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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Gigabyte A7, being less expensive, offers a solid balance of performance and cost, suitable for general usage and gaming with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and RTX 3060 graphics. However, it has less storage and memory compared to the MSI Katana 17, which has more storage, double the memory, and a newer Intel processor along with the RTX 4060 for better performance in intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming. The MSI Katana 17 is slightly heavier but both laptops have similar screen sizes and 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 A7
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
Key differences
General Use
7.3
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
318.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The MSI Katana 17 stands out for general use due to having double the storage and twice as much RAM compared to the Gigabyte A7, which can improve multitasking and data access speeds, as well as a newer CPU and GPU combination for potentially smoother performance.
Gaming and AI
7.3
7.9
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 A7 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte A7 and MSI Katana 17 both have the same screen refresh rate, but the MSI Katana 17 has a more powerful graphics card, the Nvidia RTX 4060, compared to the Gigabyte A7's RTX 3060, making it better for gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, while both laptops have quality IPS screens, the MSI Katana 17 has a more advanced CPU, providing somewhat better overall performance for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.4
7.4/10
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 A7 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 outperforms the Gigabyte A7 for engineering and design uses because it has double the RAM and a more powerful GPU, which is crucial for demanding tasks like 3D modeling and simulation. Additionally, the MSI has a dual storage capability, a higher battery capacity boasting a better screen brightness which is important for visual clarity, while both laptops feature a comparable screen size and quality; however, the Gigabyte A7 is slightly lighter, with a bit more emphasis on keyboard and speaker quality than the MSI.
Content Creation
7.3
7.8
7.4/10
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 A7 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
7.5
7.4/10
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 A7 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
7.3
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 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.
The Gigabyte A7's panel type, resolution, and brightness contribute to its solid performance for general use, ensuring clear and vivid visuals in a range of applications. For engineering and design tasks, its ability to display a wide range of colors is beneficial, though it may not satisfy the most color-critical work due to its limitations in color gamuts. In contrast, for gaming and 3D work, the screen's lower refresh rate hampers performance, with less fluid motion and slower response times compared to displays designed for these tasks.
Battery
4.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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.
Cost
$940
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte A7 has a price of $940 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte A7 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The Gigabyte A7 and MSI Katana 17 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 Gigabyte A7 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte A7 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$940 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.19'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.58 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.59" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.31" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
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 | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 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 Gigabyte A7 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.
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