The upcoming MSI Raider 18 HX is poised to be a powerful gaming laptop, featuring Intel's new Core Ultra 9 285HX processor and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX: 24-Core Arrow Lake CPU
The Core Ultra 9 285HX is a high-end enthusiast mobile processor from Intel's Arrow Lake family, designed for gaming laptops. This processor has been spotted in an AI benchmark, confirming its 24-core configuration (8 Performance cores + 16 Efficiency cores) and a base clock of 2.8 GHz. While the boost clock isn't officially confirmed, rumors suggest it could reach 5.8 GHz. The HX models typically have a base TDP of 55W, but manufacturers can configure higher boost modes.
The Intel Core 200 series lineup includes:
- Core Ultra 200S (200K/200nonK/200T): Arrow Lake-S [Desktop]
- Core Ultra 200HX (200HX): Arrow Lake-HX [Enthusiast Mobile]
- Core Ultra 200H (200H): Arrow Lake-H [Mainstream Mobile]
- Core Ultra 200V (200V): Lunar Lake-MX [Premium Mobile/Handheld]
- Core 200H/U (200H/200U): Raptor Lake-H/U Refresh [Mainstream Mobile]
NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
The MSI Raider 18 HX will be equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. While this is a capable GPU, its inclusion is somewhat underwhelming, as many manufacturers are expected to introduce RTX 50 series GPUs soon. This strategy of pairing new CPUs with existing GPUs allows for faster launches while manufacturers prepare for updated GPU configurations.
Potential Drawbacks
Given the expected release of RTX 50 series GPUs at CES 2025, purchasing an RTX 40 series laptop now might be less appealing. The high price point of current models, often exceeding $3,899 (with RTX 4090), suggests that next-gen laptops with the 285HX could easily surpass $4,000.
Display and Power
The current Raider 18 HX model features an 18-inch Mini-LED panel. It is expected that the successor will continue to use this panel or possibly change to an OLED display. The TDP for the current model is 250W (CPU and GPU), which is likely to stay the same for the next generation, as no GPU upgrade is planned this time.
