Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026

MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 comes out ahead overall, scoring 65% to 35% across the categories compared β€” particularly overall score (8.5 /10 vs 6.7 /10).

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 scored 35%, MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 scored 65%.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 is priced around $3599, MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 around $3499.

How Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 and MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 Rank

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403

AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 ranks in the top 36% of 45 CPUs we track.

LPDDR5X RAM ranks in the top 25% of 4 RAM types we track.

PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) storage interface ranks in the top 50% of 4 storage interfaces we track.

OLED display ranks in the top 20% of 5 display types we track.

Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.

Wi-Fi 7 ranks in the top 34% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.

MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026

Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ranks in the top 20% of 45 CPUs we track.

DDR5 RAM ranks in the top 75% of 4 RAM types we track.

PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x) storage interface ranks in the top 25% of 4 storage interfaces we track.

Mini LED display ranks in the top 40% of 5 display types we track.

Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.

Wi-Fi 7 ranks in the top 34% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Overall Score

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Build & Design

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Portability score 8.8 /10 2.6 /10
Weight 1.5 kg 3.6 kg
Thickness 16.3 mm 32.05 mm
Fingerprint reader No Yes
Vapor chamber cooling No No
Numeric keypad No Yes
Windows Precision touchpad Yes Yes
Facial recognition Yes Yes
Build material Aluminum Aluminum
Available colors White, Black Black
Keyboard Backlit, Island Backlit, Island
Key travel 1.7 mm 1.7 mm
Cooling system Active Active
Dimensions 311 x 220 x 15.9-16.3 mm 12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63-0.64 inches 404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm 15.91 x 12.11 x 0.94-1.26 inches
Footprint 684 cm2 (106 inches2) 1242 cm2 (192.7 inches2)
Touchpad size β€” 13.0 x 8.2 cm
Touchpad surface Glass Plastic

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Benchmarks

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Performance score 7 /10 9.9 /10
Cinebench (multi-core) 1002 2345
Cinebench (single-core) 111 146
Geekbench (multi-core) 14129 23055
Geekbench (single-core) 2833 3459

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: CPU

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
CPU threads 20 24
CPU AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
CPU cores 10 (4P + 6E) 24 (8P + 16E)
CPU base frequency 2.0 GHz 2.7 GHz
CPU turbo frequency 5 GHz 5.5 GHz
CPU L3 cache 24 MB 36 MB
CPU manufacturing process 4 nm 3 nm
CPU configurations available AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: GPU

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
GPU compute 15.3 TFLOPS 37.4 TFLOPS
GPU GeForce RTX 5060 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
GPU type Dedicated Dedicated
Integrated GPU Radeon 880M Arc Graphics (4-Cores)
GPU VRAM 8 GB 12 GB
GPU memory type GDDR7 GDDR7
GPU memory bus 128 bit 192 bit
GPU power (TGP) 90 W 175 W
GPU configurations available GeForce RTX 5060 β€”

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Memory

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
RAM 16 GB 32 GB
RAM upgradable No Yes
RAM type LPDDR5X DDR5
RAM clock speed 7500 MHz 6400 MHz
RAM slots 1 2
RAM channels 2x8 GB 2x16 GB
RAM configurations available 16GB|32GB|64GB 32GB|64GB|96GB|128GB

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Storage

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Storage 1 TB 1 TB
NVMe storage Yes Yes
Storage upgradable Yes Yes
Storage type SSD (M2) SSD (M2)
Storage interface PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x)
Storage configurations available 1 TB, 2 TB 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB
Storage slots β€” 2

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Display

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Display score 7.8 /10 9 /10
Display size 14 in 18 in
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Brightness 500 nits 1000 nits
Pixel density 243 ppi 252 ppi
Touchscreen No No
Adaptive refresh rate Yes Yes
Display type OLED Mini LED
Resolution 2880 x 1800 3840 x 2400
Screen coating Glossy Matte
Aspect ratio 16:10 16:10
Contrast ratio 1000000:1 β€”
sRGB coverage 100% 100%
Response time 1 ms β€”
Screen-to-body ratio ~83.1% ~75.6%
Side bezels 4.8 mm 8.2 mm
Maximum opening angle 130Β° 145Β°

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Battery

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Battery score 6.3 /10 5.6 /10
Battery capacity 73 Wh 99.9 Wh
Charging speed 250 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 β€” 2:10 hr

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Network & Connectivity

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Connectivity score 7.2 /10 7.2 /10
Wi-Fi generation 7 7
Bluetooth version 5.4 5.4
Ethernet port No Yes
HDMI port Yes Yes
DisplayPort No No
SD card reader Yes Yes
USB-A ports 2x USB 3.2 3x USB 3.2
USB-C ports 2x USB 4.0 2x USB 4.0

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Audio

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Dolby Atmos Yes No
Speaker configuration 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) 4.2 (4 tweeters and 2 woofers)
Speaker power 4x2W 2x2W, 4x2W

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: OS & Software

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026
Operating system Windows 11 Windows 11

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 vs MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026: Extras & Features

Spec Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 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

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403

  • Portability score: 8.8 /10 (vs 2.6 /10)
  • Battery score: 6.3 /10 (vs 5.6 /10)
  • Weight: 1.5 kg (vs 3.6 kg)
  • Thickness: 16.3 mm (vs 32.05 mm)
  • Dolby Atmos

MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026

  • Overall score: 8.5 /10 (vs 6.7 /10)
  • Performance score: 9.9 /10 (vs 7 /10)
  • Display score: 9 /10 (vs 7.8 /10)
  • Cinebench (multi-core): 2345 (vs 1002 )
  • Cinebench (single-core): 146 (vs 111 )
  • Geekbench (multi-core): 23055 (vs 14129 )
  • Geekbench (single-core): 3459 (vs 2833 )
  • CPU threads: 24 (vs 20 )
  • GPU compute: 37.4 TFLOPS (vs 15.3 TFLOPS)
  • RAM: 32 GB (vs 16 GB)
  • RAM upgradable
  • Display size: 18 in (vs 14 in)
  • Brightness: 1000 nits (vs 500 nits)
  • Pixel density: 252 ppi (vs 243 ppi)
  • Battery capacity: 99.9 Wh (vs 73 Wh)
  • Charging speed: 400 W (vs 250 W)
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Numeric keypad
  • Ethernet port

More Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 and MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has the better overall score, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?

The MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 has the better overall score at 8.5 /10, versus 6.7 /10 on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403.

Which has the better performance score, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?

The MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026 has the better performance score at 9.9 /10, versus 7 /10 on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403.

Which has the better portability score, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 has the better portability score at 8.8 /10, versus 2.6 /10 on the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026.

Which has the better battery score, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 or the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026?

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2026 GA403 has the better battery score at 6.3 /10, versus 5.6 /10 on the MSI Raider 18 Max HX 2026.