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Ultra 16
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Raider 18 HX
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What we think

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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

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General Use

7.7
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Gaming and AI

6.2
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Engineering and Design

7.0
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Content Creation

7.7
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Software Development

7.5
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Screen Quality

6.2
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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.

Battery

17.0 Hours
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
9.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
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
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
7.4
The MSI Raider 18 HX has good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$1,000
Ultra 16
Raider 18 HX
$3,999
Product image
Product image

$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

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Spec Comparison

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LG Ultra 16MSI Raider 18 HX
LG Ultra 16MSI Raider 18 HX

GENERAL

Price
$1,000
$3,999
Release Date
March 1, 2023March 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64''15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26''
Weight
3.63 lbs7.94 lbs
Width
14.02"15.91"
Depth
9.78"12.09"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 7730UIntel i9-14900HX
RAM
16 GB32 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
04
Storage
512 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
17 Hours9 Hours
Battery Capacity
72 Wh99.9 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"18"
Display Technology
IPSMini LED
Resolution
1920 x 12003840 x 2400
Refresh Rate
60Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
270 nits1000 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.5/107.4/10
Portability Score
7.9/105.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.8/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/108/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
YesYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
23
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
13
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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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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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.

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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.

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