The ASUS Vivobook 14 is less expensive and offers good portability and battery life, making it suitable for general use and light tasks. If you require more power for gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, and don't mind a heavier laptop with potentially lower battery life, the MSI Katana 15 with its dedicated graphics card is the better option, although it comes at a higher price. 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 Vivobook 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 14 offers a fair experience for general use due to its adequate but more modest CPU performance, screen quality, and battery life when compared to the MSI Katana 15, which boasts a more powerful CPU, a higher RAM capacity, and a superior screen refresh rate, thus providing a good overall experience for general use. Although the Vivobook is lighter and potentially more portable, the Katana 15 compensates with better performance specs, making it a better fit for more demanding tasks and multitasking.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
The MSI Katana 15 has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications compared to the ASUS Vivobook 14's integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower 60Hz screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
7.7/10
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 14 has a less powerful CPU and integrated graphics, which makes it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the MSI Katana 15, which is equipped with a more robust CPU and a dedicated GPU that significantly enhances its performance for these tasks. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15 offers higher RAM, which is crucial for multitasking and running complex software used in engineering and design.
Content Creation
6.9/10
7.4/10
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
6.3/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 14 and MSI Katana 15 have screens that are suitable for general tasks due to their adequate resolution and brightness, but they may not stand out in terms of sharpness or color vibrancy. For engineering and design work, their color accuracy and range are limited, which could affect professionals who need precise color reproduction for their projects. Finally, their refresh rates are lower than what's preferred for 3D applications or gaming, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness, while their moderate resolution and panel type provide an average visual experience in these areas.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 14 has 7 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
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$421
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Vivobook 14 has a price of $421 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 15 to be good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 15 and ASUS Vivobook 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Vivobook 14 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"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 Vivobook 14 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.
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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