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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte G5 tends to be less expensive with decent performance for general purposes and gaming, though with slightly lower build and display quality compared to the MSI Katana 15. The G5 has more colorful keyboard backlighting and larger storage, while the Katana 15 offers better heat management and fan noise handling, and is more suitable for engineering applications due to its higher RAM and better screen accuracy. Both have good graphics capabilities for gaming and creative work. If budget is a concern and you need vibrant keyboard lighting with ample storage, the G5 is a solid choice; however, if you can invest more for better thermal performance, quieter operation, and require additional memory for engineering tasks, the Katana 15 is a more fitting 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 G5
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for software development
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
248.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for content creation, and software development.
When considering a laptop for general use, both the Gigabyte G5 and MSI Katana 15 offer screens that are adequate, but their resolution, brightness, and panel types may not provide the sharpest images or the best color representation. For engineering and design, the importance of accurate color representation means that the limited color gamuts on these laptops may not meet the needs of professionals looking for precise color fidelity. As for 3D and gaming, both laptops fall short on providing a fluid visual experience due to their lower refresh rates, although they can handle basic tasks and less demanding games.
Cost
$868
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte G5 has a price of $868 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.1
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15 offers double the storage and RAM of the Gigabyte G5, likely contributing to its better multitasking and responsiveness for general use. Additionally, while both have similar screen quality and CPUs, the Katana 15 has a slightly higher portability and battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
7.3
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Katana 15 are both equipped with a potent Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, characteristics that are crucial for smooth visuals and responsiveness during gaming and 3D applications. While both have robust CPUs, the screen quality is also important, with each featuring a quality IPS panel which is favorable for good color reproduction and wide viewing angles.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte G5 is equipped with a capable CPU and GPU combo, adequate RAM, and has a quality IPS screen, making it suitable for engineering and design work, although it has a smaller storage capacity compared to the MSI Katana 15, which has double the RAM, suggesting smoother performance in resource-intensive tasks and a slightly brighter screen, enhancing visual clarity. While both are similar in weight and dimensions, the MSI Katana 15 is slightly less portable and the Gigabyte G5 has a better speaker quality, yet both laptops might be slightly noisy under heavy loads.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and Gigabyte G5 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
6.8
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 15 to be good for software development, while the Gigabyte G5 is only fair.
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
3.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte G5 to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The Gigabyte G5 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 G5 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte G5 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$868 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 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 | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 248 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte G5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | April 2023
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
MSI Katana 15
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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 G5 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.
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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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