A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P is more expensive but provides higher performance for tasks such as engineering and gaming, thanks to its better main processor and more powerful graphics card. It also has double the RAM, which is beneficial for intensive multitasking. This laptop boasts a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, a considerably brighter screen, and wider color coverage, making it suitable for creative work. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which affects portability. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 is less expensive, lighter, and has longer battery life, making it more portable, but it offers lower performance due to its less powerful processor and graphics card, which may not be ideal for demanding engineering tasks or high-end gaming. 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 15P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus 15P.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P surpasses the MSI Katana 15 in engineering and design use primarily because of its higher-end CPU and significantly more powerful GPU, which are crucial for such tasks, along with double the RAM and a display with higher color accuracy. While both are similarly portable and equipped with quality keyboards and screens, the Aorus 15P's superior screen quality and quiet operation make it more suitable for intensive tasks, despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life compared to the Katana 15.
Screen Quality
8.1
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P 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 15P offers a display that delivers crisp and bright visuals with high resolution, suitable for general tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering, while its color range caters to professional design workflows. However, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness required for high-end gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Katana 15, while providing an acceptable level of detail and brightness for everyday use and sufficient color accuracy for some design tasks, also falls short for gaming and 3D content due to its subpar refresh rate.
Cost
$1,950
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P has a price of $1,950 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P and MSI Katana 15 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
7.3
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P and MSI Katana 15 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
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P has 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15P to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 15P and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 15P | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,950 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.6'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.8 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.6" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 300Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 15P
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | June 2021
"The Aorus 15P is a high-end gaming laptop with fast 360 Hz display. Gaming performance in the Aorus 15P YD is very high thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 installed here. However, with the use of the Intel Core i7-11800H, CPU performance also closes in on the strong competition from AMD. SSD performance is excellent as well, and it leaves no room for criticism. Thanks to the built-in Intel Core i7-11800H, the system performance of the Aorus 15P YD increases significantly."
MSI Katana 15
See more
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 Aorus 15P 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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,195
Recommendations made
21,493
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
