A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the LG Gram 17
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.6
3.7/10
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 17 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.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
5.5/10
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 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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
7.0
5.5/10
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 17 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the LG Gram 17 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
7.2
6.8
17.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
323.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 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.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
12.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The LG Gram 17 has 12.5 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
Good
Fair
17.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The LG Gram 17 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
323.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
12.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The LG Gram 17 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
7.3
7.7
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and LG Gram 17 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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.2
The MSI Katana 15 and LG Gram 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$948
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The LG Gram 17 has a price of $948 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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How the LG Gram 17 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Gram 17 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$948 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.98 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.97" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.24" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 323 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | 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
LG Gram 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"The LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"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 17 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.
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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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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