MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) review – Powerful 2-in-1 with Stunning Display
The MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) is another big 2-in-1 laptop, and it’ll be interesting to see how it performs against the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 16 2-in-1 (Gen 9, 16AHP9). The latter isn’t that costly but offers less powerful hardware. The MSI machine is powered by the Strix Point Zen 5 AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor. This means that the iGPU is the Radeon 880M. It’s pretty potent, though, especially for an integrated solution. It scores 67 FPS in Gears 5 on Medium details, which isn’t bad at all. The memory is soldered, but the Wi-Fi 7 card isn’t. You get just one slot for Gen 4 SSD. All that sounds pretty normal for such a device since the manufacturer tries to make its machine as light as possible.
MSI mentions that the touch functionality of the screen is optional, so keep an eye on the specs if you want such a feature. Speaking of which, if the 2560x1600p 165Hz panel isn’t crisp enough for your needs, you can opt for the optional UHD+ OLED display. Still, we think that the default screen is more than enough, even for color-sensitive work, since it boasts punchy colors.
The chassis is big, and that’s why MSI has fitted a keyboard with a NumPad and a wide touchpad. If you plan to use this machine as an office workhorse, there are some useful extras for such usage like the IR Web camera, the privacy shutter, and the dTPM 2.0 chip.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-summit-a16-ai-a3hmx/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 4000GB SSD
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 82Wh
- Dimensions
- 358 x 258.55 x 16.9 - 17.35 mm (14.09" x 10.18" x 0.67")
- Weight
- 2.10 kg (4.6 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
- 2x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1 (4K@60Hz)
- Card reader
- microSD (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- IR FHD type (30fps@1080p) with HDR 3D Noise Reduction+ (3DNR+)
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- 3x Spatial Array Microphone with AI Noise Cancellation Pro
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers
- Security Lock slot
All MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://us.msi.com/Business-Productivity/Summit-A16-AI-Plus-A3HMX/support
What’s in the box?
Inside the package, we found a bit of paperwork and a 100W Type-C charger. The MSI Pen 2 is optional.
Design and construction
The chassis of the MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) looks modern and unintrusive. The Ink Black finish feels nice to the touch, but it picks up fingerprints pretty easily. On the flip side, the metal chassis is solid.
Opening the device with one hand is possible. While doing so, you may feel that the lid is heavy and the hinges are a bit stiffer than usual.
The bottom bezel that houses the MSI logo is a bit thicker than the other three, but overall, the machine looks fantastic when the lid is opened.
The 1080p@30FPS IR Web camera with HDR and 3D Noise Reduction+ goodies also has a privacy shutter for enhanced security.
This big transformer can lay perfectly flat on your desk in the office.
The optional MSI Pen 2 works as intended. It glides with ease on the glossy high-res panel. The stylus is handy when you want to take quick on-screen notes.
The keyboard has a white backlight, which looks pretty cool since it contrasts well with the dark chassis. The board features large keycaps with long travel, decent-sized Arrows, a NumPad section, and an AI hotkey. The fingerprint reader can be seen on the right palm rest section.
The touchpad is almost perfect. Its smoothness and accuracy are among the best we’ve seen. Sadly, the physical clicks sound way too noisy.
When you turn over the laptop, you’ll see a big ventilation grill, three rubber feet, and a pair of speaker cutouts. The thermal solution directs airflow via a rear-positioned vent, but the exhaust path appears to reach the lower display bezel. That’s why some of the expelled air flows toward the lower display bezel.
Ports
The left side houses two 40 Gbps USB4s with DisplayPort and 100W Power Delivery 3.0. On the other side, we can spot an HDMI 2.1 for up to 8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz external displays, a 10 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) port with Power Share function, a MicroSD Card reader, and an Audio combo jack.
Display, Get our Profiles
| MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG | B160QAN02.N (AUO28B2) |
| Diagonal | 16.0 inches (40.6 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS Touchscreen |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 165 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Pixel Density | 189 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 46 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG covers 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 486 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 451 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 12%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6610K.
The contrast ratio is 1110:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 179 nits (Windows slider = 47%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG, the Average color accuracy was 2.9 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Office profile, it lowered to 1.1 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG with our display profile
Comparison in the Display P3 color space.
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Office profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Gaming and movies profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 7.9 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.
If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG’s screen is 64.1 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG configurations with B160QAN02.N (AUO28B2), 2560 x 1600, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Design and Office
The Design and Office profile makes display colors as close to real as possible.Ideal not only for professionals but also for everyday users, it meets sRGB standards (D65 white point, sRGB gamma) with minimal DeltaE for precise color reproduction on your panel.
Gaming and Movies
Have you ever watched a movie where, during dark scenes, you can barely see anything? Many displays fail to distinguish dark tones properly. Our Gaming and Movies profile enhances low-light performance, like HDR tech, using a gamma curve tailored to human perception — ideal for gamers seeking faster reactions and clearer visuals.
Health-Guard
Our Health-Guard profile protects your eyes by eliminating PWM flickering, reducing strain and fatigue, and minimizing harmful Blue light exposure that can disrupt sleep and health. It uses software dimming and a gamma curve tailored to human perception for comfort and safety during screen use.
Get All The Profiles With 33% Discount!
