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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is a premium, highly portable laptop with a better screen, touch functionality, and higher performance for tasks like 3D rendering and engineering, making it suitable for intensive gaming and professional creative work. It has a longer battery life, more versatile connectivity with USB-C charging, and added features like a fingerprint reader and facial recognition. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 has a larger screen and a lower price point, but it is heavier and less portable with a shorter battery life. It is less powerful, especially for high-end gaming and professional tasks, but still offers good general performance and has an RGB backlit keyboard. Choose the ASUS if you need top performance and portability, but prefer the MSI for a more budget-friendly option with a larger screen for everyday use. 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 ASUS ROG Flow X13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Flow X13.
Key differences
General Use
8.1
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 delivers a very good general use experience due to its higher screen resolution and brightness, making for a sharper and more vibrant display, coupled with a lighter build and better battery life, enhancing portability. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 offers a larger but not as bright screen and heavier design, with a shorter battery life, which can still handle general tasks well but may not match the comfort and mobility provided by the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
8.5
7.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, combined with a higher resolution and color-accurate touchscreen, which is beneficial for detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.0
7.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.4
6.8
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 offers a high-resolution display and excellent color accuracy, which are appreciated in general use and critical for engineering and design work where detail and color precision matter. However, its lower refresh rate lessens appeal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. The MSI Katana, with a fair display, provides adequate clarity for everyday tasks and engineering but lacks the high refresh rate and optimal color gamut required for top-tier gaming and professional design work.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 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
Very Good
Fair
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good 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
$2,500
$949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a price of $2,500 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X13 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Flow X13 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,500 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.87 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.77" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.35" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 511 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 7.3/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Flow X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2021
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
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 ASUS ROG Flow X13 or the MSI Katana 15
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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.
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