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Updated January 12, 2024·
The MSI Creator Z16P offers a blend of power and portability, with high-end performance tailored for creative tasks and decent battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go professionals. Its higher price reflects premium features like a sharp and vibrant display, which is great for design work. The MSI Katana 17 is less costly and provides a larger screen with a focus on gaming, aided by a strong graphics card. It's bulkier and has a longer battery life, ideal for extended gaming sessions or multitasking without the need for high portability. For demanding engineering tasks, the Creator Z16P may be preferred, while the Katana 17 could appeal to those prioritizing gaming and value for money. 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 overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator Z16P.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
394.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MSI Creator Z16P boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it excellent for general use and engineering tasks which require accurate color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate can make fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to specialized gaming laptops. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, while offering a decent all-around display for general tasks, may not deliver the same level of color accuracy for professional design work, and like the Z16P, its screen refresh rate may not be ideal for the demands of high-speed gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
7.2
The MSI Creator Z16P 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
394.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for general use.
The MSI Creator Z16P offers a higher resolution display with a better color range, which is crucial for visual tasks, and it has a stronger CPU for demanding applications, but its portability and battery life are not as optimized as one might prefer for on-the-go usage. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, while it has ample RAM and a large screen for multitasking and enjoying media, its lower resolution and color accuracy might not be ideal for design-focused tasks, although it offers a better balance between screen size and portability.
Gaming and AI
7.6
7.9
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 17 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI Creator Z16P is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a high 165Hz refresh rate screen, enhancing its gaming and 3D abilities but with a less powerful CPU than the MSI Katana 17, which offers a Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU with a solid 144Hz screen ensuring smooth gameplay and strong 3D performance. While both have quality displays, the Creator Z16P has a slightly better screen quality, which may appeal to those prioritizing visuals alongside performance.
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Creator Z16P are both very good for engineering and design.
The MSI Creator Z16P is excellent for engineering and design because of its top-tier CPU and GPU combo (Intel i9-12900H with Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti), high RAM, and superior screen quality with a higher resolution, making it ideal for detailed work; however, it sacrifices portability and has a louder operating noise.
Content Creation
7.9
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and MSI Katana 17 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
7.6
7.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and MSI Katana 17 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.
Cost
$1,300
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Creator Z16P has a price of $1,300 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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How the MSI Creator Z16P and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Creator Z16P | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.27 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
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 | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 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 | 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
See more
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 17
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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 MSI Creator Z16P or the MSI Katana 17
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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