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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For general use, the LG Ultra 16 offers a balance of performance and portability at a lower midrange price, with a comfortable keyboard and good screen quality for everyday tasks. It's also fanless, ensuring silent operation. However, it lacks the high-end graphics and processing power needed for intensive gaming or engineering tasks. In contrast, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for gaming and demanding applications like 3D rendering and machine learning, thanks to its top-tier Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and Intel i9 processor. The larger, high-resolution touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and superior color accuracy is ideal for professionals and gamers who require top-notch visuals. But this performance comes with a higher price tag, reduced battery life, and a bulkier design that's less portable. Choose the LG for everyday tasks and portability with a quiet, efficient experience. Opt for the MSI if you prioritize raw power, a superior display, and the ability to handle the most demanding software without compromise, accepting the trade-offs in weight, price, and battery life. 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 LG Ultra 16
- Good portability
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider 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
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
270.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 16 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.0
9.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7
9.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the LG Ultra 16 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
8.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 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
6.2
9.4
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
270.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
17.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The LG Ultra 16 has good portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Raider 18 HX has good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$3,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The LG Ultra 16 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
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How the LG Ultra 16 and the MSI Raider 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 16 | MSI Raider 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $3,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.63 lbs | 7.94 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 12.09" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 270 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the LG Ultra 16 or the MSI Raider 18 HX
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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.
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