A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Triton 300 is priced higher but offers strong performance, especially for engineering tasks, gaming, and general use. It has a better balance of color coverage for the screen, which is valuable for creative work. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 is a bit cheaper, offers double the storage, and has a newer graphics card that's more powerful, which could make it more future-proof for gaming and machine learning tasks. The Katana has slightly better performance scores across general use, 3D rendering, and engineering, but falls short in battery life and screen color accuracy. Both devices are reasonably portable and offer similar build quality, but the Triton has a slight edge in portability. If a sharp display and longer battery life are priorities, go for the Triton; if storage and cutting-edge graphics performance matter more, consider the Katana. Both have backlit keyboards with numeric pads and are suitable for intensive gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Predator Triton 300
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Acer Predator Triton 300.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1
7.6
6.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Predator Triton 300 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Triton 300 boasts a high resolution and brightness, with a panel type that's appealing for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work in engineering or design, but its screen refresh rate falls short for the fast-paced visuals needed in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Katana 15 offers acceptable image quality for users not needing top-tier screen performance, providing a balance suitable for general use and precision work in engineering and design, but like the Acer, it lacks in the high refresh rate gamers and 3D professionals seek. While both have their merits in color accuracy for professional design tasks, neither is ideal for the smooth, rapid visuals required in high-end gaming or immersive 3D experiences.
Battery
5.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Cost
$1,150
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has a price of $1,150 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Predator Triton 300 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
6.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Predator Triton 300 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Triton 300's Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU make it a strong contender for engineering and design tasks, supported by a good screen quality, but its heavier weight and size reduce its portability compared to the MSI Katana 15, which offers a newer, though less powerful, Intel i5 processor and a higher-end Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU conducive for similar tasks, albeit with a lower quality screen display.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Predator Triton 300 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.1
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Triton 300 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Triton 300 to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The Acer Predator Triton 300 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Predator Triton 300 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Triton 300 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,150 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.9'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.9" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Triton 300
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | December 2020
"In our particular review configuration, the Acer Predator Triton 300 turned out to be a fairly powerful gaming notebook. Both CPU and GPU performance were at a high level, and the aluminum case turned out to be fairly robust. Only the display lid could have been a bit more robust. For customers on a budget that do not mind tinkering with the device’s fan management the Acer Predator Triton 300 can be worth a closer look."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Triton 300 or the MSI Katana 15
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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