If price is a major concern and you primarily use your laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption, the HP 17" Laptop may be the better choice as it is more affordable. However, if you require higher performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, the MSI Katana 17, despite being more expensive, would better meet your needs due to its more powerful hardware. Keep in mind that larger, performance-oriented laptops like the MSI typically have shorter battery life and are less portable than their lower-cost, less powerful counterparts like the HP. 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 HP 17" Laptop
Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
287.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
The MSI Katana 17 offers more RAM and a higher-end CPU and GPU, allowing for better performance in general use than the HP 17" Laptop, which has less RAM and a less powerful processor and graphics. While both have similar screen sizes and qualities, the MSI has a higher battery capacity and advanced features such as hardware ray tracing and a backlit keyboard, contributing to a superior overall experience despite being less portable and having shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 offers superior gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card which is more powerful than the HP 17" Laptop's AMD Ryzen 7 7730U Vega 8 integrated graphics, and it also has a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz compared to the HP's 60 Hz, enabling smoother visuals in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
8.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop is a solid choice for engineering and design thanks to its capable AMD processor and integrated graphics, but the MSI Katana 17 surpasses it with a more powerful Intel processor, dedicated Nvidia graphics, and double the RAM, which is very important for such tasks. While both have good screen quality and IPS displays, the MSI's higher refresh rate screen is a benefit, though it's less portable and has a heavier build than the HP, which could be an important consideration for some users.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for content creation, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
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
6.6/10
6.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP's fair screen quality suggests that while it may have adequate resolution and brightness, it may not offer the vivid colors and sharpness that the MSI Katana provides with its good screen quality, making the latter a better choice for everyday tasks that involve multimedia consumption. When it comes to engineering and design, the importance of color accuracy means that neither laptop's screens likely meet the high standards for professional color work, as fair quality indicates limited coverage of professional color gamuts. For 3D and gaming, the poor screen quality of both laptops implies that they have subpar refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals, a significant drawback for fast-paced games or fluid 3D rendering.
Battery
5.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP 17" Laptop has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 has good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
The MSI Katana 17 and HP 17" Laptop 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.
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How the HP 17" Laptop and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"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 HP 17" Laptop or the MSI Katana 17
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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