MSI’s addressing the subtlety of a premium gaming laptop with the Stealth 16, but what about for those who don’t care about stealthiness? What if you just want the most powerful system on the planet?
That’s where the new MSI Raider 16 Max HX comes in — just announced at CES 2026. I got an early look at the laptop, and yes, it is very “in your face” about its gaming looks, but with a massive 300 watts of total system power pumping through its veins, a tasty display upgrade to OLED, a beefy cooling tune-up and a 10% smaller build, this could very the beefiest system you see in 2026.
MSI Raider 16 Max MX specs
Laptop | MSI Raider 16 Max HX |
|---|---|
Display | 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600 pixels) OLED 240Hz (IPS model also available) |
CPU | Up to Intel Core Ultra 200HX or AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX |
GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 |
RAM | Up to 128GB DDR5-7200 |
Storage | 2x NVMe SSD slot |
Ports | 2 x Thunderbolt 4, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2.Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.1 (8K @ 60Hz / 4K @ 120Hz), 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x gigabit ethernet, 1x SD card reader |
Connectivity | Wi-FI 7, Bluetooth 6 |
Dimensions | 14.2 x 10.6 x 1 inches |
Weight | 5.7 pounds |
Sleeker than you’d expect
- 10% smaller in size than the previous Raider, while being 25% more power efficient.
- Huge cooling system with triple fans and a five-exhaust heatsink design allows for insane wattage.
- RGB everywhere, increased I/O in all the right places, and fast access to upgrading your SSD and RAM.
The re-engineered Raider 16 Max HX is all about the small details coming together to provide serious speed boosts where it matters. In these tweaks, MSI has been able to make it 10% smaller in size while providing more bang for your buck in the performance and ergonomics department.
For example, there’s much more flare courtesy of a strip of RGB across the bottom lip, and per-key RGB provided by Steelseries on the keyboard, which feels great to use. Throw in a tasty improvement in I/O with an SD card reader, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, all the USB-A you’d need, and HDMI 2.1 placed tactically on the back for better cable management and you’re onto a winner here.
Then there’s what’s happening on the inside. First off, you’ve got super easy upgradeability of RAM and SSD storage (provided the prices aren’t too crazy in the future) with a two-screw door to get to all the slots you need for it.
And second, there’s a monstrous cooling system here — consisting of an all-new Cooler Boost Trinity with Intra Flow thermal system to be specific. Put simply, take the back off and you’ll find three fans, six heat pipes, five exhaust vents and a phase-change thermal compound (safer to use than liquid metal), which allows for much more power to be pumped through the system.
The number? Up to 300 watts of total system power. That is insane for a gaming laptop and ensures this is the most powerful system in the world right now, while also quietening the fans from the jumbo jets you found in the last generation model.
Insane horsepower
- Refreshed Intel Core Ultra 200HX CPU with up to RTX 5090 GPU.
- Gorgeous 240Hz OLED display, up to 128GB DDR5 RAM and 2x NVMe SSD slots.
And with all that power potential, you need the chips that will take full advantage of it. Here, MSI has (obviously) gone for the top of the range RTX 5090 (other options are available) alongside the refreshed Intel Core Ultra 200HX chipset or AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX.
Power efficiency is not the biggest concern here, so focusing on the CPU that has the highest performance potential is critical. No need for Panther Lake's slow sipping of power here.
Alongside that, you can spec it out with up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM and you’ve got two PCIe SSD slots (one Gen 4 and the other Gen 5) for zippy SSD loading speeds.
All of this together will surely lead to monstrous gaming performance that pushes the max 240Hz of that mesmerizing 16-inch QHD+ OLED display (available in the Intel model only).
Outlook
This is part of MSI’s revived efforts in the gaming laptop space — simplifying the product lineup and listening to what customers want here. That involves more I/O, better displays, a slimmer chassis and an improved portable experience all around.
I didn’t even get to mention the loud-yet-clear Nahimic 3-enhanced speakers with surprisingly good bass from the woofers, or the great tactility from that keyboard and touchpad. But as it all came together in my hands, it began to make sense.
Up until this point, every super pricey MSI gaming system like the Titan 18 HX I tested last year always went hard on the performance, but also fell shy on the usability portion of it. Now, the team’s elevating all the elements, and while it will be expensive (the company’s not mentioned a price yet), you’re much more likely to feel that value on the day-to-day.
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