MSI Stealth 18 HX AI A2XWJG-035US / ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605MI-QR194X

Arrow Lake-HX generation 24-core processor (8 performance, 16 efficiency) on the Intel HM870 chipset. There is no Hyper-Threading, so each core runs one thread.

The NPU runs constant AI tasks such as background blur and noise suppression at low power instead of the CPU/GPU.

The laptop RTX 5090 is not the same card as the desktop RTX 5090. 150 W is the ceiling MSI sets for this thin chassis, so slightly lower GPU performance than thicker 175 W models is expected. MSI quotes 1824 AI TOPS.

Dynamic Boost shifts a 20 W share of power to the GPU when CPU load is low, so 105 W is a conditional ceiling rather than a constant level. In the same series RTX 4060 SKUs are listed at 100 W and RTX 4080/4090 SKUs at 115 W. The GPU is soldered and cannot be upgraded.

The 16:10 panel is an LCD lit from behind by many small LED zones; local dimming gives high brightness and contrast in HDR content, though halos can appear around bright objects in dark scenes. MSI’s family page describes the panel as "IPS-Level".

G-Sync matches the refresh to the game’s frame rate to reduce tearing. It is not a touchscreen. Some SKUs in the same series use an IPS-level panel.

Both slots come populated, so an upgrade means replacing the modules. MSI lists support up to DDR5-6400; the actual speed depends on the memory combination and the CPU.

Because memory cannot be added later, capacity has to be chosen at purchase.

There is no second SSD slot; MSI advises consulting a service centre before upgrading the SSD.

The second M.2 slot allows an additional SSD.

Thunderbolt 4 carries 40 Gbit/s data and video over the USB-C shaped port. This model has no Thunderbolt 5.

Both USB-C ports support external displays and charging; there is no Ethernet port.

SD Express uses a PCIe/NVMe interface for much faster transfers with compatible cards; ordinary SD cards are still read.

The IR camera enables Windows Hello face sign-in.

99.9 Wh is just under the common airline carry-on battery limit. Full GPU performance needs the 280 W adapter.

The MUX switch connects the display directly to the NVIDIA GPU, removing the overhead of routing through the integrated GPU in games; Advanced Optimus makes this switch automatically without a restart.

ASUS notes that Bluetooth features may vary with the OS and drivers.

Slash Lighting is a programmable LED strip on the lid, controlled through AURA Sync.

Which adapter is in the box varies by country and model. Full GPU power should not be expected when charging over USB-C.

Accessories may vary by country.