MSI Titan 18 HX review: The ultimate desktop replacement

Price When Reviewed

$5,399.99

Best Prices Today: MSI Titan 18 HX

$5399

$5399

Modern Windows laptops can show extraordinarily highly effective, however few take efficiency so far as MSI’s Titan 18 HX. This is an 18-inch flagship laptop computer that goes all-in on the most recent, quickest {hardware} and makes zero concessions for weight and portability. It’s a brick—however wow, this brick actually flies. 

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops accessible proper now.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Specs and options

The MSI Titan 18 HX’s specs make its efficiency intent clear. It equips an Intel Core i7-14900HX processor with 24 cores and 32 threads alongside Nvidia RTX 4090 cellular graphics. That’s backed up by an unimaginable 128GB of DDR5 reminiscence and a 4TB stable state drive. Many laptops have a couple of of those parts, however it’s uncommon to see them collectively in a single machine.

• CPU: Intel Core i9-14900HX
• Memory: 128GB DDR5 5600MHz
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 4090 cellular
• Display: 3840×2400 16:10 Mini-LED 120Hz
• Storage: 4TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe stable state drive
• Webcam: 1080p HDR with IR digital camera
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 4.0 with USB Power Delivery 3.1 and Displayport Alternate Mode, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x SDcard reader, 2.5G Ethernet
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition 
• Battery capability: 99.9 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 15.09 x 12.09 x 1.26 inches
• Weight: 7.93 kilos
• MSRP: $5,399.99

MSI presently presents simply two configurations of MSI Titan 18 HX. Most retailers have the mannequin I reviewed, which carries an MSRP of practically $5,400. Though costly, it’s a greater worth than final 12 months’s mannequin, as each the RAM and stable state space for storing has doubled. There’s additionally a variant unique to Microcenter which has half as a lot RAM and retails for about $5,000.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

I loved the MSI Titan 18 HX’s predecessor, the Titan GT77 HX 13V, once I reviewed it final 12 months. But I did have one drawback: it didn’t really feel like a flagship. 

Fortunately, the MSI Titan 18 HX solves that.

I’m nonetheless undecided the laptop computer appears to be like like a flagship, because the matte black exterior stays easy, however it advantages from stable supplies and development. Most contact factors are metallic. The show permits some flex, however not overmuch, and the decrease chassis appears like a slate of granite. I used to be capable of finding flex within the keyboard tray solely after urgent so arduous that my fingers damage. 

I think a laptop computer just like the Titan 18 HX will take much less lumps in its life than most, because it’s too giant and heavy for most individuals to hassle with shifting ceaselessly. Still, it feels able to dealing with a lifetime of journey if the large 18-inch show—a weak spot on any giant laptop computer—is protected.

Speaking of weight, the Titan 18 HX ideas the scales at practically eight kilos and measures over 15 inches broad, in addition to 12 inches deep. It’s not precisely a briefcase PC however it’s definitely among the many heavier laptops offered right now and received’t slot in a typical backpack’s laptop computer compartment. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is roughly related in measurement (although a bit extra slim), however it weighs over a pound much less.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

The MSI Titan 18 HX’s keyboard is value speaking about. It has Steelseries-branded keyboard with Cherry mechanical key switches and a customizable per-key RGB-LED backlight. 

Key really feel is superb, although it would take adjustment. The laptop computer’s top, alongside its important key journey in every key, makes typing really feel much more just like a desktop keyboard than most laptops. Each keystroke is obtained by a crisp, snappy bottoming motion and reasonable audible suggestions. 

The key structure makes some tradeoffs. MSI suits a numpad with full-sized keys, which is a good addition for individuals who want it, however it forces the structure to trim again the Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, and Control keys, in addition to a couple of others. Despite this, I discovered it lots spacious.

Keyboard backlight management is obtainable by way of Steelseries’ personal GG software program, not software program from MSI. This might be for the very best, as the standard of the Steelseries app is larger than these offered by MSI. The lighting of every key may be custom-made individually, or homeowners can select from certainly one of practically two dozen presets. There’s a key perform and macro editor, too, which is useful if you wish to go full nerd and add customized shortcuts.

A modest touchpad sits under the keyboard. It measures simply 5 inches broad and three inches deep, which is small given the laptop computer’s measurement. The touchpad is totally flush with the floor of the palm relaxation, which makes for a sexy look but additionally makes the touchpad tougher to search out by really feel. MSI tries to fight this through the use of haptics to simulate a bodily click on, however it feels as synthetic as it’s. 

That annoyance apart, the touchpad presents two perks. It’s centered within the width of the laptop computer, not under the keyboard’s spacebar, which is my desire, and it has an RGB backlight. The lighting provides additional aptitude and, just like the keyboard, may be custom-made with a wide range of colours and patterns.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The MSI Titan HX 18 is certainly one of a number of latest laptops to ship a large 18-inch, 16:10 show with a Mini-LED backlight. It additionally has a decision of 3840×2400 and a 120Hz refresh price. 

