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Updated March 21, 2024·
If budget is a major concern, the MSI Katana 15 offers solid performance for general use and some gaming at a more affordable price, but with the Stealth 18 AI Studio, you pay a premium for a larger, high-quality display, stronger performance for 3D work, machine learning, and top-tier gaming, along with improved portability. However, the Stealth's advanced features may result in shorter battery life compared to the Katana, which typically offers longer use on a single charge. Choose the Katana for everyday tasks and casual gaming, or invest in the Stealth for professional creative work, more demanding applications, and enhanced mobility. 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
- 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
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 15, with its adequate CPU and RAM, offers reliable performance for everyday tasks, while its lighter weight and longer battery life enhance portability, making it a solid choice for general use. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with a higher quality screen and superior CPU and RAM, delivers better performance for demanding applications and clearer visuals, which can justify its higher price point and slightly reduced portability for those seeking more power and better display.
Gaming and AI
7.6
8.9
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 15 is equipped with a capable GPU and a high screen refresh rate that makes it good for gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio offers a superior GPU and an even higher refresh rate, enhancing visual smoothness and graphical detail, which makes it excellent for those applications. Although both have strong CPUs and good screen quality, the advanced GPU in the Stealth 18 AI Studio primarily sets it apart for more demanding gaming and 3D work.
Engineering and Design
7.7
9.1
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 15, with its capable CPU, ample RAM, and decent GPU, offers solid performance for engineering tasks, but the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio stands out with a more powerful CPU, more RAM, top-tier GPU, and superior screen quality, ensuring smoother performance in demanding design software. While both have quality keyboards and are reasonably portable, the Stealth 18 AI Studio's improved specs make it more suitable for intensive engineering and design work, albeit at the expense of increased operating noise and potentially higher cost.
Content Creation
7.4
8.5
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
8.2
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, where clear visuals and comfortable viewing are crucial, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio prevails with brighter and sharper display characteristics, making it superior to the MSI Katana 15 which has adequate but less impressive display features. In engineering and design, accurate color representation is crucial for precision work, and the Stealth 18 AI Studio's wider color gamut delivers more true-to-life colors compared to the Katana 15, which offers satisfactory but less accurate colors. Meanwhile, the refresh rate deeply influences the gaming and 3D experience; despite both models lacking in this aspect, it's more noticeable in tasks requiring fluid motion, affecting the overall appeal for gaming and 3D tasks on both laptops.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio both have only fair portability, though the MSI Katana 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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How the MSI Katana 15 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 15 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$949 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.96 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12450H | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
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" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 258 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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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