.e. one fourth. At least a monitor can be connected here as well. However, there's no additional HDMI output, which would be handy on the road from time to time.
Overall, some things have been changed compared to the predecessor, but not exactly for the better. The second Thunderbolt 4 port was removed. There's also only one USB-A port. In addition, the USB-A port is now on the right, and both USB-C ports are on the left. If a full-size card slot hadn't finally been included instead of a microSD one, we could've called this a total step backwards.
SD card reader
The rather modest situation in terms of ports carries over to the card slot. With our AV Pro microSD 128 GB V60 reference card, not even the average value of all multimedia laptops could be achieved. Once again, the MSI Creator Z16 demonstrates how to do a better job.
Admittedly: Even large video files are copied in a short time. However, instead of 1 to 2 minutes, the MSI Creator Z16P now needs 5 minutes to read 25 GB, for example.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (17.6 - 226, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
The Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i almost inevitably puts the creative laptop at the top of the ranking. Although a correspondingly capable router is still necessary for these transfer rates, a modern Fritzbox is already sufficient for this.
Consequently, the fast wireless communication compensates a bit for the limited selection of ports or the lack of a LAN port.
| Networking - iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i 160MHz Wireless Network Adapter (1155 - 1714, n=19) | |
| Dell XPS 17 9720 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (701 - 1740, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 2022 M2 | |
Webcam
The 2 MP resolution ensures relatively detailed images, and it offers a sensible middle ground between high quality and low data volume, especially for video calls.
The four-way microphone also contributes to a pleasant video conferencing experience. Voices are picked up clearly from different directions and distances, even when speaking in the opposite direction. In addition, there are two software solutions to further boost the voice in the speakers and over the microphone in relation to ambient noise. This works quite well with street noise, for example.
Security
The high-priced laptop has two solid security features in the form of an IR sensor and a fingerprint scanner. They work reliably, but they don't do much more.
Maintenance
The MSI Creator Z16P is an impressive demonstration of how a laptop should be opened. Admittedly, one of the screws is under a seal. However, this is immediately recognizable as such. You have to loosen six identical cross-head screws, and afterwards, finger strength is enough (a pry tool is advisable, though) to pull off the entire bottom cover without damaging it.
A second M.2 slot for storage expansion is available and already equipped with a heat dissipating cover. The battery and RAM components can also be replaced without any hassle. Cleaning the fans is just as easy.
Input devices - Colorful illumination, limited precision
Keyboard
As soon as you start using the MSI Creator Z16P, the colorful keyboard illumination stands out. In addition to the preset effects, you can also select your own assignments, even separately for each individual key. Only the link to certain sensor values or the CPU load, for example, didn't work for us.
The keyboard itself has the usual standard size, so it's also suitable for users who are typing in a hurry. However, the limited feedback caused by the short travel could become a bit bothersome in the long run. This is perfectly acceptable for a laptop, especially since the counterpressure is very pleasant.
The model that we reviewed showed a green tint both when selecting a completely white color setting and a yellow color setting. MSI sent us the following statement in response: Because the white illumination is made up of the three basic colors of the RGB illumination, individual differences in the reproduction of the individual colors of the keyboard illumination are possible depending on the ambient light, and personal perception, all within the technical tolerances. The SteelSeries Engine 3 can be used to optimize the appearance according to one's own preferences and to find the most suitable color tone.
Touchpad
The comfortable size of the 8 by 13 cm touchpad in particular facilitates swift and versatile operation. The slightly roughened surface allows precise inputs with one to four fingers.
The lack of physical keys is less optimal. At the very least, the pressure point and necessary strength feel odd.
Touchscreen
Firm hinges and the two small rubber feet provide sufficient stability when using the touchscreen. It can be used precisely and without problems. However, using the fingers inevitably leaves marks that interfere with the display's high-quality reproduction.
The MSI Pen, which is therefore highly recommended, isn't included despite the significant price. There's no slot for the pen in the case, either, which could have certainly been found.
