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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For lightweight portability and long battery life, the LG Gram 17's larger, high-resolution screen is ideal for general use and productivity, especially with its superior battery life. However, the MSI Katana 15, being less expensive, offers better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming due to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, though it's heavier with shorter battery life. Choose the LG Gram for day-to-day tasks with occasional multimedia use, or the MSI Katana if your primary focus is on performance-demanding tasks and gaming. 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 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
353.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
11.0 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 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.6
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
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Gram 17 is only fair.
The LG Gram 17, with its integrated Iris Xe graphics, may not be as suited for high-end gaming and 3D tasks compared to the MSI Katana 15 which features an Nvidia RTX 4060 offering superior GPU performance, which is very important for these activities. While both have quality IPS displays, the MSI Katana 15 offers a higher screen refresh rate, essential for smoother gaming visuals, making it a preferable option for gaming and 3D applications.
Content Creation
8.4
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 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
8.2
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
32.0 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 is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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
7.4
6.8
17.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
353.0 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.
If you prioritize a clear and sharp image for everyday tasks, the LG Gram's higher resolution and brightness will provide an edge over the MSI Katana, especially when viewing documents or browsing the web. For engineering and design work where color accuracy matters, the LG Gram's better coverage of professional color gamuts will ensure that designs and images are displayed more true-to-life. However, for gaming or 3D rendering, the MSI Katana, while still not ideal, might offer a slightly smoother experience due to its panel's refresh rate, despite both laptops not having optimal screens for fast-paced visual content.
Battery
11.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The LG Gram 17 has 11 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.
Cost
$2,100
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The LG Gram 17 has a price of $2,100 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Gram 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The LG Gram 17 is favored for engineering and design due to its larger, high-resolution screen that offers better color accuracy, more RAM for multitasking, and a capable CPU for demanding tasks; although it benefits from a lightweight design enhancing portability, its GPU is not designed for heavy graphics work. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, while less portable and with a smaller, less vivid display, includes a more powerful dedicated GPU suitable for rendering and 3D work, but offers less RAM, which could limit performance in complex multitasking scenarios.
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.
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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 | |||
$2,100 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.98 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.91" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.19" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 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 | 353 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 | 8.8/10 | 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 | 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
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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