MSI Raider 18 HX vs Alienware 16 Area-51
Intel Core i9-14900HX against Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 18-inch vs 16-inch screens, 3.6 vs 3.15 kg. Every spec side by side.
Size and weight
Drawn to the same scale. Base configuration.
Price and overview | ||
| Specification | Raider 18 HX | Alienware 16 Area-51 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Price (India) | ₹3,79,990 (RTX 4080) / ₹4,49,990 (RTX 4090) | No info |
| Announced | January 2024 | January 2025 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home / Pro |
| Model Numbers | A14VHG-254IN / A14VIG-253IN | AA16250 (regulatory model P141F) |
Design | ||
| Dimensions | 404 x 307.5 x 24 to 32.05 mm | 365 x 290 x 28.5 mm |
| Thickness | 32.05 mm | 28.5 mm (peak) |
| Weight | 3.6 kg | 3.15 kg to 3.40 kg |
| Build | No info | No info |
| Colours | Core Black | Liquid Teal |
Display | ||
| Size | 18-inch | 16-inch |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2400 (252 ppi) | 2560 x 1600 (189 ppi) |
| Panel Type | Mini LED (IPS-level) | IPS (WVA) |
| Anti-Glare | Not published by MSI | Yes |
| Panel Type (Other Panels) | Not published by MSI | OLED |
| HDR | DisplayHDR 1000 | Not published by Alienware |
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 240 Hz |
| Brightness | 1000 nits (peak) | 500 nits (LCD), 400 nits SDR / 620 nits HDR (OLED) |
| Colour Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 (typical) | 100% DCI-P3 (OLED) |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
Performance | ||
| Processor Options | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX / Core Ultra 9 275HX / Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus / Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
| Top Processor | Intel Core i9-14900HX, 24-core CPU (8P + 16E), 32 threads, up to 5.8 GHz | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 24 cores (8P + 16E), 24 threads, up to 5.5 GHz, 36 MB cache, 55 W |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12GB / RTX 4090 16GB (175W, 250W combined CPU-GPU with OverBoost) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB / RTX 5070 8 GB / RTX 5070 Ti 12 GB / RTX 5080 16 GB / RTX 5090 24 GB GDDR7 |
| NPU | None | Intel AI Boost NPU, up to 13 TOPS |
| RAM Options | 32 GB / 64 GB | 16 GB to 64 GB |
| RAM Type | DDR5-5600 | DDR5-6400 (7200 XMP on 32 GB) |
| Max RAM | 192 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Slots | 4 | 2 SO-DIMM |
| Storage Options | 2 TB | Up to 4 TB per slot |
| Storage Type | NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD | PCIe Gen4 / Gen5 NVMe SSD |
| M.2 Slots | 2 (one Gen5-compatible) | 3 |
Battery and charging | ||
| Battery | 99.9 Wh (4-cell) | 96 Wh (6-cell) |
| Battery Life | No info | Up to 6 hours 18 minutes video playback (Dell claim) |
| Charger | 330W adapter | 280W (RTX 5060 to 5070 Ti) or 360W (RTX 5080, 5090) barrel |
Ports and wireless | ||
| Thunderbolt | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort, one with PD 3.1) | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (RTX 5070 and below) or 2x Thunderbolt 5 (RTX 5070 Ti and above) |
| USB-A | 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 | 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (one PowerShare) |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1 (8K 60Hz / 4K 120Hz) | HDMI 2.1 |
| SD Card Slot | SD Express card reader | SD card reader |
| Headphone Jack | Combo audio jack | 3.5 mm headset jack |
| Charging Port | Not published by MSI | Barrel DC-in |
| Ethernet | 2.5G Ethernet (Killer E3100) | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel Killer BE1750) | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel Killer BE1750) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
Extras | ||
| Webcam | 1080p | 1080p |
| IR Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy Shutter | Yes | Not published by Alienware |
| Webcam Features | HDR | 4K HDR camera option |
| Speakers | 6 (4 + 2 woofers) | 4 (2 tweeters + 2 woofers) |
| Speaker Power | 2W each | 2W each |
| Dolby Atmos | Not published by MSI | Yes |
| Microphones | Array microphone | Digital array |
| Audio Tuning | Dynaudio, Nahimic 3, Hi-Res | Not published by Alienware |
| Keyboard Backlight | Per-key RGB | AlienFX RGB |
| Copilot Key | Yes | Not published by Alienware |
| Per-Key RGB | Yes (SteelSeries) | With Cherry MX option |
| Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Not published by Alienware |
| IR Face Unlock | Yes | Windows Hello |
| TPM | dTPM 2.0, firmware TPM 2.0 | Not published by Alienware |
| Notable Features | 18-inch 4K Mini LED 120 Hz display, full-power 175W GPU, four memory slots, Meta Ready certified | Zero hinge with rear AlienFX lighting, quad fans with vapor chamber, ExpressCharge 2 (0 to 80% in 35 minutes), RTX 5090 option |