MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) 18"

Manufacturer: MSI

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) is an 18-inch gaming laptop built around a large-format chassis that measures 404 mm wide and 24 mm thick, weighing in at 3,600 g. It features a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint scanner, and 3D facial recognition for security, alongside a front camera capable of 1080p at 30 fps. The display is a 3840 x 2400 Mini-LED panel with a 251 ppi pixel density and a 120 Hz refresh rate, capable of supporting up to four external displays simultaneously.

Under the hood, the Raider A18 carries 64 GB of DDR5 memory running at 5,600 MHz across two slots, expandable to a maximum of 96 GB, paired with 2 TB of NVMe flash storage. The CPU delivers 16 cores at a base clock of 2.5 GHz with a turbo ceiling of 5.4 GHz across 32 threads, backed by a 128 MB L3 cache and a 95 W TDP. On the graphics side, the Blackwell-architecture GPU offers 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 256-bit bus, 31.8 TFLOPS of floating-point performance, and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, ray tracing, and DLSS. Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 4 40 Gbps ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and an external memory slot, all powered by a 99 Wh battery.

Pros

The 3840 x 2400 Mini-LED display with 251 ppi pixel density and 120 Hz refresh rate offers a sharp, detailed image well-suited to both gaming and content work on its 18-inch panel
With 64 GB of DDR5 RAM across two slots and a maximum supported capacity of 96 GB, there is meaningful headroom for memory-intensive workloads
The discrete GPU delivers 31.8 TFLOPS of floating-point performance with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 256-bit bus, supporting ray tracing and DLSS for demanding graphics tasks
Connectivity is extensive, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 4 40Gbps ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4 all present
Both fingerprint scanning and 3D facial recognition are available as biometric login options, offering flexible security without a password
The 2 TB NVMe SSD connected over PCIe 4.0 provides substantial local storage with fast read and write access

Cons

At 3,600 g the laptop is heavy for a portable device, limiting practical day-to-day mobility
The 18-inch chassis with a 24 mm thickness and 404 mm width makes it bulky to carry and difficult to use in confined spaces
The display lacks an anti-reflection coating, which may affect visibility in brightly lit environments
There is no RJ45 port, meaning wired Ethernet requires an adapter despite the gaming-oriented positioning
The panel does not support touch input, which removes an interaction option some users may expect on a large-screen device
With only one built-in microphone and no Dolby Atmos support, the audio capture and spatial sound capabilities are limited for the form factor

Who is this for?

This laptop suits users who need a high-resolution large-screen workstation that can also handle demanding gaming sessions, given its 3840 x 2400 Mini-LED display, 31.8 TFLOPS GPU with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, and support for ray tracing and DLSS. Content creators working with large datasets or memory-intensive applications will benefit from the 64 GB of DDR5 RAM expandable to 96 GB, paired with a 2 TB NVMe SSD. The breadth of connectivity — including Thunderbolt 4, USB 4 40Gbps, Wi-Fi 7, and HDMI 2.1 — makes it well-suited for users who regularly connect to multiple peripherals, external displays, or high-speed networks from a fixed or semi-fixed desk setup.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who prioritize portability and on-the-go use will find this laptop impractical, as its 3,600 g weight and 18-inch chassis make it cumbersome to carry and difficult to use comfortably outside of a desk environment. Those who frequently work in bright or variable lighting conditions may struggle with the display, which lacks an anti-reflection coating. Additionally, users who rely on wired network connectivity will find the absence of an RJ45 port a notable limitation, requiring an adapter for Ethernet access — a drawback for those in environments where stable wired connections are essential.

Design:

Type	Gaming
weight	3600 g
Uses a fanless design	✕
Has a backlit keyboard	✓
volume	2976.672 cm³
width	404 mm
height	307 mm
thickness	24 mm
is weather-sealed (splashproof)	✕
has a rugged build	✕

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) is a gaming laptop with a physical footprint of 404 mm wide by 307 mm tall and a thickness of just 24 mm, resulting in a total volume of 2,976.672 cm³. It carries a weight of 3,600 g, which is consistent with its large 18-inch form factor. The chassis includes a backlit keyboard for visibility in low-light environments, while it does not feature a fanless design, weather sealing, or a ruggedized build.

