The Gigabyte Aorus 17G is pricier but offers a larger screen, higher refresh rate, and better battery capacity, making it ideal for intensive gaming and engineering tasks but less portable due to its size and weight. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 is more affordable, lighter, and has more storage, making it suitable for general use and portability, but it may not perform as well for demanding 3D or machine learning tasks. If battery life and a high-refresh display are less critical, the MSI Katana 15's value and portability could be more appealing. 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 17G
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus 17G.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
282.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color reproduction, making it suitable for general use and engineering tasks where clarity and accuracy in colors are essential. However, its lower refresh rate is less ideal for gaming and 3D work, where smooth motion is key. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 provides acceptable brightness and resolution for everyday tasks and some design work but falls short for professional design standards and gaming experiences due to limited color range and refresh rate.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 17G both have only fair portability, though the MSI Katana 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,329
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G has a price of $2,329 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G, with its high-performance Intel i7 processor and RTX 3070 GPU, provides a strong combination for both productivity and entertainment, albeit being less portable and having moderate battery life. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 is more portable and offers ample storage, but compromises on the CPU speed and battery life, making it fit for users who prioritize carrying comfort over long usage without charging.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
7.6/10
7.6/10
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
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 17G are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G's higher refresh rate screen and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU make it a strong choice for smooth and visually demanding gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Katana 15, with its Nvidia RTX 4060 and quality IPS display, offers balanced performance for gaming though with a lower screen refresh rate. Both laptops pack capable CPUs but the Aorus 17G's slightly more powerful processor gives it an edge in more CPU-intensive scenarios.
Engineering and Design
7.8/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G and MSI Katana 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G is equipped with a high-performance i7 chip and an RTX 3070, making it very capable for demanding engineering and design tasks; its IPS screen offers good color coverage for detail-oriented work, but it's heavier and less travel-friendly.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.4/10
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 Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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
7.2/10
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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 17G and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The Aorus 17G isn't among the top RTX 3080 laptops due to its relatively low TGP of 105 watts. The device's gaming performance is average for an RTX 3080. For maximum performance, competitors like the Lenovo Legion 7 or the Alienware m17 R4 are recommended With the Aorus 17G, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded gaming laptop. However, the device generates a high noise level. Throttling is not an issue. The CPU and GPU can develop their performance uniformly. Nevertheless, the device produces a lot of noise under load - more than many competitors."
"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 17G 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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