How to open MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 7 Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Flip the notebook and pry the back with a thin plastic tool.
Open the device and pry the left and front sides through the base. Avoid popping the right side.

More info: Since the audio jack sticks out of the mainboard, you can’t raise the bottom plate straight upwards. Lift the plate on the right and gently slide it to the left side.

Battery Removal

Detach the battery connector from the mainboard.
Undo the 4 Phillips-head screws securing the battery.
Lift the battery to remove it from the device.

Note: The device is equipped with a 99.99Wh battery, providing approximately 7 hours of video playback.

Memory Information

The RAM section is protected by a metal shroud. Use a lever tool to pop it off. The metal plate has two thermal pads on the inside.
The two SODIMMs can handle up to 96GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode, which is the maximum official manufacturer’s specified limit for a Meteor Lake-H CPU.

You can buy compatible RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

Locate the two M.2 slots compatible with Gen 4 NVMe drives.
A thick thermal pad additionally cools the SSD here.
Install the new SSD in one of the slots.

Hint: Don’t forget to check out our Top M.2 SSDs Performance Rankings for insights on the best storage options available.

You can buy compatible SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Wi-Fi Card

The Wi-Fi card is located between the two M.2 slots.

Cooling System Overview

The Cooler Boost 5 thermal system includes two fans and three heat pipes shared between the CPU and GPU, along with one additional pipe for each chip.
The system also features four heat sinks and four heat spreaders.
Ensure all cooling components are clean and free of dust for optimal performance.

MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio (A1Vx) in-depth review

The 14-inch MSI Stealth 14 AI Studio A1V is an impressively powerful small device with two major cons - a hot keyboard and very high noise levels during gaming or other GPU-heavy tasks.Now, it's time to test the Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V which offers similar hardware under the hood but since the chassis is bigger, we expect a positive impact on the thermals of the internals. Again, you can rely on 28W Meteor Lake CPUs and this time around, you can order the bigger sibling with up to a GeForce RTX 4090 which is a bold decision by the manufacturer given the sub-20mm chassis.You get a lot [...]

Read the full review

Pros

Good CPU performance
2x SODIMMs + 2x M.2 slots
1600p resolution + 240Hz refresh rate (CMN162F)
Full sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 coverage + accurate colors with our "Design and Gaming" profile (CMN162F)
High max brightness of 510 nits (CMN162F)
Great per-key RGB keyboard by SteelSeries + smooth and accurate touchpad
Solid magnesium aluminum chassis
The Core Ultra 9 185H can maintain a 3.2 GHz / 2.7 GHz P and E core clock during heavy loads
The MSI Center offers plenty of customizations
Thunderbolt 4, 1x Type-C port + HDMI 2.1
1080p IR Web camera with privacy shutter
MUX switch
Compact for a 16-inch form factor
The fans don't spin in idle during light loads in "Silent" mode