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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a versatile form factor and touch screen for creative tasks or presentations, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 may better suit your needs despite its higher price. If you prefer a larger screen and potentially better gaming performance for less cost, the MSI Katana 17 could serve you well, especially for gaming or viewing content, but it will be bulkier and less portable. The Surface Laptop may offer better build quality and screen resolution, which can be important for professional work, while the Katana focuses on providing decent performance for its price but may compromise on display quality and build. 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 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 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Key differences
Content Creation
8.4
7.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 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
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 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 17 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
6.9
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and ample brightness, making it ideal for everyday tasks like web browsing and watching videos. In the realm of engineering and design, it excels with its broad color gamuts, offering precise color representation critical for professional-grade graphics work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its screen falls short due to a lower refresh rate, leading to less fluid motion compared to displays designed specifically for these fast-paced environments.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 2 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
$3,300
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a price of $3,300 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
7.9
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in general use with a high-quality screen, a versatile touch display, and ample RAM for multitasking, while being lighter and more portable, which is ideal for on-the-go users who value flexibility and screen clarity. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, with a larger screen size, and ample storage and RAM, offers a more traditional laptop experience suitable for users who prioritize a spacious display and good heat management over portability, making it less convenient for frequent travel.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.9
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 MSI Katana 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Katana 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is equipped with a flexible display hinge for adaptability in engineering and design tasks, providing tablet functionality alongside strong CPU, ample RAM, and a capable GPU, which are vital for such workloads. Meanwhile, the MSI Katana 17, though less portable due to its larger screen and a bit heavier build, offers a similar CPU and GPU strength with a quality screen, but half the RAM of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 which might affect multitasking performance for demanding engineering applications.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 32 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 | 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 | 503 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 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 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 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 2 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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