MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW vs ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
69.6Performancechip60.9
100Graphicschip72.8
54.7Displayspec-based38.4
45.9Batteryspec-based44
24.2Portabilityspec-based88.5
5 spec wins — MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW2 spec wins — ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW scores 58.7 against 58.6 for ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition. Pick by the categories that matter to you — MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW edges ahead in graphics and performance, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW
- Stronger performance score: 70 vs 61
- Stronger graphics score: 100 vs 73
- 331% higher charging: 280 W vs 65 W
- 100% higher Peak brightness: 1,000 nits vs 500 nits
- 100% higher storage: 2,048 GB vs 1,024 GB
Reasons to pick the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
- 66% lower weight: 0.98 kg vs 2.89 kg
- 29% lower thickness: 16.9 mm vs 23.9 mm
- Lower launch price: $1,999 vs $4,200
Display
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 18 ″+29% | 14 ″ |
| Panel type | Mini-LED (IPS-level, 100% DCI-P3, DisplayHDR 1000) | OLED |
| Resolution | 3840x2400 | 2880x1800 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,000 nits+100% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU (24GB GDDR7, 150W) | Intel Arc B390 (integrated, 12 Xe3 cores) |
| RAM | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM type | DDR5 SO-DIMM (2 slots, up to 96GB) | LPDDR5X-9600 (soldered) |
| Storage | 2,048 GB+100% | 1,024 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (1 M.2 slot) | NVMe SSD (M.2 2280, PCIe 4.0 / 5.0) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,066Top 16% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 19,607Top 12% | — |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU) | 25,090Top 1% | — |
Battery
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 99.9 Wh+72% | 58 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | 4.8 h | — |
| Charging | 280 W+331% | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.89 kg | 0.98 kg+66% |
| Thickness | 23.9 mm | 16.9 mm+29% |
| Material | Magnesium-aluminum alloy | Carbon fiber (top), magnesium (bottom) |
Connectivity
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort, Power Delivery 3.1), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.1, SD Express card reader, 2.5G Ethernet (RJ45), 3.5mm combo jack, Kensington lock | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB PD 15-65W, DisplayPort 2.1), 1x USB-A (5Gbps, always on), HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K/60Hz), 3.5mm combo audio jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel Killer BE1750) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p IR with privacy shutter | 10MP IR camera (ultrawide) with ToF sensor and privacy shutter |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint reader, IR webcam | Fingerprint reader in the power button, IR camera for Windows Hello face recognition |
Software
| Spec | MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XW | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro |
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