Introduction
Fortunately, in 2025 and 2026, we saw new releases of the platform, such as Intel’s Panther Lake and AMD’s Strix Halo. Both bring powerful iGPUs to the table. On the other hand, dedicated mobile GPUs haven’t seen anything new. So, snapping up a 2025 model on sale would be a very smart move – especially right now, with RAM and SSD prices skyrocketing.
The MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI (D2XW) has mid-range capabilities from last year, but its hardware is more up-to-date. You can spec it all the way up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. Our review unit packs the Ultra 7 255HX, which has four fewer E-cores, but offers the same P-core count and L3 cache size. That’s a lot of horsepower for even high-end GPUs. However, the graphics options here are very modest: GeForce RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 paired with 115 W TGP. Given the punchy CPU, the GPU bottleneck should not be absent.
The device offers great upgrades under the hood, with two SODIMM slots and two M.2 slots for storage expansion. Nothing is sold – meaning you can easily swap out the battery, remove the cooling, or upgrade the Wi-Fi card. Port selection is also solid, including four USB ports, a LAN port, and an HDMI output.
The display is a clear 2560 × 1600 panel that almost completely covers the sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts. Throw in a 240 Hz refresh rate, and you’ve got a panel that’s perfect for both gaming and pro color gamut. Interestingly, MSI’s manual notes that this screen is optional, while the default display drops to 1200p. However, tracking down a machine with that 1200p screen seems rarer than finding cheap gas these days.
When it comes to features, the device is well equipped for the price, although it is not a full package. A MUX switch is included, along with dedicated (dGPU) and iGPU only modes. That’s good news for anyone who needs higher graphics performance or better battery life. However, Advanced Optimus has been removed, which means you can’t cycle between graphics modes on the fly without rebooting. No sign of G-SYNC either.
On the bright side, you still get a nice SteelSeries keyboard and a powerful audio setup. A privacy lid and a beefy Cooler Boost 5 cooling system are welcome additions, too.
We’ve previously tested laptops with the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060, but this marks our first time benchmarking the standard RTX 5070. This review will show how powerful this chip is, whether it’s worth the extra cash over the 5060, or if stepping up to the RTX 5070 Ti is still the best choice for raw power versus raw prices.
Details
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | MSI |
| Model: | MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI (D2XW) |
| Weight: | 2.50 kg |
| Processor: | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX/Arrow Lake-HX 8 P-Cores + 16 E-cores/24 threads (No HT) up to 5.4 GHz, 36 MB cache 55+ W Basic Power Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX/Arrow Lake-HX 8 P-Cores + 12 E-cores/20 threads (No HT) up to 5.2 GHz, 36 MB cache 55+ W Basic Power |
| Chipset: | Intel HM870 (Arrow Lake-HX PCH) |
| Display: | Default Display: 16.0″/1920×1200 (16:10)/IPS/ Optional display: 16.0″/2560×1600/IPS/240 Hz ~500 nits/100% DCI-P3/non-glare |
| Operating system: | Microsoft Windows 11 Home/11 Pro |
| Included Graphics: | Intel Graphics (64 EU) |
| Featured Images: | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (mobile): 8 GB GDDR7, 128 Bit, 1500 MHz operating clock 3328 CUDA Cores 104 TMUs 48 ROPs 26 RT Cores 104 Tensor Cores L1: 3.3 MB, L2: 32 MB Up to 115 W TGP NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (mobile): 8 GB GDDR7, 128 Bit, 1500 MHz operating clock 4608 CUDA Cores 144 TMUs 38 ROPs 36 RT Cores 144 Tensor Cores L1: 4.6 MB, L2: 32 MB Up to 115 W TGP |
| Memory: | 2x C/SO-DIMM RAM Slots Up to 96 GB of DDR5 at 5600/6400 MT/s |
Storage: | 1× M.2 2280 PCI Express 5.0 x4 1× M.2 2280 PCI Express 4.0 x4 RAID 0 support |
| Optical Drive: | Nothing |
| Communication: | 3× 5 Gbps USB Type-A/3.2 Gen. 1 1× 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4/USB4 with DP/100 W PD 3.0/PCIe 1× HDMI 2.1 Audio combo jack GB LAN DC-in |
| Communications: | Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3 720p webcam |
| Sound: | 2 × speakers Nahimic by SteelSeries Software |
| Input device: | Microsoft Precision Touchpad SteelSeries 24-Zone RGB keyboard with Anti-Ghost technology |
| Power: | 1× 240 W AC adapter 90.0 Wh battery |
| Guarantee: | Two years |
| MSRP: | Starting at $1300 for RTX 5060 + 1600p screen |