MSI Raider A18 HX A9W review: Extreme power at an extreme price

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2025 is shaping up to be a good year if your laptop buying tastes skew towards the equivalent of a family-sized meat-and-cheese platter.

The launch of new Nvidia RTX mobile graphics—including the top-tier RTX 5090 with 24GB of VRAM—has the potential for chart-topping performance. Now it’s joined by AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, a 16-core CPU with the company’s vaunted 3D V-Cache, an extra stack of L3 cache that can prove useful in games.

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W brings both new chips into one chassis. And, as a bonus, it tosses in 64GB of memory and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 solid state drive. That’s incredible hardware, but the laptop retails for an equally incredible MSRP of $5,099.99.

So, is it worth it?

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Specs and features

The highlight of the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is undoubtedly the combination of AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor and Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics. Each is an undisputed heavyweight in its category and should deliver a killer one-two punch of CPU and GPU performance.

With that said, however, this MSI Raider A18 HX A9W still must deal with the power and thermal constraints faced by every laptop—and it will be interesting to see the results.

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W delivers additional technical highlights, too, like the PCIe 5.0 solid state drive and the 4K Mini-LED display.

• Model number: A18 HX A9WIG-082US
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
• Memory: 64GB DDR5-5600
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5090 (Max 175W with Dynamic Boost)
• NPU: None
• Display: 18-inch 3840×2400 120Hz Mini-LED with HDR
• Storage: 1x 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps camera with Windows Hello support
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5 / USB-C 4 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery 3.1, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x SD card reader, 1x HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K @ 120Hz), 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45)
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Facial recognition, fingerprint reader
• Battery capacity: 99 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 15.91 x 12.11 x 1.26 inches
• Weight: 7.94 pounds
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Price: $5,099.99 MSRP

Features like these don’t come cheap, of course, so the Raider A18 HX A9W rings up at $5,099.99. That’s a lot of money!

However, it’s not unusually expensive for a top-tier gaming laptop. A variety of high-end laptops retail at higher prices, from fully configured Apple MacBook Pro 16 configurations to top-end Razer Blade, Alienware, and MSI Titan laptops.

If $5,099.99 is a bit rich for your blood, MSI provides a configuration with Nvidia’s RTX 5080 for $4,099.99. It’s otherwise identical to the model reviewed here and a good bet for gamers who don’t plan to use the laptop’s GPU for creative or AI workloads.

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Design and build quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W shares a chassis with its Intel-powered sibling, and it’s a substantial piece of hardware. It tips the scales at nearly 8 pounds and measures 1.25 inches thick, as well as close to 16 inches wide. It won’t even fit in a typical backpack or messenger bag meant to carry a laptop. You’ll need a special bag designed for the purpose (and MSI has a bag to sell you).

Beyond its imposing size, the Raider 18 provides a functional yet unremarkable aesthetic. The black plastic construction is punctuated by red detailing, creating a decent visual appearance that falls short of the premium feel found in more professionally oriented machines like Razer’s Blade 18. It also lacks the dramatic flair of MSI’s own Titan laptop, which serves more as a statement piece (at an even higher price). The most notable visual quirk is the LED lighting at the front of the laptop, but that trick is emulated by other high-end machines.

Still, the Raider 18 feels dependable. There’s not much flex to be found, even in traditional weak spots like the center of the keyboard, and the laptop doesn’t creak or groan when handled. Machines in this category can feel a bit rickety due to their size, bulk, and the numerous chassis components and internal PCBs they’re constructed from. The Raider 18 isn’t as solid as the Razer Blade 18, but it feels more robust than most laptops in its category.

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

MSI stretches a spacious keyboard with numpad across the Raider 18 HX AI’s deck. Most keys feel generously sized though a few, like Caps Lock, remain slightly smaller than standard. The numpad keys match the size of the main alphanumeric keys, which is a welcome change from laptops with undersized numpads.

Despite the SteelSeries branding, the keyboard’s feel disappoints. I didn’t notice a difference between this keyboard and typical competitors, including alternatives that are much less expensive, like the Asus TUF series. The large chassis provides ample room for key travel, but the bottoming action is lacking in tactile feedback. The keyboard is still fine, but the Raider’s price tag sets expectations the keyboard doesn’t deliver.

RGB backlighting saves the keyboard from complete mediocrity. Owners can customize each key individually through the Steelseries GG app, which handles both lighting profiles and macro configurations. I appreciate this software—it looks polished, works intuitively, and lets you save multiple setups. While these features aren’t groundbreaking, SteelSeries outpaces competitors like Gigabyte and Acer, which lag in software quality.

The touchpad is more of a mix. It measures roughly 5 inches wide by 3 inches deep, which isn’t large for an 18-inch gaming laptop. The surface is responsive, but unremarkable, and the physical button action produces a springy yet hollow click. Competitors like the Razer Blade 18 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 offer a noticeably larger touchpad.

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W has the same 18-inch Mini-LED display found in the Intel-powered Raider 18 HX AI. It provides 3840×2400 resolution, which is a bit higher than a typical 4K display (4K is usually 3840×2160), alongside a 120Hz refresh rate.

A Mini-LED backlight lights the display with numerous individual LEDs positioned directly behind the LCD panel. Those LEDs can turn on and off individually, which greatly improves contrast. In my testing, the Raider A18 HX can hit a minimum luminance of zero nits, which means its contrast is technically on par with OLED.

However, Mini-LED displays suffer a “blooming” issue where bright halos (or inverse shadows) appear around or inside small, high-contrast objects. The MSI Raider A18 HX does a good job of minimizing that issue, and I personally didn’t find it distracting, but it’s something to keep in mind.

The Raider A18 HX has a matte panel, rather than a glossy panel, so it doesn’t “pop” in quite the same way. Despite that, the display still provides an incredible color gamut. It’s also ultra-bright and ultra-sharp; the pixel density works out to 252 pixels per inch, which is higher than even a 27-inch 5K monitor (which has 218 pixels per inch).

HDR support is great, too, and this is an area where many gamers will prefer the Mini-LED over OLED, because OLED can’t match Mini-LED in HDR brightness.

The Raider 18 also provides solid audio performance, though it’s ultimately less impressive. The built-in speakers have plenty of volume, and the laptop includes woofers for low-end bass, but I found the audio presentation was a tad metallic, grating, and muddy as I cranked the volume up. Still, the sound system is good for a Windows laptop.

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A decent 1080p webcam is found in the Raider A18 HX A9W. It boasts 1080p resolution and provides good video quality in rooms with moderate to great lighting. Though not suitable for YouTube or other more serious work, the 1080p webcam is ideal for video calls. It also has a physical privacy shutter.

The microphone is respectable, too. It picked up my voice without issue and had decent noise cancellation.

Notably, the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W doesn’t support Windows’ built-in Studio Effects filters, which use AI for effects like background blur. That feature is supported on the Intel-powered Raider 18 HX AI.

The Raider A18 HX A9W supports biometric login with a fingerprint reader and an IR camera for facial recognition. Both biometric login options worked well in my testing.

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Connectivity