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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is the more premium option with higher performance, suitable for intensive gaming and engineering tasks due to a more powerful processor and graphics card. Despite its premium price, it offers a high refresh rate display which is great for fast action scenes in gaming and it comes with a significantly larger battery, which should give you longer usage between charges. However, its portability is limited compared to lighter options due to its weight and size. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 is less expensive and offers a newer graphics card model but comes with a slightly less powerful processor. It is also lighter and thus more portable, making it a good choice for those who need to carry their laptop with them frequently. Its battery capacity is smaller, so it won't last as long on a single charge. The display has a lower resolution and refresh rate, which could be less appealing for tasks that require high visual fidelity or for fast-paced gaming. Both laptops have ample storage and RAM for most tasks, but if you require top-tier performance and can handle a larger, heavier laptop, the Mech-15 G3R would be the better choice. If portability and cost savings are your priorities, then the MSI Katana 15 might suit you better, with the tradeoff of slightly less performance and shorter battery life. 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 Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.5
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R offers a robust CPU and high-quality RAM, making it very good for general use, plus its superior screen quality enhances the user experience. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 provides decent performance with good CPU and RAM suitable for general use, but it may lag slightly in terms of screen quality and overall portability compared to the Mech-15 G3R.
Gaming and AI
8.7
7.6
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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
8.7
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is better for engineering and design because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU, higher resolution screen, and better screen color accuracy, which are crucial for tasks requiring high-performance computing and visual precision.
Content Creation
8.4
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R 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
8.1
7.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R 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
8.4
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R offers a display that excels in resolution, brightness, and panel quality, which benefits general use and engineering tasks that rely on clear visuals and accurate color representation. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 provides adequate resolution and brightness for general tasks and engineering but falls behind in color coverage and refresh rate, limiting its effectiveness for high-end design work and making it less optimal for gaming.
Battery
6.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has 6.5 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.2
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality, though the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,400
$949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has a price of $2,400 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,400 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.68 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.03" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | 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 | 6.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 94 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 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 | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R
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Dig into reviews and images
WePC
Aaron Ritchie | September 2022
"Everything considered, the XMG Neo 15 (Mech-15 G3R) with RTX 3070 Ti is a great gaming performer. The combination of the Ti graphics card with the new Intel 12th gen CPU is enough to go toe-to-toe, and even slightly pull ahead of the RTX 3080 in most titles, though on games with Ray-Tracing enabled, particularly with graphics set to the maximum and on higher resolutions, the additional VRAM of the RTX 3080 makes a big impact, and the 8GB RTX 3070 Ti machine simply can’t compete, even with the more powerful processor."
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 Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R or the MSI Katana 15
About Eluktronics
Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.
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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