CES 2024: New gaming notebooks from Las Vegas

Jan Johannsen

10.1.2024

Translation: machine translated

CES brings us new CPUs and thus the first batch of new gaming notebooks for 2024 - an overview.

With the pre-order of the 14th generation Intel Core i9, the flood of gaming laptops burst upon CES 2024. No manufacturer can avoid the new CPU. However, this does not mean that all new gaming laptops are identical. Manufacturers are adding different sized displays, different graphics cards and crazy cases to their products.

Are you interested in more than just gaming laptops? I've summarised all the other notebook news from CES in this article:

Acer: A new, more affordable gaming series

In the new Predator Helios 16 and 18 gaming notebooks, Acer has installed an Intel Core i9-14900HX and up to a Geforce RTX 4090, as well as up to 32 gigabytes of RAM and two terabytes of SSD storage. The 16 or 18-inch screens have mini LED panels with a refresh rate of up to 250 hertz and a brightness of up to 1000 nits. There are also RGB effects, Aeroblade cooling and a replaceable mechanical keyboard.

Acer plans to sell the Predator Helios 16 and 18 from February 2024. The RRP for the 16-inch model starts at 2799 euros, while the 18-inch variant will cost at least 3999 euros.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 and 18 are brand new and only half the price, starting at 1499 and 1599 euros depending on the display size. The maximum configuration also includes the Core i9-14900HX, but only a Geforce RTX 4070. IPS panels are used for the display.

Acer is not targeting a gaming audience with its new Aspire 3D 15 3D notebook. Instead, the Core i7-13620H and up to a Geforce RTX 4050 are primarily intended to be used to create and edit 3D content. The 3D display, which does not require special glasses, will be available to view in the second quarter of 2024 at the earliest. Cost point: from 1999 euros.

Alienware: Three new gaming notebooks and a stealth mode

Alienware is presenting three new gaming laptops at CES and has found a superlative for at least two of them. The m18 R2 is said to be the manufacturer's "most powerful" laptop and can replace a desktop computer. The Core i9-14900HX and a Geforce RTX 4090 in the maximum configuration help with this.

Alienware advertises the x16 R2 as "most premium". It should offer a lot of performance and still be thin and portable. There are many RGB LEDs and even RGB animations on the touchpad. The equipment offers a Core Ultra CPU and extends to a Geforce RTX 4090. The display can run at up to 240 hertz and there is a choice of up to eight terabytes of storage space.

Alienware has not found a superlative for the m16 R2. The special feature of the laptop with Core Ultra CPU and a Geforce from the RTX 40 series is the "Stealth Mode". It makes the laptop more inconspicuous. It switches off the RGB lighting and reduces the ventilation. This is also accompanied by a reduction in performance. However, this should still be sufficient for less demanding programmes than games.

Alienware plans to sell the m18 R2 in Switzerland from 16 January 2024. The x16 R2 will follow on 6 February and the m16 R2 on 14 March. However, the manufacturer will not announce the prices in this country until the respective market launch. However, the entry-level prices from the USA provide a rough guide:

• m18 R2: 1899 US dollars
• x16 R2: 2899 US dollars
• m16 R2: 1649 US dollars

Asus: A new design here, just a hardware upgrade there

Asus is giving the ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 a new look and the ROG Strix and Strix Scar are getting a subtly updated specification.

The aluminium chassis of the ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 has become slightly smaller and the hinge looks more elegant. Asus has also slightly enlarged the keyboard and touchpad. A new quick-charging port complements charging via USB-C. The OLED displays have 2880 × 1800 pixels and 120 hertz in the G14 and 2560 × 1600 pixels and 240 hertz in the G16.

In the ROG Zephyrus G14, Asus uses the AMD Ryzen 9 8940H and a maximum of one Geforce RTX 4070, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 uses the Core Ultra 9 185H from Intel and a Geforce RTX 4090 at best. Both computers can accommodate up to 32 gigabytes of RAM. The gaming behemoths will be available from February. More detailed information will follow.

There is little change in the 16 and 18-inch ROG Strix and Strix Scar. The 16:10 QHD displays with 240 Hertz remain unchanged, as do the graphics cards, which range up to the RTX 4080 in the Strix and the RTX 4090 in the Strix Scar. The housing and connections are also indistinguishable from the previous year's models. The only new feature is the Core i9-14900HX. The devices should be available in January. However, Asus has yet to provide more precise details. For orientation: In the USA, the better equipped Strix Scar starts at 2899 or 2999 US dollars depending on the size.

HP: Gaming laptop that doesn't look like this

With the Omen Transcend 14, HP has dispensed with the typical visual hallmarks of a gaming laptop: there is no eye-catching RGB lighting, no flashy design and no bright colours. Instead, the laptop is black or white. The RGB lighting is discreet and can be switched off with just a few clicks.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and Ultra 9 185H are available to choose from. The graphics card is a Geforce RTX 4050 or RTX 4070, with 16 or 32 gigabytes of RAM and up to two terabytes of SSD storage. The 14-inch OLED display offers a refresh rate of 120 hertz and a resolution of 2880 × 1800 pixels.

