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Updated June 22, 2024·
The MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, with a top-tier GPU and CPU, and a high refresh rate Mini LED display that's excellent for fast-moving visuals. However, it's bulkier, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable and not ideal for frequent travelers. It also commands a premium price. In contrast, the Razer Book 13 offers a more balanced experience suitable for general use and light gaming, with a compact and lightweight design that's highly portable. It has a good battery life, an excellent keyboard, and a solid build quality, making it a great choice for professionals on the go. While it won't match the MSI's performance in demanding tasks or high-end gaming, it provides a better balance of portability, battery life, and performance for everyday tasks at a midrange price point. 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 Razer Book 13
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.6
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
1000.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
507.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
14.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Razer Book 13 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
6.2
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Razer Book 13 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
7.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Razer Book 13 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
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Razer Book 13 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
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Razer Book 13 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
7.3
18.0in
SIZE
13.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
1000.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
507.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the Razer Book 13 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
14.0 Hours
The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 hours of battery life. The Razer Book 13 has 14 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
Poor
Excellent
18.0in
SIZE
13.4in
7.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Razer Book 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Razer Book 13 has very good build quality, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,999
$1,389
$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 Razer Book 13 costs $1,389.
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How the MSI Raider 18 HX and the Razer Book 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Raider 18 HX | Razer Book 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,999 | $1,389 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2024 | April 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.94 lbs | 3.09 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.91" | 11.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.09" | 7.81" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-14900HX | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 4 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 14 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 18" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 1000 nits | 507 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Razer Book 13
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | December 2020
"The Razer Book is like an XPS 13, but faster. The Book 13 combines the design philosophy and performance of a Blade Stealth with the 16:10 display of a Dell XPS 13 for an impressive piece of hardware. Office users who want something more stylish than the typical Dell, HP or Lenovo will certainly find themselves drawn to this Razer subnotebook. If your priorities are to have the best-looking and fastest 13-inch laptop in the office over auxiliary features, however, then the Book 13 proudly fulfills that niche."
Get a great deal on the MSI Raider 18 HX or the Razer Book 13
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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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