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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Katana 17, consider that the Surface Laptop Studio offers versatility with its flexible hinge for use as a laptop or drawing tablet, and it has a higher resolution, but is less suitable for high-performance gaming due to its less powerful graphics card. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 provides a larger screen and more storage, and it's equipped with a stronger graphics card for gaming and intensive tasks. However, it lacks the 2-in-1 functionality and the portability of the Surface Laptop, being heavier and bulkier. The right choice depends on whether you value portability and flexibility over gaming and intensive performance capabilities. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for gaming and 3D because it offers a more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which is equipped with a decent GPU and screen refresh rate, but ultimately falls short in comparison for these tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.9/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is considered very good for engineering and design mainly because it boasts a more powerful CPU and GPU, and double the RAM of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which significantly improves performance for demanding applications. Although the Surface Laptop Studio offers better screen quality and portability with its unique hinge design for multipurpose use, the larger screen and higher refresh rate of the Katana may be more beneficial for detailed engineering work, despite its lesser portability and screen color coverage.
Screen Quality
8.0
6.9
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its high-resolution display and bright screen, offers sharp and vivid images, making it an ideal choice for everyday tasks and professional design work that requires accurate color representation. Its screen, which emphasizes color accuracy over refresh rate, is less suited for gaming or 3D work that typically benefits more from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17, while offering a decent resolution and brightness for general computing needs, falls short in providing the wide color gamuts needed for precision in engineering and design, and its refresh rate isn't high enough to satisfy the demands of gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Good
Fair
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
$1,700
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.9
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers greater portability, a higher resolution touchscreen with a more versatile hinge for tablet use, and a better battery life, which makes it good for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 has a larger screen, more RAM for multitasking, and a more powerful main processor and graphics unit, which provide very good performance for general use but at the expense of portability and battery life.
Content Creation
7.4
7.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.3
7.5
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | 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 Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
MSI Katana 17
See more
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Katana 17
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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