In early 2024, MSI Indonesia has introduced its newest series of gaming laptops in Indonesia. Among the series of newly launched gaming laptops, there is one series that attracts attention, namely the Vector 16 HX A13V series. This latest gaming laptop from MSI is equipped with a 13th generation Intel processor and the latest NVIDIA RTX 40 Series graphics card, offering optimal performance for an immersive gaming experience. The MSI Vector 16 HX A13V series is also the first to present an NVIDIA RTX 4080 graphics card in Indonesia.

In its concept, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13V is illustrated as a gaming laptop that was born to answer performance needs. Because it has high level specifications that can beat all AAA and AAAA games easily. So the MSI Vector 16 HX A13V is very suitable for users who are looking for a gaming laptop that has powerful performance for playing professional level games or content creators who need fast rendering.

MSI Vector 16 HX A13V can meet your needs at a more affordable price compared to other products with the same specifications. Well, coincidentally, the author got the opportunity from MSI Indonesia to review the MSI Vector 16 HX A13V series, especially the Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID SKU which is the highest variant in the Vector line.

For those of you who are looking for a powerful gaming laptop that can be taken anywhere and at a competitive price, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID might be the right choice for the next few years. Before buying, let's look at the following review, guys!

Detailed Specifications for Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID

Latest Design, Modern and Fresh

Different from the Vector series which was present the previous year, the Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID features a fresher and more modern design. Overall, this gaming laptop is dominated by Cosmo Gray color with metal material which gives a cool sensation when held and still has an elegant impression.

Even though the outside of the lid is made of metal, most of the base is plastic so it doesn't feel luxurious like other expensive laptops, for example the Titan HX. The keyboard and bottom panel also feel quite special when compared to other gaming laptops that the author has reviewed.

Interestingly, the metal case covers it from top to bottom, including the lid which is usually weaker on other laptops. The redesigned hinge is also much larger and sturdier than the previous generation. Although the Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID hinge still has a maximum angle limit of up to 130 degrees.

From the specifications above, the dimensions of the Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID fall into the fairly large gaming laptop category. Even the size is different from most gaming laptops. Its weight is 2.7 kg, plus the adapter is also quite large, which will certainly make your back feel sore if you want mobility. However, this is because MSI wants to pursue the best performance so there are no regrets when you take it everywhere. Considering that this gaming laptop has a large TGP of 175 W (or 240 W if combined with the CPU).

At the bottom, the Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID comes with a fresh design that has a touch of blue rubber to provide comfort during use. The ventilation grill holes also have a cool style but still think about air flow to maintain good air circulation.

On the keyboard, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID has been refreshed compared to the previous design. The Fn/Ctrl buttons that were previously combined are now separated, and a new numpad has been added. However, the size of the arrow keys has become smaller, but this does not disturb the comfort of typing or playing games. The fun thing is, all the buttons are equipped with per-button RGB lighting by Steelseries which you can set in the MSI Center or Steelseries GG.

For the keyboard, the author doesn't feel there are any shortcomings, because the keyboard part of this laptop has characteristics that are soft when pressed and very informative, so it can be relied on when typing or playing games.

Uniquely, the WASD and arrow keys on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID are made with a transparent finish which gives a distinctive gaming appearance. The distance between the keyboard keys is also short, providing comfort in typing. The characteristics of this keyboard feel responsive and suitable for typing or playing games.

The touchpad on this laptop is wider than before, reaching around 13.2 x 8.2 cm. The surface is smooth although a little sticky when moved slowly. Feedback when pressing is quite solid, although not very audible. Usually, the clickpad on gaming laptops tends to be less than satisfactory, but on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID, the clickpad is quite decent and not too sensitive to fingerprints. Overall, even though there are several shortcomings, the keyboard and touchpad on this gaming laptop still provide an adequate usage experience for users.

Complete Connectivity

MSI has made adjustments to the ports on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID laptop when compared to the previous model, GP66. On this gaming laptop, there is now a new SD card reader and an additional USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt well. However, this latest model has fewer USB-A ports and no longer comes with a dedicated mini-DisplayPort. However, this comparison is still better than competing laptops in its class, which on average now have fewer USB-C ports or no SD card readers.

Please note that the AC adapter port on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID is identical to the Titan 18 HX, although the AC adapter size may be different.

The location of the ports on this laptop is as follows:

• Front: No ports.
• Right: USB-A 3.2 Gen. 2, USB-A 3.2 Gen. 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen. 2 with DisplayPort + Power Delivery.
• Rear: RJ-45 2.5 Gbps, HDMI 2.1 (8K @ 60Hz / 4K @ 120Hz), USB-C 3.2 Gen. 2 with DisplayPort, AC adapter.
• Left: Thunderbolt 4 USB-C with DisplayPort, SD card reader, 3.5mm headset.

