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forum threadDr.W posted Nov 17, 2025 05:31 AM
forum threadDr.W posted Nov 17, 2025 05:31 AM

MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: 18" 4K+ 120Hz Mini-LED, Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD $2799

$2,799

$3,300

15% off
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SPECS:
  • AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D 16-Core
  • 32GB DDR5 RAM | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • 18" 3840 x 2400 Mini-LED 120 Hz Display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB GDDR7)
  • SD Card Slot
  • Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI 2.1 | USB-A
  • 2.5 GbE LAN | Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 5.4
  • 1080p IR Webcam | 6-Speaker Audio
  • 99-Key SteelSeries RGB Keyboard
  • Windows 11 Pro

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pr...18_hx.html
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About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
SPECS:
  • AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D 16-Core
  • 32GB DDR5 RAM | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • 18" 3840 x 2400 Mini-LED 120 Hz Display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB GDDR7)
  • SD Card Slot
  • Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI 2.1 | USB-A
  • 2.5 GbE LAN | Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 5.4
  • 1080p IR Webcam | 6-Speaker Audio
  • 99-Key SteelSeries RGB Keyboard
  • Windows 11 Pro

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pr...18_hx.html

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11 Comments

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Nov 17, 2025 05:21 PM
200 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
xiaowangNov 17, 2025 05:21 PM
200 Posts
Decent but 5080 at this range is a bit pricy, look forward more deeper discounts into the holiday season.
Nov 17, 2025 06:04 PM
260 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
protocol7Nov 17, 2025 06:04 PM
260 Posts
Quote from xiaowang :
Decent but 5080 at this range is a bit pricy, look forward more deeper discounts into the holiday season.
Yeah, the Legion Pro 7i from B&H for $2350 is a better deal overall unless you really need this CPU
Original Poster
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Nov 17, 2025 06:38 PM
13,512 Posts
Joined Nov 2020
Dr.W
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 17, 2025 06:38 PM
13,512 Posts
Quote from protocol7 :
Yeah, the Legion Pro 7i from B&H for $2350 is a better deal overall unless you really need this CPU
The two aren't comparable to begin with, being of completely different sizes, 16" vs 18"; this is a complete desktop replacement. Plus, it's not only about the CPU, but this also has a significantly better display compared to that on the Legion Pro 7i, and hence the high price despite housing a 5080; the price is for everything else rather than the 5080.
Nov 17, 2025 07:16 PM
260 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
protocol7Nov 17, 2025 07:16 PM
260 Posts
Quote from Dr.W :
The two aren't comparable to begin with, being of completely different sizes, 16" vs 18"; this is a complete desktop replacement. Plus, it's not only about the CPU, but this also has a significantly better display compared to that on the Legion Pro 7i, and hence the high price despite housing a 5080; the price is for everything else rather than the 5080.
But you get a better cooling solution with the Legion Pro 7i this year versus MSI's offerings, and the Legion Pro 7i has one of the best and brightest OLED screens this generation. Even if it's a Raider it's not nicer than a Legion, sorry mate. Not all the deals can be winners.
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 17, 2025 07:22 PM
13,512 Posts
Joined Nov 2020
Dr.W
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 17, 2025 07:22 PM
13,512 Posts
Quote from protocol7 :
But you get a better cooling solution with the Legion Pro 7i this year versus MSI's offerings, and the Legion Pro 7i has one of the best and brightest OLED screens this generation. Even if it's a Raider it's not nicer than a Legion, sorry mate. Not all the deals can be winners.
Again, 16" vs 18", not comparable.
But for the sake of discussion. An 18" Laptop is going to have better thermals than a 16" because of better venting. A Mini-LED display is superior to a laptop OLED, exhibiting more brightness and color accuracy. In build quality, yes I agree, Legion pro 7i will be superior.
Never said this deal was a "win", but just explaining why it's this price and might be enticing to some.
Nov 17, 2025 07:34 PM
260 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
protocol7Nov 17, 2025 07:34 PM
260 Posts
16" and 18" laptops are absolutely comparable in performance in thermals these days. In display, you're comparing 99.5% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~970 nits in HDR mode on the OLED on the Legion with 99.9% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~889 nits in HDR on the MiniLED in the Raider, not to mention OLED's advantages in response times and not having to combat blooming as well. So it is absolutely not fair to call it superior across the board, in practice it is entirely down to user preference.

