Summit A16 AI+ (2024) 16” QHD+ 165Hz 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop: AMD Ryzen AI 9-365, Radeon Graphics, 32GB LPDDR5x, 1TB NVMe SSD, 360 Flip, Pen, Win 11 Home: Ink Black A3HMTG-015US

The media could not be loaded. EDIT: even after the warranty fix my cheaper work laptop is better… regret buying this laptop all aroundWorked really well except the responsiveness was a fraction of a second slower than my other devices until it warmed up. Then it would overheat during video games requiring a fan underneath for comfortable usage. I had to use it for a while before it caught up to responsiveness. One day I opened it and the screen started glitching. MSI is making me pay for shipping to warranty it. Would rather then at this point. Would change it to 3 stars if they are able to warranty to better or higher working quality than before the screen issue… :( for the price I paid very disappointed. Don’t recommend as of now.Would be 3 stars now if I didn’t have to pay for return shipping for the warranty.

Form Factor & Build QualityBoth machines share a similar footprint, but there are some notable ergonomic differences:Trackpad: MSI's is centered, while Lenovo's is offset left. Preference may vary.MSI Fans: Slightly whinier under load, but the system runs cooler overall.Pen: MSI includes the pen in the box... Lenovo charges extra.Build: MSI’s fit and finish is solid, with clever hinge design that slightly elevates the laptop for better airflow.Screen: MSI wins here. It's brighter, slightly warmer tone, and excellent clarity. Some reviews knock the large bottom bezel, but it’s clearly intentional and part of the hinge-lift design.SpeakersLenovo wins easily. MSI’s speakers are thin and underwhelming. They'll do in a pinch, but Lenovo's are significantly fuller and louder.Software & UpdatesLenovo Vantage is miles ahead. It handles driver, firmware, and BIOS updates with minimal user intervention.MSI relies on manual driver downloads from its website. BIOS updates require old-school flashing via USB, which is functional but not consumer-friendly.Initial Setup ExperienceLenovo’s setup is smoother and less time consuming.MSI required a lot more manual effort, verifying and installing updates. This meant a day or two of off and on tinkering versus a few hours on Lenovo.PerformanceMSI AI 365:Cinebench R23 Multi-core: ~18,090Single-core: ~1,983–2,000Single-core runs at ~24W and spikes cores over 5GHz, so it's likely maxed out.Lenovo 12700H:Multi-core: ~9,700Single-core: ~1,737Performance has degraded over time, and is below online averages (typically 13,000–15,000), likely due to sustained throttling and limited power delivery.Thermals, Power & Fan BehaviorMSI:Holds steady temps in the 65–72°C range during loads.Idle wattage is impressively low (~5W).Power draw under full load can hit 50W with no thermal runaway.The fan is quieter overall, in that it doesn't spin up as often, and while it has a "wheesh" tone when it does, you won’t hear it over a basic laptop cooler stand.Lenovo:Idles efficiently (also ~5–6W), but under load it quickly spikes to 100°C, triggers throttling, and can’t maintain sustained performance.Fan has a more "whoosh" character and stays active more often. I like the sound of the Lenovo fan better.Cooling SolutionLenovo likely has the better-engineered cooling system, but it’s simply not enough for the 12700H + Arc combo.MSI runs warm on the left side of the keyboard (where the CPU sits), but it’s nowhere near "hot" — and performs much better overall.Final VerdictIf you're comfortable managing your own updates via the MSI support site, the MSI Summit AI 365 is a fantastic machine. It’s easily twice as fast as what it replaces, with excellent build quality, efficient thermals, and standout performance from the Ryzen AI 9 365.It's not perfect... the fans are less impressive, and the software update experience lags far behind Lenovo's Vantage platform, but the hardware/price makes up for it.Bottom Line:The Summit AI 365 is one of the best price to performance laptops currently available with the new Ryzen AI chips. Even ASUS’s Zenbook with the AI 9 370 can't match its performance due to inferior thermals. MSI nailed the balance here... if they improve their software experience, they'll be a top contender for SMB and prosumer users alike.PS: The new Ryzen CPU's can have very different performance characteristics depending on manufacturer tuning. Asus, as mentioned earlier, tends to lean into the thin + light + battery style. MSI on the other hand went for a more balanced approach, with more robust form factor and increased performance.4 Month Update:Pros: No problems and fwiw this was an open box unit. Very Very fast. Runs cooler than my old Intel by a lot. Battery is also WAY WAY better.Cons: Fan is still a little whiny, though it hasn't become worse. The MSI Center still lags behind the bigger brands for ease-of-update. They also can't get the aspect ratio of the MSI Center correct. Bios updates still require flashing via a USB, and since it's a new chip you WANT those updates.Overall: Still satisfied the AI 9 365 is a great chip and the Summit is a good platform for it. Will update if I have issues.