Instead, this is a full matte aesthetic with very little in the way of distinguishing features.
In fact, prices are hard to nail down on these rigs.
Still, those are solid specs.
The Ultra 9 185H processor, a CPU thats in a difficult position in 2025.
This is an older processor originally designed with AI in mind - so its not particularly game-focused.
Spacing and size felt intuitive with very few accidental presses.
Then we get to the screen.
A matte finish means there are no glare issues in high lighting, without washing out the color on-screen.
Ports are spread across all three panes, with all your more permanent connections handily situated towards the rear.
Thats a solid amount of ports, though there are 18-inch gaming laptops out there with more connectivity.
Youll also find a fingerprint sensor for Windows biometrics systems as well.
Meanwhile, easier titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider still hit three-figure framerates comfortably at UHD resolutions.
Thats with the larger 18-inch chassis in tow, though with a slimmer form factor overall.
The story is much the same when it comes to synthetic 3D Mark benchmarks.
That RTX 4080 isnt winning out over MSIs RTX 4090 counterparts, but it puts up a good fight.
The HX 370 is comfortably outpacing the Ultra 9 in both PC Mark 10 and Cinebench R24 benchmarks.
Should you buy the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio?
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio feels caught in the middle.
Its an 18-incher without the raw horsepower you would expect from a desktop replacement.
Its using an AI-first processor but remains too clunky to truly be considered a productivity laptop first and foremost.
Unfortunately, some of the Stealths finer moments are caught in the crossfire.
Then theres another problem.
For more information onhow we test gaming laptops, check out the fullGamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.
