Choosing between the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 and the MSI Katana 17 depends on your priorities. The ASUS is more affordable, lightweight, and has a smaller screen, which is ideal for basic tasks and portability. However, its lower performance specs make it less suitable for demanding applications. The MSI Katana 17 costs more but offers a larger screen, higher resolution, and significantly better performance, making it ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering tasks. It is heavier and less portable, but better suited for intensive uses. Consider what you'll primarily use the laptop for and whether portability or performance is your priority. 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 Go 12
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12, with its lower-tier CPU, minimal RAM, and lower-quality TN screen, does not perform as well and is less enjoyable to view as compared to the MSI Katana 17, which boasts a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality IPS display suitable for more demanding tasks. While the Vivobook offers excellent portability and battery life, the Katana 17's size and weight make it less portable; yet it compensates with superior performance and screen quality for general use and more intensive applications.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is not suitable for gaming and 3D applications due to its basic Intel Celeron processor and an entry-level Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU, and it has a basic screen with a lower refresh rate of 60Hz, which is not ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.3/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7/10
7.5/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1/10
6.9/10
11.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12's inferior screen quality is likely due to a lower resolution and dull brightness, making it less suitable for tasks where clarity and detail are key. For engineering and design, the importance of accurate color reproduction is not met by the Vivobook's limited color gamuts. The MSI Katana 17, while offering a better resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, still falls short in gaming due to a less than optimal refresh rate, despite a fair screen setup for design tasks that don't heavily rely on the highest color gamut standards.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 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
Excellent
Fair
11.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$267
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
"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 Go 12 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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