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Envy 17
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Katana 15
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If you prioritize a larger screen and longer battery life for general use like browsing, the HP Envy 17 with its touch-enabled display could be a suitable choice. However, if gaming or 3D applications are crucial for you and you're okay with a slightly smaller screen, the MSI Katana 15, with its higher-quality graphics card and better performance in intensive tasks, would be a more apt fit despite a shorter battery life. Keep in mind, the HP Envy may be less costly, while the MSI Katana offers better hardware for tasks requiring more graphical power, and it also has a higher refresh rate screen for smoother visuals in fast-paced games. 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 Envy 17
  • Good portability
  • Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
  • Good for gaming and AI
  • Good speakers

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

6.4
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.6
3.8/10
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
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Envy 17 is only fair.

Screen Quality

6.8
Envy 17
Katana 15
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The HP Envy 17 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.

Battery

8.0 Hours
Envy 17
Katana 15
4.0 Hours
The HP Envy 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.5
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The HP Envy 17 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.

Engineering and Design

7.4
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and HP Envy 17 are both good for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.5
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Envy 17 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.5
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Envy 17 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.

Portability

Good
Envy 17
Katana 15
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Envy 17 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
Envy 17
Katana 15
7.2
The HP Envy 17 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality.

Cost

$1,000
Envy 17
Katana 15
$949
Product imageProduct image

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

The HP Envy 17 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.

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How the HP Envy 17 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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HP Envy 17MSI Katana 15
HP Envy 17MSI Katana 15

GENERAL

Price
$1,000
$949
Release Date
May 1, 2023February 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
15.7'' x 10.2'' x 0.77''14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98''
Weight
5.49 lbs4.96 lbs
Width
15.68"14.13"
Depth
10.2"10.2"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-13700HIntel i5-12450H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
02
Storage
512 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours4 Hours
Battery Capacity
55 Wh53.5 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
17.3"15.6"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
329 nits258 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.2/107.2/10
Portability Score
7/106.9/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6.5/107.5/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
33
USB-C ports
21
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
32
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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HP Envy 17

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Marcus Schwarten | April 2023
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."

MSI Katana 15

See more

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 Envy 17 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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Why trust us

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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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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