GMKtec has been making Mini PCs for years now. They are based out of the technology hub of Shenzhen, China, and have maintained strategic partnerships with AMD, Intel & Microsoft, and currently offer a wide array of solutions, all the way from entry-level to enthusiast-grade designs based on mobility chips from AMD & Intel. The latest offering from GMKtec that targets the high-end segment with Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 SoCs. For this, GMKtec is introducing its EVO T2S, which is a follow-up to the EVO T1 we tested last year with the Core Ultra 9 285H chip. The new […]
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 takes the long-running business notebook line into a new Intel Core Ultra generation. Our model 21V7006EUS pairs an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 with 32GB-class memory and integrated Intel graphics in a system
ASUS was showing off the new NUC 16 family of mini-PCs for this year's Computex trade show. Powered by Intel's Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake SoCs, these mini-PCs pack a full system into a 0.7L chassis
After launching the Gen 6 AIO desktop PCs, Lenovo is back with the Gen 7 desktops, equipped with 120 Hz displays. Lenovo Launches ThinkCentre Neo 50a 24 Gen 7 PCs, Featuring Core 5 320 and Core 7 350 Wildcat Lake CPUs, and Up To 32 GB RAM Despite launching the ThinkCentre Neo 50a Gen 6 desktops a few weeks ago, Lenovo, which is the world's most popular OEM for PCs, has now launched the Gen 7 series. This is the ThinkCentre Neo 50a 24 Gen 7, which will be available with the latest Intel Core Series 3 processors, jumping straight […]
Intel has confirmed that its 14A process technology will now enter high-volume production in 2028 as CEO Lip-Bu Tan expresses confidence in the node to offer competitive power, density, cost, and schedule. Intel 14A Schedule Moves Ahead With High-Volume Production Now Commencing In 2028 Intel has reported another strong financial quarter, highlighting strong demand as a major driver of their revenue. During the earnings call, Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, offered a progress update in the Foundry business. Intel's "Disciplined Execution" and exceeding confidence that comes from its internal product designs and external customers have established Intel Foundry as a competitive […]
It's clear that the Intel Arc G3-based gaming handhelds won't be released for under $1,000 for sure. Acer UK Confirms Pricing for Arc G3 and G3 Extreme-Based Predator Atlas 8 Handheld; Up To $2,000 for the 32 GB - 1 TB Configuration Gaming handhelds are now costing an arm and a leg. With rapid improvements in hardware, newer gaming handhelds do not cost any less than a mid-range gaming PC. Since the release of the Intel Arc G3 series, many vendors have quickly transitioned from AMD chips to Panther Lake SoC variants. However, while we expected lower prices, vendors keep […]
Beelink was established in 2011 & is regarded as one of the top sellers in the Mini PC category at Amazon. The company has a diverse portfolio of Mini PCs, Players, and gadgets, but the core focus is on the Mini PC segment, which includes both Intel and AMD options. While we have looked at several of Beelink's Mini PC options in the past, ranging from AMD & Intel CPUs, the company has introduced a new Intel model recently, the EQi 304, which is based on Intel's Wildcat Lake SoCs. This is the first Mini PC to feature Wildcat Lake, […]
PC gaming handhelds have become a vibrant segment that is seeing continued innovations thanks to modern-day CPUs' ability to deliver outstanding performance and efficiency. All major hardware manufacturers are into the handheld craze. Compared to the first iteration of handhelds, these newest devices offer a lot of gaming performance backed up by unique designs and shapes/sizes that cater to all kinds of gamers. Now, Intel is going all-in on the gaming handheld segment, not just rebranding a chip made for power-efficient laptops, but introducing a purpose-built handheld SoC called the Arc G series. The first of these SoCs is called the […]
More new mini PCs are being launched with the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, coupled with capacity RAM. Lenovo Launches YOGA AI Mini PC, Featuring 16-Core Ultra X7 358H Processor for Up To 180 TOPS of AI Power Lenovo has quickly adopted Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 3, aka Panther Lake, processors for its devices, and whether you look at its laptop catalog or mini PC arsenal, you will find newer offerings with these chips. The company has now debuted its latest high-end mini PC called YOGA AI Mini PC, which is already available with processors like Core […]