Display - Creator laptop with an almost perfect color accuracy
Even without OLED technology and a 4K resolution, the display rates can be described as excellent. The attempt to work with a 16-inch diagonal size without the recommended magnification of 150% shows that the 4 MP of the QHD+ resolution (2,560x1,600 pixels) is entirely sufficient. In addition, there's a maximum refresh rate of 165 hz.
The other image rates match the strong overall impression. The response time of 13 ms (gray-to-gray), the good contrast values, and the average brightness of just under 400 cd/m² essentially leave nothing to be desired.
It also makes sense that MSI did without an OLED display here. On the contrary, the IPS panel used here doesn't exhibit any PWM flickering. With an OLED panel, on the other hand, a trained eye would notice a smooth progression of black bars, especially at lower brightness levels. Therefore, users who want and need to look at fast video sequences to assess their quality will make the right choice here.
The drawback of the technology is screen bleeding. In combination with the slightly above-average brightness, slight halos can be seen at the bottom left and right when using a black background.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 428 cd/m²
Contrast: 1019:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.67 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 0.71
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.195
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST AUOD298, IPS True Pixel (~100% DCI-P3), 2560x1600, 16.00 | MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 AUO B160QAN02.P, IPS True Pixel, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max Mini-LED, 3456x2234, 16.20 | Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 Samsung SDC416B, AMOLED, 3840x2400, 16.00 | Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX NE160QDM-NZ2, IPS LED, 2560x1600, 16.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 4% | -1% | |||
| Display P3 Coverage | 97.6 | 100 2% | 97.3 0% | ||
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 100 0% | 100 0% | ||
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 86.8 | 96 11% | 84.9 -2% | ||
| Response Times | -9% | 75% | -4% | ||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 12.9 ? | 14 ? -9% | 2.4 ? 81% | 13.8 ? -7% | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 6.4 ? | 7 ? -9% | 2 ? 69% | 6.4 ? -0% | |
| PWM Frequency | 60 ? | ||||
| Screen | -31% | 329% | 457% | 13% | |
| Brightness middle | 428 | 375 -12% | 507 18% | 368 -14% | 498 16% |
| Brightness | 394 | 348 -12% | 494 25% | 368 -7% | 468 19% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 89 3% | 96 12% | 93 8% | 80 -7% |
| Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.41 2% | 0.02 95% | 0.01 98% | 0.36 14% |
| Contrast | 1019 | 915 -10% | 25350 2388% | 36800 3511% | 1383 36% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.67 | 2.59 -55% | 1.4 16% | 2.33 -40% | 1.77 -6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.71 | 7.08 -24% | 2.8 51% | 4.34 24% | 5.24 8% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.71 | 2.18 -207% | 0.63 11% | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.1 | 1.88 39% | 2.3 26% | 0.8 74% | 2.4 23% |
| Gamma | 2.195 100% | 2.37 93% | 2.27 97% | 2.119 104% | 2.14 103% |
| CCT | 6498 100% | 6470 100% | 6792 96% | 6569 99% | 7046 92% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -12% /
-20% | 329% /
329% | 266% /
380% | 3% /
8% |
* ... smaller is better
The display, which is exactly the same in all the variants of the multimedia laptop, is supposed to be precalibrated and offer nearly complete coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. This is exactly what our measurements confirm. The Delta E is 1.67. This means that no color deviations can be detected with the naked eye. After another calibration, the value even drops to 0.71. The respective file with the color profile is available for download in the field next to the display values.
The reproducible color space of 97.6% of DCI-P3 should also satisfy professional requirements, especially in terms of video editing. In contrast to the predecessor, the display is unable to fully handle the AdobeRGB color space, which extends much further into green.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 12.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.6 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18988 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Thanks to the rather high brightness, text remains legible even outdoors in sunlight. Only the colors look a bit paler. The reflective surface is hardly noticeable, at least not in direct sunlight. However, having background light from the sky is, as expected, very detrimental.
The IPS panel doesn't show any weaknesses in terms of viewing-angle stability. Even from an angle of almost 90 degrees, color distortions aren't perceptible.
