MSI just announced a new laptop lineup at CES (and they're not geared toward gamers)

The spotlight is on the heavy-hitting 18-inch gaming laptops MSI announced today at CES, but the company also unveiled some non-gaming laptops for the productivity user. A whole new lineup, actually. 

Meet: the Venture and Venture Pro, two brand-new devices that come in a range of configurations and sizes, from a 14-inch, all the way up to a 17-inch. Aimed to compete with other high-performance productivity and creator-focused machines, the Venture lineup comes with Microsoft’s Pluton security processor — a secure crypto-processor built into the CPU that provides enhanced security for Windows features that rely on TPMs like BitLocker and System Guard.

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MSI carried over its high-performance ethos from its gaming lineup to the Venture and Venture Pro models, which feature a diverse range of configurations, and impressive hardware. Also similar to its 18-inch gaming lineup, the Venture laptops come in both Intel and AMD flavors. These are all new laptops from MSI, so let’s take a closer look at what was announced. 

Venture A14/15/16/17 AI+

Starting on the AMD side, the Venture A14/A15/A16 and A17 AI+ features the all-new Krackan/Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 series processor, qualifying this laptop as a Copilot+ PC. The integrated GPU pairs with the device’s 120Hz OLED display for a crisp, matte display. Like most MSI devices, it has a sturdy, slightly rugged form factor (and with a starting weight of 3.7 pounds for the 14-inch) with a slate gray colorway and silver illuminated full keyboard.

Venture 14/15/16/17 AI+

Across the processor aisle, the Venture 14 up through 17 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and a wide range of memory options, all the way up to 96GB. The displays are variable across the board, featuring an OLED for the 14- and 16-inch models and an IPS panel at a higher 144Hz refresh rate for the 15- and 17-inchers.

The targeted demographic for both the AMD and Intel base-level Venture devices is both professionals and creatives, with the high-refresh displays and powerful chipsets, while the AMD Radeon 860M and Intel Arc GPUs respectively position them outside of gaming territory. 

Venture Pro 15/16/17 AI

The Pro versions of the Venture series move back to the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H but come with a wide range of GPU options from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 to the 4060. This, paired with the 144Hz refresh rate and OLED display (on the 16-inch only) places the Venture Pro closer to the creator’s wheelhouse, though some more generous I/O offerings would go a long way to making them more premium.

The Venture Pro features a single USB-C with DisplayPort support, an HDMI, and two USB-A ports, which is not unheard of, but some users might find limiting, particularly since there’s not an SD card slot either.

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Some additional productivity features such as noise cancellation and a triple mic spatial array will appeal to the remote or hybrid worker who’s taking videoconferencing calls outside of the office but prefer reliably high-performing hardware to ultrathin and light portables.

All in all, MSI’s approach to the Venture and Venture Pro lineup utilizes powerful hardware with fast processors, blazing-fast displays, and a diverse range of configurations and sizes. These are not the thinnest, lightest, most sleek laptops around, but they are reliable workhorses stacked with high-end components that can provide solid performance for whatever you want to throw at them.