Temperature map showing the MSI Stealth 18 AC adapter when running Cyberpunk 2077 (Image source: Notebookcheck)
AC adapters can get pretty warm, but even we’re surprised by how warm some can become. The adapter for the latest MSI Stealth 18 is one of the warmest thus far.
AC adapters for laptops become warm to the touch especially as power output and density increase. Gaming laptops in particular can have very warm AC adapters such as the ones for the Lenovo Legion 7 16 and Alienware 16X Aurora reaching 48 C and 46 C, respectively. One model, however, takes the cake for being significantly warmer than the vast majority of AC adapters out there.
The 280 W AC adapter for the recent MSI Stealth 18 HX can reach almost 70 C when gaming to be over 20 C warmer (!) than average. Even the 330 W adapter for the Razer Blade 18 reaches “only” 47 C under similar conditions. The unusually high surface temperature can be attributed to the portable AC adapter design (~16.5 x 7.5 x 2.5 cm) and the fact that the Stealth 18 HX regularly demands over 270 W when gaming. In other words, the 280 W AC adapter is frequently stressed to its limits through typical usage scenarios.
Although not inherently dangerous, the high surface temperature means users should be more careful when placing the adapter near objects or other cables. A crowded mess of wires, for example, might pose a hazard around the Stealth 18 adapter.
Users can check out our full review on the Stealth 18 HX to learn more about the gaming system and its unique traits.
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Allen Ngo – Lead Editor U.S. – 5424 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2011
After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There’s a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I’m not managing day-to-day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.