For me, one of the biggest selling points of a 2-in-1 laptop is if it comes with a stylus.
If a laptop does come bundled with a stylus, I’ll pick that one over the competition, but it can’t be just any stylus. I make a half-closed fist when I write, so if there are protruding buttons near the tip, I can’t assign actions to them unless I want to rewrite what I accidentally erase constantly.
That brings me to MSI’s gorgeous black, gold-trimmed 2-in-1 Summit laptop. When it debuted, it didn’t come with a stylus that made me say, “Here’s my credit card; now I own you.” But at CES this month, I noticed a stylus attached to the Summit, and it wasn’t just any stylus — it was the MSI Pen 2.
Two years ago, at CES, MSI introduced its Pen 2, a dual stylus and pencil with a graphite tip that can be used to write on a laptop screen. I write as much on my laptop as one might use Post-It notes, so as I tested it out, I couldn’t hide my enthusiasm — especially since the action buttons were flush with the pen’s surface. The only problem was that the Pen 2 only shipped with MSI’s Creator Z17 HX Studio and CreatorPro Z17 HX Studio laptops. It wasn’t available separately or with another MSI laptop.
Thankfully, the lack of the Pen 2 with the impressive MSI Summit laptop ended in September 2024. At IFA Berlin, the Tawain-based firm announced it would include its Pen 2 with the Summit 13 AI+ Evo, a 13" 2-in-1 laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V "Lunar Lake" processor.
Fast-forward to CES 2025: I’m standing before a slightly different Summit 13. This one has an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H "Arrow Lake" processor, but I'm really gawking at what's on the outside: An MSI Pen 2 that is magnetically attached to the left of the keyboard.
Anyone with a touchscreen laptop that supports MPP 2.6 (Microsoft Pen Protocol) should be able to use the Pen 2, regardless of whether they have an MSI laptop.
| Processor | Intel CoreM Ultra 7 processor 255H ("Arrow Lake") | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| Display | 13.3" FHD+ (1920x1200), 16:10, touchscreen, 100% sRGB (Typical), IPS- level panel, support MSI Pen 2 | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| Stylus | MSI Pen 2 with MPP2.6 support offering 4096 level pressure sensitivity and MSI exclusive precision Pen Touch. | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Webcam | 3D Noise Reduction+ Camera (3DNR+) restrains signal noise and increases image quality under poor lighting conditions. | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| Security | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 technology provides hardware-based, security-related functions. | Sign-in with your face or fingerprint through Windows Hello, andeasily authenticate to online services from FIDO 2. |
| Audio | Through MSI Al Noise Cancellation Pro, it can filter 360 degree noise for enhanced conference call experience. | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
At $130, the MSI Pen 2 is not cheap, but the accessories a company bundles (or doesn’t bundle) with its 2-in-1 laptops can be the final factor in whether to purchase it.
The "Arrow Lake-powered MSI Summit Evo 13 is due out by March 31, 2025, but MSI tells Laptop Mag it has not settled on a price.