The SD card reader on this laptop has a pretty good transfer rate, around 90 MB/s. However, it's worth noting that a fully inserted SD card will stick out a few millimeters and the reader is not spring-loaded, so the SD card can be difficult to remove if you have big fingers.

High-Quality Screen

The screen on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID has a span of 16 inches with a ratio of 16:10 with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 with a fast IPS-Level 144 Hz panel, as well as a contrast ratio of ~1300:1, and fast response, as it meets gaming needs. as well as current content creators.

Even though this laptop screen is not completely bezelless, the side bezels are quite thin, even though the bottom bezel is much thicker. For everyday use, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID screen can be relied on for playing games or even enjoying entertainment content. Even in outdoor use schemes, this laptop's screen display can still be relied on, although this is not recommended.

Speedy Qualified Specifications!

If you are looking for a powerful gaming laptop, then the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID could be the answer. The reason is, this gaming laptop uses a processor that can still be relied on today and even in the next few years. Powered by an Intel Core i9-13980HX Gen 13th processor with the code name Raptor Lake-HX, where this processor is the first 24-core processor for a laptop that has a maximum speed performance of up to 5.6 GHz. When overclocking, the speed of the Intel Core i9-13980HX can reach 6 GHz.

The Intel Core i9-13980HX also has 8 performance cores to support high performance and 16 efficient cores that support background tasks but with efficient power consumption. Apart from that, this processor product is also equipped with 32 threads. This processor also applies Intel ABT (Adaptive Boost Technology) & TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost) technology to increase multi-core turbo frequency performance and increase clock frequency. So this processor is here to answer the needs of competitive gaming, dynamic creators and professionals who want maximum performance anywhere.

To support the capabilities of this powerful processor, a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU is also paired. This graphics card has a clock speed of up to 2040MHz in Boost mode, and has a maximum graphics power of 175W with Dynamic Boost. With MSI OverBoost technology, the maximum achievable CPU-GPU power is 240W, although it may vary depending on the usage situation.

This GPU design is designed to provide full performance, which means this graphics card can provide optimal performance for various purposes, including gaming, rendering, and other heavy graphics tasks. With these specifications, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU is expected to provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience as well as strong performance in various graphics applications that require high processing power.

Apart from the latest Ray-Tracing feature, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 also has the DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) 3 feature which presents the latest AI technology that can predict the entire frame, not just pixels. This technology can even increase the frame rate several times while maintaining graphic quality.

MSI has also embedded SODIMM DDR5 RAM with a capacity of 16 GB dual channel with a frequency of 5600 Mhz to accompany the processor and GPU in the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID. The fun thing is, you can also upgrade the RAM capacity to 64 GB if it still feels insufficient.

For the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID that the author is reviewing, this gaming laptop has 1 TB of M.2 NVME SSD PCIE Gen 4 storage memory. Even if it's not enough, there are still additional M.2 slots that you can use.

Smart AI Features

The MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID is also equipped with various features for a maximum gaming experience. The main features include; Cooler Boost 5, Wi-Fi 6E AX211, and Bluetooth 5.3 ensure good connectivity and maintained laptop temperature. Apart from that, there are also supporting features such as a security webcam that you can close or open, booming audio because it has been tuned from the Nahimic 3 Audio Enhancer application.

Among these features, the feature that pampers users the most is the Cooler Boost 5 feature with a new heatpipe and cooling fan system from the previous generation. This technology will intelligently adapt to the usage scheme of the gaming laptop, so that if the user wants to play games, the Cooler Boost 5 system will automatically work to immediately stabilize the temperature. However, on the other hand, if the laptop is idle, the cooling system will intelligently adjust and make it power efficient. This cannot be separated from the use of MUX Switch technology on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID.

For your information, MUX Switch is a special microchip technology developed for laptops, where its function is similar to a switch that can switch easily and instantly between Microsoft Hybrid Graphics mode or discrete graphics mode.

There is also an MSI Center feature that allows users to do many things, one of which is to set the performance mode according to their needs. Apart from that, users can do other things such as "Features Sets-Usage Scenarios", "Performance Analysis", and "Hardware Diagnosis".

The latest MSI Center is now also supported by AI technology called "Smart AI", which speeds up workflow and efficiency in various scenarios. With this AI technology, the system will automatically adjust the best settings based on AI calculations. With the user activating the Smart AI feature, the system actively detects the game that is currently open, and automatically switches to Extreme Performance Mode, increasing system performance for a better gaming experience.

