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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The HP 250 G10 is a budget-friendly option best suited for basic tasks due to its more modest processor and integrated graphics, but it also offers exceptional battery life and portability. The MSI Katana 15, on the other hand, commands a higher price with its more powerful processor and dedicated gaming graphics card, making it an excellent choice for gaming, 3D work, and more intensive engineering tasks. However, the MSI's superior performance comes at the expense of battery life and it is heavier, which may impact its portability. Your choice should be guided by your primary use case: opt for the HP for everyday use and value for money, or choose the MSI if you need robust performance for specialized tasks. 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 250 G10
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.3
7.5
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for general use, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
The HP 250 G10 offers less storage space and a lower screen resolution and quality than the MSI Katana 15, which may impact multitasking and the visual experience during general use. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15's superior CPU and dedicated graphics card suggest better overall performance, but this comes with a tradeoff in terms of a lower battery life and a heavier build, which may affect portability.
Gaming and AI
5.7
7.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
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.
Engineering and Design
5.8
7.7
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
The HP 250 G10 is less suited for engineering and design due to its lower-end CPU and GPU, as well as a basic TN display with lower resolution, all of which limit performance and visual clarity. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 offers a more powerful CPU and advanced Nvidia GPU, coupled with a higher resolution IPS screen, providing faster processing, better graphics performance, and superior image quality necessary for such tasks.
Content Creation
6.2
7.4
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 is good for content creation, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
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
6.4
7.0
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for software development, while the HP 250 G10 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.
Screen Quality
5.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the HP 250 G10 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP 250 G10's screen may not provide the clarity and vividness needed for everyday tasks due to its lower resolution and brightness, making images and text less sharp and colors less vibrant. With engineering and design, where accurate color representation is critical, the lack of wider color gamut coverage in both models means colors might not be as true-to-life as needed for professional work. For gaming and 3D applications, the MSI Katana 15, while offering a fair experience for basic use, falls short due to its lower refresh rate, which can result in less fluid motion and slower response times in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP 250 G10 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP 250 G10 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0
7.2
The MSI Katana 15 has good build quality, while the HP 250 G10 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$349
$949
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The HP 250 G10 has a price of $349 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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How the HP 250 G10 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP 250 G10 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$349 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.73'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel N200 | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | 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 | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HP 250 G10
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Nikolay Palaozov | December 2023
"The HP 250 G10 is a decent budget device that surprises us with its high CPU frequencies under load. Still, our configuration has a Core i5-1335U which doesn’t require significant cooling, if choose a 28W P-series processor, maybe the situation with the clocks could be different. If you want to play some casual game after work, a memory in dual-channel is a must because it increases greatly the iGPU performance."
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 HP 250 G10 or the MSI Katana 15
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.
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