Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 5 for Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 (1 tied) — including cinebench (multi-core) (2345 vs 2065).
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: which one should you buy?
Choose the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 if you care most about portability score (6.8/10 vs 2.6/10), battery score (9.2/10 vs 5.6/10) and connectivity score (8.9/10 vs 7.2/10).
Choose the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 if you care most about cinebench (multi-core) (2345 vs 2065), cpu threads (24 vs 18) and gpu compute (37.4 TFLOPS vs 8.3 TFLOPS).
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 6.8/10 | 2.6/10 |
| Weight | 2.14 kg | 3.6 kg |
| Thickness | 16.8 mm | 32.05 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | Yes |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Available colors | Black, Silver | Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 1.7 mm |
| Cooling system | Active | Active |
| Dimensions | 355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm | 404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm 15.91 x 12.11 x 0.94-1.26 inches |
| Footprint | 882 cm2 (136.8 inches2) | 1242 cm2 (192.7 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | 15.5 x 9.9 cm | 13.0 x 8.2 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Plastic |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 9.6/10 | 9.9/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 2065 | 2345 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 203 | 146 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 28544 | 23055 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4353 | 3459 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 18 | 24 |
| CPU | Apple M5 Pro (18-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
| CPU cores | 18 (6P + 12E) | 24 (8P + 16E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 2.7 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 5.5 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 36 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 Pro (18-Core) Apple M5 Max (32-сore) Apple M5 Max (40-сore) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 8.3 TFLOPS | 37.4 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 Pro (20-core) | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti |
| GPU type | Integrated | Dedicated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 Pro GPU (20-core) | Arc Graphics (4-Cores) |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | 12 GB |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | GDDR7 |
| GPU memory bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | — |
| GPU power (TGP) | 28 W | 175 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 Pro (20-core) | — |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 24 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | Yes |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | DDR5 |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 6400 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 2 |
| RAM channels | 3x8 GB | 2x16 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 24GB|36GB|48GB|64GB|128GB | 32GB|64GB|96GB|128GB |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 1 TB | 1 TB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB | 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB |
| Storage slots | — | 2 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Display size | 16.2 in | 18 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 1000 nits | 1000 nits |
| Pixel density | 254 ppi | 252 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Mini LED | Mini LED |
| Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 3840 x 2400 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Matte |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Contrast ratio | 1000000:1 | — |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~86.2% | ~75.6% |
| Side bezels | 3.4 mm | 8.2 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 135° | 145° |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 9.2/10 | 5.6/10 |
| Battery capacity | 100 Wh | 99.9 Wh |
| Charging speed | 140 W | 400 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | Yes |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Full charge time | 1:25 hr | 2:10 hr |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 8.9/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 5.4 |
| Ethernet port | No | Yes |
| HDMI port | Yes | Yes |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | Yes | Yes |
| USB-A ports | No | 3x USB 3.2 |
| USB-C ports | 3x USB 4.0 | 2x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | No |
| Speaker configuration | 4.2 (4 tweeters and 2 woofers) | 4.2 (4 tweeters and 2 woofers) |
| Speaker loudness | ~84.7 dB | — |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W, 4x2W |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1080p FHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
- Portability score: 6.8/10 (vs 2.6/10)
- Battery score: 9.2/10 (vs 5.6/10)
- Connectivity score: 8.9/10 (vs 7.2/10)
- Cinebench (single-core): 203 (vs 146)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 28544 (vs 23055)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4353 (vs 3459)
- Pixel density: 254 ppi (vs 252 ppi)
- Battery capacity: 100 Wh (vs 99.9 Wh)
- Weight: 2.14 kg (vs 3.6 kg)
- Thickness: 16.8 mm (vs 32.05 mm)
- Bluetooth version: 6 (vs 5.4)
- Dolby Atmos
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
- Performance score: 9.9/10 (vs 9.6/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 2345 (vs 2065)
- CPU threads: 24 (vs 18)
- GPU compute: 37.4 TFLOPS (vs 8.3 TFLOPS)
- RAM: 32 GB (vs 24 GB)
- RAM upgradable
- Storage upgradable
- Display size: 18 in (vs 16.2 in)
- Charging speed: 400 W (vs 140 W)
- Numeric keypad
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
- Ethernet port
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?
MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 5 for Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 (1 tied) — including cinebench (multi-core) (2345 vs 2065).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 costs around $2699, $800 less than the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 at around $3499.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 and the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?
The biggest gaps are in portability score (6.8/10 on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs 2.6/10); battery score (9.2/10 on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs 5.6/10); connectivity score (8.9/10 on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs 7.2/10).