MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI Laptop Review: Solid performance with caveats that don't mar the core gaming experience

[Redaktion]

The MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI aims to please the upper mid-range gaming crowd with its Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5070 Laptop combination, and it is able to do so for the most part. The Crosshair 16 HX AI can handle 1440p gaming and even content creation fairly well, but there some obvious compromises to keep the price in check.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-Crosshair-16-HX-AI-Laptop-Review-Solid-performance-with-caveats-that-don-t-mar-the-core-gaming-experience.1153382.0.html

[Only 8GB VRAM]

Vivid QHD+ 240 Hz display without PWM

The pixel response times of 3.59ms and 7.09ms: 1/0.00359 = 278 Hz (278 Hz > advertised 240 Hz -> pass), 1/0.00709 = 141 Hz (141 Hz < advertised 240 Hz -> not pass).

8 GB VRAM can be limiting

2500 bucks for obsolete 8GB VRAM, unbelievable.
8GB VRAM is not enough anymore (don't care how good the device is otherwise). Don't believe me? Just see e.g. Hardware Unboxed on YouTube (they were one of the first who exposed this. You probably didn't know, but Aussies have a big PC community, may be that's also why - and they [Hardware Unboxed] are honest) or this very recent news:

[..]

According to the report, recent sales of 8GB models have been weak, while the 16GB version has been selling at a steady pace. With many recent games using close to or above 8GB of VRAM even at 1080p settings, some users are avoiding the lower-capacity model. This has also been visible across AMD products in the same segment, where 8GB cards have been sitting in stock while 16GB versions move faster.

[..]

16 GB system RAM is becoming too low, too. Also, recent Steam hardware news: "32GB of RAM on track to become the new majority for gamers":

Steam Survey: 16GB vs 32GB RAM (March–October 2025)

Code Select Expand

2025       16GB RAM (%)  32GB RAM (%)
March      43.12%        32.85%
April      43.08%        33.47%
May        42.97%        33.75%
June       43.05%        34.37%
July       41.92%        34.98%
August     41.67%        35.42%
September  41.88%        36.46%
October    41.49%        35.93%

[Jona]

16 GB system RAM is becoming too low, too. Also, recent Steam hardware news: "32GB of RAM on track to become the new majority for gamers":

Bro, you're mixing RAM and VRAM...

[Only 8GB VRAM]

Bro, you're mixing RAM and VRAM...

Nope, it says specifically system RAM (32 GB VRAM are not becoming majority anytime on Steam, but 32 GB RAM are).