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MSI Raider A18 HX: Two-minute assessment
The MSI Raider A18 HX is a high-end, premium gaming laptop with a worth level to match. That includes among the best possible specs on provide available on the market proper now, there’s no want to fret about low body charges or poor recreation high quality when sporting this titan of a machine.
You do get completely sensible gaming efficiency on the MSI Raider A18 HX, nonetheless that is the expectation in terms of a laptop computer at this worth level. This gadget is on no account an possibility for many who are budget-conscious, nonetheless, however you get gaming efficiency like no different, a surprising 4K show, and a laptop computer which is future-proofed for years to return.
It does, nonetheless, include some huge flaws. In fact, you’d count on an 18-inch gaming laptop computer to be giant, however this gadget actually and actually is on one other degree by way of each measurement and weight.
It’s a behemoth of a tool which does have its perks, akin to an immersive display measurement and plenty of ports, however then again, it is so giant to some extent I wouldn’t essentially think about it moveable. It additionally solely contains a 2TB SSD, which regardless of sounding giant, will simply be crammed with the scale of AAA titles these days.
MSI Raider A18 HX: Value and availability
- How a lot does it value? $5,609.99 / £4,799
- When is it out there? Accessible now
- The place are you able to get it? UK and US
The MSI Raider A18 HX is a top-of-the-line laptop computer by way of efficiency and naturally that comes with an identical worth level. Coming in at over $5,000 for the very best specification version of this laptop computer, this worth level is just not for the faint of coronary heart. Contemplating the specs of the laptop computer, the worth level does make sense as comparable choices are across the identical worth level.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, which additionally contains a RTX 5090 graphics card and a bigger SSD, will set you again $4,499.99 / £5,099.
You may at present get this laptop computer within the UK, US and different choose areas the world over. Nonetheless, it’s at present not out there in Australia.
MSI Raider A18 HX: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Base configuration |
Evaluate configuration |
|---|---|---|
|
Mannequin |
Raider A18 HX A9WIG-003 |
Raider A18 HX A9WJG-002 |
|
Value |
$4,499.99 / £3,999 |
$5,609.99 / £4,799 |
|
CPU |
AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Processor |
AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Processor |
|
GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 |
|
RAM |
64GB DDR5 |
64GB DDR5 |
|
Display |
Mini LED, 18inch, 3840 x 2400p, 120Hz refresh charge |
Mini LED, 18inch, 3840 x 2400p, 120Hz refresh charge |
|
Storage |
2TB SSD |
2TB SSD |
|
Ports |
3x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x SD Card reader, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack |
3x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x SD Card reader, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack |
|
Wi-fi |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Digicam |
HD Digicam (30fps, 1080p) |
HD Digicam (30fps, 1080p) |
|
Weight |
3.6kg |
3.6kg |
|
Dimensions |
404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm |
404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm |
The MSI Raider A18 HX is a top-end gaming gadget the place you may both go for the Nvidia RTX 5090 or Nvidia RTX 5080 graphics playing cards. Whereas each of those present high-level graphics efficiency, if you happen to really need one of the best of one of the best by way of specs then after all the Nvidia RTX 5090 is the clear possibility.
All the opposite specs between these two gadgets are equivalent, so regardless of which possibility you decide up, you’ll be getting a mighty processor in addition to an virtually extreme quantity of RAM with 64GB at your disposal.
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MSI Raider A18 HX: Design
- Giant and heavy
- 18-inch display seems improbable
- Loads of ports
When first unboxing the MSI Raider A18 HX, all I might assume was… woah. Weighing in at 3.6kg, this positively isn’t the lightest of laptops, and pair this with the completely huge measurement measuring at 404 x 307.5 x 32.05 mm, this gadget is nearly actually too huge for many laptop backpacks.
Being an avid collector of laptop computer luggage, I attempted it in a complete load of various luggage, and the one factor I might match this gadget in was a suitcase. That is positively one thing to be aware of if you happen to’re planning to make use of a gaming laptop computer on the go.
Dimension apart, the laptop computer itself could be very historically gamer-y by way of fashion. You get crimson accents across the fringe of the gadget in addition to RGB on the brand and alongside the underside bezel. Contributing to this aesthetic is the font of the keyboard, which is sort of aggressive.
You get a surprising 18-inch display with this laptop computer with a 3840 x 2400 decision, excellent for enjoying AAA titles in 4K. Nonetheless, for many who play aggressive titles the place frames win video games – you additionally get a 120Hz refresh charge, guaranteeing you’ve one of the best of each worlds with this show.