Performance - Faster than the MSI Z16P? Tough!
With the Intel i9-12900H, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB of RAM, and a PCIe 4.0 SSD, there's basically no angle to improve the hardware even further.
The Intel Alder Lake i9-12900H processor with its six performance cores and eight efficiency cores reaches a peak of 5.0 GHz. A total of 20 threads result here. The L3 cache is also very generous at 24 MB.
The CPU's maximum supported memory of DDR5-4800 is installed. The two 16 GB modules can be replaced by two 32 GB modules to reach a total of 64 GB.
Apart from the version with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti that we're reviewing, the Z16P is also sold with an RTX 3080 and an RTX 3070 Ti.
One thing that the components have in common is their high power consumption. Admittedly, this is limited to 90 watts for the GPU, which is much lower than on a gaming laptop. On the other hand, the processor is assigned 160 watts for a short time, and 110 watts for up to one minute. Our performance tests need to show the extent to which the slim case's cooling is able to dissipate the enormous amount of heat.
Test conditions
With Center Pro, MSI offers a software solution that can easily adjust the creator laptop's performance to the current needs. In principle, we tried to run all tests in "Smart Auto" mode. In this case, the system informs the user via short messages when it changes its performance mode on its own.
Only in the gaming benchmarks was this not very reliable, since the laptop isn't designed for gaming, but for creative work. The "High Performance" mode provides help here. Furthermore, the effects of "Super Battery" shouldn't be underestimated. This can extend battery life by almost 30%.
Processor
It's not surprising that the i9-12900H finishes at the very top of the Cinebench endurance test, in view of its 14 cores, 20 threads, and 5.0 GHz speed at its peak. Above all, the gap to the predecessor with the i7-11800H is impressive.
Furthermore, it's visible that the Creator Z16P only needs minimal cooling phases in order to be able to access almost its full performance. Although the Alienware x17 R2 gaming laptop demonstrates how to do a better job of cooling, the drop of almost 6% in the endurance test is more than acceptable.
The situation is a bit different in the stress test: Without any breathers, the power consumption and clock rate need to be reduced significantly. In this particular case, the power supply drops from 110 to only 25 watts. However, this scenario isn't really realistic for a creator laptop.
Performance is essentially reduced instantaneously on battery power.
Cinebench R15 Multi endurance test
| Cinebench R23 | |
| Multi Core | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (7647 - 19648, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3127 - 30789, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Single Core | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1698 - 1921, n=22) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (819 - 2110, n=102, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Cinebench R20 | |
| CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (2922 - 7471, n=22) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1192 - 11768, n=102, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| CPU (Single Core) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (653 - 738, n=22) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (316 - 812, n=102, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| Cinebench R15 | |
| CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1561 - 3077, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (570 - 4703, n=113, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (243 - 277, n=23) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (119 - 308, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (107 - 956, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (160 - 415, n=22) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 | |
| 7z b 4 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (37614 - 76677, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (11813 - 119900, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (5302 - 6289, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average of class Multimedia (2898 - 7163, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Multi-Core | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (8519 - 14376, n=23) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3307 - 20053, n=106, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Single-Core | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1647 - 1892, n=23) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (843 - 2137, n=106, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (9.16 - 22.5, n=22) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4.12 - 30.5, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Average of class Multimedia (6.7 - 89.1, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (38 - 59.8, n=22) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (0.3826 - 0.994, n=96, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (0.4218 - 0.503, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (2677 - 27340, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (4074 - 18289, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (12762 - 136048, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (22307 - 93236, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1378 - 4215, n=22) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (841 - 6681, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (78668 - 111241, n=22) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (31314 - 134321, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (5709 - 10410, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3099 - 15484, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7417 - 68591, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (11257 - 45581, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (31935 - 151546, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (16367 - 151546, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (449 - 1193, n=22) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (228 - 1901, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (2235 - 10511, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1501 - 14155, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (20960 - 48269, n=23) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7419 - 52727, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
System performance
As expected, the MSI Creator Z16P scores excellently in terms of system performance. Traditional tasks like browsing in countless tabs, a bit of image editing in between, or a video call, as well as general multitasking don't cause the laptop any trouble at all.
