The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is ideal for those looking for a balance between price and display quality for general use, with an OLED screen offering vivid colors and contrasts. However, it's less suited for heavy tasks like 3D design, machine learning, or gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17, while typically more expensive, is equipped for high-performance needs, making it a great option for engineering software, gaming, or resource-intensive applications. The larger size might affect portability and battery life compared to the ASUS, but offers a larger screen for productivity and entertainment. 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 OLED
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Good for gaming and AI
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
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 S 15 OLED is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED, with a high-quality screen and capable integrated graphics, performs well in gaming and 3D applications but is outperformed by the MSI Katana 17, which boasts a higher refresh rate and a superior dedicated gaming GPU for smoother and more detailed gameplay. While both laptops are suitable for gaming, the MSI's additional resources for complex visual tasks make it very good for gaming and 3D work, though it trades off some portability due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
8.9/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
600.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED boasts an OLED display with high resolution and brightness, providing vibrant colors and sharp images for everyday tasks and professional design work, with wide color gamut coverage ensuring accurate colors for engineering. However, its lower refresh rate lessens appeal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion is crucial. The MSI Katana 17, while offering good resolution and brightness for general activities, falls short in color accuracy for design tasks and also has a less suitable refresh rate for gaming and 3D content, with a likely standard panel type not matching the superior contrast of OLED.
Battery
7.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 7 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 S 15 OLED has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$990
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a price of $990 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and MSI Katana 17 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers portability with its lighter weight and smaller size, alongside a high-resolution OLED screen, making it suitable for on-the-go use with excellent visual quality. Conversely, the MSI Katana 17 provides more RAM for better multitasking and a dedicated graphics card for higher performance in visual tasks, but its larger size and heftier weight reduce portability, and the lower battery life may limit time away from a power source.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both very good for engineering and design.
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
8.2/10
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
7.9/10
7.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and MSI Katana 17 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
7.2/10
7.2/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and MSI Katana 17 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 S 15 OLED and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
"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 OLED 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,195
Recommendations made
21,493
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.