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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H generally costs more, offering a higher-end graphics card and processor, likely better suited for demanding tasks like gaming or 3D work, and it has a high refresh rate screen for smoother visuals. However, it is also heavier, which might make it less convenient to carry around. The MSI Katana 17, while less expensive, comes with more RAM which could be beneficial for multitasking and certain types of work, such as video editing. Its graphics card and processor, while still capable, are a step down from the Gigabyte, and its screen has a lower refresh rate, so it might not be as smooth in fast-paced scenarios but it will still be fine for general use. Furthermore, the MSI has a significantly smaller battery which could mean shorter usage time between charges. If portability and longer battery life are priorities and you want to save money, the MSI Katana 17 could be a better choice, but if you need peak performance for heavier tasks and don't mind the extra weight and higher cost, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H could be the better option. 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 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 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus 17H.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.7
7.9
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 17 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.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H offers a clear and vibrant display with a resolution that makes text and images crisp, coupled with brightness that ensures visibility even in well-lit environments. In engineering and design tasks, this laptop's display covers a wider range of colors, providing more precision for work that demands color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D modeling, the Aorus' lower refresh rate may not provide as fluid motion as required by those applications, while the MSI Katana 17, although adequate for typical usage and some level of color-critical work, may fall short in both color range and refresh rate needed for professional design and smooth gaming experiences.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has 6 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
$2,200
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a price of $2,200 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
351.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 is considered very good for general use with double the RAM of the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, which can help in smoother multitasking, even though both laptops have similar CPUs and screen quality. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H, with a stronger GPU and larger battery, can provide more powerful performance and longer unplugged use, but it is slightly heavier and thicker than the MSI Katana 17, making it less portable.
Engineering and Design
8.6
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
9.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and MSI Katana 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU, top-tier GPU, and high-quality IPS screen, although it's heavier and has lower portability compared to the MSI Katana 17, which also offers ample RAM for complex tasks and a good-quality screen, yet with a less powerful GPU and lower overall performance.
Content Creation
8.0
7.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 17H to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 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
7.5
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and MSI Katana 17 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.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 17 to have only fair portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 Aorus 17H and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 17H | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.16" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 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 | 360Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 351 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.9/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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Dig into reviews and images
eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"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."
MSI Katana 17
See more
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 Aorus 17H 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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