MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 Comparison

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MSI Raider A18 HX

18 inches | April 2024

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021

17.3 inches | May 2021

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MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 Comparison Overview

MSI Raider A18 HX

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus S1...

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MSI Raider A18 HX

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In this review, we will be comparing Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021, two laptops from MSI and ASUS. MSI Raider A18 HX was introduced to market in April 2024 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 was launched in May 2021. As you can see, ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 is 3 years older than Raider A18 HX. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of MSI Raider A18 HX and ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

MSI Raider A18 HX Key Specs

Launched in April 2024
18.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX
GPU: GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop 12GB
32GB Ram
404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm (15.91 x 12.11 x 0.94-1.26 inches)
Weight: 3.6 kg (7.94 lbs)

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 Key Specs

Launched in May 2021
17.3" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 11800H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
394 x 264 x 19.9 mm (15.51 x 10.39 x 0.78 inches)
Weight: 2.6 kg (5.73 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose MSI Raider A18 HX over ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021

Display Size	18 inches vs 17.3 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Refresh Rate	240 Hz vs 165 Hz	Smoother media experience
Screen Resolution	2560 x 1600 pixels vs 2560 x 1440 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
DCI-P3 Color Gamut	100% vs 94.2%	Wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	5 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	5 nm vs 8 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	24.72 TFLOPS vs 13.8 TFLOPS	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	DDR5 vs DDR4	Higher RAM potential
Max Total RAM	96 GB vs 48 GB	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
WiFi Standard	v7 vs v6	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.4 vs v5.2	Higher Resolution Camera
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Better HDMI connectivity
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 2.0	Fast way to input numbers
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 over MSI Raider A18 HX

Weight	2.60 kg vs 3.60 kg	1 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~79.3% vs ~75.6%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	5.5 mm vs 8.2 mm	2.7 mm thinner bezels
Screen PPI	170 ppi vs 168 ppi	More pixels per inch
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Easy login with fingerprint
Thunderbolt	v4 vs No	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
Touchpad Size	13.0 x 8.5 cm vs 13.0 x 8.2 cm	Larger Touchpad Area

Common Strengths of ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 and MSI Raider A18 HX

Launch Dates	April 2024 vs May 2021	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs Yes	Fast connection to Network via ethernet cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 and MSI Raider A18 HX

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the MSI Raider A18 HX and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021.

Physical Specs
Weight	3.6 kg (7.94 lbs)	2.6 kg (5.73 lbs)
Surface Area	1242 cm2 (192.7 inches2)	1040 cm2 (161.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~75.6%	~79.3%
Side Bezel Thickness	~8.2 mm	~5.5 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.20 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.44 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Black

Comparison of the MSI Raider A18 HX and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 External Dimensions

Weight

Raider A18 HX weighs 3.6 kg (7.94 lbs), whereas the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 weighs 2.6 kg (5.73 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Raider A18 HX 3.60 kg

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 2.60 kg

Min 1.29 kg

Average 2.74 kg

Max 4.23 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Raider A18 HX 32.05 mm

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 19.90 mm

Min 8.60 mm

Average 24.26 mm

Max 38.00 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the MSI Raider A18 HX is 0.20 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 is 0.15 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D	Intel Core i7 11800H Intel Core i9 11900H
Base Frequency	2.5 GHz	1.9-2.3 GHz
Turbo Frequency	5.4 GHz	4.6 GHz
Number of Cores	16	8
Number of Threads	32	16
L3 Cache	64 MB	24 MB
Integrated GPU	Radeon 610M	Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (32 EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	5 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	2118	1563
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	19736	8909
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1961	1504
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	34381	12182

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the MSI Raider A18 HX and ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 11800H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop 12GB GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop 16GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile 16GB
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	175 W	80 W
Nvidia Optimus	MUX	Yes, Advanced Optimus
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	24.72 TFLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS
Memory Size	12 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	192 bit	192 bit
Memory Speed	~16 Gbps	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	7424	3840
TMUs	232	120
ROPs	80	48

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. MSI Raider A18 HX has a FLOPS value of 24.72 TFLOPS whereas the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 ' has a FLOPS value of 13.8 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Raider A18 HX may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	32GB 64GB 96GB	16GB 32GB 48GB
Memory Bus	2x16 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	5200 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	DDR5	DDR4
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	96 GB	48 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

With a larger RAM capacity of 32 GB, the Raider A18 HX offers an advantage for multitasking and resource-intensive applications compared to the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021's RAM capacity of 16 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	MSI Raider A18 HX	ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	⚠ Can run using CPU + RAM fallback. Expect slower performance.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	99.9 Wh	90 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right, Bottom	Left
Charge Power	330 W	280 W
Full Charging Time	2:30 hr

Moreover, the Raider A18 HX boasts a larger battery capacity of 100 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021's90 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Raider A18 HX 100 Wh

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 90 Wh

Min 37.00 Wh

Average 76.88 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 8 TB, the Raider A18 HX provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021's max. storage capacity of 3 TB.

Storage Options	1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB	1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the MSI Raider A18 HX and ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Raider A18 HX has a display size of 18.0".On the other hand, ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 has a smaller 17.3" display.The total usable screen area of the Raider A18 HX is 939cm² / 146inch² whereas the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021's total usable screen area is 825cm² / 128inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 features a higher pixel density with 170 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Raider A18 HX 168 ppi

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 170 ppi

Min 106 PPI

Average 141 PPI

Max 266.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Raider A18 HX offers a higher refresh rate of 240 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 boast the same response time of 3.0 ms.

Brightness
The Raider A18 HX offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size larger than 17.0 inches

MSI Raider A18 HX 500 nits

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 300 nits

Min

200 nits

Average 368 nits

Max 1200.00 nits

MSI Raider A18 HX vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Raider A18 HX features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v7, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 feature 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 feature 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. Raider A18 HX does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 feature an HDMI port. Raider A18 HX offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Raider A18 HX and ROG Zephyrus S17 2021 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v7	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.4	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	3x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	Yes
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes