The MSI Raider 18 HX is a top-tier gaming and engineering laptop with an impressive 18-inch Mini LED display, superior performance, and a robust build quality, making it ideal for intensive tasks and gaming. However, it's bulkier and less portable, with a higher price point and shorter battery life, which might not be the best for everyday general use or frequent travelers.
On the other hand, the MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a balance between performance and portability with its midrange price, 16-inch IPS touchscreen, and versatile 2-in-1 design, suitable for both work and entertainment. It's lighter, has a longer battery life, and is more suitable for general use, though it compromises on gaming and engineering performance due to its less powerful GPU and CPU compared to the Raider.
If you prioritize top-of-the-line performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering tasks and don't mind the heft and higher cost, the Raider 18 HX is the way to go. However, if you want a versatile, portable device that can handle general tasks well and offer touchscreen convenience with a 2-in-1 form factor, the Summit E16 Flip would be a better fit. 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 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
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
1000.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
9.0/10
6.8/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
9.6/10
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
9.1/10
7.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
8.8/10
7.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
9.4/10
8.0/10
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
1000.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the MSI Summit E16 Flip for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Poor
Good
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
7.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has good portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$3,999
$1,550
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a price of $3,999 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,550.
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the MSI Raider 18 HX or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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
124,095
Recommendations made
26,888
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.