In the USA, the starting price for the Omen Transcend 14 is 1499 US dollars. Further information on availability will follow.

Lenovo also focuses on AI and sees white

Lenovo is adding AI chips to its gaming notebooks. This is called LA3-P in the top model Legion 9i. It is designed to help make better use of the computer's resources. For example, the AI is supposed to recognise what the laptop is being used for and adjust the use of the CPU and GPU accordingly. It should also be able to increase the FPS in games. It is also responsible for synchronising RGB effects with the sound. As a user, you should be able to customise these and other AI functions to suit your needs.

The Legion 9i weighs in at 2.5 kilograms and is Lenovo's flagship device, and not just because of its carbon fibre lid. Its 16-inch mini LED display offers a 3.2K resolution and a refresh rate of 165 hertz. It also features the Intel Core i9-14900HX and a maximum of one Geforce RTX 4090 with up to 64 gigabytes of RAM. The storage space is up to two terabytes in size.

One level below this, the Legion 7i and Legion 5i come in a new colour: white. Lenovo is thus following other manufacturers who already offer more discreet gaming hardware. Both notebooks are also equipped with the Core i9-14900HX from Intel. The Legion 5i Slim is based on the AMD Ryzen 8040 and all three models support graphics cards up to the Geforce RTX4070 and a maximum of 32 gigabytes of RAM. Their SSDs offer up to one terabyte of storage space.

However, only the Legion 7i offers Wi-Fi 7, the two 5i models "only" have Wi-Fi 6E on board. There is another difference in the RGB lighting. While the 5i Legions light up in four zones, each key on the Legion 7i can display a different colour. Although they also have AI chips, they do not offer all the functions that the top model in the Legion 9i has.

Lenovo also offers Pro versions of the Legion 7i and Legion 5i. These should offer even more power and have replaceable keycaps. However, the Legion Pro 7i in particular offers more power. It can be equipped with a Geforce RTX 4090 and the AI chips offer more functions. With two terabytes, there is also more memory. This also applies to the Legion Pro 5i. The other features are similar to the non-Pro models with the Core i9-14900HX and up to 32 gigabytes of RAM.

We do not yet have any information on availability. As a rough guide, however, the data from the USA:

• Legion 9i: from January, from 4399 US dollars
• Legion 7i: from March, from 2099 US dollars
• Legion 5i and 5i Slim: from April, from 1399 and 1499 US dollars respectively
• Legion Pro 7i: from March, from 2699 US dollars
• Legion Pro 5i: from January, from 1499 US dollars

MSI: No one offers more power

MSI has four new gaming laptops at CES - three with 18-inch displays and one 14-inch model

The top model is the MSI Titan 18 HX, which costs around 5000 US dollars. Its 18-inch mini LED display offers a resolution of 3840 × 2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 hertz. It houses the Intel Core i9-14900HX and a Geforce RTX 4080 or 4090 as well as up to 128 gigabytes of RAM in four slots. Three slots are available for M.2 SSDs, one of which supports PCIe Gen 5. The mechanical keyboard comes from Steelseries.

At 3299 US dollars, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio A1V is cheaper in the basic version. In the maximum configuration, however, it also has an 18-inch 4K mini LED display and a Geforce RTX 4090, but the CPU with the 9 in its name comes from the Core Ultra series.

The MSI Raider 18 HX A14V is available from 2499 US dollars. At 3.6 kilograms, the device is no lightweight. The Core i9-14900HX and an RTX 4090 are used in the best configuration variant. The 18-inch display offers 240 hertz at 2560 × 1600 pixels.

The smallest is also the cheapest: the MSI Cyborg 14 is available from 1099 US dollars. For a weight of 1.6 kilograms, it has a 14-inch display with 1920 × 1200 pixels and 144 hertz. The graphics card goes up to the RTX 4060, but the processor comes from last year's 13th generation from Intel.

The Titan will be available in Germany in January from 4899 euros. MSI has not yet provided any information on availability and price for the other models.

Razer: Blade receives OLED upgrade

Razer will also be offering its Blade gaming laptops with OLED displays in the future. The Blade 16 will have the first 16-inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of 240 hertz - at a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels. With its 18-inch screen, the Blade 18 only has a refresh rate of 165 hertz, but offers 4K resolution. More details on the new largest laptop in the Razer line-up will follow later.

What is known about the Blade 16, however, is that it has a Core i9-14900HX and a Geforce RTX 4090 in the maximum configuration. In the USA, the notebook is available from 2999 US dollars.

The Blade 14 is only available with an IPS display, which offers a refresh rate of 240 hertz with an aspect ratio of 16:10. The 1.8-centimetre-thick and 1.8-kilogram gaming laptop is equipped with the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS and up to a Geforce RTX 4070. Razer will be accepting pre-orders in the USA from 23 January and will also reveal the price then.

Jan Johannsen

Editor

Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.de

As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus. more