The MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W is in many ways the polar opposite of the other MSI laptop I recently tested, the Stealth 16 AI+ B3W. The latter is an ultra-expensive, sleek and subtle machine that limits its power for the sake of thermals, efficiency, and form factor. Not so with the Crosshair: it’s a gaming laptop, and it knows it.
I could tell as much as soon as I unboxed it, thanks to its glossy—and I would later discover, RGB-lit—embossed MSI logo on the lid, plus the general thickness, key styling and so on. It’s not particularly obnoxious and still has some subtlety to it, but it’s not hiding the fact that it’s a gaming laptop.
Nor does it hide this fact when it comes to performance, eking as much as it can out of the RTX 5070 GPU and Core Ultra 7 251HX processor, saying to hell with thermals and battery life. I can certainly respect that, but it has to deliver in other respects, too, including price. And in other respects this laptop is not quite so pretty.
Buy if…
✅ You want great all-round performance: MSI really has designed this thing to eke out as much performance as possible from the mid-range components.
✅ Punchy visuals are important to you: This laptop has a gorgeous OLED panel that does indeed make visuals pop.
Do not buy if…
❌ You want snappy audio: The audio from this laptop suffers from latency issues, and I couldn’t seem to resolve them even after quite a bit of tinkering.
❌ You want to take this out and about: Not only does this laptop have poor battery life, it also doesn’t look particularly appealing aesthetically for use in public.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W features
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W specs
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
NPU
30 TOPS
Graphics
RTX 5070 mobile (115 W)
Memory
16 GB DDR5-6400
Storage
1 TB SSD
Screen size
16-inch
Screen type
OLED
Resolution
2560 x 1600
Refresh rate
165 Hz
Ports
1x RJ45, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB Type-C, 3x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen2, 1x HDMI 2.1
Wireless connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E
Battery
80 Whr (4-cell)
Dimensions
363 x 269.7 x 21.95–23.85 mm
Weight
2.2 kg
Price
$2,600 (32 GB ver., US only)
The particular Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W that I tested came with an Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX, RTX 5070, and 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, but there are different versions. The ones I can currently spot online have a more powerful Core Ultra 9 290HX with 32 GB of DDR5, or the same 251HX CPU but an RTX 5060 and 32 GB of DDR5. All of those come with 1 TB of storage.
In the case of the 16 GB of RAM in the version I have, it is at least 2×8 GB of fast 6,400 MT/s memory, rather than a single stick of slow RAM. This presumably helps a bunch with CPU-intensive tasks, as I found the laptop to perform even better than some others with ‘better’ CPUs.
A big draw here is also the OLED panel, which is gorgeous. I’m not used to seeing OLEDs on such gamer-y gaming laptops, as I’ve only really seen them on gaming laptops that are going for ‘sleek and refined’, so it’s a nice surprise to see such a great panel here. It’s only 165 Hz, but it’s a perfect match for the RTX 5070 mobile GPU inside the Crosshair.
Future
Future
Future
At first I thought there weren’t many ports on this laptop, but before long I found the rest hidden on the rear side and breathed a sigh of relief. I particularly like the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 4 port as well as a port for an Ethernet connection.
Getting to how it is to actually use the laptop, I don’t have any real complaints but equally no specific praises. It’s no behemoth, but it’s hardly a slimline laptop, either, and its keys feel simply… fine. WASD keys are translucent and there is 24-zone RGB, again signalling to the world ‘I am definitely a gaming laptop’. I do wish MSI had foregone the numpad to make things a little less cramped, though. The trackpad is quite small, but it is at least central, which is the correct choice (fight me).
The big downside is audio, just as was the case with the Stealth. However, in this case it’s even worse. There’s definite (but not catastrophically high) latency over the default audio device, but unlike with the Stealth I tested, this wasn’t resolved by switching to a different USB-connected audio device.
