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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering the MSI GE66 Raider and the MSI Katana 15, you have a choice between higher performance and portability. The Raider, with a more powerful CPU and top-tier GPU, will handle demanding gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks with ease. However, its higher price reflects these premium capabilities and it's heavier, making it less portable. Conversely, the Katana 15 offers good performance for general use and some gaming at a more manageable price, and is lighter for easier travel. Finalize your decision based on whether you prioritize cutting-edge gaming and creative performance or a balance of capability, cost, and convenience. 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 GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI GE66 Raider.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.5
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
347.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider is favored in general use primarily due to its more powerful CPU, double the amount of RAM, higher screen resolution, and stronger battery capacity compared to the MSI Katana 15, which makes for better performance and visual clarity at the cost of less portability and shorter battery life. The Katana 15, while more portable with a lighter build and design, compromises with a less potent CPU, less RAM, and a lower screen resolution, which may still suit basic tasks but might not handle intensive multitasking or high-resolution content as effectively.
Gaming and AI
8.6
7.6
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
9.1
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent 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
8.4
7.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.4
7.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
347.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider 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 GE66 Raider has a higher resolution and brightness, making its display more vivid and easier to view in various lighting conditions, ideal for tasks like browsing and watching videos, which enhances the general use experience. Its wider color gamuts ensure that professionals working with visual content, such as in engineering and design, see more accurate colors, which is crucial for their work. However, its lower refresh rate compared to what gaming and 3D applications benefit from means that it may not provide the smooth visuals preferred by gamers and those engaging in fast-paced interactive graphics.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
$3,199
$949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI GE66 Raider has a price of $3,199 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI GE66 Raider both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the MSI GE66 Raider and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GE66 Raider | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,199 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.25 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.51" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | 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 | 6 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 347 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 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 | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
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 GE66 Raider 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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