Notebookcheck Logo

MSI Raider 18 HX AI A2XWIG

Specifications

MSI Raider 18 HX AI A2XWIG
MSI Raider 18 HX AI A2XWIG (Raider 18 Series)
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX 24 x 2.1 - 5.5 GHz, Arrow Lake-HX
Graphics adapter
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop - 16 GB VRAM, 175 W TDP, GDDR7
Memory
64 GB 
, DDR5-6400
Display
18.00 inch 16:10, 3840 x 2400 pixel 252 PPI, Mini LED, glossy: no, 120 Hz
Storage
M.2 PCIe
Connections
3 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
10/100/1000 LAN Card (10/100/1000MBit/s), 802.11 a/​b/​g/​n/​ac/​ax/​be (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz be = Wi-Fi 7), Bluetooth 5.4
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 32 x 404 x 308 ( = 1.26 x 15.91 x 12.13 in)
Battery
99.9 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Camera
Webcam: IR
Primary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes
Weight
3.6 kg ( = 126.99 oz / 7.94 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
4350 Euro
Amazon

 

Price comparison

Average Score: 85.14% - good
Average of 7 scores (from 9 reviews)
price: 79%, performance: 95%, features: - %, display: 95% mobility: 63%, workmanship: 82%, ergonomy: - %, emissions: - %

Reviews for the MSI Raider 18 HX AI A2XWIG

Why I recommend this Windows laptop to creatives and professionals - even if it's meant for gamers
Source: Zdnet.com English
According to MSI, prices for the Raider 18 HX start at $3,319. My review unit's configuration is available at B&H Photo Video for $4,499. As expensive as it may be, it's absolutely worth it. This laptop will provide you with years of excellent performance and a top-notch user experience, even superior to many desktops.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/07/2025
90% This MSI Raider gaming laptop costs more than my rent, but it’s worth every penny
Source: Laptop Mag English
If you’ve got the money to spend, the MSI Raider 18 HX AI is a gaming laptop worthy of the term “desktop replacement.” The Raider has strong general performance, fluid gaming performance, a bright MiniLED display, a comfortable keyboard, powerful audio, and more ports than you’re likely to need, even with a multi-monitor setup. It’s just expensive. The entry-level Raider costs $3,699. Granted, you aren’t getting entry-level specs with that laptop, which can help offset the sheer magnitude of the price tag. But if you want similar performance, with a bit more portability and a more affordable price tag, you may be better off with the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, which features similar specs for significantly less money. If you’ve got the cash to spare and portability is your key requirement, then the Razer Blade 16 (2025) is the way to go.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/02/2025
Rating: Total score: 90%
80% MSI Raider 18 HX AI review: A benchmark-breaking beast in laptop form
Source: PC World English
The MSI Raider 18 HX AI is a hardware showcase. It has an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX that sets new records in several benchmarks, and an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU with performance close to RTX 4090, and a pair of PCIe 5.0 solid state drives that hit blistering read speeds of just over 13,000 MB/s. It also has a bright Mini-LED display. These advantages come alongside practical downsides. The Raider 18 is heavy, and the battery doesn’t last long. I wasn’t a fan of the keyboard or touchpad, either. The MSI Raider 18 HX is a decent value. That might be hard to believe given the laptop’s nearly $4,500 MSRP, but if you take a tour through Newegg or Best Buy product listings, you’ll find most comparable 18-inch systems with RTX 50-series graphics have less RAM, smaller solid state drives, and often a less capable version of the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/15/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%

Foreign Reviews

80% Extrem flotter Gaming-Laptop mit RTX 5080
Source: PC Welt German DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/21/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
90% Ich konnte die Performance nicht glauben
Source: Gamestar German DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/07/2025
Rating: Total score: 90%
91% MSI Raider 18 HX AI Review en Español (Análisis completo)
Source: Profesional Review Spanish ES→EN
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/09/2025
Rating: Total score: 91% price: 79% performance: 96% display: 99% mobility: 75% workmanship: 93%
MSI Raider 18 Review
Source: Tweakers Dutch NL→EN
Positive: Powerful processor; 64GB RAM; 4T SSD storage; high performance. Negative: Average display; mediocre design; high price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/07/2025
80% TEST du MSI Raider 18 HX AI (RTX 5080) : le PC de tous les superlatifs… y compris sur le prix
Source: Clubic French FR→EN
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/01/2025
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 90% display: 90% mobility: 50% workmanship: 70%
85% Test MSI Raider 18 HX AI (A2XW). Laptop z Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX i NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
Source: ITHardware.pl Turkish PL→EN
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/11/2025
Rating: Total score: 85% performance: 100%

Comment

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop: A fast graphics card from the Blackwell family for laptops that is based on the GB203 chip and uses 8,192 shaders and 16 GB GDDR7 graphics memory (256-bit graphics bus).

