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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is more budget-friendly and offers silent, fanless operation, making it ideal for quiet environments and general use with good battery life. However, the MSI Katana 17, while more expensive, provides a larger screen, better graphics performance with a dedicated Nvidia RTX card, and a higher refresh rate, which is better suited for gaming, 3D applications, and intensive engineering software. The MSI also has more memory, enhancing its ability to handle more complex tasks simultaneously. In terms of portability, the Dell is lighter and slimmer, offering easier transportation compared to the heavier and slightly bulkier MSI. 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 Inspiron 16 5630
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.9
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 delivers a superior gaming and 3D experience thanks to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, which far outpaces the integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU found in the Dell Inspiron 16 5630, and its higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz enhances smoothness in action-packed scenes unlike the Dell's 60 Hz. While the Dell Inspiron may suffice for more casual gaming, the MSI Katana 17 is much better equipped for intense gaming sessions and graphical work.
Engineering and Design
7.7
8.4
8.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is considered very good for engineering and design use because it comes with a high-performance Nvidia RTX GPU and double the RAM of the Dell Inspiron 16 5630, providing substantial power for demanding tasks and multitasking. While the Inspiron is lighter and offers good processing capabilities with an Intel Iris Xe GPU, superior screen quality, and is quieter in operation, the MSI's advantages in graphics processing power and memory make it better suited for intensive engineering and design work despite being heavier and potentially louder.
Screen Quality
6.8
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 provides a clear and vivid display with adequate brightness and resolution, making it suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, watching videos, or working with documents. When it comes to engineering and design, this laptop's screen displays a wide range of colors accurately, which is critical for tasks that require color precision like photo editing or graphic design. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its refresh rate isn't as high, leading to less smooth motion and potential disadvantages in fast-paced gaming scenarios, where MSI Katana 17 also struggles with screen quality despite having a fair display for engineering and design uses.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$849
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has a price of $849 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5630 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
8.1
7.8
8.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5630 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 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
7.9
7.5
8.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and MSI Katana 17 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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.2
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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 Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5630 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$849 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.28 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.91" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1360P | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 8 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"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 Dell Inspiron 16 5630 or the MSI Katana 17
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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