MSI Vector 16 HX AI A2XWIG-058US / ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024) G834JYR

The A2XWIG letters mark the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU configuration; RTX 5070, 5070 Ti and 5090 versions of the same chassis are sold under other codes. Memory, SSD and Wi-Fi card vary by SKU number.

The chip also includes an Intel AI Boost NPU, a block set aside for running AI tasks at low power.

P-cores handle games and single-threaded loads, E-cores take background and multi-core work.

The RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is not the same product as the desktop RTX 5080 card; its power limit and cooling conditions differ.

175 W is the maximum GPU power when Dynamic Boost borrows budget from the CPU; the base sits at the top of NVIDIA’s 80–150 W range for this GPU. The laptop GPU is not the same product as the desktop RTX 4090.

MSI notes the figure may vary by scenario. 175 W is the upper limit NVIDIA allows for the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU; the card draws less in lower power modes and on battery.

MSI describes the panel as "IPS-level", which does not necessarily mean it is an IPS panel. 240 Hz makes motion smoother in fast games, provided the game produces high frame rates.

Mini LED backlighting dims and lights zones behind the LCD so dark areas look deeper in HDR. 240 Hz means motion at up to 240 frames per second in suitable games; G-Sync matches refresh to frame rate to reduce tearing. 100% DCI-P3 covers the cinema colour space.

The MSI USA table lists the installed modules as DDR5-5600; the 6400 in the spec sheet is the top speed the platform supports. The slots take replaceable modules.

Both slots are populated; the modules are not soldered. ASUS notes memory speed can vary with the CPU.

MSI says storage upgrades should go through a service centre. The Gen5 slot can give higher sequential speeds than Gen4 with a compatible SSD.

RAID 0 joins the two SSDs into one drive for speed and capacity; if one SSD fails, all data in the array can be lost. ASUS says only single-sided SSDs are supported because of components near the M.2 slot.

The Thunderbolt 5 ports carry data, an external display and charging over one cable with compatible devices. The laptop reaches full performance on its 330 W adapter; USB-C charging runs at lower power.

The USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports transfer up to 10 Gbit/s. HDMI 2.1 can drive a 4K TV or monitor at 120 Hz.

Some SKUs in the same family use Wi-Fi 6E AX211 and Bluetooth 5.3; this configuration ships with the Wi-Fi 7 card.

Wi-Fi 6E can use the less congested 6 GHz band with a suitable router; ASUS notes the band may be unavailable in some countries.

The infrared camera enables Windows Hello face sign-in.

Warranty terms vary by country of sale.

The MUX connects the display directly to the RTX GPU to cut latency in games; Advanced Optimus can switch without a restart.

Thunderbolt 4 can also connect an external GPU enclosure or dock. The RJ45 port does not support Power over Ethernet, only data.

Full performance needs the 330 W adapter; the 100 W USB-C adapter is for light use and charging on the go. ASUS says the battery can reach 50% in 30 minutes with the proper adapter while the laptop is shut down. Bundled adapters can vary by country.