MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) 18" VS MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) 18"

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) are nearly identical in terms of design specifications. Both are gaming laptops, with a weight of 3600 g and a volume of 2976.672 cm³. They also share the same dimensions, with a width of 404 mm, height of 307 mm, and thickness of 24 mm.

Both laptops include a backlit keyboard, enhancing usability in low-light conditions. Neither product features a fanless design, so both rely on traditional cooling methods. Additionally, neither model is weather-sealed (splashproof) nor has a rugged build, meaning they are not built to withstand harsh environmental conditions.

In summary, when comparing the design aspects of these two models, there are no differences in the key specifications. They are virtually identical in terms of size, weight, and build features.

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) are identical in terms of display specifications. Both laptops feature an 18″ screen size, with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 px and a pixel density of 167 ppi. They both use an LCD, LED-backlit, IPS display type, ensuring vibrant colors and wide viewing angles.

Neither model includes a touch screen, and both offer a refresh rate of 240Hz, which is great for smooth visuals, particularly in gaming. Additionally, both have the same anti-reflection coating feature, which is absent in both products, so reflections may be more noticeable in certain lighting conditions.

In terms of multi-display capabilities, both laptops support up to four displays, offering extensive external monitor support for productivity or immersive gaming setups.

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) share some similarities but also feature key differences in performance specifications. Both laptops come with 64GB of RAM and use flash storage with an NVMe SSD. They also offer the same internal storage of 2048GB and support a maximum memory amount of 96GB.

The primary difference lies in the CPU performance. The Vector 18 HX AI A2XW has a CPU with 24 threads, featuring speeds of 8 cores at 2.7 GHz and 16 cores at 2.1 GHz, while the Vector A18 HX A9W has 32 threads, with all cores running at 2.5 GHz. The A2XW's CPU also includes a higher turbo clock speed of 5.4 GHz, compared to the A9W's identical turbo clock speed of 5.4 GHz, but the A9W has more threads, which can enhance its multi-threaded performance in specific tasks.

In terms of graphics, the A2XW has 24GB of VRAM, while the A9W has 16GB. The A2XW also shows superior floating-point performance at 31.8 TFLOPS, compared to 23.04 TFLOPS in the A9W. The texture rate and pixel rate are also higher in the A2XW, with 496.9 GTexels/s and 193.9 GPixel/s, respectively, compared to 384 GTexels/s and 144 GPixel/s in the A9W. Both laptops feature the same GDDR7 memory version, PCIe version 4, and a 4 nm semiconductor size, with identical GPU turbo speeds of 1515 MHz (A2XW) and 1500 MHz (A9W). Both models also support multithreading and DirectX 12 Ultimate, but neither includes XeSS (XMX) support.

When comparing the benchmark results of the MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025), both laptops show strong performance, but there are some differences. The Vector 18 HX AI A2XW achieves a PassMark result of 56426, while the Vector A18 HX A9W slightly outperforms it with a PassMark result of 57540.

Looking at single-thread performance, the Vector 18 HX AI A2XW has a result of 4723, which is higher than the Vector A18 HX A9W’s single-thread score of 4452. This suggests that the A2XW may perform slightly better in tasks relying more on single-threaded processing.

Overall, both models deliver high performance, but the Vector A18 HX A9W edges out the A2XW in the overall PassMark score, while the A2XW has a higher single-thread performance score.

Both the MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) offer strong connectivity options, though there are a few differences between them. Both laptops feature USB 4 40Gbps ports, with 2 available on each model, and they both support HDMI output with a single HDMI 2.1 port.

For USB ports, the A2XW provides 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A ports, while the A9W has 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A port and 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-A ports. Neither model includes USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C or USB 4 20Gbps ports. The A2XW does not include Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the A9W includes 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Both laptops 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 they both include Bluetooth 5.4 and an external memory slot. Additionally, both models support AirPlay, but neither includes a VGA connector, DisplayPort outputs, or mini DisplayPort outputs. The A2XW and A9W have no RJ45 ports, so wired networking options are limited.

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) share identical battery specifications. Both models feature a 99 Wh battery, providing ample power for extended usage. Additionally, both laptops come with sleep-and-charge USB ports, allowing for convenient charging of devices while the laptop is in sleep mode.

Neither model includes a MagSafe power adapter, so users will need to rely on the standard power connectors for charging. Overall, the battery-related features of these two laptops are the same, offering similar battery capacity and charging convenience.

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) share several key features, including stereo speakers, a 3.5 mm audio jack, support for ray tracing, and support for DLSS. Both laptops lack Dolby Atmos, stylus support, and fingerprint scanners. Additionally, they both come with a single microphone and a front camera, and their main cameras can record video at 1080 x 30 fps.

One notable difference is that the A2XW does not feature 3D facial recognition, while the A9W does. Neither model includes an S/PDIF Out port, gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, compass, or optical disc drive.

Overall, the two products are very similar in features, with the key distinction being the A9W’s inclusion of 3D facial recognition, which the A2XW lacks.

The MSI Vector 18 HX AI A2XW (2025) and MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (2025) have several similarities in their miscellaneous specifications. Both feature 5 USB ports, 2 Thunderbolt ports, and support multi-display technology and 3D. They also share the same GPU architecture (Blackwell), support ECC memory, and have a 256-bit memory bus width. Both systems also have integrated graphics, use Intel Resizable BAR, and support the same OpenCL and OpenGL versions (3 and 4.6, respectively).

There are a few differences between the two models. The A2XW has a higher clock multiplier of 27, compared to 25 on the A9W. The A2XW also has a higher thermal design power (TDP) of 95W, while the A9W is rated at 80W. Additionally, the A2XW features more render output units (ROPs) with 128, compared to the A9W’s 96. The A2XW also has more texture mapping units (TMUs) at 328, compared to the A9W’s 256, and more shading units at 10496, versus the A9W’s 7680.

Another distinction is the L3 cache, with the A2XW offering 36 MB, while the A9W has 64 MB. The A2XW supports a higher RAM speed of 6400 MHz, compared to 5600 MHz on the A9W. Furthermore, the A2XW utilizes big.LITTLE technology, while the A9W does not. The A2XW also has an unlocked multiplier, unlike the A9W. Lastly, the A2XW’s CPU temperature can reach up to 105 °C, whereas the A9W's maximum is 100 °C.