Just want to make sure people are considering the facts. 🙂
Nov 17, 2025 07:52 PM
2,339 Posts
Joined Jul 2007
FragsterNov 17, 2025 07:52 PM
2,339 Posts
Frankly, $2k+ on a gaming laptop is overkill unless u absolutely need the latest/greatest h/w on a laptop OR u loaded with $$$$$.

Mobile gpus still suck compared to desktop versions due to throttling. I've owned gaming laptops for years but never spend more than $2k max. I always get middle tier but opt for better screens.

I owned 18" acer helios...enjoyed it for 2 years till thermals killed it (it was a refurb unit). Then replaced it with a 16" asus G16 with rtx 4070. Handled 1440p gaming fine but I found the 16" screen significantly "smaller" compared to my old 18" acer even though the OLED screen on the Asus G16 was a lot brighter/sharper than the 18" acer ips panel. Sold my G16 on ebay for $1200 and bought a open box asus strix G18 from a nearby BestBuy for $1650 (rtx 5070). I never use external monitors but gaming on a 18" laptop screen is heavenly and offers massive immersion. The rtx 5070 is middle ground and handles 1080p/1440p quite easily for those games optimized well on PC. I've never maxed out the vram either ...Currently playing Elden Ring dlc (for my NG3+ run), Black ops 6, BF 6, Stalker 2 and Oblivion remaster.

Keep an eye out for open box BB sales on gaming laptops....u can get some good deals and certain brands like HP, Dell, Acer will re-adjust the factory warranty to the date of open box sale (however, Asus DOES NOT do this..I already tried on my Strix 18).

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Original Poster
Pro
Nov 17, 2025 08:04 PM
13,512 Posts
Joined Nov 2020
Dr.W
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 17, 2025 08:04 PM
13,512 Posts
Quote from protocol7 :
16" and 18" laptops are absolutely comparable in performance in thermals these days. In display, you're comparing 99.5% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~970 nits in HDR mode on the OLED on the Legion with 99.9% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~889 nits in HDR on the MiniLED in the Raider, not to mention OLED's advantages in response times and not having to combat blooming as well. So it is absolutely not fair to call it superior across the board, in practice it is entirely down to user preference.

Just want to make sure people are considering the facts. 🙂
One is a desktop replacement, and the other offers comparative portability; that right there is the biggest difference and fact that the two are not comparable.
Everything else you have stated is correct.
Nov 18, 2025 05:04 PM
200 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
xiaowangNov 18, 2025 05:04 PM
200 Posts
More info and perspective is always appreciated, better for shoppers to consider
Nov 20, 2025 04:34 AM
599 Posts
Joined Mar 2009
StrategyFreakNov 20, 2025 04:34 AM
599 Posts
Quote from protocol7 :
16" and 18" laptops are absolutely comparable in performance in thermals these days. In display, you're comparing 99.5% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~970 nits in HDR mode on the OLED on the Legion with 99.9% P3 coverage and a peak brightness of ~889 nits in HDR on the MiniLED in the Raider, not to mention OLED's advantages in response times and not having to combat blooming as well. So it is absolutely not fair to call it superior across the board, in practice it is entirely down to user preference.

Just want to make sure people are considering the facts. 🙂

The Legion absolutely cannot hit 970 nits on the OLED. Don't propagate blatant misinformation. There are no OLEDs on the market today that can hit that level in a laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsIyCFaN1i4


MiniLEDs have their own limitations like slower response times but then again OLEDs have their problems with burn-in. And static display elements absolutely do burn-in over time.
Nov 22, 2025 06:42 PM
260 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
protocol7Nov 22, 2025 06:42 PM
260 Posts
Quote from StrategyFreak :


The Legion absolutely cannot hit 970 nits on the OLED. Don't propagate blatant misinformation. There are no OLEDs on the market today that can hit that level in a laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsIyCFaN1i4


MiniLEDs have their own limitations like slower response times but then again OLEDs have their problems with burn-in. And static display elements absolutely do burn-in over time.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Len...#c13184551

Take it up with Notebookcheck and Toms Guide.

"We can confirm DisplayHDR1000 support as well with a measured maximum brightness level of 970 nits when on HDR mode."

DisplayHDR 1000 specifically means a peak brightness of 1000 nits.

Toms Guide https://www.tomsguide.com/computi...ew-the-ups
"this thing gets pretty bright, with an average brightness of 464.4 nits that can climb all the way up to 1,000+ nits when viewing HDR content."

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