The Gateway 11.6" may save you money upfront and offer better portability due to its smaller size, making it suitable for basic daily tasks like browsing, document editing, and streaming. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, with a higher price tag, is expected to deliver superior performance for demanding applications such as gaming, 3D modeling, and video editing. It's also likely to have a better display and a more robust build but may be less convenient to carry around and could have a shorter battery life due to its powerful components. Consider the MSI Katana 17 if your work or leisure activities require high performance, and the Gateway 11.6" if you prioritize budget and portability for lighter use. 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 Gateway 11.6"
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" laptop might struggle with general use due to its less powerful CPU and smaller RAM, making multitasking and demanding applications run slower, while its smaller screen may not be as clear or pleasant to look at compared to other options. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 boasts a strong CPU and ample RAM for smooth operation, alongside a larger, high-quality screen, but it is less portable and may have shorter battery life due to its powerful components and bigger display.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1366 x 768
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.4/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" laptop has a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and a weaker GPU compared to the MSI Katana 17, which negatively impacts its performance for engineering and design tasks. Additionally, the MSI Katana 17 offers a larger and higher-quality screen which is crucial for design accuracy and detail, while the Gateway's smaller and lower resolution screen is inadequate for such specialized work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7/10
7.5/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7/10
6.9/10
11.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gateway 11.6" likely has a weaker display with low resolution and dull brightness, making it less appealing for general use where sharpness and good illumination improve the overall experience. For engineering and design, the screen's limited color range would not accurately represent the spectrum needed for high-fidelity visual work. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, while offering better resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks, may fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to an inadequate refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" 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
Excellent
Fair
11.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$89
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
"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 Gateway 11.6" or the MSI Katana 17
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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.
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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