Vendors now seem to be prioritizing DDR4 platforms, which is obvious since DDR5-based systems have become unaffordable. Minisforum Launches Elite Mini NAB9S, Featuring Intel Core i9 13900HX, SO-DIMM DDR4 Memory, and Support for SATA Driver at $399 for Barebones Despite being nearly 12 years old, DDR4 isn't going anywhere. It took a lot of time for the market to transition from DDR4 to DDR5 properly, but right when DDR5 became the norm, the RAMpocalypse hit the market like a truck. Since DDR5 memories have become 4-5X more expensive than July 2025 levels, it's understandable that vendors might be struggling with […]
The new mini PC is an affordable device for those who want decent performance for day-to-day operations. Beelink Debuts EQi 304, Featuring Core 3 304 Processor and 16 GB/512 GB Configuration at Just $509 The Intel Wildcat Lake has made producing affordable systems possible. After Wildcat Lake's debut, vendors have been introducing their budget offerings, equipped with 1+4 or 2+4 core chips that utilize the Cougar Cove performance and Darkmont LP-E cores from the Panther Lake series. Despite being weaker on paper, these are excellent chips for day-to-day computing while maintaining great power efficiency. Beelink, which is a popular mini […]
This might be the lightest gaming laptop with a GeForce RTX 5070, weighing just 1.6 Kg, which makes it very portable. Thunderobot Debuts ZERO Air 16 Gaming Laptop That Weighs 1.64 Kg, but Still Brings GeForce RTX 5070 onboard The new ZERO Air 16 is the world's lightest 16-inch gaming laptop with the GeForce RTX 5070, according to Thunderobot. The manufacturer announced ZERO Air 16 recently, which runs on a Panther Lake CPU, paired with the GeForce RTX 5070 mobile GPU. Thunderobot has been able to cram this hardware inside a thin body that also weighs much less than its […]
Starting with recent compatibility improvements for Intel and AMD platforms, Valve is looking to bring SteamOS to more PCs, with plans to eventually support NVIDIA's graphics cards. Although the Steam Machine has been widely bashed for its disappointingly weak performance and exorbitantly high price, for some people it's exactly what they've been looking for: a compact console-like PC that runs all their Steam games, yet integrates seamlessly with their living room setup, while providing solid performance for lighter games. The fact that it runs SteamOS was crucial to this niche appeal; the promise of lazy gaming sessions on the couch […]
The company has launched its first Arc G3 Extreme-based handheld with various configurations. OneXPlayer 3 Hits the Shelves with Intel Arc G3 Extreme, Featuring 24/32 GB and 512 GB/1 TB Configurations, Starting at $1,399 Popular handheld and eGPU maker ONEXPLAYER has debuted its first Intel Arc G3 Extreme-powered gaming handheld called OneXplayer 3. The handheld maker has been continuously developing handhelds with the most powerful SoCs from AMD, including Strix Point and Strix Halo chips, but has now transitioned to Intel's Panther Lake variant for its most powerful Intel-based handheld till now. The OneXPlayer 3 offers the 14-core Intel Arc […]
At Computex 2026 Minisforum was showing off their upcoming MS-03 mini-PC, the successor to their popular MS-01 and aiming to bring more of a good thing with Intel's new Panther Lake platform
The Wildcat Lake chips are proving themselves to be worthy for ultra low-power and lightweight laptops. Wildcat Lake 5-Core Chip Goes Head to Head With 6-Core Apple A18 Chip In PassMark Apple MacBook Neo might be one of the most special releases from the company, powered by an entry-level chip that does everyday productivity tasks efficiently. The CPU bridges the gap between iPhone-tier mobile silicon and traditional Mac laptops, offering an affordable and "fanless" computing experience. Intel Wildcat Lake, on the other hand, brings a similar objective, offering powerful 5 and 6-core entry-level chips that bring the Cougar Cove and […]
KitGuru started strongly with Intel Panther Lake when we reviewed the 2026 version of Asus Zenbook Duo, however the price was rather steep at £2,500. Today we are reviewing an MSI Prestige that should offer most of the performance we saw in the Zenbook Duo while simultaneously saving £1,000 on the cost. That sounds amazing!
