MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 Comparison

Laptop to replace

Change

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen

15.6 inches | March 2022

CHECK PRICE

Change

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021

15.6 inches | January 2021

CHECK PRICE

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 Comparison Overview

MSI Prestige 15 12th...

See at AMAZON

MSI Prestige 15 A11X...

See at AMAZON

MSI Prestige 15 12th...

See at AMAZON

MSI Prestige 15 A11X...

See at AMAZON

In this review, we will be comparing Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021, two laptops by MSI. MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen was introduced to market in March 2022 and MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 was launched in January 2021. There is 14 months difference between Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 so it would still give an advantage to younger Prestige 15 12th Gen.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 are members of MSI's Prestige series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

MSI Prestige Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
MSI Prestige A16 AI+	September 2024	16.0"	358 x 258.55 x 16.9-17.35 mm	1.9 kg (4.19 lbs)
MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M	January 2024	14.0"	313.4 x 246.5 x 18.95 mm	1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)
MSI Prestige 16 Evo	January 2023	16.0"	358 x 258.55 x 16.85 mm	1.9 kg (4.19 lbs)
MSI Prestige 14 Evo 12th Gen	March 2022	14.0"	319 x 219 x 15.9 mm	1.29 kg (2.84 lbs)
MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen	March 2022	15.6"	356.8 x 233.7 x 18.9 mm	1.69 kg (3.73 lbs)
MSI Prestige 14 2021 11th Gen	January 2021	14.0"	319 x 219 x 15.9 mm	1.29 kg (2.84 lbs)
MSI Prestige 15 2021 11th Gen	January 2021	15.6"	357 x 234 x 17 mm	1.69 kg (3.73 lbs)
MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021	January 2021	15.6"	356.8 x 233.7 x 16.9-18.9 mm	1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen and MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen Key Specs

Launched in March 2022
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1240P
GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile 4GB
8GB Ram
356.8 x 233.7 x 18.9 mm (14.05 x 9.2 x 0.74 inches)
Weight: 1.69 kg (3.73 lbs)

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 Key Specs

Launched in January 2021
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7
GPU: GeForce MX450 2GB
8GB Ram
356.8 x 233.7 x 16.9-18.9 mm (14.05 x 9.2 x 0.67-0.74 inches)
Weight: 1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen over MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021

GPU FLOPS	3.195 TFLOPS vs 2.822 TFLOPS	Better HDMI connectivity
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 2.0

Reasons to choose MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 over MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen

Weight	1.65 kg vs 1.69 kg	0.04 kg lighter
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs No	More RAM Options

Common Strengths of MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 and MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen

Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.2 vs v5.2	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 and MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen and the MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.69 kg (3.73 lbs)	1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)
Surface Area	834 cm2 (129.3 inches2)	834 cm2 (129.3 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~80.5%	~80.5%
Side Bezel Thickness	~5.7 mm	~5.7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.11 kg/inch	0.11 kg/inch
	0.242 lbs/inch	0.242 lbs/inch
Colors	Silver, Gray	Silver, Gray

Comparison of the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen and the MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 External Dimensions

Weight

Prestige 15 12th Gen weighs 1.69 kg (3.73 lbs), whereas the Prestige 15 A11X 2021 weighs 1.65 kg (3.64 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen 1.69 kg

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 1.65 kg

Min 0.99 kg

Average 1.95 kg

Max 3.32 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen 18.90 mm

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 16.90 mm

Min 7.70 mm

Average 20.17 mm

Max 29.00 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen is 0.11 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 is 0.11 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 1240P Intel Core i7 1260P Intel Core i7 1280P	Intel Core i5 1135G7 Intel Core i5 1155G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7 Intel Core i7 1185G7 Intel Core i7 1195G7
Base Frequency	1.7 GHz	0.9-2.4 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.4 GHz	4.2 GHz
Number of Cores	12	4
Number of Threads	16	8
L3 Cache	12 MB	8 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (80EU)	Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1593	1324
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	7956	4633
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1516	1355
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	9305	5087

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen and MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1240P

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1135G7

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile 4GB	GeForce MX450 2GB GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile 4GB
Base Clock Frequency	1380 MHz	1395 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1515 MHz	1575 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	50 W	31 W
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	3.103 TFLOPS	2.822 TFLOPS
Memory Size	4 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	128 bit	64 bit
Memory Speed	1500 MHz 12 Gbps effective	1250 MHz 10 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	1024	896
TMUs	64	56
ROPs	32	32

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen has a FLOPS value of 3.195 TFLOPS whereas the MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 ' has a FLOPS value of 2.822 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	4267 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR4X	DDR4
Upgradable	No	Yes
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Prestige 15 12th Gen and the Prestige 15 A11X 2021, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	MSI Prestige 15 (12th Gen)	MSI Prestige 15 A11X (2021)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✖ Not supported.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	82 Wh	52 Wh 82 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	100 W	90 W

Moreover, the Prestige 15 12th Gen boasts a larger battery capacity of 82 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Prestige 15 A11X 2021's52 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen 82 Wh

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 52 Wh

Min 36.00 Wh

Average 62.1 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
The Prestige 15 A11X 2021 offers a larger max storage capacity of 2 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Prestige 15 12th Gen's storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen and MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the Prestige 15 12th Gen is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Prestige 15 A11X 2021's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 feature the same pixel density with 141 pixels per inch (PPI).

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen 141 ppi

MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 141 ppi

Min 100 PPI

Average 144 PPI

Max 294.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

MSI Prestige 15 12th Gen vs MSI Prestige 15 A11X 2021 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Prestige 15 12th Gen features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Prestige 15 A11X 2021 (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 feature 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 feature 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 feature an HDMI port. Prestige 15 12th Gen offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while Prestige 15 A11X 2021 offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Prestige 15 12th Gen and Prestige 15 A11X 2021 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	2x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Optional
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	Yes