ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) vs MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW
57Performance60.9
72.8chipGraphics87.6
67.8Displayspec-based80
60Batteryspec-based86.7
92.5Portabilityspec-based20
2 spec wins — ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406)6 spec wins — MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) scores 67.5 against 67.1 for MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW. Pick by the categories that matter to you, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406)
- 64% lower weight: 1.11 kg vs 3.1 kg
- 64% lower thickness: 10.9 mm vs 29.9 mm
Reasons to pick the MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW
- Stronger performance score: 61 vs 57
- Stronger graphics score: 88 vs 73
- 167% higher charging: 240 W vs 90 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 120 Hz
- 29% higher Screen size: 18 ″ vs 14 ″
- Lower launch price: $1,700 vs $3,600
Display
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 14 ″ | 18 ″+29% |
| Panel type | Tandem OLED touchscreen (matte, 100% DCI-P3) | IPS-level |
| Resolution | 2880x1800 | 2560x1600 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 240 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 1,400 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| Graphics | Intel Arc B390 (integrated, 12 Xe3 cores) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR7) |
| RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-8533 (soldered) | DDR5-5600 (2 slots, up to 96GB) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB | 1,024 GB |
| Storage type | M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,836Top 48% | 2,856+1%Top 44% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,674Top 29% | 18,984+14%Top 16% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU) | — | 13,644Top 31% |
Battery
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 70 Wh | 90 Wh+29% |
| Charging | 90 W | 240 W+167% |
Design
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.11 kg+64% | 3.1 kg |
| Thickness | 10.9 mm+64% | 29.9 mm |
| Material | Magnesium-aluminum alloy (CNC, Nano Ceramic finish) | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 40Gbps, display and power delivery), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS), 3.5mm combo audio jack | 1x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD with IR and privacy shutter | 720p30 |
| Biometrics | IR camera for Windows Hello face login, fingerprint sensor | — |
Software
| Spec | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406) | MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI A2XW |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
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