(Image credit: Future)
As such, if you play games that really benefit from snappy and responsive audio such as shooters, and especially sensitive to a little audio delay, I’d steer clear unless and until MSI discovers what the problem is and how to fix it (the company is investigating). I tried disabling/uninstalling Nahimic as well as Norton antivirus to see if that helped, but doing the former proved difficult and the latter didn’t resolve it.
The speakers themselves are nothing to write home about anyway. They’re not the worst I’ve heard, but they’ve definitely got a little bit of that tinniness in them that you expect out of a lot of laptops or cheaper Bluetooth speakers.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W performance
The Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W performs very well for an RTX 5070 laptop, often beating other similar lappies. MSI has clearly opted for a performance-oriented machine here, and it shows.
1080p gaming performance
This chart shows average and 1% low frame rate results in various tested games at 1080p resolution.
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p RT Ultra)Baldur’s Gate 3 (1080p Ultra)Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (1080p High)F1 24 (1080p Ultra High)Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p Ultra)
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
46
33
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
34
24
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
32
20
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
43
33
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
36
24
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
55
32
015304560
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
46 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
34 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
32 Avg FPS, 20 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
43 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
36 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
55 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
85
52
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
74
43
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
63
32
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
69
41
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
60
27
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
68
39
0255075100
Baldur’s Gate 3 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
85 Avg FPS, 52 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
74 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
63 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
69 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
60 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
68 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
68
59
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
45
37
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
53
30
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
64
55
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
57
39
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
73
47
020406080
Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (1080p High) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
68 Avg FPS, 59 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
45 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
53 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
64 Avg FPS, 55 1% Low FPS
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
57 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
73 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
83
57
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
62
55
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
60
34
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
75
58
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
65
34
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
100
50
0255075100
F1 24 (1080p Ultra High) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
83 Avg FPS, 57 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
62 Avg FPS, 55 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
60 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
75 Avg FPS, 58 1% Low FPS
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
65 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
100 Avg FPS, 50 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
87
54
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
83
64
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
66
20
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
82
51
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
63
46
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
102
42
037.575112.5150
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070
87 Avg FPS, 54 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
83 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
66 Avg FPS, 20 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
82 Avg FPS, 51 1% Low FPS
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Nvidia RTX 5060 (115 W)
63 Avg FPS, 46 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+| RTX 5080 (125 W)
102 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
The MSI Crosshair 16 Max performs incredibly well at 1080p, often beating other RTX 5070 laptops and almost keeping up with an (admittedly power-limited) RTX 5080 laptop.
1600p (native) gaming performance
This chart shows average and 1% low frame rate results in various tested games at 1600p (native) resolution
Cyberpunk 2077 (Native res. RT Ultra)Baldur’s Gate 3 (Native res. Ultra)Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (Native res. High)F1 24 (Native res. Ultra High)Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (Native res. Ultra)
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
26
19
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
9
2
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
18
8
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
12
5
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
34
22
010203040
Cyberpunk 2077 (Native res. RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
9 Avg FPS, 2 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
18 Avg FPS, 8 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
12 Avg FPS, 5 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
34 Avg FPS, 22 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
79
51
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
65
39
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
67
37
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
54
33
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
67
39
020406080
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Native res. Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
79 Avg FPS, 51 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
65 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
67 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
54 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
67 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
66
57
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
94
69
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
72
62
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
57
49
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
57
49
0255075100
Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (Native res. High) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
66 Avg FPS, 57 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
94 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
72 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
57 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
57 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
47
37
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
35
29
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
41
32
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
34
18
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
62
43
020406080
F1 24 (Native res. Ultra High) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
47 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
35 Avg FPS, 29 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
41 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
34 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
62 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
59
41
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
53
31
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
54
39
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
45
17
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
74
48
020406080
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (Native res. Ultra) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
59 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
53 Avg FPS, 31 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
54 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
45 Avg FPS, 17 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
74 Avg FPS, 48 1% Low FPS
The Corsshair 16 Max does very well at native res, offering playable frame rates in almost all of these games. In most of them, it leads other RTX 5070 gaming laptops. (Note the MSI Stealth listed here has an RTX 5080 that is power-limited compared to some other RTX 5080 laptops.)
