MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) 18" VS MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) 18"

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) are both gaming laptops with notable design differences. The Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW weighs 2898 g, while the Vector A18 HX A8W is slightly heavier at 3600 g. The difference in weight might make the Stealth model feel more portable for users who prioritize lighter laptops.

In terms of size, the Stealth 18 has a width of 399 mm, a height of 289 mm, and a thickness of 23 mm, making it a bit more compact compared to the Vector A18, which measures 404 mm in width, 307 mm in height, and 24 mm in thickness. This means the Vector model is marginally larger and thicker than the Stealth, which could affect portability for users with limited space.

Both laptops feature a backlit keyboard, making them suitable for low-light environments. However, neither model uses a fanless design, and neither is weather-sealed or has a rugged build. The volume of the Stealth 18 is 2652.153 cm³, while the Vector A18 has a larger volume at 2976.672 cm³, indicating that the Vector may offer more internal space, likely contributing to its heavier weight.

Both the MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) feature an 18″ display, but their specifications differ in resolution, pixel density, and display technology. The Stealth 18 has a higher resolution of 3840 x 2400 px, providing sharper visuals compared to the Vector A18's 2560 x 1600 px. This difference in resolution results in a higher pixel density of 251 ppi for the Stealth, while the Vector has a pixel density of 167 ppi, meaning the Stealth’s screen offers finer details and clearer text and images.

The display technology also varies between the two models. The Stealth 18 uses a Mini-LED display, which is generally known for better contrast and color accuracy. In contrast, the Vector A18 features an LCD, LED-backlit, IPS panel, which offers good color reproduction and wider viewing angles, but may not match the dynamic range of a Mini-LED. Both displays lack a touch screen and an anti-reflection coating, so they will not provide those additional features for ease of use or glare reduction.

Regarding refresh rate, the Vector A18 outpaces the Stealth 18 with a 240Hz refresh rate, making it potentially better for fast-paced gaming. The Stealth, on the other hand, has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is still good but not as high as the Vector's. Both models support up to 4 external displays, providing plenty of screen real estate for multitasking or gaming setups.

Both the MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) are high-performance gaming laptops with similar specs, though there are a few key differences in their configuration. Both models come with 64GB of RAM running at 5600 MHz, and both use flash storage with 2048GB of internal storage, as well as NVMe SSDs. However, the Stealth 18 has a higher CPU clock speed, with 8 cores at 2.7 GHz and 16 cores at 2.1 GHz, totaling 24 threads. The Vector A18 has a slightly lower CPU speed of 2.5 GHz for all 16 cores, providing 32 threads in total. This means the Vector has more threads, which could be beneficial for heavily multi-threaded tasks.

In terms of graphics, the Stealth 18 features 24GB of VRAM, compared to the 16GB of VRAM in the Vector A18. The Stealth also has a higher floating-point performance at 31.8 TFLOPS, while the Vector offers 23.04 TFLOPS. Additionally, the Stealth has a higher texture rate at 496.9 GTexels/s, and a higher pixel rate at 193.9 GPixel/s, while the Vector is lower at 384 GTexels/s and 144 GPixel/s. Both laptops feature GDDR7 memory for the GPU, though the Stealth’s higher VRAM and performance metrics indicate it may be better suited for demanding graphical tasks.

The GPU clock speed on the Stealth is slightly faster at 990 MHz, compared to the 975 MHz on the Vector. Both laptops have similar turbo clock speeds of 5.4 GHz, with the Stealth’s GPU turbo reaching 1515 MHz and the Vector’s at 1500 MHz. The Stealth uses PCIe version 3, while the Vector is equipped with PCIe version 4, offering potentially faster data transfer rates. Both laptops support 64-bit systems and utilize a 4 nm semiconductor size. Neither model supports XeSS (XMX).

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) show some differences in their benchmark results. The Stealth 18 has a PassMark result of 56426, while the Vector A18 has a slightly higher PassMark result of 57540, indicating that the Vector A18 may perform a bit better overall in a variety of tasks.

