ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA vs MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW
53.6Performancespec-basedchip60.5
60.9chipGraphics97.5
58Displayspec-based40
70.9Batteryspec-based99.9
78.1Portabilityspec-based24
2 spec wins — ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA5 spec wins — MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA scores 62.7 against 62.7 for MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW. Pick by the categories that matter to you, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA
- 48% lower weight: 1.5 kg vs 2.9 kg
- 46% lower thickness: 12.9 mm vs 24 mm
- Lower launch price: $1,900 vs $3,849
Reasons to pick the MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW
- Stronger graphics score: 98 vs 61
- 312% higher charging: 280 W vs 68 W
- 100% higher RAM: 64 GB vs 32 GB
- 100% higher storage: 2,048 GB vs 1,024 GB
- 20% higher capacity: 100 Wh vs 83 Wh
Display
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″ | 18 ″+13% |
| Panel type | OLED touchscreen (ASUS Lumina, 100% DCI-P3) | Mini-LED |
| Resolution | 2880x1800 | 3840x2400 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,100 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon 880M (12 CUs, integrated) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU (16GB GDDR7) |
| RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-8533 (soldered) | DDR5-5600 (2x 32GB) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB | 2,048 GB+100% |
| Storage type | M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,834Top 49% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,562Top 43% | — |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU) | — | 22,099Top 9% |
Battery
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 83 Wh | 100 Wh+20% |
| Web browsing endurance | 13.1 h | — |
| Charging | 68 W | 280 W+312% |
Design
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.5 kg+48% | 2.9 kg |
| Thickness | 12.9 mm+46% | 24 mm |
| Material | Aluminum (all-metal, Ceraluminum lid) | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x USB4 Gen 3 Type-C (40Gbps, display and power delivery), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, SD 4.0 card reader, 3.5mm combo audio jack | 2x USB4 Type-C (DisplayPort, PD 3.1, Thunderbolt 4 compatible), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, 2.5G Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | FHD with IR | IR FHD with privacy shutter |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | — |
Software
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S16 (2026) UM5606GA | MSI Stealth A18 AI+ A3XW |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home or Pro | Windows 11 Home |
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