MSI Raider A18 Review: AMD's 9955HX3D vs. Intel in a High-End Gaming Laptop

AMD Ryzen 9 955HX3D: The New Mobile Gaming King

• 🚀 The AMD Ryzen 9 955HX3D is reviewed as the world's fastest mobile gaming processor, featuring 16 full-performance cores and 5.4 GHz boost clock.
• 💡 It boasts 3.5x more L3 cache (128MB) thanks to AMD's second-gen 3D V-Cache technology, enhancing gaming performance.
• ⚡ Compared to Intel's 285HX, the 9955HX3D offers better efficiency, consuming less power and allowing the GPU more wattage.

MSI Raider A18 Laptop Features

• 💻 The MSI Raider A18, used for testing, features an 18-inch 3840x2400 Mini-LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits brightness, offering a compelling alternative to OLED.
• 💾 Storage includes a 2TB Gen 5 SSD, with an additional empty Gen 4 slot for expansion, and RAM is upgradeable to 96GB.
• 🔌 Connectivity is robust, featuring a full-size SD card reader, HDMI 2.1, dual 2.5Gb Ethernet, multiple USB-A ports, and dual USB-C 4 ports with Thunderbolt support.
• 📸 The laptop includes a convenient fingerprint sensor and a 1080p webcam with IR for Windows Hello, plus a physical shutter for privacy.

Performance Benchmarks and Gaming Tests

• 📊 In synthetic benchmarks, the 9955HX3D outperformed the Intel 275HX in Cinebench (single and multi-core) and Passmark.
• 🎮 Gaming tests at 1200p showed significant CPU load, with the Raider A18 (9955HX3D) achieving 11% higher FPS in Hogwarts Legacy and 21% higher in Far Cry 6 compared to the Razer Blade 18 (275HX).
• 🏆 Overall, at 4K, the Raider A18 showed a 6% average FPS win for AMD, increasing to a 9% win at 1200p.

Downsides and User Experience

• ⌨️ The keyboard is noted as a disappointment, with a peculiar font design and squishy key switches, and is positioned further back than typical.
• 🔋 Battery life is poor, with only 1 hour of gaming and 2 hours of YouTube playback at 50% brightness, making it best suited as a portable desktop.
• ⚠️ The laptop's chassis lacks rigidity, showing noticeable flex when handled, and the specific unit reviewed had a significant bend down the middle, possibly a factory defect.
• 💰 Despite its performance, the $5,100 price point highlights areas for improvement in build quality, keyboard, and battery life, though the Mini-LED display and unique CPU/GPU combo are strong selling points.