Choosing between the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the MSI Katana 15 depends largely on your needs and budget. The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is generally more expensive and offers a high-resolution display, better battery capacity, and more powerful processing capabilities, making it suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 is more affordable and has a lighter weight, which enhances portability, but it has a lower screen resolution and less robust processing performance, though it still supports modern gaming and general use. Consider whether performance or price and portability are your priority when making a decision. 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 Aorus 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus 15.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 excels in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, higher screen resolution and quality, making it ideal for intensive tasks despite being less portable and noisier. MSI Katana 15 is also suitable for these tasks but offers lower screen quality and a less powerful CPU, which might slow down demanding processes, although it gains points for being more portable and having a quieter operating noise.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
7.6/10
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 features a display with higher resolution and brightness, providing clarity and visibility that enhances the user's experience for both general use and detailed engineering work. It also covers a wider range of the color spectrum, which is crucial for professionals in engineering and design who require accurate color representation for their tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the laptop's lower refresh rate may lead to less fluid motion, making it less ideal for fast-paced visuals that gamers and 3D designers need.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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.
Cost
$1,500
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 offers a high-resolution display, a more robust processor, and better screen color accuracy, making it suitable for tasks that require sharper visuals and more processing power, though it is heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MSI Katana 15, which is lighter, thus more portable, and comes with a newer but less powerful CPU, suitable for lighter general use and longer periods away from a power source.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
7.6/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15 to be 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
"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 Aorus 15 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.
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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