At both 1080p and 1600p (native), the MSI performs better than other RTX 5070 mobile laptops and even comes close to the (power-limited) Stealth with RTX 5080 mobile. This is more so the case at 1080p where things are less GPU-bound and the CPU can have more of an effect, but it’s still great at native.
Real-world gaming performance
This chart shows average and 1% low frame rate results in various tested games at 1600p resolution with Quality upscaling enabled, and frame gen where applicable
Cyberpunk 2077 (Native res. RT Ultra + upscaling (quality), 2x FG)Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (Native res. High + upscaling (quality, 67%))F1 24 (Native res. Ultra High + upscaling (quality), 2x FG)
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
80
51
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
27
18
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
58
35
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
75
58
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
97
53
0255075100
Cyberpunk 2077 (Native res. RT Ultra + upscaling (quality), 2x FG) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
80 Avg FPS, 51 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
27 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
58 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
75 Avg FPS, 58 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
97 Avg FPS, 53 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
75
64
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
94
69
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
57
49
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
72
62
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
87
74
0255075100
Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (Native res. High + upscaling (quality, 67%)) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
75 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
94 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
57 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
72 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
87 Avg FPS, 74 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
118
82
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
52
42
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
92
70
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
147
56
037.575112.5150
F1 24 (Native res. Ultra High + upscaling (quality), 2x FG) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
118 Avg FPS, 82 1% Low FPS
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | RTX 5070 (115 W)
N/A
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | RTX 5070 (85 W)
52 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
Framework 16 | RTX 5070
92 Avg FPS, 70 1% Low FPS
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | RTX 5080 (125 W)
147 Avg FPS, 56 1% Low FPS
Again, the MSI Crosshair 16 Max performs well. With upscaling and/or frame gen, expect smooth frame rates even in pretty demanding games at native resolution on max settings. (Note the MSI Stealth listed here has an RTX 5080 that is power-limited compared to some other RTX 5080 laptops.)
When upscaling and/or frame gen is enabled, even pretty demanding games become smoothly playable at native res on max settings. Saying this, you might still want to drop your settings a little just to reduce any latency incurred by frame gen, as higher starting frame rates improve this.
I’d say this laptop is ideal for gaming on high (but not max) settings at 1600p with upscaling and, in some games, frame gen. That will be how to make the best use of the 165 Hz refresh rate on offer here.
(Image credit: Future)
Interestingly, this one seems to perform even better in most games than the previous MSI Crosshair we tested, the Crosshair 16 HX AI (2025), which has the same GPU and a more powerful Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. That could be due to driver improvements over the past year plus the fact that this new one gets hotter, ie, allows for a bit of extra performance at the top.
System performance
The laptops are here tested against intensive benchmarks that mostly test the CPU, but also the GPU, for productivity tasks.
7zip 24.07Cinebench 2024Blender 4.2.0 (junkshop)Procyon
Decompressing (GIPS)
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
120.254
135.177
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
121.787
130.822
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
77.91
87.77
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
108.822
128.355
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
65.22
105.78
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
105.399
98.828
037.575112.5150
7zip 24.07 Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
120.254 Compressing (GIPS), 135.177 Decompressing (GIPS)
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
121.787 Compressing (GIPS), 130.822 Decompressing (GIPS)
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
77.91 Compressing (GIPS), 87.77 Decompressing (GIPS)
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
108.822 Compressing (GIPS), 128.355 Decompressing (GIPS)
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
65.22 Compressing (GIPS), 105.78 Decompressing (GIPS)
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
105.399 Compressing (GIPS), 98.828 Decompressing (GIPS)
Multi-core index score
Single-core index score
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1638
129
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1320
134
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
800
78
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
1158
105
