MSI Stealth 18" STEALTH18A2045 Black 2025
HP OMEN Transcend 14" 14-fb1023dx Shadow Black 2025
What Buyers Say
MSI Stealth 18" STEALTH18A2045 Black 2025
The MSI Stealth 18 HX AI is a powerhouse gaming laptop with exceptional performance from its Intel Ultra 9 and RTX 5080, a stunning 18-inch QHD+ 240Hz display, and sleek professional design. Users rave about its speed, screen quality, and storage, but note significant drawbacks: the keyboard spacebar and shift keys produce an annoying loud clunk while typing, and the bottom gets uncomfortably hot. Battery life is mediocre at a few hours, and the laptop is large, requiring a special backpack. One reviewer was misled by a 4K display claim but found only 2K, and audio quality was criticized as worse than a tablet.
Pros
- Exceptional gaming performance
- Stunning 18" QHD+ 240Hz display
- Sleek, professional design
- Fast storage and ample RAM
- Overkill power for modern games
Cons
- Loud spacebar and shift key clunk
- Bottom gets very hot under load
- Mediocre battery life (2-5 hours)
- Large size requires special backpack
- Misleading 4K display advertised as 2K
HP OMEN Transcend 14" 14-fb1023dx Shadow Black 2025
This HP laptop impresses with its powerful 16-core Intel chip, 32GB of RAM, and stunning 3K OLED display, delivering top-tier performance for both gaming and productivity. Users praise its premium build, excellent cooling, and long battery life in eco mode, though the soldered RAM and lower-wattage RTX 5070 GPU are noted limitations. The open-box value is frequently highlighted as a major plus.
Pros
- Powerful 16-core Intel processor
- Stunning 3K OLED display
- Premium all-metal build
- Excellent cooling system
- Long battery life in eco mode
Cons
- Soldered RAM (no upgrade possible)
- Underpowered RTX 5070 GPU (75W max)
- Short battery life in normal mode
- Only two USB-A ports on right side
- Premium price without discount
Scores
Specifications
| MSI Stealth 18" STEALTH18A2045 | HP OMEN Transcend 14" 14-fb1023dx | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX★ | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 1 | 16★ |
| Frequency | 2.1 GHz | 2.9 GHz★ |
| L3 Cache | 36 MB★ | 24 MB |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080★ | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | discrete | discrete |
| VRAM | 16 GB★ | 8 GB |
| VRAM Type | GDDR7 | GDDR7 |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR5 | LPDDR5X |
| Storage 1 | 2 TB★ | 1 TB |
| Storage 1 Type | SSD | SSD |
| Display | ||
| Size | 18" | 14" |
| Resolution | 2560 px | 2880 px★ |
| Panel | Mini-LED | OLED★ |
| Refresh Rate | — | 120 Hz★ |
| Brightness | — | 500 nits★ |
| Color Gamut | — | DCI-P3 |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 4★ | 2 |
| USB Ports | 4★ | 2 |
| Thunderbolt | — | Thunderbolt 4 |
| HDMI | — | HDMI 2.1 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7★ | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3★ |
| Ethernet | — | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 2.90 kg | 1.63 kg★ |
| Battery | — | 71 Wh★ |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Pros & Cons
MSI Stealth 18" STEALTH18A2045 Black 2025
- Strong cpu (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong gpu (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong storage (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong ram (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Below average portability (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
HP OMEN Transcend 14" 14-fb1023dx Shadow Black 2025
- Strong social proof (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong screen (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong gpu (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong ram (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Below average reliability (33rd percentile)
Pricing
MSI Stealth 18" STEALTH18A2045 Black 2025
HP OMEN Transcend 14" 14-fb1023dx Shadow Black 2025
No current pricing available
Verdict
Scores 79 overall, wins 5 of 8 usage categories and 9 of 30 specs.
