MSI’s Raider A18 HX has the most powerful gaming hardware possible — does that outweigh the poor battery life and loud fans?

The MSI Raider A18 HX is one of the few high-performance gaming laptops with an 18-inch screen. It goes head-to-head with other top models like the Razer Blade 18 and ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18, both of which we’ve also tested here at Windows Central.

The MSI Raider is a seriously powerful gaming laptop, boasting top-of-the-line components like the NVIDIA RTX 5090 Laptop GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor. But it’s not just about raw performance – MSI has also packed in a lot of great features to enhance your gaming and work experience.

Is this the right 18-inch laptop for you? Let’s find out.

MSI Raider A18 HX (2025) review

The MSI Raider A18 HX is a powerful laptop, and it comes with a price tag to match. It’s definitely not cheap, but that’s typical for a machine with this level of performance.

I found the best price for this PC at B&H for $2,799 – that’s after a $500 discount. This configuration includes a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor, 32GB of RAM, a fast 2TB solid-state drive, an NVIDIA RTX 5080 Laptop graphics card, and a high-quality UHD+ mini-LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

In my research, I’ve found this configuration available from several retailers. Amazon currently lists it for $3,399, while Newegg has it for a slightly lower price of $3,299. Walmart also carries it, but at a higher price point of $3,799.

We don’t recommend models with an RTX 5090 because they’re expensive and don’t offer much of a performance boost compared to the RTX 5080. However, if you plan to use the Raider A18 HX for tasks like video editing, graphic design, or AI development, a 5090 might be worth the investment.

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MSI provided us with a review unit for this assessment. We want to clarify that MSI did not have any input into the content of this review before it was published.

Design ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Like most 18-inch gaming laptops that pack powerful components, this one is fairly large and heavy. Top-of-the-line configurations typically weigh around 7.94 pounds (3.6kg) and are about 1.26 inches (32mm) thick.

The computer case is mostly made of plastic, but MSI incorporated aluminum into some of the bigger parts to make it more durable. The case feels solid and doesn’t flex easily.

The back of the device features decorative red and black vents. It includes ports for fast 2.5Gb Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and a unique charging connector, all neatly arranged to help keep cables organized. The vents also extend around the sides to provide extra cooling.

The left side features two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) ports and an SD card reader. The right side includes two USB4 ports, another USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) port, and a headphone jack.

The laptop offers a good selection of both new and older ports, though it doesn’t have official support for Intel’s Thunderbolt technology, according to some information from MSI. It also includes the latest wireless features, like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

The PC’s uniquely shaped front corners and slim bezels around the screen give it a stylish look. A customizable LED light bar on the front adds a touch of personality, but can be turned off for a more business-like appearance.

The gem-cut front corners and display bezels add some distinct flair to the PC.

I’ve found that this laptop includes a 1080p webcam positioned above the screen, and it also features an IR sensor which allows you to use Windows Hello for facial recognition. There’s even a physical privacy shutter, which is a nice touch. As for the video quality, it’s decent for everyday use, but if I were planning on streaming games regularly, I’d definitely recommend pairing it with a dedicated, higher-quality webcam.

The speakers point upwards and are quite loud without sounding crackly. However, the sound lacks a bit of fullness. I especially appreciate the physical webcam shutter and the fingerprint scanner built into the keyboard – features that a lot of gaming laptops skip.

To open the computer, you’ll need to remove 12 screws from the bottom panel. Once it’s open, you can easily upgrade or replace the RAM, storage drive, and Wi-Fi card.

Display ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Raider A18 HX features an 18-inch display with a stunning 3840×2400 resolution (UHD+), delivering incredibly sharp visuals for both gaming and everyday tasks. Its mini-LED panel technology offers richer blacks, brighter whites, and better overall contrast than traditional LCD screens – you’ll notice the difference right away.

Mini-LED screens perform better with high dynamic range (HDR) content than OLED screens because they can get much brighter. This particular screen is certified for VESA DisplayHDR 1000, and my tests showed it reached 558 nits of brightness even without HDR enabled.

We also evaluated the Raider A18 HX’s color accuracy, and it performed impressively. It covered 100% of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, and 94% of AdobeRGB, making it a great choice for tasks like photo and video editing.

With a fast 120Hz refresh rate – especially for a 4K screen – this display is great for both work and gaming. Plus, the anti-glare matte finish is a nice touch.

