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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and value, the MSI Katana 15 is lighter and generally less expensive than the MSI Creator Z16P. However, the Creator Z16P has a better processor, higher screen resolution, and longer battery life, which suits demanding tasks such as 3D work, machine learning, or engineering better. The Katana 15 will still handle general use and gaming well, but with its lower resolution display and less powerful processor, it's not as equipped for intensive tasks as the Creator Z16P. Additionally, the Z16P's display has a high color accuracy and brightness, making it better for creative work where visual fidelity is key. 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 Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator Z16P.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Creator Z16P stands out for engineering and design due to its high-end CPU and GPU (Intel i9 and RTX 3070 Ti), which offer superior computation and graphics performance, and its high-resolution touchscreen with a wide color gamut, useful for precise designs.
Software Development
7.6
7.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
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
8.3
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
394.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MSI Creator Z16P offers a higher resolution and brighter display, providing sharp and vivid visuals for activities like document reading or web browsing, enhancing the experience for general use and detailed engineering tasks. Its wider color gamut coverage meets professional color standards, which is pivotal for design work, ensuring color accuracy and fidelity. On the other hand, for gaming and 3D, the Creator Z16P's lower refresh rate may lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to displays optimized for these purposes.
Build Quality
8.0
7.2
The MSI Creator Z16P 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
$1,300
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The MSI Creator Z16P has a price of $1,300 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
394.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Creator Z16P offers a high-end CPU, large high-resolution touchscreen, and a substantial battery, which make it a strong choice for demanding tasks and multimedia work, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life than the MSI Katana 15, which might make the latter more attractive for users needing a machine that's easier to carry around and lasts longer on a single charge, despite having a mid-range CPU and standard screen resolution without touch capabilities.
Gaming and AI
7.6
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI Creator Z16P is outfitted with a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a superior screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, optimizing it for demanding gaming and 3D tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, while still suitable for gaming and 3D applications, houses a slightly less powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which may subtly impact performance and fluidity in intensive scenarios.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and MSI Katana 15 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 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
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator Z16P to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the MSI Creator Z16P and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Creator Z16P | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.27 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 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 | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 394 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 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 | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
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 Z16P 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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