There is also a Nahimic 3 by SteelSeries feature that allows users to set audio needs according to use. Through this application, users can set equalizer parameters, presets and others. With this feature, users can get a smart and easy-to-use audio experience.

Then the latest is the MSI AI Artist feature, where through this feature you can generate AI content by entering text and images. This feature will automatically process the information you provide. Meanwhile, you can generate AI content from text to image, image to image, and image to text. This system also makes it easier for users to save AI generated files in PSD format.

Impressive Performance Test

After knowing the specifications and all the available features, of course you are curious about the performance of the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID, right? So the author has also carried out performance testing using several applications with several modes.

Below are screenshots of the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID test results that you can see:

3DMark - Time Spy (Extreme Performance)

3DMark - Fire Strike (Extreme Performance)

Furmark 

PCMark 10

Nero Score

The author tested the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID gaming laptop with four modes in the MSI Center, including; Extreme Performance, Balanced, Silent and Super Battery using 3DMark - Fire Strike Extreme and Port Royal. Where the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID got a score of 21428 Legendary for the Fire Strike Extreme benchmark results in Extreme Performance mode. Meanwhile, in Silent mode, this laptop gets a score of 12535 Legendary. This score is already very good for a gaming laptop.

Cinebench R23 Multicore

3DMark - Fire Strike Extreme (4 Mode)

3DMark Port Royal (4 Mode)

For testing Cinebench R23 for almost 10 minutes in Extreme Performance mode and changing the GPU Switch settings using Discrete Graphic Mode in MSI Center, it appears that the Intel Core i9-13980HX Gen 13th on the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID got a Multi Core score of around 31465 points. These results also show that in Balance Mode this gaming laptop still provides good performance with a fan  that is not too noisy. The score in Balance Mode is only 4% different from Extreme Performance mode.

In testing 3D rendering using Blender for a BMW car model, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID was able to complete it in just 1 minute. For testing the FurMark application for almost 15 minutes with a resolution of 1280x720 and 8X MSAA Anti-aliasing on Extreme Performance Mode settings, this gaming laptop got an average FPS of 230 FPS with a maximum CPU temperature of 89 Celsius and a maximum GPU temperature of 72 Celsius .

CrystalDiskMark 8.0.5

Furthermore, the M.2 NVME SSD PCIE Gen 4 on gaming laptops also has quite good performance, through the CrystalDiskMark 8 test, the storage memory of this gaming laptop gets a Read Speed above 5015 MB/s, while the Write Speed gets around 3200 MB/s. 

The following are also some test results for the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID in playing games which are presented via screenshots and videos below:

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Benchmark

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Benchmark

Red Dead Redemption 2 Benchmark

Skull and Bones Benchmark

Gaming Benchmark Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyRBaHMdwfg

Next is the power test, where you can see the results below:

Power Consumption at Idle 

Power Consumption at Full Load

Verdict

Looking at the specifications and performance offered, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID is a powerful gaming laptop with a competitive price in the current Rp. 30 million price class. Powered by a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13980HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, this gaming laptop is capable of running all types of games, even rendering applications. Moreover, MSI has also equipped it with various features that support this gaming laptop to remain cool even when hit with heavy work.

The MSI Center feature makes it easy to change modes or usage scenarios with just one click, making this gaming laptop superior. However, when changing to Extreme Performance Mode, you have to accept the consequences of loud fan noise. However, this can provide maximum performance in use, whether when playing games, rendering videos, or visuals.

The MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID also has sturdy build materials, giving you confidence to carry it everywhere. With a combination of metal and plastic body materials and not many fancy gaming accents, this gaming laptop is certainly very suitable for you mainstream gamers or content creators with a minimalist spirit but still paying attention to powerful performance!

Overall, the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID does have several shortcomings, such as the absence of the G-Sync feature and the fan noise which is quite noisy. However, because of the performance and price offered, this gaming laptop can be taken into account when compared to competitors with the same specifications. Moreover, there are several interesting things that you might consider before buying.

Interestingly, every purchase of this gaming laptop also comes with the bonus of an exclusive bag that has a cool design and includes Microsoft Office Home Student 2021 and a 3 year guarantee! The price for the MSI Vector 16 HX A13VHG-276ID gaming laptop that the author is reviewing is priced at IDR 35,999,000. For further information about this gaming laptop, you can visit the following official MSI page:

• Product Link: https://msi.gm/dgvector16hx
• Online Purchase: https://msi.gm/dgvector16online   
• Offline Purchase: https://msi.gm/dgvector16offline