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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI GP66 Leopard generally costs more and is a bit heavier, suggesting less portability compared to the MSI Katana 15. However, the Leopard offers a higher-performance graphics card, better for intensive gaming and 3D tasks. The Katana 15 has double the storage space, a slightly newer processor, and comes with Windows 11, but with a slightly less capable graphics card. It's also lighter, enhancing its portability. If high-level gaming or 3D work is your priority and you don't mind the extra weight and cost, the Leopard is suitable. But for general use, moderate gaming, and better portability at a lower cost, the Katana 15 is preferable. 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 GP66 Leopard
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI GP66 Leopard.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
362.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a display that delivers vivid colors and sharp visuals, making it good for general use and suitable for engineering and design tasks that require accurate color reproduction. However, its refresh rate is lower than ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where fast-moving images may not appear as smooth. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, offering decent resolution and brightness, provides an adequate screen for everyday tasks and some professional work, but its color range and refresh rate fall short for high-end design work and fluid gaming experiences.
Build Quality
8.0
7.2
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
362.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The MSI GP66 Leopard, with its higher-end CPU, GPU, and excellent heat management, delivers strong performance and makes it suitable for general use including demanding applications, though it has moderate battery life and weighs more impacting portability. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 offers ample storage, good general performance, and is lighter, which enhances its portability, but it compromises on screen brightness and color accuracy, and may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly as the Leopard.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.6
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a higher screen brightness which makes it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Katana 15, despite having a newer but less powerful RTX 4060 GPU, still maintains excellent gaming capabilities with a similar screen refresh rate, making it a solid choice for gaming and 3D but possibly with slightly lower performance in the most demanding scenarios. Both laptops feature impressive refresh rates and quality displays, but the GP66 Leopard's GPU gives it an edge for more intensive gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and MSI Katana 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The MSI GP66 Leopard stands out for engineering and design due to its high-end CPU, ample RAM, and powerful GPU, which comfortably handle demanding software, while its superior screen quality ensures sharp and accurate visuals critical for detailed work. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 offers a balance of solid performance for engineering tasks with a slightly less robust GPU but maintains a level of portability that might favor users frequently on the move, albeit with a tradeoff in ultimate performance compared to the Leopard.
Content Creation
7.4
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.2
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and MSI Katana 15 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
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 GP66 Leopard both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the MSI GP66 Leopard and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GP66 Leopard | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | 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 i7-11800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 65 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 362 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
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 GP66 Leopard 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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