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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a top-tier choice for professionals who need exceptional performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering, thanks to its high-end processor and GPU, ample RAM, and a stunning Mini LED display with a high resolution and refresh rate. It's also built for portability and has a good battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go creatives. However, it comes with a premium price tag. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 offers a more budget-friendly option with respectable performance for general use and some gaming, featuring a solid processor and a decent GPU. It has a lower resolution screen and less RAM, which might limit its capabilities for more demanding tasks, but it's still a robust choice for everyday computing and casual gaming. It's also slightly heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Creator 16. In summary, if your primary concern is top-notch performance for intensive tasks and you're willing to invest, the Creator 16 is the way to go. But if you're looking for a cost-effective laptop for general use with some gaming capabilities, the Katana 15 is a sensible choice. 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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio.
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.5
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
1000.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio 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
8.9
7.6
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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
9.5
7.7
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is best in class for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
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.
Content Creation
9.1
7.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent 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
8.9
7.0
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio 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
9.7
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
1000.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 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.
Cost
$2,999
$949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a price of $2,999 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator 16 AI Studio to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and MSI Katana 15 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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Creator 16 AI Studio | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,999 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2024 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.2'' x 0.79'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.39 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.22" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 1000 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 1 | 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
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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio or the MSI Katana 15
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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