The ASUS Zenbook 14 is both more portable and budget-friendly, with a stunning OLED screen that's great for general use and media consumption. It's lighter and has a high screen resolution that makes it suitable for tasks that benefit from sharp visuals. However, it's less powerful than the MSI Katana 17 which packs more robust hardware suited for intensive 3D, machine learning, gaming tasks, or engineering software. The MSI has a larger screen, making it less portable but potentially better for productivity and entertainment. If battery life is important, remember that higher performance generally means more power consumption. In summary, for everyday portability and tasks that aren't hardware-intensive, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is an excellent choice, but if you need a machine that can handle demanding applications and you don't mind the extra weight, the MSI Katana 17 is more appropriate. 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 17
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
7.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The MSI Katana 17 offers a more powerful CPU, significantly larger RAM, and superior screen size, which enhances performance for general use compared to the ASUS Zenbook 14; however, the Zenbook's higher resolution OLED display, greater portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, and longer battery life may be preferred by those who prioritize a better visual experience and mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
7.9/10
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
8.4/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is favored for engineering and design due to its more powerful processor, higher RAM, and dedicated graphics card, which are critical for demanding software, alongside a larger screen that provides more workspace, albeit at standard resolution. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14 offers an OLED display with a higher resolution and exceptional color range, paired with reasonable computing power and good portability, making it a competitive option for design, but less so for engineering tasks that require more robust performance.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14's sharper resolution and better brightness make it easier to read text and view content, while the MSI Katana 17's larger screen size is a benefit but with lower resolution and brightness it falls short. Regarding engineering and design, the Zenbook's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color representation which is essential for professionals in those fields, whereas the Katana 17's narrower color range may not meet all design needs. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the Zenbook and Katana both lack high refresh rates, needed for smooth motion rendering, making neither ideal for those specific purposes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and MSI Katana 17 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
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
The MSI Katana 17 and ASUS Zenbook 14 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 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 Zenbook 14 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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