The Vector 16 HX is the latest Powerhouse laptop from manufacturer MSI. This refresh of the Vector laptop Series offers the latest in power management and efficiency, an impressive hardware spec sheet and loads of AI-powered systems to help squeeze every ounce of power of the Vector 16 HX. With a laundry list of features and hardware, the Vector 16 HX aims to continue its run as the champion of performance Laptops.
Like its predecessor, the Vector 16 HX has an exceptionally sturdy frame and shell to protect the inner workings. Small details along the chassis, such as the small etchings along the outer edge and the grooved hinges, help the Vector 16 stand out from the competition.
Measuring 14.05” x 11.188” x 1.12” and weighing just under 6 lbs, the Vector 16 rides the line between desktop replacement and portable powerhouse. It manages to provide the results of the former (more on this later) while maintaining the flexibility of the latter. This is an impressive feat, to say the least, and while not the most portable of gaming laptops this year, it is by far one of the most powerful.
“As for I/O, the Vector 16 HX comes equipped to handle almost anything you’d need to connect.”
The Vector 16 HX features a 16” FHD+ (1920×1200) IPS level panel display. With a 16:10 aspect ratio and 144 Hz Refresh Rate, the display works well for gaming. While it lacks some of the sharpness and colour depth found in many OLED displays, it nonetheless provides an exceptional display experience tuned for gaming and both content creation and consumption.
A full, per key lit RGB-enabled keyboard, powered by SteelSeries and its excellent GG software, also comes standard with the Vector 16 HX. This allows users full control and customization of all of the keys on the board. With a host of options available, GG allows users an incredible amount of control over the look of their board. As for the keys themselves, they are standard membrane-style keys. However, thanks to their translucent design, the RGB lighting passes through them exceptionally well. The result is a beautiful, well-lit keyboard.
Another interesting design choice optimized for gamers is the inclusion of Nahimic 3 Audio enhancement from SteelSeries. While the Vector comes equipped with 2 x2W stereo speakers, thanks to Nahimic, it can simulate 3D surround to a point and also push that experience out to Bluetooth-enabled surround sound speakers. Additionally, the Vector 16 is Hi-Res Audio enabled, making it a great option for those looking to output lossless audio to external speakers.
The speakers are quite loud. While they do a decent job at producing audio, the high end is a bit muffled when at max volume. Likewise, the low end feels a bit muddy. However, it does a decent job of producing a clear signal overall and gaming and movies both sound fine.
As for I/O, the Vector 16 HX comes equipped to handle almost anything you’d need to connect. With 1 Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, 2 USB Gen2 Type-C, 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port as well as an HDMI 2.1, SD Card Reader, audio combo jack and a RJ 45 port to work with, there isn’t a whole lot more you should need for even a full desktop setup. MSI held nothing back when it came to port options, and it is designed to accommodate a wide range of setup needs.
On the note of connections, the Vector 16 HX takes full advantage of its many ports and supports Matrix display, allowing you to expand out to to three external monitors to maximize productivity. Leveraging the HDMI, Thunderbolt and USB Type-C port, the Vector has no issue handling what is essentially a 4 display setup. In testing, the Vector immediately registered each monitor as it was plugged in and handled multiple applications being opened and managed during the test. While most won’t need to leverage this kind of connection, with this option available, the Vector 16 HX could very well replace a desktop for serious productivity if needed.
“…the i9 is a serious workhorse that handles the pressure of high-end performance with ease.”
On that note, it is important to unpack and highlight the hardware inside the Vector 16 HX. For starters, the model reviewed comes stock with an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12G GDDR6, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD Gen 5. This is a serious powerhouse of tech that can handle quite literally any game or application you throw its way.
The Intel Core i9 13980HX processor comes packed with 8 performance cores and 16 efficient cores, making it exceptionally well suited for both high-end performance and an impressive amount of multitasking. As the tests below showed, the i9 is a serious workhorse that handles the pressure of high-end performance with ease.
This, coupled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12 BG GPU, makes for some serious horsepower for the system to draw from. While I noted earlier that the Vector 16 HX walks the line between full-on desktop replacement and portable powerhouse, the specs and performance of the Vector put it squarely in the former category. The fact that MSI managed to put it all into a portable form factor is an impressive feat in its own right.
Games testing was essentially a breeze with titles like DOOM Eternal and Diablo 4 easily running at max settings with seriously impressive performance. Likewise, even less than optimized titles like Rest for the Wicked, which is still in development, ran with ease on the Vector 16 HX. With performance optimization thanks to MSI Center and the MSI AI Engine, the Vector does an impressive job at allocating resources based on workload.
In the case of game testing, there was never a need to switch the system over to an extreme performance mode as the AI engine optimized the system to leverage the resources needed to run each game exceptionally well. However, for those wanting to push every ounce of power out of the Vector, MSI also offers an Overboost Ultra technology that dials both the CPU and GPU performance up to eleven, allowing for an unparalleled performance boost for either gaming or heavy workloads.
On the note of workloads, while the Vector 16 HX caters to gaming enthusiasts, it is also a beast in terms of heavy post-production work. Davinci Resolve runs silky smooth even with 8K footage, and thanks to the aforementioned Hi-Def Audio platform built into the Vector, mixing high-quality audio tracks is a plug-and-play experience.
“For such a high-performing machine, the Vector 16 stays quite cool.”
While these results are to be expected from a laptop backed with some of the best hardware available, what is impressive is how well MSI has cooled the system. This is in large part due to the Cooler Boost 5 cooling system. Leveraging 6 shared heat pipes spanned across the CPU and GPU with two large cooling fans, the Cooler Boost 5 cooling system helps pull heat away faster and more efficiently.
In practice, the result was cooler overall temperatures of both the GPU and CPU during game and editing tests. While the fans can be heard when at full RPM, they are still relatively quiet when compared to some of the cooling systems tested on other high-end gaming laptops. As for the user experience, while the upper central section of the keyboard gets slightly warm to the touch during heavy render workloads or high-end gaming, very little of that heat is generated where the hands naturally rest while gaming. For such a high-performing machine, the Vector 16 stays quite cool.
One other performance test that was quite impressive is related to the wireless network connection. While many systems boast WiFi 6 technology, the WiFi 6E card included in the Vector is incredibly fast. With a TB connection coming into the office, it’s normal for most systems on wifi to measure at about 450-600mb/s during speed tests.
However, after five network speed tests performed over two days at intentionally different times of the day, the Vector managed to average out around the 800mb/s mark. For reference, my ethernet-connected gaming rig with its new X670E Pro X motherboard pulls an average of 940mb/s. The Vector 16 once again reinforces its logo that it was born for speed.
The Vector 16 HX is an incredibly powerful Laptop built to handle even the most gruelling of workloads. Packing some serious horsepower and a host of AI-powered resource management software, the Vector 16 HX walks the line between Desktop replacement and portable powerhouse exceptionally well. There’s not much to critique here, the MSI Vector 16 HX is an incredible laptop that can handle just about anything thrown its way. Priced at CND $2,899.99, it will replace your desktop with ease.
