If portability and battery life are important to you, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 with its longer battery life and lighter weight is a good choice. It provides solid performance for general use and is especially designed for business, with features like a high-quality keyboard and additional security like a fingerprint reader. The MSI Katana 15, on the other hand, is heavier with a shorter battery life but offers much higher performance suited for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its more powerful graphics card. This makes it ideal for engineering tasks and intensive gaming, though it's less portable. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
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
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The MSI Katana 15 boasts a superior dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, which has an integrated AMD Radeon 680M graphics card and a lower refresh rate. The ThinkPad Z13's graphics and refresh rate are adequate for casual gaming, but the Katana 15's attributes provide a smoother and more visually detailed experience, necessary for intensive gaming and graphic tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.0/10
6.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a display with higher resolution and brightness, making it clear and easy to view for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate can hinder the smoothness required for 3D applications and gaming. While the MSI Katana 15 offers consistency with adequate resolution and brightness across the board, its performance is not outstanding in any specific area. Both laptops may not fully satisfy users focused on engineering and design due to limitations in color reproduction, and gamers may find the refresh rates less than ideal for fast-paced gaming experiences.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
Excellent
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a balance of performance suitable for general use with its capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, vibrant screen with touch capability, excellent portability due to its light weight and compact size, and strong battery life that supports prolonged mobile use.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.7/10
6.8/10
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for engineering and design.
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.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.8/10
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Cost
$1,000
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
"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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the MSI Katana 15
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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