Display:

screen size	18"
resolution	3840 x 2400 px
pixel density	251 ppi
Display type	Mini-LED, LCD
has a touch screen	✕
refresh rate	120Hz
has anti-reflection coating	✕
supported displays	4

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) features an 18-inch Mini-LED LCD panel with a 3840 x 2400 px resolution and a pixel density of 251 ppi, delivering a sharp and detailed image across its large screen area. The display runs at a 120 Hz refresh rate, and can drive up to four external displays simultaneously. It does not include a touchscreen or an anti-reflection coating.

Performance:

RAM	64GB
RAM speed	5600 MHz
Uses flash storage	✓
internal storage	2048GB
CPU speed	16 x 2.5 GHz
CPU threads	32 threads
VRAM	24GB
floating-point performance	31.8 TFLOPS
GDDR version	GDDR7
texture rate	496.9 GTexels/s
pixel rate	193.9 GPixel/s
Is an NVMe SSD	✓
DirectX version	DirectX 12 Ultimate
GPU clock speed	990 MHz
uses multithreading	✓
maximum memory amount	96GB
DDR memory version	5
turbo clock speed	5.4GHz
GPU turbo	1515 MHz
memory slots	2
PCI Express (PCIe) version	4
semiconductor size	4 nm
has XeSS (XMX)	✕
Supports 64-bit	✓

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) is equipped with a 16-core CPU running at a base clock of 2.5 GHz and a turbo frequency of 5.4 GHz, with 32 threads and multithreading support, built on a 4 nm semiconductor process. System memory stands at 64 GB of DDR5 RAM running at 5,600 MHz across two slots, with a maximum supported capacity of 96 GB. Storage is handled by a 2,048 GB NVMe SSD connected over PCIe 4.0. On the graphics side, the GPU carries 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, a base clock of 990 MHz boosting to 1,515 MHz, and delivers 31.8 TFLOPS of floating-point performance alongside a texture rate of 496.9 GTexels/s and a pixel rate of 193.9 GPixel/s, with full support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and 64-bit operation. XeSS (XMX) is not supported.

Benchmarks:

Geekbench 6 result (multi)	19858
Geekbench 6 result (single)	3165
PassMark result	61356
PassMark result (single)	4491

In standardized benchmark testing, the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) achieves a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 19,858 and a single-core score of 3,165, reflecting the sustained throughput and per-core responsiveness of its CPU. PassMark results follow a similar pattern, with an overall score of 61,356 and a single-threaded score of 4,491.

Connectivity:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C)	0
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A)	1
USB 4 20Gbps ports	0
USB 4 40Gbps ports	2
Thunderbolt 4 ports	2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C)	2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A)	0
Thunderbolt 3 ports	0
has an HDMI output	✓
Has USB Type-C	✓
supports Wi-Fi	✓
Wi-Fi version	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
has an external memory slot	✓
Bluetooth version	5.4
RJ45 ports	0
HDMI ports	1
HDMI version	HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort outputs	0
USB 2.0 ports	0
has AirPlay	✓
mini DisplayPort outputs	0
has a VGA connector	✕

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) offers a broad range of wired and wireless connectivity options. On the wired side, it includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports alongside two USB 4 40Gbps ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, while there are no USB 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, RJ45, or VGA outputs. Video output is handled by a single HDMI 2.1 port. Wireless connectivity covers Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with backward compatibility down to Wi-Fi 4, paired with Bluetooth 5.4. The laptop also includes an external memory slot and supports AirPlay.

Battery:

battery size	99 Wh
Has sleep-and-charge USB ports	✓
Has a MagSafe power adapter	✕

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) is fitted with a 99 Wh battery and supports sleep-and-charge functionality, allowing connected devices to be charged even when the laptop is powered off. It does not use a MagSafe power adapter.