Sharpness is a perk. The 18-inch 4K show packs 251 pixels per inch, which is much larger than the 163 pixels per inch in every inch of a 27-inch 4K monitor. It’s arguably a bit overkill for video games however wow, is it sharp. That sharpness can also be useful for content material creators, because it lets video editors preview 4K video on the correct decision and lets photographers and artists see extra of a giant picture file with out scaling. 

The dynamic Mini-LED backlight delivers glorious distinction and excessive brightness as much as and barely past 1,000 nits. That’s far more than the 400 to 500 nits most OLED panels can obtain, and it’s excellent news for HDR motion pictures and video games, each of which supply shiny, punchy visuals alongside a deep, immersive picture. These outcomes are achieved with 1,008 dimming zones that regulate their brightness independently. 

That comes alongside Mini-LED’s normal draw back: blooming. Light from small, shiny objects can appear to bleed outdoors them, and the identical is true alongside high-contrast edges. It’s not often noticeable in motion pictures and video games however may be distracting on the Windows desktop (particularly in the event you like to make use of Dark Mode). 

Motion readability is nice, although it relies on your expectations. The 4K Mini-LED panel’s refresh price of 120Hz is stable for the decision however approach behind opponents that provide 144Hz, 240Hz, or extra alongside a decrease show decision. Fast-moving objects in 3D video games are normally identifiable however tremendous particulars, like small textual content, are tough to discern.

In quick, the show leans in direction of content material creators and PC avid gamers preferring most sharpness and element over framerate. If that sounds such as you, you’re going to adore it. If not, you may choose the show on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, which sticks to 2560×1600 decision however presents a 240Hz refresh price.

The glorious show is joined with robust audio system that line the edges of the keyboard. Their place supplies clear audio that’s not muffled by the floor the laptop computer is positioned on. A 2-watt subwoofer contained in the laptop computer joins them so as to add some bass. It all provides as much as a crisp, pleasurable presentation with oomph bass-heavy tracks, although the laptop computer’s most quantity is a tad decrease than I anticipated. I nonetheless advocate headphones if you wish to immerse your self in a film or recreation, however the audio system are nice for informal listening.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

MSI hides a 1080p webcam within the Titan’s high bezel. It’s a totally acceptable webcam with first rate sharpness, good shade, and intelligent computerized publicity. Video appears to be like clear and crisp on Zoom however falls wanting what I’d need for recording to YouTube and even Instagram. 

The webcam is paired with an IR sensor that allows help for Windows Hello facial recognition login. It’s a standard function for an costly Windows laptop computer, however nonetheless appreciated, and it really works as properly right here as wherever. Windows detected my face within the blink of a watch and labored as properly in a darkish room as one which’s brightly lit.

A bodily privateness shutter is offered to hinder the 1080p webcam. It doesn’t embrace an digital cut-off, although, so it’s nonetheless attainable to document video and audio whereas the digital camera is roofed.

The built-in microphone array works properly. It captured my voice with ease even once I spoke in a near-whisper or once I confronted away from the webcam. Despite that, the array rejected repetitive ambient noise from an area heater in the identical room. Audio from the microphone array tends to sound hole on crucial listening, as true of most laptop computer microphone arrays, however it’s stable for video conferencing and voice chat

MSI Titan 18 HX: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

MSI takes an all-the-things method to connectivity with the Titan 18HX. It has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, each of which help USB 4 and DisplayPort alternate mode, and three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports for older gadgets. HDMI 2.1 supplies extra video-out. The laptop computer additionally has a full-sized SD card reader, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a 2.5G Ethernet port.

That’s a heaping serving to of connectivity, and it’s well-distributed throughout the laptop computer’s flanks. Ports may be discovered on each side and the rear of the laptop computer. My solely criticism is the situation of the Thunderbolt 4 ports, each of which cluster on the proper flank and are positioned nearer to the center of the laptop computer than its rear. You’ll must take care of an inconvenient twine when a USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 dock is related. 

Network connectivity is robust, as properly, with help for the most recent Wi-Fi 7 commonplace and Bluetooth 5.4, and a couple of.5G Ethernet. That’s nearly as good because it will get for a laptop computer offered in 2024. While Wi-Fi efficiency can fluctuate between networks and areas, I discovered the Titan HX 18 carried out remarkably properly, reaching obtain speeds on the most of my house Gigabit web service when related over Wi-Fi 6E. This was true even when the laptop computer was a pair rooms away from my router. 

MSI Titan 18 HX: Performance

The MSI Titan 18 HX spares no expense in the case of its internals. The laptop computer has Intel’s Core i9-14900HX, a 24-core, 32-thread processor with a most Turbo Boost clock velocity of 5.8GHz. That’s paired with Nvidia’s RTX 4090 cellular graphics, 128GB of DDR5 reminiscence, and a 4TB PCIe NVMe stable state drive. It’s a powerful listing of specs, and it delivers nice efficiency.

