A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
If budget is a primary concern and you need to save some cash, the HP Omen 15 offers good value while being more affordable than the MSI Katana 17. However, if you are looking for larger screen real estate for gaming or productivity tasks and can invest a bit more, the MSI Katana 17 may be worth the extra cost. The HP Omen 15 is likely more portable due to its smaller size, making it easier to carry around if you tend to move a lot. On the other hand, higher-spec models might differ in performance, where one laptop could excel in tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning; always check the specific hardware like the processor, graphics card, and RAM. Battery life is another consideration; gaming laptops, in general, have shorter battery lives, but there might be a difference between these two, so look for reviews on their battery performance if you need to be unplugged for longer periods. 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 Omen 15
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.8/10
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 Omen 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.3
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The HP Omen 15 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The HP Omen 15, with its fine resolution and panel quality, suits everyday tasks and design work, providing clarity and color accuracy vital for engineering and creative applications. However, its lower refresh rate hampers gaming and 3D modeling experiences, which rely heavily on smooth motion. The MSI Katana 17 offers comparable qualities for general usage and satisfactory color representation for engineering work, but like the HP, it falls short for gaming and 3D tasks due to its insufficient refresh rate.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP Omen 15 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Omen 15 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,012
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Omen 15 has a price of $1,012 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
318.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and HP Omen 15 are both good for general use.
The HP Omen 15 has a lower amount of RAM and a less powerful main processor compared to the MSI Katana 17, which contributes to it being rated as good for general use, although its smaller screen size and longer battery life enhance its portability. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17's superior RAM, more recent and powerful main processor, and larger screen imply a very good general use experience, despite the tradeoff in portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.6
7.9
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and HP Omen 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The HP Omen 15, equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, offers solid gaming and 3D capabilities suitable for many current games. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 stands out with a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a similarly high screen refresh rate on a larger screen, enhancing gaming and 3D performance for more demanding titles.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
7.4/10
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 Omen 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.
Software Development
7.6
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Omen 15 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The HP Omen 15 and MSI Katana 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the HP Omen 15 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Omen 15 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,012 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.4'' x 0.9'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.42 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.44" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 70.9 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 318 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HP Omen 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2021
"We consider around 1,260 Euros (~$1530) for a Ryzen 7 4800H, a GeForce RTX 2060, a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB dual-channel RAM to be a good offer that appeals to price-conscious gamers. Very high details are rarely a problem in the native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. Buyers will also be spoiled with a top-notch battery life that even beats most other notebook classes. If HP now improves the speed of the WLAN module, the stability of the case and the repeatedly criticized picture quality, the competition will have to dress extra warmly."
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 Omen 15 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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