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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize saving money and need something light that's easy to carry around, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is a good choice. However, if you require more power for tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning, then the MSI Katana 15, despite being more expensive and less portable, would be a better fit due to its likely superior performance. The MSI may also have a shorter battery life due to the more powerful hardware, whereas the Zenbook usually offers longer usage on a single charge, making it more suitable for long days away from a power source. 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 Zenbook 14
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.6
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has an integrated Intel graphics card and a 90Hz OLED screen, making it serviceable for lighter gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Katana 15 steps up performance with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a faster 144Hz screen, better suited for more demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a high-quality OLED display and integrated powerful graphics, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks requiring accurate color and detailed visuals. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, while slightly less portable due to its larger size and weight, brings a dedicated NVIDIA GPU to the table and more RAM, which provide better performance for engineering software and graphic-intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a superior visual experience through its high-resolution display and brightness levels, enhancing the clarity and vibrancy of content. In engineering and design, its wider color gamut coverage ensures more accurate color representation which is critical for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate leads to less smooth motion compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates, making it less optimal for fast-paced interactive media.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.2
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality, though the ASUS Zenbook 14 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$949
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.5
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its lighter weight and longer battery life, is easier to carry around but has less RAM and a less powerful CPU compared to the MSI Katana 15, which offers better performance for demanding tasks and a larger screen for a more immersive experience, albeit with reduced portability due to its heavier build and shorter battery life. Screen quality on the ASUS is superior thanks to its OLED display, which provides better colors and contrast, while the MSI's IPS display is competent but doesn't match the OLED's vibrancy despite its larger size.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2
7.0
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 14 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$300 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.35" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.69" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 339 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"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 Zenbook 14 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.
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