MSI Vector 16 HX AI (A2XW)

MSI

Vector 16 HX AI (A2XW)

Released March 2025

MSI's 2025 16-inch gaming laptop with Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU at 175 W and a 240 Hz QHD+ screen, for gamers who want high-end performance and upgradable memory and storage.

Size
16″
Display
IPS LCD, 240 Hz
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 or 9
Memory
16 GB – 32 GB
Weight
2.7 kg
Battery
–

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise strong gaming performance for the price, a sharp 240 Hz screen and plenty of ports. All three found it bulky, and PC Gamer and Notebookcheck found it loud, Notebookcheck even at idle in its AI mode; battery life divides them, with PC Gamer finding it weak and Trusted Reviews excellent, and Notebookcheck found the power adapter large and heavy.

From notebookcheck.net, pcgamer.com and trustedreviews.com

Display

Screen size
16″
Resolution
2560 × 1600
Panel
IPS LCD
Refresh rate
240 Hz
Touchscreen
No
Display type
QHD+ (2560 × 1600) IPS-level, 16:10
Colour range
100% DCI-P3 (typical)

Performance

Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX or Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
CPU cores
20 or 24
CPU threads
20 or 24
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU
AI engine (NPU)
13 TOPS
Memory
16 GB or 32 GB
Storage
512 GB to 1 TB
CPU
Core Ultra 7 255HX (20 cores, up to 5.2 GHz, 30 MB cache) or Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores, up to 5.4 GHz, 36 MB cache); Intel HM870 chipset
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (8 GB GDDR7, 115 W), RTX 5070 Ti (12 GB GDDR7, 140 W) or RTX 5080 Laptop GPU (16 GB GDDR7, 175 W), including Dynamic Boost; up to 240 W combined CPU and GPU power with MSI OverBoost Ultra
AI engine
Intel AI Boost NPU
Memory type
DDR5-5600 in two slots (supports up to DDR5-6400); up to 96 GB
Storage type
One M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 slot and one M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen5 slot

Battery and size

Battery capacity
90 Wh
Weight
2.7 kg
Thickness
28.55 mm
Width × depth
357 × 284 mm
Battery life detail
90 Wh, 4-cell
Charger
330 W adapter (280 W on the RTX 5060 model); USB Power Delivery 3.1 over Thunderbolt 5
Colours
Cosmos Gray

Connections

Ports
2 × Thunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth
5.4 or 5.3
Webcam
1080p with IR
Operating system
Windows
Port detail
2 × Thunderbolt 5 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery 3.1; 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A; HDMI 2.1 (8K 60 Hz / 4K 120 Hz); SD Express reader; 2.5 Gb Ethernet; 3.5 mm combo jack
Keyboard
24-zone RGB gaming keyboard with Copilot key
Speakers
2 × 2 W, Nahimic 3, Hi-Res Audio ready
Microphones
Array microphone
Biometrics
IR webcam with shutter

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageGraphics
Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX16 GB512 GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX32 GB1 TBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX32 GB1 TBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX32 GB1 TBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU

Pros and cons

Pros

  • RTX 5080 at up to 175 W, or RTX 5070 Ti at 140 W
  • Two Thunderbolt 5 ports, SD Express reader and 2.5 Gb Ethernet
  • Two SODIMM slots (up to 96 GB) and two M.2 slots, one PCIe Gen5

Cons

  • Heavy at 2.7 kg, with a 330 W adapter
  • IPS-level screen rather than OLED or Mini LED
  • Some UK models ship with Wi-Fi 6E and a single 16 GB memory stick

Closest rivals

Model
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
16″IPS LCD or OLED, 165–240 HzIntel Core Ultra 916 GB – 32 GB2.7 kg–Jun 2026
16″OLED, 240 HzIntel Core Ultra 7 or 932 GB – 64 GB2.57 kg6.25 hMar 2025
16″IPS LCD, 300 HzIntel Core Ultra 932 GB2.65 kg–Mar 2026

Sources

  1. uk.msi.com/Laptop/Vector-16-HX-AI-A2XWX/Specification
  2. nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-blackwell-geforce-rtx-50-series-opens-new-wor…

Photo: storage-asset.msi.com

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