Features:

has stereo speakers	✓
has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack	✓
supports ray tracing	✓
supports DLSS	✓
has Dolby Atmos	✕
Stylus included	✕
Has a fingerprint scanner	✓
number of microphones	1
Uses 3D facial recognition	✓
video recording (main camera)	1080 x 30 fps
has voice commands	✕
has a front camera	✓
Has S/PDIF Out port	✕
has a gyroscope	✕
has GPS	✕
has an accelerometer	✕
has a compass	✕
Has an optical disc drive	✕

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) includes stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm headset jack for audio output, along with a single built-in microphone, though it does not support Dolby Atmos or an S/PDIF output. On the graphics side, it supports both ray tracing and DLSS. The front camera records video at 1080p and 30 fps, and the system offers fingerprint scanning and 3D facial recognition as biometric authentication options. A stylus is not included, and the laptop lacks voice command support, GPS, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a compass, and an optical disc drive.

Miscellaneous:

USB 3.0 ports	0
USB ports	5
Thunderbolt ports	2
clock multiplier	25
AMD SAM / Intel Resizable BAR	Intel Resizable BAR
GPU architecture	Blackwell
has LHR	✕
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	95W
Supports 3D	✓
Supports multi-display technology	✓
OpenCL version	3
OpenGL version	4.6
Supports ECC memory	✓
memory bus width	256-bit
effective memory speed	25400 MHz
maximum memory bandwidth	811.5 GB/s
render output units (ROPs)	128
texture mapping units (TMUs)	328
shading units	10496
Has Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP)	✓
GPU memory speed	2000 MHz
number of transistors	16630 million
Type	Desktop, Laptop
Uses big.LITTLE technology	✕
instruction sets	MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2
Has an unlocked multiplier	✕
Has NX bit	✓
L3 core	8 MB/core
L3 cache	128 MB
L2 core	1 MB/core
L2 cache	16 MB
L1 cache	1280 KB
GPU name	Radeon 610M
Has integrated graphics	✓
memory channels	2
RAM speed (max)	5600 MHz
CPU temperature	100 °C

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) provides a total of five USB ports, including two Thunderbolt ports, with no legacy USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports present. The CPU carries a 95 W TDP, a clock multiplier of 25, and a maximum operating temperature of 100 °C, with NX bit support and a locked multiplier. It does not use big.LITTLE technology. Cache configuration spans 1,280 KB of L1, 16 MB of L2 at 1 MB per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache at 8 MB per core, and the supported instruction sets include MMX, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, F16C, AES, SSE 4.1, and SSE 4.2. The integrated graphics come via a Radeon 610M GPU, while the discrete Blackwell-architecture GPU features 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, 128 ROPs, and 16,630 million transistors, with a memory bus width of 256-bit, an effective memory speed of 25,400 MHz, and a maximum bandwidth of 811.5 GB/s. The GPU supports multi-display output, stereoscopic 3D, OpenCL 3, OpenGL 4.6, double-precision floating point, and ECC memory, and does not have LHR restrictions. Intel Resizable BAR is supported, RAM runs across two memory channels with a maximum speed of 5,600 MHz, and the CPU multiplier is set at 25 without an unlocked option.

Final Verdict

The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W (2025) is a large-format gaming laptop that makes a strong case for users who want a capable desktop-replacement setup rather than a travel-friendly machine. Its Blackwell-architecture GPU with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, paired with a high-resolution Mini-LED display and an expandable 64 GB DDR5 memory configuration, positions it firmly at the demanding end of the gaming and content creation spectrum. The extensive port selection — spanning Thunderbolt 4, USB 4, and Wi-Fi 7 — adds genuine versatility for users operating from a fixed workspace. However, its considerable weight and bulk make it a poor fit for users who need regular mobility, and a few omissions such as the lack of anti-reflection coating and an RJ45 port are worth considering for specific use cases. Taken as a whole, the Raider A18 HX A9W is a well-specified machine best suited to users who value raw capability and screen real estate above all else, and who plan to use it primarily at a desk.