The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is a more portable option with significantly better battery life and a higher-resolution touchscreen, which makes it suitable for general use and business professionals who value mobility and long hours away from the charger. It also has a premium business-oriented design and can handle engineering tasks decently. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 has a larger screen with a much higher refresh rate, making it better suited for gaming and intensive 3D or machine learning tasks due to its powerful dedicated Nvidia graphics chip. It's less portable and has shorter battery life, but offers double the storage and is specifically designed for gaming aesthetics. Both have similar processing power and amount of memory, aiding in smooth performance for most applications. 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 Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is only fair.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" falls short in gaming and 3D because it has a lower-performance AMD Radeon GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, which may limit smoothness in fast-paced scenes. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 is better suited with its higher-performing Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 144Hz refresh rate that ensures more fluid visuals during gaming and 3D applications.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.0/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a high-resolution display with bright, crisp visuals, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks where clarity and color accuracy are key. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate which is crucial for smooth motion rendering. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, while providing serviceable resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and design work, may disappoint users seeking the vibrant and precise color range needed for professional editing, and also lacks the high refresh rate sought by gamers.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.2/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" provides an excellent balance for general use, with its strong CPU, sufficient RAM, high-quality touchscreen with better color coverage, light weight for better portability, and longer battery life, making it well-suited for mobile professionals. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, while also good for general use, caters more to gamers with its superior GPU and higher refresh rate display, but compromises on portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.7/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both good for engineering and design.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon 680M graphics is well-equipped for engineering and design tasks, also offering a high-quality, bright touchscreen display, making it an ideal choice for professionals who prioritize screen quality and touch interaction. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, powered by an Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics, caters to similar users but with a stronger emphasis on performance in graphics-intensive tasks, such as 3D rendering, thanks to its dedicated GPU, albeit with a slightly heavier build and lower screen brightness.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.4/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Katana 15 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.
Give feedback
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How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
"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 Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
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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