MSI's gaming laptop offerings have seen a major upgrade with the inclusion of Intel's Core Ultra 300 'Panther Lake' CPUs, taking performance and portability to newer levels.

At CES 2026, manufacturers successfully integrated Intel's new Panther Lake CPUs across a broader range of their consumer offerings, particularly in laptops, which were supercharged by the new Core Ultra 300 series. MSI has managed to follow the trend, and according to the company's latest announcement, its gaming laptop lineups, including Prestige, Raider, and Stealth, have all seen the inclusion of Panther Lake SoCs, driving graphical performance and power efficiency figures to astonishing levels. Let's start with the Prestige models.

MSI has managed to revamp its Prestige 14 and Prestige 16 laptops, featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. These processors not only deliver exceptional performance through the upgraded CPU architecture but also enhance visual performance courtesy of the new Arc B390 iGPUs onboard. The newer Prestige 14 model has achieved a 22% weight reduction, now weighing 1.32 kg, while the Prestige 16 remains consistent at 1.59 kg.

Apart from Prestige, MSI's Modern series has also received the Panther Lake upgrade, and both the Modern 14S and the Modern 16S now debut with upgraded specifications, with a key focus on providing a portable and powerful platform to users.

Powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and equipped with dual memory slots across the lineup, the Modern S series delivers strong performance with flexible upgrade potential. On the connectivity front, it offers a comprehensive I/O setup—including USB-A, USB-C (with display and charging support), HDMI, RJ-45 LAN, and a Micro SD card reader—to meet the needs of modern multitaskers.

Despite the upgrades, the Modern S series remains incredibly portable. With an aluminum chassis as thin as 11.1mm and weighing as little as 1.3kg (Modern 14S, OLED variant), it delivers exceptional mobility and efficiency for users on the go.

One of the major and impressive upgrades for gamers is that the Raider series has now broken all limits when it comes to squeezing maximum performance. The newer Raider 16 Max HX now features a total power delivery of 300W, which is one of the highest in a laptop. Featuring NVIDIA's RTX 5090 and RTX 5090 laptop GPU onboard, along with Intel's Arrow Lake-HX CPUs, the Raider 16 Max HX is claimed to be the most "powerful laptop" on the planet.

The laptop also features a 2.5K 240Hz OLED display, certified with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000, to provide you with the best visual experience. It's safe to say that the Raider 16 Max HX is your go-to option if you are looking for an offering that prioritizes performance. MSI has also employed the all-new Cooler Boost Trinity with Intra Flow thermal system, which prevents the chunky 300W laptop from overheating, and according to MSI, the laptop performs perfectly under stress conditions.

Here's how other laptop upgrades stack up, notably the Stealth and Crosshair series of gaming laptops, since they are now supercharged with newer thermal systems and superior performance:

Stealth 16 AI+ B3W

MSI has announced that the new Prestige Laptop with Panther Lake SKUs will be available for preorder starting January 6th, with retail sales commencing on January 27th.

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