IDG / Matthew Smith

We begin off in PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark that exams a number of facets of a laptop computer’s {hardware}. Here the MSI Titan 18 HX achieves a wonderful rating of 8,872. That’s a sliver behind final 12 months’s mannequin, which achieved 8,890, however it beats most related laptops we’ve examined, and it’s the second-best rating we’ve obtained in PCMark 10 when testing a laptop computer in its default energy profile.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Next up is Cinebench R20, a closely multithreaded however short-duration benchmark. The Intel Core i9-14900HX’s excessive thread is at house within the beefy MSI Titan 18HX, which presents each the facility and cooling to let it carry out at its greatest. The result’s a implausible rating of 12,022. Intel’s many-core design clearly pays dividends right here.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, although with a for much longer period that exams a laptop computer’s potential to vent warmth over time and preserve the processor working at excessive clock speeds. The cumbersome Titan once more does extraordinarily properly right here, although it doesn’t run away from the pack. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 and Acer Predator Triton 17X reached near-identical efficiency.

Now it’s time to maneuver on to graphics efficiency. Nvidia’s RTX 4090 is the one possibility within the MSI Titan 18 HX, and it operates at its peak energy draw of 150 watts (or 175 watts beneath dynamic increase). The outcomes proceed to impress.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Titan will get off to an awesome begin in 3DMark Time Spy, the place it achieves an impressive rating of 19,693. That’s a brand new document for a laptop computer in its default efficiency profile and it simply crushes most opponents, together with some which can be themselves glorious performers, just like the Acer Predator Triton 17X.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Next up is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, a console title from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One technology. It can nonetheless tax built-in graphics and entry-level discrete graphics, however laptops of this caliber tear by way of it at practically 200 frames per second. The MSI Titan HX 18 doesn’t win right here, however it additionally doesn’t lose: it precisely ties the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, and its loss to the Acer Predator Triton 17X is simply three frames per second.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Metro Exodus, a extra demanding recreation from the identical console technology that’s obtained updates acceptable to the most recent gaming PCs, performs extraordinarily properly, too. It hit a median of 87 frames per second at 1080p decision and the Extreme element setting, which lives as much as its title. That ties the outdated MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V and beats a number of different laptops. 

All of the benchmark outcomes above had been recorded with the laptop computer within the Balanced energy profile however, like most such laptops, MSI supplies a high-performance profile. It delivered a small however significant increase that in some circumstances allowed the Titan 18 HX to set new efficiency information for a laptop computer. This was true in 3DMark Time Spy, the place the laptop computer scored 20,915.

If there’s a draw back, it’s shared with the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: the brand new laptop computer isn’t a lot faster than final 12 months’s mannequin. The Titan 18 HX defeats the Titan GT77 HX 13V in most benchmarks, and it additionally defeats the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 general, however the margin is commonly slim. 

But the MSI Titan 18 HX chalks up loads of wins and even in these conditions the place it did fall behind opponents, it nonetheless nipped at their heels. Don’t neglect the RAM, both. Most folks don’t want 128GB of reminiscence however in the event you do, you do, and the Titan is fairly priced for a laptop computer with RAM within the triple digits. 

MSI Titan 18 HX: Battery life

MSI supplies a 99.9 watt-hour battery to energy the laptop computer when it’s away from a socket. That’s the biggest you’ll discover accessible in any laptops attributable to FAA laws on the scale of batteries allowed on flights. Even so, it’s hard-pressed to maintain the thirsty Titan glad.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Titan endured a bit greater than 4 hours of use within the Balanced energy profile with Hybrid graphics (which depends on Intel built-in graphics when the mighty RTX 4090 isn’t required) turned on. That’s not a horrible end result for a high-performance laptop computer, however it’s not nice, both. Turning Hybrid graphics off reduce battery life additional to only a smidge over two hours.

Charging isn’t simple, both, because the laptop computer has hefty energy necessities and ships with hefty 400-watt energy brick. One of the laptop computer’s two Thunderbolt 4 ports helps USB Power Delivery, however it doesn’t present sufficient energy to totally deal with the laptop computer beneath load, so the facility brick is required for the very best efficiency and quickest charging instances. 

None of this comes as a shock. The Titan is an enormous, power-hungry laptop computer, and pays for it with portability. I don’t advocate it as a journey companion until you completely want the efficiency it could actually ship. 

MSI Titan 18 HX: Conclusion

The MSI Titan 18 HX is a flagship laptop computer that delivers nice construct high quality, a wonderful keyboard, a implausible 4K Mini-LED Display, and robust general efficiency. It defeats different flagship laptops, just like the Asus ROG Strix Scar, and barely outperforms 2023’s Titan GT77 HX 13V in some, although not all, benchmarks. The new Titan 18 HX additionally doubles the RAM and stable state storage present in final 12 months’s mannequin at an identical worth. 

There are a couple of downsides. It’s a big laptop computer with quick battery life and, regardless of higher efficiency, it’s arguably not nearly as good value-for-money because the cheaper Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, which is $1,000 much less however only a tad slower in our benchmarks.

Still, I feel most buyers taking a look at a laptop computer on this worth and weight class count on it to push the boundaries in efficiency, options, and high quality directly. That’s precisely what the Titan 18 HX does.