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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If your priority is saving money and having a highly portable device, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is a good choice; however, if you require a larger screen for gaming or more demanding applications and don't mind spending more, the MSI Katana 17 could be a better fit. The ThinkPad typically offers durability and a comfortable keyboard, making it suitable for business users who travel frequently, whereas the Katana tends to cater to users with more intensive graphics needs such as gaming or video editing, at the cost of being larger and heavier. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
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
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.3
8.4
6.8/10
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Radeon GPU, offers strong performance and high-quality screen for precise design work, yet remains portable and quieter, enhancing its suitability for mobile engineering tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 boasts a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, delivering superior performance for demanding engineering software and better screen refresh rates for design fluidity, though it's less portable and has a louder operating noise which may be a tradeoff for stationary use.
Screen Quality
7.0
6.9
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 provides a clear and bright display with a high resolution, ideal for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, while the MSI Katana 17 offers similar benefits but may differ in brightness or clarity. The ThinkPad Z13 excels in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color representation which is crucial for detailed work, but the Katana 17 doesn't match up as well in this aspect. However, both the ThinkPad Z13 and the Katana 17 have lower refresh rates and are not optimal for 3D work and gaming, where smoother motion provided by higher refresh rates is a key factor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
Excellent
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with a lighter design and longer battery life, is well-suited for portability and general use, while the MSI Katana 17, featuring a larger screen and higher performing CPU and GPU, is better for demanding tasks but is less portable due to its size and shorter battery life. Although both have high-quality displays and sufficient RAM and storage for general use, the MSI excels in performance while the Lenovo offers greater mobility and longer unplugged usage.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
6.8/10
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 MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.7
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Katana 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.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | 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 | 51.5 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 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 | 379 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"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."
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the MSI Katana 17
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.
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