TechRadar Verdict
The MSI Titan 18 HX is an absolute monster of a gaming laptop, capable of running just about any game you throw at it with max settings and all the extras that go with it. It’s also never going to leave your desk and can sound like a jet engine under load, and with the eye-watering price tag, this laptop is just for those select few who want exactly this kind of desktop replacement. If that’s you, you won’t find better, but everyone else should probably move along to more affordable options.
Best-in-class performance
Gorgeous display
Plenty of ports
Incredibly expensive
Can run incredibly loud
Absolutely not portable
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MSI Titan 18 HX: Two minute review
TheMSITitan 18 HX returns in 2024, reclaiming its title as thebest gaming laptopfor those looking to splurge on the most over-the-top desktop replacement money can buy.
The Titan 18 HX, like its 2023 predecessor, theMSI GT77 Titan HX, is a $5,000 desktop PC masquerading as a gaming laptop. Clocking in at just under 8 lbs/4kg, you’re going to feel this one if you ever have to actually carry it anywhere, and most backpacks out there won’t even fit it. This laptop, then, will be relegated to your desk with the occasional trip to another room at most.
While it sacrifices portability, it does come with some absolutely bonkers hardware, including a 175W RTX 4090 mobile GPU, a 95WIntelCore i9-14900HX processor, up to 128GB DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB SSD storage, with one of its three M.2 SSDs slots being a PCIe 5.0 interface for thebest SSDspeeds possible (though it doesn’t come with a PCIe 5.0 drive, you’ll have to provide that yourself). Throw in the world’s first 18-inch 120Hz 4K+ mini LED display with 120Hz refresh and HDR1000 certification, and you have the most decadently specced gaming laptops I’ve ever tested.
And before you say it, mini LED isn’t anOLED, I know, but I honestly prefer mini LED displays on gaming laptops, and this one can get you 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so video editors and other creative pros might want to take note of this one as well.
Design-wise, this laptop is an improvement over its predecessor in a number of ways, not the least of which is that it does introduce some grey into the chassis to help break up the super-aggressive gamer black styling of the GT77 Titan HX (and even adds some light blue accent touches to the rear), as well as introducing a seamless trackpad and more refined curves into the keydeck.
The Titan 18 HX’s mechanical keyboard, meanwhile, features Cherry MX ultra low-profile switches that are a dream to type on, and the seamless trackpad is adequate for basic use; but as with any gaming laptop, you’ll probably want to use thebest gaming mouseyou have handy while actually gaming.
Given the laptop’s size, MSI was able to pack in some powerful speakers that provide a much more immersive audio experience than you’ll find on a lot of other laptops. Of course, you’ll have to turn the volume up to drown out the whine of the laptop’s cooling system, which can get noticeably loud under strain. You can adjust this in the MSI Center, though it will come at the cost of performance.
Speaking of performance, gaming on this laptop is an absolute joy. The verybest PC gamesrun buttery smooth at max settings, and while enabling ray tracing at the laptop’s native 3840x2400p resolution on some titles will require you to use DLSS upscaling to get a playable framerate at4K, that’s the case with even thebest graphics cardin a desktop PC.
Still, for the amount of money this laptop will cost you, you could also be forgiven for asking if it’s really worth the price. If you’re the type to ask such a question, don’t worry, it’s an easy question to answer: this laptop isn’t for you. If you want the absolute best gaming performance in a theoretically portable form factor and money isn’t an object for you? Well, you are exactly the person this laptop is designed to cater to, and you won’t find many, if any, better gaming laptops on the market than the MSI Titan 18 HX.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Price and availability
The MSI Titan 18 HX is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999. All configurations come with an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and 4K+ mini LED display, and the US has two configurations on sale right now. They both feature anNvidiaRTX 4090 mobile GPU and 4TB storage, with the only difference being a choice between 64GB or 128GB RAM.
In the UK, the Titan 18 HX starts with an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and goes up as high as an RTX 4090 with 128GB RAM and 4TB storage. In Australia, the Titan 18 HX starts with an RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage, and goes up to an RTX 4090, 128GB RAM, and 4TB storage.
In no universe is this a cheap gaming laptop, and it’s challenging to think of another 18-inch laptop that goes quite this hard on the specs. Even the Alienware m18 R2 pulls back from a full 4K display, much less 4K+, and tops out at 64GB RAM. Even upping the m18 R2’s storage to 8TB with everything else maxed out doesn’t even bring you up to the MSI Titan 18 HX’sstartingprice.
Again, I can’t stress this enough, only those with the deepest pockets need consider this one.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Specs
This is easily the most obscenely configured gaming laptop I’ve ever laid hands on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you could still play the latest AAA games at max settings at 4K for the rest of the decade. The hardware will likely physically fail on you before this thing is rendered obsolete when it comes to gaming or high-end performance.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Design
The MSI Titan 18 HX introduces several improvements over last year’s Titan, while generally keeping the fairly Decepticon-like aesthetic that the Titan is known for.
Starting with the sheer size of the thing, it’s slightly bigger than its predecessor, a feat I didn’t think possible. It also adds about 0.5 lbs to its weight, making it by far the heaviest laptop I’ve used in at least a decade or more.
Opening it up, you’ll find a low-profile mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches for some seriously smooth typing. The trackpad has gone seamless, as well, offering a glassy but responsive surface for your palms and fingertips to glide over. The trackpad itself is responsive, with good feedback, though a gaming mouse or controller is recommended for higher-level precision.
