professionals and cons
- Distinctive efficiency
- Straightforward to improve
- Sturdy audio system
Comply with ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
Typically, after I start reviewing a brand new gaming laptop computer, I get misplaced within the expertise. I am an enormous gamer, and there have been many occasions after I’ve fired up one among these machines exterior of labor just because I take pleasure in enjoying my favourite titles on them. My price range desktop cannot examine. I had that have over the previous few weeks whereas testing the MSI Raider 16 Max HXone of many firm’s newest flagship fashions.
Additionally: Best VPN services 2026: Expert tested and recommended
What makes this laptop computer notably fascinating is the significant {hardware} enhancements. It nonetheless suffers from a number of the identical drawbacks frequent to its class, however the Raider 16 does a commendable job at minimizing these points whereas offering the expertise players count on.
Greatest laptop computer offers of the week
Offers are chosen by the CNET Group commerce group, and could also be unrelated to this text.
Smarter design
To me, it looks as if MSI has taken inspiration from current design traits. Over the previous few years, I’ve seen producers shifting towards slimmer gaming laptops. The stereotypical cumbersome design is slowly turning into a factor of the previous. The Raider 16 measures 14.29 x 10.62 x 0.86 inches and weighs 5.73 kilos. For comparability, the older Raider GE68 HX measures 14.97 x 11.73 x 1.09 inches and weighs 6.06 kilos.
That stated, it is nonetheless a reasonably large machine with a thick black body. Touring with it may be cumbersome, though I do respect the broad I/O protection that its dimension allows. The massive dimension seems to be because of the new cooling system MSI put in on the Raider 16.
I will dive deeper into the cooling system later, however first I wish to spotlight one among my favourite options: the Fast Entry Panel. Situated on the underside of the chassis is a small panel held in place by two small screws. Eradicating it offers customers direct entry to the SSD and reminiscence slots. You will discover the machine’s preinstalled parts there, together with further improve slots.
Additionally: I built my own Wi-Fi router with a Raspberry Pi for Starlink and solar control – here’s how
Putting in an additional drive or reminiscence stick is tremendous simple. All it’s important to do is take away the small mounting screw, slide within the new parts, and safe them in place. That is it. The SSD that I put in was already formatted, so I used to be ready to make use of the additional 4TB proper from the get-go. For individuals who plan to improve their programs, this is a wonderful quality-of-life function, and one thing that I want extra laptops provided.
Vibrant visuals
Befitting a high-end gaming laptop computer, the MSI Raider 16 Max HX boasts a 16-inch, 2.5K Quad HD+ (2560×1600 pixels) OLED display screen. It’s gorgeous. Colours are vibrant, the panel exhibits off spectacular element, and, due to VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000, distinction is deep. The show is not 4K decision, which can disappoint some, however I do not assume that is an enormous deal given its lightning-fast 240Hz refresh price. For my part, a excessive refresh price is extra necessary than decision, because it ensures in-game animations run easily. That is necessary in titles the place having clean gameplay is the distinction between a win or a loss.
I had a good time enjoying Monster Hunter Wilds on this show. It made the sport’s monsters look unimaginable.
In a single occasion, I fought this massive, rocky monster, and the show showcased a formidable element in its scales, wings, and talons. I might clearly make out the tough texture of the stones embedded in its pores and skin, alongside the seen injury that appeared because the battle went on. My expertise was additional elevated by the highly effective audio system. Audio sounds thick and weighty. I might hear the guttural pressure behind a creature’s roar, including an additional layer of immersion.
Along with gaming, the show is well-suited to content material creators engaged on visually demanding duties, from graphic design to picture enhancing and video manufacturing.
Elite efficiency
The MSI Raider 16 Max HX is powered by top-tier {hardware}. My evaluate unit got here geared up with an Intel Core Extremely 9 290HX Plus processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. Under, you will discover a benchmark comparability desk exhibiting how the MSI Raider 16 Max HX stacks up towards different high-end laptops.
As you possibly can see, the outcomes are sky-high, outperforming different high-end machines just like the Alienware 16 Area-51 and the Lenovo Legion 9i. In on a regular basis use, it’s extremely quick, simply dealing with resource-hungry video games with out stuttering whereas additionally concurrently pushing body charges into the triple digits. Outdoors of gaming, the Raider 16 has greater than sufficient horsepower for high-resolution video tasks. I edited some previous drone footage to see the way it dealt with a artistic workload in actual time. Scrubbing by way of the timeline felt responsive, video playback was clean, and exporting the completed file took virtually no time.
Additionally: This 4TB WD Black SSD is nearly $1,200 off at Best Buy – and I’m vouching for it
One of many laptop computer’s largest strengths is its potential to keep up a steady efficiency over lengthy periods with out main throttling. MSI’s Raider can double as a workstation, even when it is not as modern as one.
To make sure the Raider 16 runs properly, MSI redesigned a number of inside parts. The corporate instructed me that it made the motherboard extra compact, which allowed for bigger followers. It has a “vacuum optimized warmth pipe” that strikes warmth towards the cooling fins, in addition to a collection of followers that attract cool air and push heat air out by way of the 5 vents. I have to say, it is all fairly efficient. Irrespective of how onerous I pushed the laptop computer, it stayed completely cool to the contact.
One other profit is lowered fan noise. MSI claims the followers produce lower than 50 decibels of noise underneath load. To check this declare, I used a number of decibel meter apps downloaded from the Google Play Retailer. Fan noise hovered round 50 decibels, in line with these apps. One had it increased, one had it decrease, and one had it round 50 decibels, so the declare appears to carry up. To offer you a greater thought, 50 decibels is equal to the hum of a refrigerator.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Should you’re excited about selecting up my evaluate configuration of the MSI Raider 16 Max HX, it is presently out there at Micro Middle for $3,500. Micro Middle additionally presents a extra reasonably priced Raider 16 priced at round $2,500. That model retains the identical Intel Core Extremely 9 processor and 32GB of RAM, however swaps the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 for an RTX 5070 Ti GPU.
No matter which configuration you select, count on distinctive efficiency. I extremely advocate MSI’s Raider 16 for its persistently sturdy efficiency, wonderful cooling system, and OLED show. It’s the most suitable choice presently out there for individuals who desire a machine for high-end gaming and demanding workstation duties.
