The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is significantly more expensive and offers a larger screen, more powerful processor, and better graphics. It excels in intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks but is less portable due to its larger size and weight. The MSI Katana 15 is more affordable, with a slightly smaller screen and lower-end CPU and GPU, making it suitable for general use and some gaming. Its lighter weight and smaller dimensions enhance its portability. 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 17H
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 17H.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
7.6/10
9.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H stands out for gaming and 3D with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 360Hz, providing smoother visuals and enhanced gameplay compared to the MSI Katana 15, which has a capable but less powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a 144Hz screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
7.7/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
9.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H stands out for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i7 processor, superior Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, and higher quality display with greater brightness and color coverage, making it ideal for demanding tasks and detailed work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
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 17H 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.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 17H likely offers a high-resolution, bright display with a versatile panel type suitable for various tasks, providing clear visuals for day-to-day activities. For tasks related to engineering and design where color accuracy is essential, this laptop's screen probably covers a broader spectrum of color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color reproduction. However, due to a lower refresh rate, the experience might be less smooth in gaming and 3D applications, where fast-paced visuals are crucial.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a price of $2,000 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H offers a robust CPU and ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and performance for demanding applications, along with a high-quality screen suited for vivid visuals, but its larger size and weight affect portability and may lead to shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the MSI Katana 15 provides a balance between performance and mobility, with a capable CPU and sufficient RAM for general tasks, a decent screen, and better portability due to its lighter build, although this may also come with a tradeoff in screen size and battery life.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.0/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 17H 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 17H and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
"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 17H 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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