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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 offers higher-end performance with a better processor and graphics card, making it suitable for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. It also boasts a higher quality OLED display with touch capabilities, better color accuracy, and higher contrast, catering to those who work with visuals and prefer a premium screen. However, it comes at a higher price and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 is more cost-effective with adequate performance for general use and gaming, offering a high refresh rate display, though with less impressive color accuracy and screen resolution. It's lighter and slightly more portable with a longer battery life than the Asus, making it a better option for those who value mobility and do not require top-tier performance. 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 Pro Duo 15
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15.
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.5
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
332.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 excels in general use due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-quality OLED screen, and longer battery life, making it very suitable for a variety of demanding tasks, although it's less portable due to its weight. The MSI Katana 15, with a good CPU for less intensive tasks, decent screen, enough RAM for everyday applications, and lighter weight, offers a balanced option for general use, but has a shorter battery life and a simpler display, reflecting in its portability and overall suitability.
Engineering and Design
9.0
7.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 excels for engineering and design thanks to its high-performance Intel i9 processor, ample 32GB of RAM, and powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, coupled with a top-notch OLED screen, offering exquisite quality and resolution, perfect for detail-oriented tasks. The MSI Katana 15, while still adequate for engineering and design with its Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, and good IPS screen, doesn't match the ZenBook's specifications, making it more suited for less demanding engineering tasks and offering better portability due to its lighter weight.
Content Creation
8.7
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 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
8.3
7.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
332.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has a high-resolution display that provides crisp and vivid images, making it excellent for general use and tasks that require attention to fine detail, like engineering and design, thanks to its wide color gamut coverage. However, its screen refresh rate is lower, which can make fast-moving images in gaming and 3D applications less smooth. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 offers adequate resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and professional work, but similar to the ASUS, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a modest refresh rate that can't keep up with the demands of high-speed graphics.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has 7 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.
Cost
$2,000
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has a price of $2,000 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.6
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15, with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and an OLED screen with a lower refresh rate, excels in gaming and 3D due to its superior GPU and screen quality despite a smoother visual motion not being its strength. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 has an Nvidia RTX 4060, which is less powerful than the 3070 Ti, but its higher screen refresh rate compliments gaming experiences that require fast and fluid movements, albeit with a lower resolution and screen quality.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and MSI Katana 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 ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.8'' x 0.85'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.16 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 92 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 332 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 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 | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 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 Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Jared Newman | August 2021
"Benchmarks aside, the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo is hard to compare with other PCs. Its closest competition may be a multi-monitor desktop, or a laptop with an attached travel monitor. The Pro Duo is more portable and versatile than either of those options, especially with the software tools Asus has thrown on top. For a certain niche of artists, media creators, and gamers, all that might add up to something special, even if it’s unattainable for the rest of us."
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 Pro Duo 15 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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