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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the MSI Katana 17, consider that the ASUS is usually more affordable and lighter, making it more portable. It offers a solid performance that's suitable for general use. However, the MSI Katana 17, although typically more expensive and heavier, provides superior performance with its advanced graphics card and is more suitable for 3D applications, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks. It also has a larger screen and higher refresh rates which are ideal for gaming and video editing, but its larger size can be less convenient for travel. Additionally, the ASUS has a longer battery life, which may be beneficial if you're often on the move. 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 S 15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.9
3.7/10
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 S 15 is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is preferred for engineering and design due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX graphics card and a higher amount of RAM, essential for demanding tasks, whereas the ASUS Vivobook S 15, while still capable with its AMD Ryzen integrated graphics and decent RAM, falls short in comparison, especially on graphics-intensive projects. However, the Vivobook boasts a slightly better portability score, making it easier to carry around, but the Katana 17 excels in terms of performance which is crucial for engineering and heavy design work.
Screen Quality
6.3
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Asus Vivobook S 15 offers a satisfactory visual experience with adequate brightness and resolution for everyday tasks, but its panel type may not offer the wide viewing angles and color accuracy some users prefer. Engineering and design professionals may find it lacking in the broader color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which are vital for precise color work. The MSI Katana 17, while providing a good overall screen experience for general use, falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which is less suitable for the smooth visuals these activities often require.
Battery
9.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 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
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$908
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $908 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15, with decent processing power and RAM, is good for general use, offering a balance between performance and portability with longer battery life and a lighter build. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 is very good for general use due to its superior processing power, larger RAM, and high-quality GPU, albeit with reduced portability and battery life, making it a bit more cumbersome but more capable for demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.6
7.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 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
7.4
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 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 and ASUS Vivobook S 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
7.2
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook S 15 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$908 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.17" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 70 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook S 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | February 2023
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"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 S 15 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.
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