These graphics cards are able to play the latest and most demanding games in high resolutions and full detail settings with enabled Anti-Aliasing.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


Ultra 9 285HX: Mobile high-end CPU for gaming notebooks based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Offers 24 cores consisting of 8 fast performance cores with up to 5.5 GHz and 16 smaller efficiency cores with up to 4.6 GHz clock speed. The CPU can access 40 MB L2 cache and 36 MB L3 cache and is specified with a TDP of 55 watts. The SoC integrates a small dedicated NPU called AI Boost with 13 TOPS (Int8) and optionally supports vPro Enterprise.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


18.00": This display size is a standard format for desktop replacements (DTR). The DTR laptops are heavier to carry, need more power, but texts are easy to read and high resolutions are no problem. DTR are mainly intended for stationary desk use, where weight and energy hunger don't matter. In return, you enjoy the advantages of high resolutions (more details, better legibility).» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


3.6 kg:

Only a few laptops are in this weight class because the mobility is rather limited due to the high weight. 


MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI) was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. MSI is especially known as a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards for PCs, but also offers computer accessories, complete systems, motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and other components. However, the Microstar brand name in Germany belongs to the Medion company. MSI is known for its gaming products and has developed a wide range of gaming laptops and desktop PCs. The company is also active in workstations, servers and industrial automation. MSI has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.


85.14%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

Please share our article, every link counts!
Mail Logo
Current Prices

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Dragon Range (Zen 4, Ryzen 7X4X/8X4X) R9 9955HX
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 G835LW
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX

Devices with the same GPU

MSI Vector 16 HX AI A2XWIG
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX, 16.00", 2.7 kg
Aorus Master 16 AM6H, RTX 5080 (BYH)
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX, 16.00", 2.5 kg
Razer Blade 16 RTX 5080
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Strix Halo/Point (Zen 5/5c, Ryzen AI 300) Ryzen AI 9 365, 16.00", 2.1 kg
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX, 16.00", 2.643 kg
Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IAX10H
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX, 16.00", 2.32 kg
HP Omen Max 16-ah0000ng
GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 275HX, 16.00", 2.68 kg

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight

MSI Katana 15 B13VGK, i7-13700H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Raptor Lake-H i7-13700H, 15.60", 2.25 kg
MSI Vector 16 HX AI A2XWHG
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 7 255HX, 16.00", 2.612 kg
MSI Titan 18 HX AI A2XWJG
GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop, Arrow Lake Ultra 9 285HX, 18.00", 3.6 kg
MSI Stealth A16 AI+ A3XVGG, HX 370
Radeon 890M, Strix Halo/Point (Zen 5/5c, Ryzen AI 300) Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 16.00", 2.1 kg
MSI VenturePro 16 AI A1VFG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, Meteor Lake-H Ultra 7 155H, 16.00", 1.9 kg

Devices from the same Manufacturer

MSI Modern 14 F13MG
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Raptor Lake-U i5-1335U, 14.00", 1.5 kg
MSI Modern 15 H AI C1MG, Ultra 5 125H
Arc 7-Core, Meteor Lake-H Ultra 5 125H, 15.60", 1.9 kg
MSI Creator A16 AI+ A3HVGG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Strix Halo/Point (Zen 5/5c, Ryzen AI 300) Ryzen AI 9 365, 16.00", 2.1 kg
MSI Thin 15 B12VE
UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, Alder Lake-P i5-12450H, 15.60", 1.86 kg
MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo A2VM
Arc 140V, Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V, 13.30", 1.35 kg
MSI Thin 15 B13UC
GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU, Raptor Lake-H i5-13420H, 15.60", 1.85 kg
MSI Prestige 16 AI Studio B1VGG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Meteor Lake-H Ultra 9 185H, 16.00", 1.6 kg
MSI Prestige 14 AI+ Evo C2VMG
Arc 140V, Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V, 14.00", 1.7 kg
MSI Prestige 16 AI+ Evo B2VMG
Arc 140V, Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V, 16.00", 1.5 kg
MSI Modern 15 F13MG
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Raptor Lake-U i5-1335U, 15.60", 1.7 kg
Stefan Hinum, 2025-07-20 (Update: 2025-07-20)