As a gaming notebook, the Stealth 15M is virtually unknown. It has a matte black finish (which, by the way, is a bit of a fingerprint magnet) and a simple, somewhat boxy build. At least on the outside, there’s MSI’s Dragon logo, a new holographic treatment for 2022, MSI’s beautiful Spectrum backlit keyboard, a large speaker grille along the width of the deck, and a smallish touchpad.
On the side, you’ll find a full array of ports, including four USB 3.2 ports (two Type A and two Type C, one of which is DisplayPort compatible), a full-size HDMI 2.1 connector and a headphone/microphone combo jack. The Stealth also weighs just under 4 lbs (3.96 lbs), which is actually a touch lighter than many other 15-inch gaming laptops (and even some 14-inch systems).
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]On paper, the Stealth 15M’s screen seems to match its specs perfectly: it has a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, it has a matte finish to prevent reflections. The problem is that the colours are a bit dull and the brightness is around 250 nits at the testing time, making movies and games look lifeless.
Of course, this is not a major problem for those who like to play games in dark environments. However, its mediocre light output means that reading text in a bright room can be difficult, especially if you prefer dark mode apps. In terms of audio, the Stealth has dual 2-watt speakers, which can be quite loud, but bass is a little lacking. However, given the size of the grille, we would have liked a bit more volume.
The 15.6-inch display on all Stealth 15M models has a Full HD (1080p) resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate, which suits this laptop’s hardware and the type of games that use this system well. This means that high-frame-rate multiplayer titles will fly and some AAA games can exceed 60fps, which is discussed in more detail in the performance section below. Image quality is good, and the slim size and modern looks are aided by the thin screen bezel.
The keyboard layout may take some getting used to (each laptop seems to vary in terms of where the function keys are placed and how the volume and screen brightness keys are arranged), but the keys themselves are large and well spaced, with a satisfactory level of key travel. The trackpad works well, but I would have liked to see MSI stick the almost comically large trackpad on both the GS66 Stealth and Prestige 14 Evo. There is space here, so why not? We would also have welcomed a fingerprint sensor built into the Prestige 14 Evo’s trackpad.