Both the MSI Stealth 18 HX and Razer Blade 18 aim to dominate the thin-and-light 18-inch gaming laptop space but going lighter doesn’t always mean landing on top.

MSI Stealth 18 HX wins on portability

MSI has managed to one-up Razer in the size department. The Stealth 18 HX weighs in at 3.0 kg, undercutting the 3.2 kg Blade 18 by 200 grams. It’s also 4 mm thinner, measuring 23.9 mm compared to Razer’s 27.9 mm chassis. That makes MSI’s machine one of the lightest in this size category, appealing to users who want a big screen without the bulk.

Frequent travelers and students looking for a powerful yet manageable gaming rig might favor MSI’s more compact profile. It even ships with a 280 W power adapter, smaller and lighter than the 330 W brick that comes with the Razer Blade 18.

MSI laptop vs Razer: Similar specs, slightly different output

Despite their shared spec options including Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX and the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU the performance gap tells a different story. Testing shows the Blade 18 consistently edges out the Stealth 18 HX by a few percentage points across most benchmarks.

That performance edge isn’t huge, but it’s there. Enthusiasts, power users, or anyone pushing their laptop to the limit may find Razer’s thermal headroom and tuning more appealing. The Blade 18’s slightly larger chassis likely contributes to its steadier performance under load.

MSI Stealth 18 HX trades speed for size

That doesn’t mean the MSI falls flat, it just prioritizes portability over peak performance. Users willing to trade a bit of raw power for a lighter form factor may still find it the more balanced option. For tasks like media consumption, casual gaming, or even some editing work, the performance delta may not be noticeable at all.

Choosing between MSI and Razer comes down to priorities

If you want every last drop of performance, the Razer Blade 18 holds the edge. But if saving space in your backpack and ditching the heavier power brick matters more, the MSI Stealth 18 HX makes a strong case.