The Titan 18 HX comes loaded with 4x2W up-firing speakers on either side of the keyboard, as well as 2x2W subwoofers for extra bass, all of which work together to create some very rich sound, at least as far as laptop speakers go.
The IR webcam also gets an upgrade over last year’s model, now at full HD as opposed to 720p, and features a physical privacy shutter, which you always love to see on a laptop.
The display though is the big feature here with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate on a 3840x2400p mini LED panel that is bright and vibrant. It also has VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification for a fantastic color contrast with deep blacks, and covers 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut according to our tests.
In terms of ports, having a chassis this big means you can cram in a lot of ports, and the Titan 18 HX does not disappoint. You get three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DP output (with one featuring PD3.1 certification for fast charging devices), one HDMI 2.1 port that can push 120Hz video at 4K, an SDCard slot, an RJ45 ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. You even get a Kensington lock slot for good measure.
Overall, this is one of the best-looking MSI gaming laptops I’ve seen this year, and its wealth of features, ports, and more make it a standout device before we even get to its performance.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Performance
This gaming laptop absolutely puts some of thebest gaming PCsto shame with its performance. Its 2400p resolution understandably taxes the hardware when playing high-end games at its native resolution at max settings, but in titles likeAssassin’s Creed Mirage, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Shadow of the Tomb Raider,andFar Cry 6, the Titan 18 HX is easily able to clear 60 FPS at 4K on its highest settings, and that’s not even factoring in any graphics upscaling.
Turn upscaling on, where available, and you can push the limits of the display’s refresh rate on most games. If you factor in ray tracing, though, you can get in the neighborhood of 60 FPS or higher with appropriate upscaling, and on games likeCyberpunk 2077,it’s an absolute necessity if you want to max everything out and get a better-than-just-playable frame rate.
Looking at its competitors, though, among the other 18-inch gaming laptops we’ve tested in our labs so far this year, none can match what the MSI Titan 18 HX brings to the table in terms of performance. The fact its competitors are all limited to 1600p QHD+ displays means that if you want the absolute bleeding edge of what laptop gaming can deliver in terms of 4K visual spectacle, the Titan 18 HX is really your only option.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Battery life
Understandably, battery life is not this laptop’s greatest strength, but to call it a weakness is a bit unfair. This is not the kind of laptop you’ll use unplugged for any length of time, as you would one of thebest ultrabooksor a MacBook Pro.
This is a desktop replacement, so even though its two hours and 40 minutes of battery life while surfing the web is a pretty funny data point for a $5,000 laptop, you’ll never actually use the Titan 18 HX this way outside of extremely rare instances. Its bulk will make it difficult to bring it anywhere period, much less somewhere that doesn’t have an available wall outlet.
Still, compared to other 18-inch gaming laptops, the Titan 18 HX’s battery performance still falls about 20% below the class average of three hours and 27 minutes. That means it doesn’t get a total pass from me on battery life, but it is hardly a factor anyone should realistically consider for a laptop like this.
Should you buy the MSI Titan 18 HX?
Buy the MSI Titan 18 HX if…
Money means nothing to youMaybe you got into crypto early or some old dowager took a liking to you and left you her fortune in her will. However you came to your fortune, investing in this laptop will be worth it.
You want the best gaming performance a laptop can musterThis is the best performing gaming laptop we’ve ever tested, so if all you care about is getting the best high-end performance, then this is the laptop you’re looking for.
You want a true 4K gaming laptopNot a lot of gaming laptops can do 4K gaming at high frame rates, with many opting for QHD+ resolutions. This laptop doesn’t even settle for 4K, but gives you 2400p gaming at 60 FPS or higher.
Don’t buy it if…
You look at price tags before you buy stuffI’m not kidding, this laptop is really only for those who either know they want this specific laptop or don’t care about the cost.
You want something realistically portableAt just shy of 8 lbs and unable to fit into just about any backpack on the market, this laptop won’t really be able to leave your home, and will likely just sit on your desk.
Also consider
If my MSI Titan 18 HX review has you considering other options, here are three other laptops to consider:
Alienware m18 R2The Alienware m18 R2 features many of the same specs as the Titan 18 HX, and even though it maxes out at 1600p QHD+ resolution, its gaming performance and price make it a better value than the Titan 18 HX.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18With similar enough specs to the Titan 18 HX and for substantially less money, this is a good option for those looking for a high-end 18-inch gaming laptop within a reasonable price range.
Acer Predator Helios 18While not nearly as powerful as the Titan 18 HX, this desktop replacement does offer some great specs and excellent 1600p performance at a much better price, making it an exceptional value for a desktop replacement.
Read the fullAcer Predator Helios 18 review
How I tested the MSI Titan 18 HX
I spent about a month with the MSI Titan 18 HX, using it as an everyday work machine at home while gaming at night once work was done. I also used it for content creation work withAdobePhotoshop.
This is a gaming laptop, first and foremost, so I tested it with our standard battery of gaming benchmarks and other benchmarks that check for CPU, GPU, and overall system performance.
I’ve been reviewing laptops for TechRadar for nearly half a decade now, and as a lifelong PC gamer, I know how games should run on given hardware, and how much that hardware should cost you to maximize the value to the consumer. I also have a Master’s Degree in Computer Science, so I’m able to really dig in and analyze the nitty-gritty of the hardware in a way many other reviews can’t.
John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY.
Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.
You can find him online on Threads @johnloeffler.
Currently playing: Baldur’s Gate 3 (just like everyone else).
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