Choosing between the Gigabyte A5 and the MSI Katana 17 depends on your preferences and needs. If budget is a primary concern and you still want respectable gaming performance, the Gigabyte A5 offers good value for money at a lower price with decent graphics capabilities. However, if you require more power, better performance for demanding tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, greater storage capacity, and a larger screen size, the MSI Katana 17 might justify its higher cost. Keep in mind that the MSI model will also be heavier, which could impact portability, and generally, more powerful hardware may lead to 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 Gigabyte A5
Good overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Very good for engineering and design
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte A5 has a solid processor and ample RAM for regular tasks, plus a high-quality screen and decent portability, but its battery life is shorter, making it good for general use. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 edges ahead with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM for multitasking, significantly larger storage, and a larger screen, all contributing to a very good general-use experience, though this comes at the cost of being less portable and having even shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
7.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The MSI Katana 17 offers superior gaming and 3D performance mainly due to a more advanced GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4060, compared to the Gigabyte A5's Nvidia RTX 3060, providing enhanced graphics processing capabilities. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate which is very important for smooth gameplay, but the MSI Katana 17's better GPU makes it more adept for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.3/10
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 Gigabyte A5 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is rated higher for engineering and design use than the Gigabyte A5 because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, a superior GPU, and better battery life, which are very important for demanding tasks. Despite better core specs for performance, the MSI Katana 17 is less portable and has a lower keyboard quality rating compared to the Gigabyte A5, two factors that can impact user experience during long work sessions.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
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
7.0/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for software development, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
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
7.2/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gigabyte A5's display offers a balance of resolution, brightness, and panel type that provides clear visuals and comfort for everyday tasks. In engineering and design work, it delivers wider color coverage essential for precision in color-sensitive projects. However, its lower refresh rate limits the performance in Gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion and quick screen updates are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gigabyte A5 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
"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 Gigabyte A5 or the MSI Katana 17
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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