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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The HP Omen 16 offers a balance of performance, portability, and price, making it a cost-effective option for general use and gaming. With its slightly smaller screen and better battery life, it is more portable than the MSI Katana 17, which might be a deciding factor if you often carry your laptop around. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 comes with more storage and memory, which can be crucial for resource-intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or machine learning. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which could be a compromise if you prioritize mobility and long-term use without charging. Both have similar graphics capabilities, but the MSI's larger screen size provides an immersive experience for gaming and multimedia, at the cost of added bulk. Consider your primary needs: if portability and a better price point are key, go for the HP Omen 16; if a bigger screen, more storage, and memory outweigh the need for mobility, choose the MSI Katana 17. 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 16
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the HP Omen 16.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
6.9
16.1in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
338.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The HP Omen 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the HP Omen 16 and MSI Katana 17 offer pleasing visuals with their high-resolution displays and sufficient brightness, which makes text sharp and content vibrant. The HP Omen 16 offers better color accuracy for engineering and design workflows with its broader color gamut coverage, providing more precise hues necessary for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks, both laptops fall short as their lower refresh rates do not provide the smooth motion required for high-speed gaming and fluid 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP Omen 16 has 6 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
Fair
Fair
16.1in
SIZE
17.3in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Omen 16 and MSI Katana 17 both have only fair portability, though the HP Omen 16 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Omen 16 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
338.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and HP Omen 16 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 is favored for general use due to its larger screen and superior RAM, coupled with a more vivid display and generous storage, though its heavier weight may compromise portability when compared to the HP Omen 16, which also offers robust performance but with less RAM and storage and a shorter battery life. Both laptops possess premium CPUs and GPUs, ensuring smooth operations, yet the HP has a better-reported keyboard and speaker quality, though this advantage may be offset by the MSI's exceptional heat management.
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Omen 16 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The HP Omen 16 and MSI Katana 17 are considered very good for gaming and 3D because they both have powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics cards and high refresh rate IPS screens, making them excellent for smooth and immersive gameplay. The HP Omen 16 has a slightly higher refresh rate, which can give gamers a slight edge in fast-paced games, while the MSI Katana 17 has a larger screen and more RAM, which could enhance the gaming experience and multitasking performance.
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and HP Omen 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The HP Omen 16 offers powerful CPU and GPU performance suitable for demanding engineering and design programs, complemented by its high screen brightness and color accuracy; however, the MSI Katana 17 takes it further with double the storage space and RAM, enhancing multitasking and large project handling, albeit its screen has lower color coverage, which could be less ideal for color-critical work. While the Omen is easier to carry with slightly better portability and longer battery life, the Katana's larger display and additional RAM can be more beneficial for complex tasks despite being slightly heavier and with a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
9.6/10
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 16 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
9.6/10
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 16 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
7.4
7.2
The HP Omen 16 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 16 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Omen 16 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.5'' x 10.2'' x 0.93'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.4 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.53" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.21" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 83 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.1" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 338 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
HP Omen 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | October 2021
"The Omen 16 has proven to be a fairly good mid-range gaming laptop with all-around improvements compared to the Omen 15. The high overall performance level across all use cases, the long battery life, and the good FHD display constitute the main advantages of this HP laptop. The main drawbacks are the faulty touchpad (one-off?) and the high latencies that can be observed even after just opening the browser. Furthermore, the useless, preinstalled 30-day trial versions of various software also fall under the category "unnecessary"."
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 16 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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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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