The LG Gram 16 is lighter and has a longer battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go use and general tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, though heavier and with shorter battery life, offers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering, thanks to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card. If your priority is gaming or resource-intensive applications, the MSI Katana 15 is the better option, but if you prefer a lightweight machine for everyday tasks with longer unplugged usage, the LG Gram 16 is ideal. 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 LG Gram 16
Good overall display quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Gram 16 is only fair.
The LG Gram 16, with its integrated Intel GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers moderate performance for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Katana 15 with its dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate is better suited for these more demanding tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the LG Gram 16 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
7.3/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
347.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The LG Gram 16 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 LG Gram 16's higher resolution and brightness make it more suitable for tasks that demand clarity and detail, crucial for both general use and engineering work, while its limited color gamut and refresh rate make it less ideal for gaming and 3D where color precision and fluid motion are key. The MSI Katana 15's fair screen quality indicates that while it may suffice for general activities and some engineering applications, it doesn't excel in these areas, and equally falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lack of premium color coverage and higher refresh rates. Both laptops, then, compromise on screen specifications that limit their effectiveness for immersive or color-sensitive tasks like gaming and 3D design, despite being adequate for everyday productivity and engineering-related work that heavily rely on resolution and brightness.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The LG Gram 16 has 15 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
Very Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The LG Gram 16 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,450
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The LG Gram 16 has a price of $1,450 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The LG Gram 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.7/10
7.9/10
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 LG Gram 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The LG Gram 16 with its Intel i7 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics offers substantial power for engineering applications and crisp screen quality for design tasks, while also being recognized for its long battery life and portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 16 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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 15 and LG Gram 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the LG Gram 16 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The LG Gram 16 is a lightweight device with stability issues. The LG Gram 16Z90Q with a Core i7-1260P is made with portability in mind and places less of a focus on users with high demands on performance. The compact and light chassis is particularly practical when you are on the go. The device is not only comfortably small and lightweight, it also boasts a great battery life. When connected to mains, on the other hand, the 16-inch device is rather disappointing. The standard cooling mode causes extreme volatility in terms of CPU, SSD and iGPU performance. The meager stability of the chassis may also put off some potential buyers."
"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 LG Gram 16 or the MSI Katana 15
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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