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
812
101
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
1221
124
05001,0001,5002,000
Cinebench 2024 Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1638 Multi-core index score, 129 Single-core index score
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1320 Multi-core index score, 134 Single-core index score
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
800 Multi-core index score, 78 Single-core index score
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
1158 Multi-core index score, 105 Single-core index score
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
812 Multi-core index score, 101 Single-core index score
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
1221 Multi-core index score, 124 Single-core index score
CPU (samples/min)
GPU (samples/min)
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
112.66
1046.74
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
108.15
1028.98
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
65.55
1017.59
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
93.15
1026.08
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
62.87
1014.05
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
79.43
1691.37
05001,0001,5002,000
Blender 4.2.0 (junkshop) Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
112.66 CPU (samples/min), 1046.74 GPU (samples/min)
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
108.15 CPU (samples/min), 1028.98 GPU (samples/min)
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
65.55 CPU (samples/min), 1017.59 GPU (samples/min)
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
93.15 CPU (samples/min), 1026.08 GPU (samples/min)
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
62.87 CPU (samples/min), 1014.05 GPU (samples/min)
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
79.43 CPU (samples/min), 1691.37 GPU (samples/min)
Overall index score
Duration (Sec)
Sec/image
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1750
57.12
3.57
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1508
66.27
4.14
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
1418
70.52
4.41
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
1789
55.9
3.49
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
1490
67.11
4.2
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
2472
40.44
2.53
07501,5002,2503,000
Procyon Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1750 Overall index score, 57.12 Duration (Sec), 3.57 Sec/image
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
1508 Overall index score, 66.27 Duration (Sec), 4.14 Sec/image
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
1418 Overall index score, 70.52 Duration (Sec), 4.41 Sec/image
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
1789 Overall index score, 55.9 Duration (Sec), 3.49 Sec/image
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
1490 Overall index score, 67.11 Duration (Sec), 4.2 Sec/image
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
2472 Overall index score, 40.44 Duration (Sec), 2.53 Sec/image
The Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX in the MSI Crosshair 16 Max is better for productivity tasks than a lot of other RTX 5070 laptops
Much as with this laptop’s gaming performance, its productivity performance is impressive. When allowed to run so hot, the Intel chip here can plough through tasks such as decompression and other multi-core-heavy tasks.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W thermals
Real-world gaming temperatures
Gaming temperature results recorded during multiple Metro Exodus EE runs
Gaming temperatures
Avg CPU (°C)
Max CPU (°C)
Avg GPU (°C)
Max GPU (°C)
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
91
104
81
84
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
55
98
28
69
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
55
87
57
71
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
65
73
68
71
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
58
71
59
72
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
92
100
81
87
037.575112.5150
Gaming temperatures Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W) | Core Ultra 7 251HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
91 Avg CPU (°C), 104 Max CPU (°C), 81 Avg GPU (°C), 84 Max GPU (°C)
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 (115 W)
55 Avg CPU (°C), 98 Max CPU (°C), 28 Avg GPU (°C), 69 Max GPU (°C)
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5070 (85 W)
55 Avg CPU (°C), 87 Max CPU (°C), 57 Avg GPU (°C), 71 Max GPU (°C)
Framework 16 | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5070
65 Avg CPU (°C), 73 Max CPU (°C), 68 Avg GPU (°C), 71 Max GPU (°C)
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10 | Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5060 (115 W)
58 Avg CPU (°C), 71 Max CPU (°C), 59 Avg GPU (°C), 72 Max GPU (°C)
MSI Stealth 16 AI+ | Core Ultra 9 386H | RTX 5080 (125 W)
92 Avg CPU (°C), 100 Max CPU (°C), 81 Avg GPU (°C), 87 Max GPU (°C)
The MSI Crosshair 16 Max does run very hot on Extreme Performance mode (and, as an aside, still pretty damn hot in Balanced mode). That’s especially the case for its Core Ultra 7 251HX CPU.
This laptop is indeed particularly toasty. This obviously helps in the performance department, but don’t expect it to win any efficiency medals. 104 °C for the max CPU temp is hot, as is 84 °C for the GPU, though the new MSI Stealth runs a little hotter on that front.
That being said, during all my time gaming, I didn’t notice my fingers getting too hot on WASD, and given the performance is so good, I doubt the high temps indicate too much throttling.