Performance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When we tested the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU with our usual benchmarks, it performed as expected – a bit slower than Intel’s top mobile processor when it comes to everyday tasks like working or creating content. However, AMD built this CPU with gamers in mind, and that really shows when you start playing games.

Driving a display with a very high resolution of 3840×2400 puts a lot of strain on the computer’s components. Despite this, I was able to achieve an average of 148.7 frames per second in the game Cyberpunk 2077. This was with Multi Frame Gen 4x enabled, high graphics settings overall, and ray tracing set to high quality.

I was able to achieve an average of 100 frames per second in Far Cry 6 using the highest graphics settings without DLSS. With DLSS turned on and the settings maxed out, I averaged 170 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

DLSS is helping a lot to deliver this performance, but that’s typical for high-end gaming laptops. What’s really remarkable is that even with demanding games, we can still use the beautiful UHD+ display at its full 120Hz refresh rate.

The new MSI Raider comes equipped with the fastest M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD we’ve seen so far. It stayed cool during testing, likely due to its dedicated heat pipe that connects to the laptop’s overall cooling system.

Thermals & fan noise ⭐⭐⭐

I started performance testing by really pushing the system to its limits with a stress test. The Raider A18 HX handled it well without slowing down, and you shouldn’t experience excessive fan noise or heat during normal use.

MSI’s software lets you automatically optimize performance with AI, or you can manually select a specific performance level. While the graphics card can be overclocked for a boost in speed, the resulting increase in fan noise might not be worth the effort.

The laptop’s fans get noticeably loud when playing demanding games. During testing with Cyberpunk 2077, I measured the noise at around 52 decibels. While less intense games are quieter, you can still hear the fans running most of the time you’re using the laptop.

Battery life ⭐⭐⭐

Okay, so the MSI Raider A18 HX isn’t about squeezing every last drop of battery life out of things. It’s a beast! MSI really went all-in on power with this laptop – it’s got the absolute fastest mobile processor and graphics card you can get for gaming. It’s all about performance, not how long it runs on a single charge.

The laptop’s battery life is great when it’s idle – it can easily last a couple of days. However, if you’re actively using it, the battery drains much faster. To get the best performance, especially when gaming, it’s best to keep the laptop plugged in. If you do game on battery, stick to less demanding games and lower the power settings.

You can expect around two to three hours of battery life when using this laptop for everyday tasks like browsing or working, if you keep the power settings at their highest. Lowering the power settings will extend that time. This is typical for powerful gaming laptops.

Keyboard & touchpad ⭐⭐⭐½

Colorful keyboards are common on gaming laptops, but MSI’s keyboard stands out for more than just its appearance.

As an analyst, I’ve been testing the SteelSeries keyboard, and I’m impressed. It features a full layout with 99 keys, including a number pad, and each key has its own customizable RGB lighting. While it’s not mechanical, the key presses feel surprisingly snappy and responsive – I didn’t experience any discomfort during extended typing or gaming sessions, and the key travel feels just right.

I dislike the translucent keycaps on the WASD and arrow keys, but it’s overall a quality keyboard.

The touchpad isn’t great. It feels a bit soft and imprecise when clicking, and it seems like MSI could have made it larger if they’d used the available space better.

The touchpad feels smooth and responds accurately, which is the most important thing. While a glass surface might be preferable for constant use with the built-in pointer, most gamers likely use a controller or separate mouse instead.

MSI Raider A18 HX (2025): Should you buy it?

✅ You should buy this if …

You want one of the most powerful gaming laptops on the market today.
You love a gaming laptop with customizable RGB lighting.
You want to experience the very best of what AMD and NVIDIA can deliver.

❌ You should not buy this if …

You require long battery life to get you from one AC outlet to the other.
You want a laptop that’s easy to carry around.
You don’t plan on tackling demanding local AI tasks or hardware-intensive games.

The MSI Raider A18 HX is a great option for gamers who want the most powerful laptop processor available, combined with NVIDIA’s newest graphics cards, including the high-end RTX 5090.

The battery doesn’t last very long, and the fans can be noisy, but that’s pretty common for powerful gaming laptops.

The Raider A18 HX offers a good value for its price compared to other laptops in its class. The only downsides are the average quality of its speakers and touchpad, so it’s a great option if those aren’t top priorities for you.

2025-11-16 17:12