When it comes to single-threaded performance, the Stealth 18 has a result of 4723, while the Vector A18 has a lower single-thread result of 4452. This means that while the Vector A18 has a higher overall PassMark score, the Stealth 18 may handle single-threaded tasks a bit better.

These differences highlight the unique performance characteristics of each model, with the Stealth 18 excelling in single-threaded tasks and the Vector A18 showing a stronger overall multi-threaded performance in its higher PassMark result.

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) offer a similar range of connectivity options, with a few key differences. Both laptops feature one HDMI output, supporting HDMI 2.1, and have USB Type-C support. However, the Stealth 18 includes a single Thunderbolt 4 port, while the Vector A18 provides two Thunderbolt 4 ports, offering more flexibility for high-speed external devices.

For USB ports, the Stealth 18 includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, whereas the Vector A18 has one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and two USB 4 40Gbps ports, providing faster transfer speeds than the Stealth's options. Additionally, the Vector A18 includes a feature not found on the Stealth: an external memory slot.

Both models support Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), and Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), and Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring they have the latest wireless connectivity options. Neither laptop has an RJ45 port, mini DisplayPort outputs, or a VGA connector. Both also support AirPlay for wireless streaming to compatible devices.

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) have very similar battery-related features. The Stealth 18 has a 99.9 Wh battery, while the Vector A18 is slightly smaller with a 99 Wh battery. The difference in battery size is minimal and likely won't lead to a significant difference in battery life.

Both laptops feature sleep-and-charge USB ports, allowing you to charge devices even when the laptop is in sleep mode. Neither laptop includes a MagSafe power adapter, which is a feature absent in both models.

In summary, the two laptops are nearly identical in terms of battery specifications, with the only notable difference being the battery size, which is very close between the two models.

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) share many of the same features, though there are a few distinctions. Both laptops have stereo speakers, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and support ray tracing and DLSS, making them suitable for high-quality gaming and multimedia experiences. Neither model includes Dolby Atmos sound or a stylus.

In terms of biometric features, both laptops have one microphone and a front camera. The Stealth 18 also uses 3D facial recognition, while the Vector A18 does not. Neither laptop has a fingerprint scanner, voice commands, or S/PDIF Out ports. Additionally, neither model includes sensors like a gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, or compass, and neither has an optical disc drive.

Overall, the two laptops are very similar in terms of features, with the only notable difference being the inclusion of 3D facial recognition on the Stealth 18, which the Vector A18 lacks.

The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A8W (2025) have several key differences in their technical specifications. The Stealth 18 features a higher clock multiplier of 27, compared to the Vector A18’s clock multiplier of 25. This could suggest a potential for higher performance in the Stealth model. The Stealth 18 also has a higher Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 95W, while the Vector A18 has a TDP of 80W, meaning the Stealth may handle more power and potentially offer better performance under load.

In terms of GPU architecture, both laptops use Blackwell, but the Stealth 18 has more render output units (ROPs) at 128 compared to the Vector’s 96, and more texture mapping units (TMUs) at 328 versus 256. Additionally, the Stealth has more shading units, with 10496 compared to the Vector’s 7680, indicating a potentially greater graphical capability in the Stealth model. Both laptops have the same effective GPU memory speed of 2000 MHz and support Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP).

The Stealth 18 also has a larger L3 cache at 36 MB, compared to the Vector’s 64 MB, which may provide faster data retrieval in certain tasks. However, the Vector has a smaller L2 cache at 16 MB, compared to the Stealth’s 40 MB. The CPU temperature for the Stealth 18 is 105 °C, while the Vector’s is slightly lower at 100 °C. The Stealth supports RAM speeds up to 6400 MHz, whereas the Vector supports a maximum RAM speed of 5600 MHz. Additionally, the Stealth uses big.LITTLE technology, while the Vector does not.