Consequently, our PCMark 10 test also shows consistently excellent rates, which are only surpassed by the Alienware x17 R2. On the other hand, our review unit manages to secure a top spot among multimedia laptops and is on par with the Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (7139 - 8083, n=6) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3580 - 8083, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (10254 - 11178, n=6) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7715 - 12144, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (9102 - 11186, n=6) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5462 - 11186, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (9847 - 12627, n=6) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (2679 - 11777, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 8083 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (34438 - 74264, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average of class Multimedia (20513 - 92447, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (36365 - 74642, n=22) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average of class Multimedia (22917 - 79656, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (32276 - 66275, n=22) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (20226 - 95196, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Average of class Multimedia (75 - 133.9, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (88 - 118.1, n=21) | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
Only the Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 is able to deliver a better rate in terms of DPC latencies. With just under 800 µs, the MSI Creator isn't suited for real-time audio editing. 4K video playback was mastered brilliantly, though. The system load stays in a very low range, and intermediate frames weren't dropped.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
The SSD can tap its full potential. Thanks to the PCIe 4.0 interface, it achieves almost 7,000 MB/s, and even the AS SSD copy benchmark results in almost 3,000 MB/s. The fact that a drop can be observed in the endurance test is due to the high internal temperature. The critical rate of 90 °C (~194 °F) is reached here, and the SSD throttles its speed.
The built-in 2 TB model provides just under 1,800 GB of free space. You can easily expand the storage capacity via the free M.2 slot, which is also equipped with PCIe 4.0.
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST Samsung PM9A1 MZVL22T0HBLB | MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 Phison 1TB SM2801T24GKBB4S-E162 | Alienware x17 R2 P48E 2x Samsung PM9A1 1TB (RAID 0) | Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 Phison ESR01TBMFCT | Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX Micron 3400 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFH | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive Performance Rating | ||||||
| Percent | 82.7 | 54.3 -34% | 62.3 -25% | 86.7 5% | 71.3 -14% | 45.7 -45% |
| DiskSpd | -37% | -3% | 4% | -13% | -42% | |
| seq read | 4409 | 2561 -42% 2503 -43% | 4931 12% | 3819 -13% | 3595 -18% | 2611 ? -41% |
| seq write | 4357 | 2432 -44% 2421 -44% | 4819 11% | 4457 2% | 4599 6% | 2645 ? -39% |
| seq q8 t1 read | 6693 | 4999 -25% 4977 -26% | 13195 97% | 7028 5% | 6499 -3% | 4670 ? -30% |
| seq q8 t1 write | 4935 | 2425 -51% 2422 -51% | 8227 67% | 5004 1% | 4765 -3% | 3454 ? -30% |
| 4k q1 t1 read | 90.1 | 59.5 -34% 59 -35% | 79.3 -12% | 88.7 -2% | 70.3 -22% | 62.1 ? -31% |
| 4k q1 t1 write | 254 | 226 -11% 226 -11% | 170.2 -33% | 373 47% | 222 -13% | 175 ? -31% |
| 4k q32 t16 read | 4071 | 1649 -59% 1648 -60% | 874 -79% | 3555 -13% | 2750 -32% | 1320 ? -68% |
| 4k q32 t16 write | 3453 | 2426 -30% 2426 -30% | 461 -87% | 3612 5% | 2786 -19% | 1070 ? -69% |
| AS SSD | -31% | -42% | 9% | -16% | -56% | |
| Score Total | 8935 | 6101 -32% | 4941 -45% | 9380 5% | 7009 -22% | 4766 ? -47% |
| Score Read | 3363 | 2347 -30% | 1948 -42% | 3634 8% | 2709 -19% | 1639 ? -51% |
| Score Write | 3919 | 2650 -32% | 2137 -45% | 3991 2% | 2930 -25% | 2344 ? -40% |
| Seq Read | 5367 | 3641 -32% | 6561.69 22% | 5588 4% | 4531.51 -16% | 3624 ? -32% |
| Seq Write | 3994 | 1557 -61% | 3480.87 -13% | 3267 -18% | 4186.78 5% | 2260 ? -43% |
| 4K Read | 80.4 | 69.3 -14% | 69.21 -14% | 109.4 36% | 64.38 -20% | 61 ? -24% |
| 4K Write | 225.3 | 226 0% | 184.49 -18% | 321.6 43% | 212.27 -6% | 178.8 ? -21% |
| 4K-64 Read | 2746 | 1913 -30% | 1223.07 -55% | 2966 8% | 2191.95 -20% | 1216 ? -56% |
