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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you value portability and longer battery life, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is a smaller and lighter option with a more compact screen that may better suit everyday carry and general use. However, the MSI Katana 17 provides a larger screen and more powerful hardware which caters to those who need higher performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering tasks but must also be prepared for additional weight and potentially shorter battery life. Keep in mind, the MSI might command a higher price for these benefits. Consider your primary activities—whether they lean towards productivity and travel, or performance-demanding applications—when making your choice. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.9
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is only fair.
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
7.6
8.4
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.9/10
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 Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is preferred for engineering and design tasks because it has a more powerful processor, double the memory, and a higher-end graphics card; it also features a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, enabling smoother visuals important for design work. However, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14 offers a better balance of portability with a lighter and more compact form, superior screen quality in terms of brightness and color coverage, and longer battery life, which may be more attractive for those who prioritize mobility and outdoor visibility.
Screen Quality
7.1
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro's screen offers a pleasing resolution and brightness, making it great for everyday tasks and viewing documents or websites, which is what general use typically involves. For engineering and design professionals, the Dragonfly Pro provides wide color gamuts ensuring precise color representation, but its screen may not refresh quickly enough for smooth 3D rendering or gaming. In contrast, the MSI Katana's screen, while suitable for general activities, may not offer the same color accuracy for engineering and design and also falls short on the high refresh rates desired for 3D applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
405.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" excels in portability and battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use, while its screen quality and keyboard are rated highly for comfortable viewing and typing. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 offers a larger screen, more storage, and double the RAM for multitasking or more demanding applications, but trades off with lower portability and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.9
7.8
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and MSI Katana 17 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
7.8
7.5
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 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 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.
Cost
$1,400
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Dragonfly Pro 14" | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.42 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.39" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.78" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64.6 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 405 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"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."
MSI Katana 17
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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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
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