Time stamps
00:00 Start
00:42 Panther Lake recap
03:40 Some specs / connectivity / ports
05:49 Battery / Charger / Weight
06:01 Comparisons – port speeds
07:28 OLED panel
08:01 Geekbench 6
08:28 Cinebench 2026
08:59 Points Per Watt
09:12 7ZIP Benchmark
09:28 Aida 64 Memory Bandwidth
09:58 Assassins Creed Mirage
10:47 Cyberpunk 2077
11:34 PC Mark 10 Battery Test
12:09 Keyboard
12:32 Pricing
14:00 Closing Thoughts
Specification:
CPU Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 16 cores (4 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 4 Low Power E-cores), 16 threads, up to 4.8GHz, 18MB cache, up to 50 NPU TOPS Display 14-inch, 16:10, 1920 x 1200, OLED, glossy, non-touch Graphics Intel Arc B390 GPU Memory 32GB LPDDR5x DDR5-8533 Storage 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 Webcam IR FHD (1080p) webcam with HDR, 3DNR+, 3-mic array Wireless Killer Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth v6 Audio 2x 2W Speaker, 2x 2W Woofer
I/O Ports Left side: 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C with DisplayPort and 100W charging, HDMI 2.1 Right side: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 3.5mm headset jack
Battery 4-Cell 81Whr Power adapter 65W PD adapter Dimensions (WxDxH) 315.6mm x 221.9mm x 11.9-13.9 mm Weight 1.3kg + 200g for power adapter OS Windows 11 Pro
Performance and Testing
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
In Geekbench 6 Multi Core the MSI does a decent job and is only a few percent behind the new Zenbook Duo and hugely expensive HP Zbook Ultra G1a. This gives us confidence the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H has decent all-round performance.
Cinebench 2026 Multi Core
Cinebench 2026 Multi Core shows the difference between the Core Ultra X9 388H and Core Ultra X7 358H, which boils down to power draw and clock speed. The Core Ultra X7 in the MSI does a good job but the Core Ultra X9 is more impressive.
Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1,920×1,200 with XeSS Frame Generation
We show a few gaming graphs in our video but this one of Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1,920×1,200 with XeSS Frame Generation tells an important tale. The Asus Zenbook Duo with Core Ultra X9 sneaks past the 60fps mark to deliver a tolerable gaming experience while the MSI cannot quite make it to 50fps. When you consider these two laptops have the same number of CPU cores and the same graphics, we can see the importance of power and clock speed.
Battery Life
Intel has done a superb job with the battery life of their new Panther Lake laptop chips. The MSI impressed us hugely when the battery kept going and going, nearly matching the Zenbook Duo which comes equipped with two batteries.
Closing Thoughts
The MSI Prestige 14 AI+ is a conventional 14-inch laptop that is pleasingly thin and light. The main point of interest is the brand new Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor with B390 graphics, and as we explain in our video this is very close to the top tier of Panther Lake silicon. It came as something of a surprise in our testing when we saw the impact of lower power draw and lower clock speeds that differentiate the Core Ultra X7 from Core Ultra X9.
One area of unalloyed good news is the battery life which runs for more than 22 hours of solid work. If you just want to watch videos we are confident it will last two days, this means you could take the laptop on a short holiday and leave the charger at home. The other features of the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ are all fine, which means our major gripe is that we expect this laptop will sell for more than £1,500.
We estimate the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ will sell for £1,550 inc VAT.
Pros
Excellent battery life.
Slender and lightweight chassis.
Decent performance and a healthy improvement over Core Ultra 200.
Cons
The OLED screen is adequate but unimpressive.
Ports and connectors are rather close together.
The price is fairly steep for a thin and light laptop.
KitGuru says: The MSI Prestige 14 AI+ is a decent everyday laptop that struggles when it comes to gaming.
Intel's Serpent Lake SoCs featuring NVIDIA's RTX GPU tiles as integrated graphics are expected to roll out by Q1 2028. Intel & NVIDIA's Co-Developed Serpent Lake SoCs Featuring Next-Gen CPU & GPU Architectures Rumored For Q1 2028 Last year, Intel announced that it was working with NVIDIA on a custom SoC that would incorporate NVIDIA's RTX GPU tiles. Intel stated that these SoCs will power a wide range of PCs that require the integration of these levels of CPUs & GPUs together into a single package. It looks like we have our first timeline of when these SoCs will be […]
More and more vendors are releasing Wildcat Lake-based systems, and MINIX is the latest vendor to launch a Wildcat Lake-based mini PC. MINIX Debuts N304-AI Mini Host, Powered by Core 3 304 Processor, Providing up to 15 TOPS of AI Power Chinese hardware maker MINIX has released its latest mini host, featuring the Intel Wildcat Lake platform. The mini host is called the N304-AI mini, which is powered by the Intel Core 3 304 processor. The Core 3 304 processor is the weakest in the Core Ultra Series 3 lineup, featuring a 1+4-core configuration. It's based on the same Cougar […]
Login