| 4K-64 Write | 3294 | 2268 -31% | 1604.89 -51% | 3342 1% | 2298.82 -30% | 1940 ? -41% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.042 | 0.082 -95% | 0.03 29% | 0.056 -33% | 0.05956 ? -42% | |
| Access Time Write * | 0.02 | 0.017 15% | 0.066 -230% | 0.012 40% | 0.022 -10% | 0.06356 ? -218% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -34% /
-35% | -23% /
-26% | 6% /
7% | -14% /
-15% | -48% /
-50% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is popular among high-end gaming laptops. Even as a mobile alternative, it provides an enormous amount of graphical processing power. This is the reason for the MSI Creator Z16P's big lead over the average value for multimedia laptops. In addition, there's 16 GB of VRAM for rendering tasks at high resolutions.
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (13920 - 45841, n=44) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1365 - 60250, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (73574 - 192520, n=25) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (6498 - 150699, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (6928 - 34439, n=42) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (920 - 46022, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (4921 - 13835, n=42) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (301 - 17620, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 14367 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 60157 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 24189 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 10497 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
Certainly, gaming performance isn't the main focus of a creator laptop. Nevertheless, the gap to gaming laptops isn't that big, which is due to the aforementioned high-performance RTX 3080 Ti.
Obviously, this isn't enough for one of the top rankings. The cooling performance is way too low for that. Furthermore, power supply is limited because there would be an even higher temperature increase inside the laptop otherwise. Instead of the typical 115 to 135 watts, MSI only grants its creator laptop a maximum of 90 watts. In our stress test with The Witcher 3, this rate is available for a short time before throttling kicks in.
Nevertheless, the results are decent. Users looking for distraction after some exhausting video editing can at least play recent titles at Full HD resolution and high details. For this, however, a power outlet needs to be available at all times. The integrated GPU is generally used on battery power, which leads to considerable performance losses.
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (144 - 268, n=27) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (9 - 290, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (30 - 130.6, n=42) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5 - 143.2, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| Elex 2 | |
| 1920x1080 High / On AA:FX AF:16x | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (43 - 96, n=3) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Average of class Multimedia (11 - 76.5, n=9, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra / On AA:SM AF:16x | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (31 - 91, n=3) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (15.2 - 70.3, n=7, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| 2560x1440 Ultra / On AA:SM AF:16x | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (31 - 93, n=3) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (31 - 48.1, n=3, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| GTA V | |
| 1920x1080 High/On (Advanced Graphics Off) AA:2xMSAA + FX AF:8x | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (153.4 - 184.3, n=27) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (9.2 - 181.9, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (30 - 139.2, n=41) | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4.24 - 123, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (30 - 121.2, n=28) | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (8.23 - 97.6, n=38, last 2 years) | |
| Dota 2 Reborn | |
| 1920x1080 high (2/3) | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 YE5 | |
| Alienware x17 R2 P48E | |
| MSI Creator Z16P B12UHST | |
| Acer Predator Triton 500 SE PT516-52s-70KX | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (29.9 - 180.8, n=44) | |
| MSI Creator Z16 A11UET-209 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (15.8 - 184.4, n=95, last 2 years) | |