The MSI Raider A18 HX options 3 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C ports and a headphone jack. You additionally get an ethernet port and HDMI port on the again of the gadget. Whereas that is greater than sufficient ports for the standard arrange of gaming peripherals, you’ll doubtless want extenders if you happen to’re hoping to run a full streaming setup.
MSI Raider A18 HX: Efficiency
- Can turn into unstable when battery drops too far
- High-tier gaming efficiency
- Followers get loud
MSI Raider A18 HX: Benchmarks
3DMark: Night time Raid: 80877 ; Fireplace Strike: 42898 ; Time Spy: 18448
GeekBench 6: 2867 (single-core); 12285 (multi-core)
CrossMark: General: 1578 Productiveness: 1532 Creativity: 1851 Responsiveness: 1067
Complete Struggle: Warhammer III (1080p, Extremely): 203 ; (1080p, Low): 454
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Extremely): 167 ; (1080p, Low): 198
Filth 5 (1080p, Extremely): 306 ; (1080p, Low): 204
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 1hr 27mins
TechRadar film take a look at: 1hr 45mins
I did have some teething points when first booting up the MSI Raider A18 HX. At first it was freezing often and at one level in the course of benchmarking it utterly froze and I wanted to carry down the facility button to close it off. I realised the primary concern was when the battery dropped under 10% – it grew to become virtually ineffective, even once I adjusted energy saving settings to make sure one of the best efficiency.
I resorted to utilizing the laptop computer plugged within the majority of the time due to the facility draw, and risking dropping under 10% battery and having your entire system shut off was not a raffle I used to be prepared to take – particularly when taking part in on-line. Nonetheless, when the laptop computer did work as supposed, it was completely improbable, I bought top-tier efficiency from each single title I booted up in Extremely.
Whether or not I used to be operating lower-intensity titles or AAA video games, which did ship the followers of the laptop computer into orbit, I used to be in a position to get superb high quality graphics and excessive frames each time.
It’s value noting that – as with quite a lot of gaming machines of this calibre – it did get highly regarded and really loud fairly shortly, with followers going full throttle as quickly as I’d boot up a recreation in 4K.
The audio system on the laptop computer are fairly good, whereas they after all don’t match headset-level high quality, they’re completely tremendous for gaming with.
Nonetheless, if you happen to’re searching for pinpoint-accurate directional audio, you received’t actually discover that from laptop computer audio system typically anyway, and will in vest within the best PC speakers.
MSI Raider A18 HX: Battery life
The battery life was the most important let down of this laptop computer. In fact, most gaming laptops have a really excessive energy draw since they include some fairly intense elements, however the MSI Raider A18 HX actually was unbelievably low.
When taking part in AAA video games at 4K, I bought lower than an hour out of the laptop computer earlier than it will shut itself off. Contemplating the efficiency concern I skilled when reaching low battery ranges, this rendered the gadget much more ineffective for portability.
In tune with the scale of the laptop computer, you get a completely gigantic 400w charging brick which additionally contributes to the dearth of portability. Nonetheless, the perk of getting such a giant charging brick is that your laptop computer will cost again to full battery in a short time with mine going from 10% again to 100% in round an hour.
It’s clear that this laptop computer was designed to stay plugged in always, whether or not it is because of the measurement of the gadget itself, the scale of the charger or simply the battery life typically. Whereas it is a gaming laptop computer, it’s clearly one supposed to stay stationary.
Do you have to purchase the MSI Raider A18 HX?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Worth |
|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
4 / 5 |
Priced appropriately based mostly on specs, the one draw back right here is the dearth of availability in sure territories |
|
Design |
3 / 5 |
Regardless of coming with a beautiful chassis, it’s exhausting to look previous simply how huge this laptop computer is which takes away from its portability. |
|
Efficiency |
4 / 5 |
You get improbable efficiency right here which is let down once you get to decrease battery percentages. |
|
Battery |
1 / 5 |
The battery is a serious letdown in terms of this laptop computer to the purpose I wouldn’t even think about using it unplugged. |
|
Common ranking |
3 / 5 |
The MSI Raider A18 HX is large and chugs via its battery, however there is no faulting the extent of efficiency for the worth, even when it comes on the (literal) value of the whole lot else. |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
MSI Raider A18 HX: Additionally Contemplate
How I examined the MSI Raider A18 HX
I spent two weeks utilizing the MSI Raider A18 HX as my on a regular basis laptop computer for work and leisure. I used to be certain to make use of the gadget all day for my typical work day, after which additionally used it for gaming within the night. I took it on the go together with me to completely different areas the place I wanted to work to see how it will really feel outdoors of my workstation. In addition to utilizing it every single day I additionally benchmarked the laptop computer utilizing a variety of various benchmarking software program.
- First reviewed: June 2025