Sound
In subjective listening, the sound from the MSI Summit A16 AI+ A3HMTG’s speakers had deviations in clarity.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Extreme Performance” profile activated in the MSI Center S. Also, the “Performance mode” is applied in the BIOS in the “User Scenario” section. In addition, the “Best performance” preset is activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu.
The “Dedicated Graphics Memory” is set to “8GB” in the Radeon Control Panel.
CPU options
The only CPU option for this MSI series is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365.
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
The integrated AMD Radeon 880M is for graphics tasks.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
| Counter-Strike 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 208 FPS | 139 FPS | 52 FPS |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 104 FPS | 67 FPS | 54 FPS | 43 FPS |
Storage performance
Our device has a 1TB Micron 3500 MTFDKBA1T0TGD-1BK1AABYY. It’s pretty fast and doesn’t get too hot during benchmarking.
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Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
| AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (28W TDP) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) | 4.04 GHz @ 3.02 GHz @ 61°C @ 64W | 3.65 GHz @ 2.78 GHz @ 65°C @ 50W | 3.47 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 78°C @ 45W |
Here, the Ryzen AI 9 365 maintains a 3.47 GHz / 2.65 GHz clock for its Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The CPU boosts even higher in short and medium loads. The results are way better than the official 2.00 GHz base clock.
Gaming comfort
The MSI Center S offers three performance presets and an AI mode. You can also bump the two fans to above 7000 RPM when turning on the Cooler Boost mode. When the processor is pounded with heavy loads, the keyboard feels normally warm to the touch but not hot at all.
In idle, you can expect around 2000 RPM fan speed in “Extreme Performance” or “ECO-Silent” mode.
Idle “ECO-Silent”
Idle “Extreme Performance”If the 10-core CPU is pushed to its limits in “Extreme Performance” mode, the fans are rotating with ~ 5200 RPM. The noise is much lower if you select the “Balanced” preset because the fan speed is tanked to ~ 3000 RPM. The P and E core frequency of 2.80 / 2.00 GHz is also good, not lower than the official AMD base clock for this chip.
“Extreme Performance”
“Balanced”This is the main menu of the BIOS.
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. This laptop’s 82Wh battery lasts for around 12 hours of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Energy Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “ECO-Silent” mode applied in the MSI Center S app. The “Balance” mode should be selected in the BIOS in the “User Scenario” section.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To see the internals of this big transformer, you have to undo seven Phillips-head screws. Pry the top two edges starting as close as possible to the hinges. Then, pop the sides and the front, the back should be last.
Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.
This device has a big 82Wh battery. To take it out, carefully pull the connector towards the unit, and undo the four Phillips-head screws that secure the battery in place. You have to unglue the rubber caps that are on top of the screws. The capacity is enough for around 12 hours of video playback.
Since that’s a thin Copilot+ 2-in-1 notebook, the memory is soldered. According to the manufacturer, all devices of this MSI series come with 32GB of LPDDR5x-7500 MHz RAM in dual-channel mode, which should be enough for most users.
When it comes to storage, you can rely on just one M.2 slot compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. A thermal pad cools the NVMe from below.
The Wi-Fi 7 card is replaceable, which is nice.
The cooling has a pair of fans, two heat pipes, one large heat sink, and two heat spreaders.
Verdict
The MSI Summit A16 AI+ (A3HMx) is a heft 2-in-1 laptop that offers solid build and very good performance. The Ryzen AI 9 365 sustains a 3.47 GHz / 2.65 GHz P and E core clock even in longer stress. So, you can use this gadget even for heavy workloads such as 3D rendering or video editing. Or you can play some CS2 rounds after work since the AMD Radeon 880M has enough power to deliver more than 200 FPS on Low details.
The 1600p touchscreen (B160QAN02.N (AUO28B2)) is pretty impressive. It’s an IPS unit, and that’s why it lacks PWM usage. The screen sports 100% sRGB and 99% DCI-P3 coverage alongside perfect color accuracy if you apply our “Design and Office” profile. This display also gets very bright, reaching almost 500 nits when you bump the brightness to the maximum.
The Summit A16 AI+ amazes with its premium build quality, transforming capabilities, long battery life, capable cooling, and nice input devices.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-summit-a16-ai-a3hmx/
Pros
- Great overall performance for a 2-in-1 machine
- Up to 32GB LPDDR5x
- Infinite contrast ratio + wide viewing angles (AUO28B2)
- 100% sRGB and 99% DCI-P3 coverage + accurate color with our “Design and Office” profile (AUO28B2)
- ~ 500 nits of max brightness (AUO28B2)
- 1600p resolution (AUO28B2)
- Comfortable keyboard
- Smooth and accurate touchpad
- Solid metal chassis
- The Ryzen AI 9 365 maintains a 3.47 GHz / 2.65 GHz P and E core clock in long loads
- The MSI Center S offers plenty of customizations
- 2x USB4s
- MicroSD Card reader
- IR Web Camera
- Fingerprint reader
- dTPM 2.0 + privacy shutter
- The fans aren’t too intrusive in “Extreme Performance” mode
- Fast SSD (Micron 3500)
- 82Wh battery that lasts for around 12 hours of videos on a single charge
- Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
- Great iGPU performance
- The “Balanced” preset offers lower noise and 2.80 / 2.00 GHz P and E core clocks
- The 360-degree hinge supports clamshell, stand, tent, and tablet modes
Cons
- High price
- Limited upgradability
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This ssd is hella fast for installed.