CES 2026 has brought a tide of new gaming laptops, with MSI updating a portion of their lineup with new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, while all models see design changes. The Taiwanese firm has also taken the chance to simplify its heretofore complex lineup, with all models now sitting within three distinct families – the high-end Raider series, the workhorse Crosshair series and office-friendly Stealth series. MSI has also unveiled a new variant of its Claw A8 AI+ gaming handheld.
High-end gaming laptops: Raider 16 Max HX B2W, Raider 16 HX B2W and Raider A16 HX B9W
MSI's top-drawer Raider laptops are its most powerful gaming and content creation options, with the best-equipped model drawing down a robust 300W of power, split between a 175W RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 graphics card and a 125W Intel Core Ultra 200HX processor. (Intel has yet to announce high performance third-gen Core Ultra processors, so second-gen Core Ultra remains the best choice here for all-out gaming performance.) That kind of power requires hefty cooling, and MSI is pinning their hopes on a three-fan solution with six heat pipes and a phase-change thermal compoun within a relatively thick 26mm chassis.
Inside, MSI has prioritised upgradeability with a bottom panel that can be removed toollessly to upgrade the DDR5 memory or install an SSD into the two available slots, one each for PCIe 5.0 and 4.0. (If current RAM and SSD price trends continue, then opting for a meagre initial setup and upgrading it later when prices are better might be a sensible route forward.)
High-end graphics demand a performant display, and the 16 Max HX B2W can be equipped with a 2560 x 1600 240Hz OLED – a spec that offers a good balance of visual quality and responsiveness without requiring more performance than mobile hardware can provide. An IPS panel with the same resolution and refresh rate is also an option.
The non-Max Raider 16 HX B2W looks a tad more affordable, topping out at an RTX 5080 graphics card with a similar range of Core Ultra 200HX processors and the same OLED and IPS screens offered. It's logical to assume that its total system power is proportionately smaller too, so its identical 90Wh battery ought to last longer than its Max brother. Otherwise, the other difference that flies off the spec sheet is the 24-zone RGB keyboard, versus the per-key RGB SteelSeries keyboard on the Max.
If you prefer AMD processors, the A16 HX B9W is your pick of the lineup, with up to a Ryzen 9 9955HX CPU, up to an RTX 5090 graphics card and the same dual-SSD setup as the Intel-based Raiders. However, only an IPS screen is offered on this variant, so that means no OLED option.
Portability and AI: Stealth 16 AI B3W
The Stealth 16 AI B3W is meant to deliver more of a blend of performance, portability and longevity than its one-sided Raider counterparts, so it's not surprising to find that it's the only MSI gaming laptop to come with a third-gen Intel Core Ultra processor, the Core Ultra 9 386H. Despite measuring a scant 20mm at its thickest point, the machine can still be equipped with up to an RTX 5090 graphics card, backed with the same 16-inch 2560 x 1600 240Hz OLED as the Raider and similar DDR5 RAM counts. However, storage is downgraded from one PCIe 5.0 SSD and one PCIe 4.0 SSD to two PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Still, for a machine that weighs just under two kilograms, the spec sheet still looks performant. That extends to the port report too, with two USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1 and gigabit ethernet, a far cry from what you'd find on a MacBook Pro these days.
Value contender: Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W and Crosshair 16 HX E14W
The Crosshair series is the better value option, and the Crosshair 16 Max looks to deliver up to 200W of total system power to a familiar setup: Core Ultra 200HX CPUs and GeForce RTX GPUs. This time, the mid-range RTX 5070 is the top graphics option, but you still get a reasonable 2560 x 1600 OLED screen rated up to 165Hz, dual SSD slots and the option for more DDR5 than you can likely afford, due to the recent DRAM price hikes.
The vanilla Crosshair 16 is instead built around a last-gen Core i9 14900HX processor, but otherwise looks similar with a maximum RTX 5070 graphics card, up to 96GB of DDR5 and dual SSD slots. Another value concession is the screen, with OLED dropped for IPS – albeit at a higher refresh rate of 240Hz and with the same 2560 x 1600 resolution. The Crosshair 16 is also a shade chonkier than its stablemate, measuring 25mm at its thickest point versus 24mm for the Crosshair 16 Max.
New shade: Claw A8 AI+ Glacier Blue Edition
Finally, MSI's gaming announcements conclude with a simple message: the MSI Claw A8 AI+, its Intel-based gaming handheld, is now available in a fetching glacier blue colorway. This handheld has gone against the tide in an AMD-dominated space, but it's still to see a bit of visual diversity in a space that's typically limited to shades of grey.
Will is deputy tech editor for IGN, specialising in PC hardware, sim racing and display tech. He has been publishing about games and technology since 2001 (age 12). Will was formerly Deputy Editor at Digital Foundry. He is currently playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
