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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance during general use and engineering tasks is crucial and you don't mind less portability, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a solid choice, offering good screen size and battery life, though it is heavier. In contrast, if you prioritize a lighter and more easily transportable laptop with a newer graphics card model which might be more future-proof for gaming, the MSI Katana 15 is a better option, but this comes with the tradeoff of a smaller screen and reduced battery life. Both have similar price points, so the decision largely depends on weighing the importance of portability and battery life against performance and screen size. 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 Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m17 R5.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a screen with high resolution and brightness, making it appealing for general use and detail-oriented tasks in engineering and design, where sharpness and the ability to accurately represent colors are critical. Despite these strengths, its lower refresh rate may disappoint gamers and 3D designers, who often rely on smoother visuals that come with higher refresh rates for an improved experience. Alternatively, while the MSI Katana 15 provides a decent balance between resolution and brightness for day-to-day tasks and some professional work, it falls short in delivering the high color accuracy and quick refresh rates needed for specialized engineering applications, gaming, and 3D work.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.2
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5's potent CPU and ample RAM combined with a high-quality screen make it suitable for a variety of tasks, while its heavier weight and shorter battery life might limit portability compared to lighter options with longer battery life. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 offers similar advantages in terms of CPU and RAM, ensuring smooth general use, with better portability due to its lighter design and longer battery life, but might have a slightly lower screen quality. Both laptops will have satisfactory storage, keyboard, and speaker quality, with efficient heat management and operating noise levels that won't be disruptive during use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a very high screen refresh rate, making it highly suitable for immersive gaming and smooth 3D rendering, but with a tradeoff in battery life due to its powerful GPU. The MSI Katana 15, on the other hand, boasts a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU for robust gaming performance, and while its screen refresh rate is much lower than the Alienware's, it offers a balance between visual performance and longer battery life due to its less power-intensive components.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers robust performance for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD CPU and RTX 3060 GPU, along with a larger screen that provides good color accuracy, which is crucial for detailed work, even though it's less portable and has a heavier build. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, while also equipped for engineering tasks with a competent CPU and RTX 4060 GPU, offers better portability and a higher-quality keyboard, but its smaller screen and lower color coverage may limit the visual detail in design applications.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4
7.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
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 Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Katana 15
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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Why trust us
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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