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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a premium experience with a heftier price tag, more powerful processor, more memory, a higher resolution and aspect ratio on a smaller touchscreen that may make tasks like graphic design more intuitive. Despite the better specifications, it is less portable compared to the MSI Katana 15. The MSI model, priced midrange, offers a larger screen with traditional resolution and aspect ratio suited for gaming and entertainment but lacks a touchscreen. It has a good balance of performance and price, making it a sensible choice if you're looking for good value without the need for higher-end features. 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 2
- 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.5
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for general use due to its robust CPU and ample RAM, which ensure responsive performance and multitasking capabilities; it also benefits from a high-resolution touchscreen with versatile display hinge, contributing to superior screen quality, and a relatively long battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, while offering the same GPU for decent performance, has a lower-tier CPU and less RAM, which may affect multitasking and demanding tasks, and its conventional design lacks touch capability, though it compensates with a larger screen and is still suitable for general use.
Engineering and Design
8.7
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful i7 processor, abundant 64GB of RAM, and high-quality screen with superior brightness and color coverage, which are critical for detail-oriented tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, while also good for such tasks with a capable i7 processor and the same GPU, offers less RAM and a lower-quality screen, making it a less optimal but more affordable alternative for engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.4
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
7.9
6.8
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant color accuracy, making it well-suited for crisp text and detailed visuals in general use and precise colors for professional engineering and design work. However, it lacks a high refresh rate which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Katana 15 offers a fair compromise with adequate resolution and color representation for everyday tasks and engineering software, but like the Surface, it falls short in gaming and 3D performance due to a lower refresh rate not tailored for such demands.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 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
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,300
$949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a price of $3,300 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
7.5/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in gaming and 3D with a higher-end CPU, superior screen resolution, and a higher refresh rate for smooth visuals, while the MSI Katana 15, also equipped with a powerful GPU for gaming and 3D tasks, offers a higher max screen refresh rate for potentially smoother gameplay but has a less powerful CPU and lower screen resolution than the Surface Laptop Studio 2.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 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 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Katana 15
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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