To make the right decision between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the MSI Katana 15, consider your primary needs. The MacBook Pro typically offers a robust build quality, excellent display, and a well-integrated operating system that is preferred for creative work like video editing and graphic design. Its battery life is generally good, and it's revered for reliability and a premium feel. However, it might be less flexible for upgrades and repairs. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 is tailored for gaming and performance-intensive tasks, offering a high refresh rate display and dedicated graphics, making it suitable for gaming or 3D rendering. It may allow for easier upgrades and often provides better cooling for sustained performance. It's bulkier, though, which impacts portability, and its battery life may be shorter. If the price is a significant factor and your tasks are more general use or creative-focused, lean towards the MacBook Pro. If you need top performance for gaming or engineering and can handle the extra weight and shorter battery life, consider the MSI Katana 15. 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 Pro 16 (Late 2019)
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Very good 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
6.4/10
7.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a fairly capable AMD Radeon Pro GPU which is suitable for some 3D tasks but is limited by a lower screen refresh rate and fewer games compatible with MacOS, whereas the MSI Katana 15 comes equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, optimized for gaming and 3D applications on Windows which supports a wider library of games.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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
7.9/10
7.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display that offers vibrant color accuracy and brightness, making it ideal for general use and precision tasks in engineering and design due to its wide color gamuts, ensuring detailed and realistic representations. The MSI Katana 15's screen has a lower resolution and less color accuracy, meaning it won’t be as vivid or precise for engineering, design or general use. For 3D environments, refresh rate is crucial for smooth visuals, and the MacBook Pro's refresh rate isn't as high as some dedicated gaming laptops, while the MSI Katana 15 lacks both the high refresh rate for fluid 3D motion and the color quality for detailed creation.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
$540
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) provides an exceptional balance with a high-quality screen, long battery life, and strong CPU performance, making it well-suited for general use including tasks that require good visual fidelity and endurance.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) excels in engineering and design due to its robust CPU and GPU, high RAM capacity, and excellent screen quality with wide color coverage, providing a powerful and visually precise experience for such tasks.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.