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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte A7 typically offers a larger display and is more cost-effective, making it well-suited for general use, multimedia consumption, and lighter gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 is priced higher due to its more robust hardware, including a newer graphics card, which provides much better performance for intensive tasks, such as advanced gaming or 3D work. The MSI also tends to have a longer battery life, making it better for extended use away from a power source, but the Gigabyte A7 could be heavier and less portable. Consider these aspects to determine which laptop aligns better with your needs and budget. 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 A7
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte A7.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Gigabyte A7's superior resolution and brightness make it appealing, offering a clearer and more vibrant display than the MSI Katana 15. For engineering and design, the A7 stands out with better color accuracy, covering a broader spectrum of color gamuts, which is essential for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the A7 falls short due to a lower refresh rate, making the MSI Katana potentially more fluid despite its average resolution and panel type.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte A7 both have only fair portability, though the MSI Katana 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
318.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A7 offers ample screen size with high brightness making it good for general use, although it's heavier and has less battery life compared to the MSI Katana 15, which compensates with greater storage space and a lighter build enhancing its portability for similar use cases.
Gaming and AI
7.3
7.6
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 15 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte A7 is suited for gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high 144Hz screen refresh rate, which provides smooth visuals, although the CPU and screen quality are also strong contributors. The MSI Katana 15, with its newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, allows for even more robust gaming and 3D performance and shares the same 144 Hz screen refresh rate, promising fluid gameplay with a slight edge in processing power.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte A7 is well-suited for engineering and design work due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, ensuring strong performance with demanding tasks, and it has a high-quality large screen which benefits detailed work, though it's less portable and heavier than MSC Katana 15.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
7.4/10
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 MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte A7 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
7.0
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte A7 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
4.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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
7.2
7.2
The Gigabyte A7 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$940
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A7 has a price of $940 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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How the Gigabyte A7 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte A7 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$940 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.19'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.58 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.59" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.31" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49 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 | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 318 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 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 | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte A7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | October 2021
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
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 Gigabyte A7 or the MSI Katana 15
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.
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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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