Corsair unveils Voyager a1600 gaming laptop, full specs within

Hot on the heels of AMD’s on-stage introduction, Corsair has officially announced its first gaming laptop, the 16in Voyager a1600 AMD Advantage Edition.

There’s a generous amount of firepower beneath the hood. Eight-core, 16-thread CPU options extend up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor, graphics come courtesy of Radeon RX 6800M graphics, and AMD Advantage certification guarantees a bunch of smarts designed to make the most of such processing technology. Smart Access Memory allows the Ryzen CPU to tap into graphics memory, and SmartShift Max is at hand to boost performance between CPU and GPU depending on workload.

With its sights set on the “content creator, avid gamer, or full-time streamer,” the AMD collaboration will arguably play second fiddle to an Elgato tie-in. Borrowing a handful of technologies from the Corsair-owned streaming brand, Voyager a1600 shoehorns 10 customisable touch shortcut buttons above the keyboard. The entire row is managed by Elgato’s powerful Stream Deck software, and the bar’s integral role is demonstrated by an odd-looking cutout in the display lid that ensures each shortcut key remains accessible when the laptop is closed shut.

Matthew Hsu, SVP & GM, System BU at Corsair, reckons Elgato tech makes Voyager stand out in a crowded gaming market. “We knew we had to bring something new and different to the table,” said Hsu.

“With our unique position in the industry, we were able to pull from the best of what Corsair has to offer – from award-winning components to extensive software integration – to create a laptop that no one else can.”

Elgato integration extends to the 1080p30 FHD webcam, which includes a directional four-microphone array with ambient noise cancellation to help keep streams crisp and clear at all times.

Other elements of the vast Corsair ecosystem have also found their way into Voyager’s 2.4kg chassis. Mechanical Cherry MX ultra-low-profile key switches promise best-in-class backlighting courtesy of Capellix LEDs and iCue customisation, and there’s a built-in Corsair SlipStream wireless receiver to connect up to three compatible peripherals without having to resort to dongles.

Port selection is similarly robust, with Voyager a1600 touting two Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB 4.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, a dedicated SD card reader and 3.5mm combination audio jack. High-speed connectivity and an SD card reader? Content creators will be rubbing their hands in glee.

A high-quality display ought to be the last piece of the jigsaw, and Corsair hopes to catch the eye with a 16in, 16:10 IPS panel touting a 2560×1600 resolution at up to 240Hz. AMD Advantage ensures FreeSync Premium adaptive synchronisation, meaning gaming ought to be silky smooth, but Corsair hasn’t disclosed details such as colour coverage or contrast.

Keeping everything humming along optimally is vapor-chamber cooling that we’re told helps enable a reasonably svelte, sub-20mm thick chassis, and last but not least is a high-capacity 99Wh battery we hope will last a full working day.

The launch window hasn’t been narrowed down from ‘this summer,’ but we can now confirm US pricing. Corsair’s base model, with Ryzen 7 6800HS, 32GB of memory and 1TB NVMe storage will arrive at $2,699. A top-end model, with Ryzen 9 6900HS, 64GB of memory and 2TB NVMe storage will set you back $2,999. Full specifications are included for your perusal below.