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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI Katana 15, being less expensive, comes with an i5 processor and RTX 4060 graphics card, suitable for general use and some gaming. Its comparatively lower battery capacity could be a drawback for those needing long unplugged periods. The MSI Raider GE66, on the other hand, is pricier but offers a more powerful i7 processor and RTX 3070 Ti graphics, making it more apt for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering. It also has a higher resolution display and better battery life but weighs slightly more, which might affect portability. 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 Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE66.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
- Very good for general use
- Very good 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
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
7.6
8.5
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 15, equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4060 and a screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, delivers good performance for gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Raider GE66 steps up with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a higher screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, providing a smoother and more immersive experience for very demanding gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, the Raider GE66’s superior Intel i7 processor complements its high-end graphics capabilities, making it well-suited for intensive tasks where the Katana 15, with its Intel i5, offers capable but not as robust performance.
Engineering and Design
7.7
8.9
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design due to its capable processor, sufficient RAM, and a powerful GPU that can handle demanding tasks, but its screen has lower color accuracy and resolution compared to the MSI Raider GE66, which offers enhanced performance with a faster, high-end CPU, double the RAM, a similar class GPU, and a higher resolution screen with superior color gamut, making it very good for detail-oriented engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.4
8.3
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 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
7.0
8.0
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
6.8
8.4
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI Katana 15, with its fair screen quality, offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and work situations, but it might not have the wide color gamut needed for precision in engineering and design work. The MSI Raider GE66, with its very good screen quality, provides a high-resolution, bright display with a broad color range necessary for detailed visual work and rendering accuracy. However, both laptops have lower refresh rates which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D environments, impacting gaming and animation viewing experiences.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 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
7.2
8.5
The MSI Raider GE66 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
$949
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI Raider GE66 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Katana 15 and the MSI Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 15 | MSI Raider GE66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$949 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.96 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12450H | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53.5 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 258 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
MSI Raider GE66
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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."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the MSI Raider GE66
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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