When choosing between the ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED and the MSI Titan 18 HX, if you highly value portability and are looking for a laptop for everyday use with a vibrant display, the lighter and more compact ASUS is ideal. However, if your primary concern is top-tier performance for tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, and you're okay with a heavier and bulkier laptop that may also require more frequent charging, the MSI Titan offers significantly more power but comes at a higher cost. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
376.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED, with its high-quality screen and reasonable portability, strikes a balance suitable for everyday tasks and multimedia consumption, though intensive tasks may be limited by its hardware. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX, while less portable due to its size and typically shorter battery life, offers robust CPU and RAM configurations that excel in demanding applications, making it a better choice for users needing more power for complex tasks, but at a tradeoff of ease of transport and battery longevity.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
9.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has a good GPU and screen with high-quality visuals, which are suitable for moderate gaming and 3D tasks, but with a standard refresh rate, it falls short for fast-paced gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX packs a top-tier GPU and a high screen refresh rate, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications that benefit significantly from smooth motion and rapid rendering, complemented by a powerful CPU and superior screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
9.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has a high-quality screen and a balance of CPU, RAM, and GPU that suits engineering tasks well, offering a more portable option with a pleasant keyboard and moderate speakers. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX steps up performance with a more powerful CPU, RAM, and GPU setup, making it better for more demanding engineering and design work, but it's heavier and less portable, with potentially louder operating noise due to increased power.
Content Creation
7.6/10
9.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.5/10
8.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.6/10
9.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
376.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED provides vibrant colors and sharp images with its high-resolution OLED panel, but the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its large and bright display, excels by offering more screen real estate and potentially better visibility. In engineering and design, the Zenbook's strong color accuracy and wide color gamuts are highly beneficial, yet the Titan, with similar or superior color performance and a larger screen, may improve productivity and detail visibility. However, for 3D applications, neither the Zenbook's OLED nor the Titan's high-resolution display prioritize the high refresh rates critical for smooth motion, making them less ideal for gaming despite their impressive visuals in other aspects.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has very good portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$575
$4,800
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has a price of $575 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"While one of the more budget-friendly configurations of the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED may make a compelling case as a top value pick, it’s difficult to be disappointed with the more expensive model we reviewed here. At its core, for all models, it’s a luxury-built laptop with extreme portability and a gorgeous OLED display. Our unit rocks with a snappy Core i9 processor for getting real work done, and the discrete GPU—even if it has a clear power ceiling—is a bonus for creative pros."
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED or the MSI Titan 18 HX
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.