(Image credit: Future)
The Crosshair can get pretty loud in Extreme Performance mode, which these benchmarks were taken in. However, as with the new Stealth, this Crosshair’s fans don’t sound grating at all. You just get a pleasant, loud whoosh. Though it will make it difficult to hear your game through the speakers if you’re opting for built-in audio.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W aesthetics
I don’t have a ton of praise for the way this laptop looks, unfortunately. It’s not awful, just not my particular cup of tea. There’s a splash of the old-fashioned, angular, gamer-y look to it, but it only leans kind of half-heartedly in that direction, which ultimately means it looks a little confused about what it wants to be overall.
(Image credit: Future)
You’re getting some funky RGB lighting on the keys, including a translucent WASD if that’s your jam, and you’re also getting the logo on the lid which lights up and a particularly angular design on the underside, but the rest of the chassis is plain. To be honest, I’d rather it leaned in one direction or the other: gamer-y, or subtle. Still, it’s far from an outrageous design and doesn’t offend my aesthetic sensibilities too much.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W software
The main bloatware on this laptop is Norton antivirus, which I’d personally promptly uninstall just because Microsoft Defender is fine and Norton, in my historical opinion, can be a bit of a pain.
(Image credit: MSI)
Apart from that, you get MSI Center to control all the settings such as lighting and performance modes. You can install a bunch more modules to fiddle with different settings if you wish, but I just stuck with those and the default system info and options pages. It runs well and isn’t too difficult to navigate once you get used to it, but it definitely feels like a ‘set it and leave it’ kind of software that you don’t need to load up very often.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W battery life
Battery life
Testing how long the battery lasts in Balanced mode, medium brightness, Wi-Fi disconnected, in the PCMark 10 gaming battery life test.
PCMark 10
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W)
72
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI)
101
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot
109
Framework 16
131
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10
89
MSI Stealth 16 AI+
104
037.575112.5150
PCMark 10 Data
Product
Value
MSI Crosshair 16 Max (E2W)
72
MSI Crosshair 16 HX (AI)
101
Gigabyte Aero X16 Copilot
109
Framework 16
131
Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10
89
MSI Stealth 16 AI+
104
The MSI Crosshair 16 Max perhaps unsurprisingly doesn’t do very well when it comes to battery life. It seems oriented around eking out as much performance as possible from its CPU and GPU, without much care for efficiency.
You probably already expected this given the laptop ekes out as much performance as it can from its components, not to mention that it runs mighty hot, but battery life is not great. This isn’t a laptop for those of you who primarily want to game while out and about using battery power, but for short sessions or light work it’s fine unplugged.
The RTX 5080-boasting MSI Stealth laptop I tested has a 90 Wh battery and lasted for 104 minutes in a gaming battery life benchmark, whereas this one has an 80 Wh battery and lasted for just 72 minutes. That’s 31% less time up and running, and less than a bunch of other RTX 5070 laptops we’ve tested.
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W Value
You’re looking at about $2,600 for the 32 GB version of this—$2,000 on offer—and I can’t see the 16 GB version that I tried for sale anywhere. Looking at some of the best deals on gaming laptops right now, that $2,600 is pretty expensive for an RTX 5070 machine.
On the one hand, this isn’t a corner-cutting machine, as you’re getting a lovely OLED panel and some very convincing performance that pushes the CPU and GPU as far as possible. But on the other hand, even $2,000 on sale is a lot for an RTX 5070 machine, even during a memory shortage. You can often pick similar but non-OLED gaming laptops up for well under $1,500 on sale.
Future
Future
Future
Future
As such, unless and until there are bigger discounts on it, I don’t think the price tag fits what’s on offer. If the normal retail price were a couple hundred lower and the discount price was a couple hundred lower, too, I would consider it for the OLED panel and great performance.
But as it stands, it’s a tough sell, especially if you want any kind of battery or thermal efficiency, or just a laptop that looks a little more dashing. Not to mention one that doesn’t suffer from audio latency issues. Considering performance alone it’s a great machine, but the price is not quite right.
