A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
- Good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
8.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
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 15 is very 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
7.4
8.2
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.0
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 9 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
2.8 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and MSI Katana 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
7.5
7.3
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
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.
Cost
$1,244
$1,249
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $1,244 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $1,249.
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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 | |||
$1,244 | $1,249 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.64'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.87 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.56" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.27" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | 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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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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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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