For general use and with a tighter budget, the ASUS Vivobook 16 is less expensive and offers good performance, a larger screen, longer battery life, and a lighter design for easier portability. However, if gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning are a priority, the MSI Katana 15, despite being more expensive, has a powerful dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, a high refresh rate display for smoother visuals, and better overall performance for these intensive tasks, but with lower battery life and a heavier build. Both have the same storage and RAM, non-touch IPS screens, and run Windows 11 Home. 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 16
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
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 16 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has an integrated GPU, which is less powerful for gaming and 3D applications compared to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU in the MSI Katana 15, which is designed for higher gaming performance. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15 has a higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals in fast-paced games compared to the standard refresh rate of the ASUS Vivobook 16.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 offers a strong CPU and integrated GPU suitable for engineering tasks, higher screen resolution for sharper image quality, and a longer battery life which benefits portability, but it has a lower screen refresh rate than the MSI Katana 15, which might matter for fast-paced visuals.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
295.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI Katana 15 both offer screen features sufficient for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but lack the high resolution and brightness that discerning users might expect for crisp and vivid display. For engineering and design, while these laptops provide an acceptable level of detail, professionals may find the color accuracy and range lacking for precise work that demands a broader color spectrum coverage. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, both models fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and longer response times, detracting from the immersive experience sought by gamers and 3D modelers.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$669
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a price of $669 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Asus Vivobook 16 offers strong performance for general use with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor, sufficient RAM, and an IPS display with a higher resolution, which supports clearer and more vibrant visuals, combined with a compact form and decent battery life, making it a well-rounded device for everyday tasks. The MSI Katana 15, while also providing ample performance with an Intel i5 processor and equivalent RAM, is geared slightly more towards gaming with its RTX graphics card, delivering a higher screen refresh rate and additional gaming features, yet it has shorter battery life and is bulkier, affecting its portability for general use.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.
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 16 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 16 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, Yannick Khong | May 2023
"The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is a budget Windows laptop. It's available with various AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000 U-series CPUs and integrated graphics. You can only get 8GB of RAM; however, there's an empty SO-DIMM slot if you want to upgrade it. It has an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. Ports include three USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging but no video output."
"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 16 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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