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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air is lighter, has a better screen resolution, and longer battery life, perfect for general use and portability but less suited for gaming or intensive engineering due to the integrated GPU. The MSI Katana 15 offers more storage, a higher RAM, a dedicated powerful GPU that supports gaming and heavy tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. If portability and display are your priorities, the MacBook Air excels, while the MSI Katana 15 is better for performance-intensive tasks like gaming and engineering. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.6
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is less suited for 3D work and gaming due to its integrated GPU, which is less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs and its standard refresh rate display. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 offers superior performance for gaming and 3D applications with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and higher refresh rate screen, but keep in mind that its Windows platform also supports a wider range of popular games that aren't available on Macs.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Katana 15 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
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
8.0
7.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6
6.8
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and excellent brightness, making it ideal for general use and demanding engineering and design tasks that require accurate color representation. However, its lower refresh rate limits its performance for 3D applications where smoother visuals are crucial. The MSI Katana 15, with fair resolution and brightness, is adequate for everyday tasks and some engineering uses, but its color accuracy and refresh rate aren't geared towards high-end gaming or 3D modeling where these features are more critical for an optimal experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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.
Portability
Excellent
Fair
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.2
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Katana 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is favored for its lightweight design and high-quality screen, featuring a powerful Apple M2 chip that operates silently without a fan, paired with a long battery life, making it highly suitable for users valuing portability and comfort. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, with a larger storage capacity, more RAM, and a dedicated graphics unit, caters better to those needing more computing power and gaming capabilities while sacrificing some portability and having a shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.7
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in engineering and design due to its high-quality screen and efficient Apple M2 CPU and GPU combo, making it thin and silent, thus highly portable, but with less graphical power for intensive tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 offers a more robust Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU suitable for demanding engineering applications, a better-suited keyboard for extensive typing, and more ports, but it is heavier and less portable with a lower-quality display.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
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 Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Katana 15
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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