This laptop weighs only 966g & can detect someone looking over your shoulder

If you have a hybrid work arrangement, then you might be familiar with the pains of lugging a heavy laptop to and fro the office.

Or having to deal with a bulky laptop taking up the entire table when you’re working in a cafe.

If that puts a damper on your work day, then you might want to consider MSI’s Prestige 13Evo.

Weighing in at just under 1kg, this is an ultra-light laptop that doesn’t make you feel like you’re dragging around a brick.

When I passed it around in the office, all of my colleagues were surprised at its weight.

One even remarked that weight-wise, it might even make more sense to carry this than a tablet.

So how does it fare in real life?

I took it out to the library for a spin one Tuesday when I didn’t need to work in the office.

Right off the bat, travelling with it was a breeze. At just 1.26kg, the laptop and power adapter together weighed considerably less than its counterparts on the market.

Why so light? This is because its body is made with magnesium alloy, which is 30 per cent lighter than aluminium, the standard alloy for higher-end laptops.

This meant that walking around with it in my haversack didn’t strain my shoulders.

It’s only 16.9mm wide too, which made it easy to slide in and out of my bag.

Even though I brought the adapter out with me, I realised that I didn’t use it.

A full charge was able to power the laptop throughout the six hours I was using it, leaving me with about 20 per cent battery life to spare.

The Prestige 13Evo was also fast enough for my working needs which mainly entails writing and photo editing, and also feels responsive.

Granted, my work was pretty straightforward and didn’t involve a ton of switching between apps, but MSI says that its 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor is more than capable of providing power for pro-level processing tasks and multitasking.

Part of the Prestige 13Evo’s appeal is its size.

It’s compact enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the table, which is pretty useful if you’re working with it in a cafe.

One of my peeves is having my laptop overwhelm the tiny Starbucks table and having no space to place my beverage. No such issue with the Prestige 13Evo.

The downside is that its screen might be a bit too small for some users, especially for those accustomed to working with bigger laptops or wider screens.

To get around this, MSI amped up the Prestige 13Evo’s screen ratio to nearly 90 per cent and reduced the bezels at the side giving you a lot of screen real estate.

This makes the screen feel more spacious despite its compact size.

Working in the library, I was able to appreciate how quiet typing on the Prestige 13Evo was.

There weren’t any loud, jarring noises from the keys and I could type confidently without worrying about disturbing the people around me.

Comprehensive range of security functions

If security is one of your priorities when getting a laptop, then you might be pleased to know that the Prestige13Evo has a comprehensive range of security solutions built right in.

Aside from the typical infrared camera, a fingerprint sensor, and webcam shutter, the laptop also comes with a TPM chip, which has been on the uptake for some time now, as well as a nifty piece of security software called Tobii Aware.

Interestingly, Tobii Aware can detect when you look away and in response, it blurs your screen.

It also detects when someone else is looking over your shoulder. Perhaps a useful feature when you’re writing a sensitive email outside.

Got ports will travel

One of my biggest reasons for moving back to a Windows computer is the availability of ports.

The Prestige 13Evo doesn’t disappoint here.

It has:

• One microSD card reader
• One Kensington lock slot (perfect for securing your laptop when you’re out in public)
• One USB 3.2 Type-A port
• One HDMI 2.1 (4K@60Hz) port
• Two Thunderbolt 4 or USB Type-C (with power delivery charging) ports
• One audio combo jack

I like to work with a big screen and a full-range keyboard whenever I’m working in the office, so the HDMI and USB ports were particularly useful for connecting to these accessories.

Great for working outside

All in all, the biggest appeal of the Prestige13Evo is its lightness and long battery life (which, according to MSI, can stretch for 16 hours), which makes it a great tool to work outside with, especially for those who need to travel around.

Its range of security features, including the interesting ones like its TPM chip, Tobii Aware, and the inclusion of a Kensington lock slot might appeal to those who are more security-conscious and require a laptop that allows them to work outside safely.

If you’re keen to get your hands on the Prestige13Evo, you can do so via the official MSI Singapore website. It retails at S$2,149.

Thanks to this sponsored article by MSI, this writer is thinking of upgrading his old laptop.

All images by Joshua Lee.