If price is a significant factor for you, and you're looking for a solution that balances cost and capability, the ASUS Vivobook 15X may be more appealing. With the MSI Katana 17, you are likely paying a premium for higher performance that could be better suited for games, engineering applications, or intensive tasks. However, the larger screen size might reduce its portability compared to the ASUS. Always consider battery life; if you require longer periods of use without charging, verify which one offers more battery efficiency. Assess your primary activities; if they include demanding software, the MSI might justify its higher price with better performance. If your usage is more general, the ASUS might be the practical and economical choice. 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 15X
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The MSI Katana 17 boasts a stronger CPU and significantly more RAM than the ASUS Vivobook 15X, enhancing performance for demanding tasks, alongside more storage and a high-refresh rate screen, which contributes to smoother visuals and better multitasking capabilities. However, with its larger size and heavier weight, the Katana 17 compromises portability and has a shorter battery life compared to the smaller, lighter, and longer-lasting Vivobook 15X, which may be more suitable for on-the-go users who value endurance and ease of carrying.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.9/10
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has a less powerful integrated GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it fair for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the MSI Katana 17 comes with a more capable Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which translates to smoother visuals and better gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
8.4/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15X offers moderate performance with an AMD Ryzen CPU and Vega graphics, and while suitable for lightweight engineering tasks, it is outperformed by the MSI Katana 17 which features a higher-end Intel CPU and Nvidia graphics, providing more power needed for demanding engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.8/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both good for content creation, though the MSI Katana 17 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
6.9/10
7.5/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 15X offers adequate brightness and resolution, providing a comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks, but it may fall short in color accuracy and vibrancy, which is why it's not ideal for precise engineering and design work. The MSI Katana 17, with better overall screen quality, presents clearer and more accurate visuals for users involved in general use and lighter design work, but like the ASUS, it lacks in high refresh rates and advanced color gamut coverage, making neither model optimal for gaming or professional 3D applications where fluid motion and wide color ranges are critical.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$525
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has a price of $525 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
"All in all, my day on the Vivobook had its ups and downs. It is a really pretty and well-built device, and it had all of the functionality I needed to get me through my browser-based workload. But the speakers weren’t my favorite, and the battery life was just too short."
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 15X or the MSI Katana 17
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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