ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2026): G815LW-SA331X · RTX 5080 Laptop, 64 GB / 2 TB
MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI D2XWGKG-211US: D2XWGKG-211US: Core Ultra 7 255HX, RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, 32 GB DDR5, 1 TB, Cosmo Gray. The D2XWFKG version of the same chassis uses an RTX 5060 Laptop GPU; other SKUs go up to a Core Ultra 9 275HX.
| Specification | ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2026) | MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI D2XWGKG-211US |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2026 | 2025 |
| Release year | 2026 ASUS | — |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ASUS | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX; 1.8–5.2 GHz; Intel HM870 chipset MSI |
| CPU cores | 24 cores / 24 threads ASUS | — |
| CPU frequency | 2.7 GHz; up to 5.5 GHz ASUS | — |
| CPU cache | 36 MB ASUS | — |
| NPU | Intel AI Boost; up to 13 TOPS ASUS | — |
| Graphics | GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU; distinct from the desktop RTX 5080 ASUS | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, 8 GB GDDR7; boost up to 2347 MHz; up to 115 W with Dynamic Boost MSI |
| Graphics memory | 16 GB GDDR7 ASUS | — |
| GPU power limit | 150 W + conditional 25 W Dynamic Boost; up to 175 W ASUS | — |
| GPU clock | ROG Boost 1550 MHz; 1500 MHz + 50 MHz OC ASUS | — |
| Display | 18-inch Mini LED; 2560 × 1600, 16:10 ASUS | 16-inch QHD+ (2560 × 1600), 16:10, 240 Hz; wide-viewing-angle thin-bezel panel; 100% DCI-P3 MSI |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz; G-SYNC ASUS | — |
| Color and surface | Claimed 100% DCI-P3; anti-glare, low-reflection AGLR ASUS | — |
| GPU switching | MUX switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus ASUS | — |
| RAM | 64 GB: 2 × 32 GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM ASUS | — |
| Memory slots | 2 SO-DIMM slots; both occupied; up to 64 GB ASUS | — |
| Storage | 2 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD ASUS | 1 TB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen4 x4); 1 × PCIe Gen4 and 1 × PCIe Gen5 M.2 slot MSI |
| SSD slots | 2 M.2 PCIe slots in total, including used slots ASUS | — |
| USB-A | 3 × USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbit/s ASUS | — |
| USB-C | 2 × Thunderbolt 5; DisplayPort, Power Delivery, G-SYNC ASUS | — |
| Video output | HDMI 2.1 FRL ASUS | — |
| Wired networking | 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet ASUS | — |
| Wireless networking | Tri-band 2 × 2 Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 5.4 ASUS | — |
| Camera | 1080p IR; Windows Hello ASUS | — |
| Audio | Two speakers, Dolby Atmos; 3.5 mm combo jack ASUS | — |
| Keyboard | Per-key RGB, numeric keypad ASUS | — |
| Battery | 90 Wh; 4-cell lithium-ion ASUS | — |
| Power adapter | 380 W; 20 V / 19 A ASUS | — |
| Dimensions | 399 × 298 × 23.5–32 mm ASUS | — |
| Weight | 3.20 kg ASUS | — |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro ASUS | Windows 11 Home MSI |
| Memory | — | 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) DDR5-5600; 2 slots MSI |
| Ports | — | 1 × Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0); 3 × USB-A 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1); HDMI 2.1; RJ45 Gigabit LAN; 3.5 mm combo audio MSI |
| Wireless | — | Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2×2); Bluetooth 5.3 MSI |
| Battery and adapter | — | 90 Wh, 4-cell lithium-ion; 240 W adapter MSI |
| Keyboard, camera and audio | — | SteelSeries 24-zone RGB keyboard (99 keys, anti-ghosting); 720p camera with shutter; 2 × 2 W speakers; microphone array MSI |
| Dimensions and weight | — | 359 × 266.4 × 21.8–27.9 mm; 2.5 kg MSI |
| Security | — | Firmware TPM 2.0; Kensington lock slot; webcam shutter MSI |
| Warranty | — | 1-year limited warranty (includes 1 year global coverage) MSI |