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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance, especially for tasks like machine learning or 3D rendering, and prefer a higher quality display with better color coverage, the MSI Stealth GS66 is the better choice, despite being more expensive and having less storage. It also has a higher refresh rate screen, which is beneficial for fast-motion uses such as gaming. However, if budget is a concern and you want more storage space, the MSI Katana 15 offers a considerable cost-saving while still delivering adequate performance for general use and gaming, thanks to its capable GPU. The Katana also has slightly longer battery life, which may be important if portability and time away from a power source are significant to you. Both laptops are equipped with similar amounts of RAM and have 15.6-inch displays, but the Katana is a bit heavier. 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 GS66.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.7
8.2
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a higher-performing CPU and RAM suitable for demanding engineering applications, plus a superior GPU for complex design tasks, hence its better suitability for engineering and design. While the MSI Katana 15, with slightly less powerful hardware, is still adequate for such use, the Stealth GS66 also boasts better screen quality with higher color coverage, making it preferable for detail-oriented visuals, albeit with a slightly higher weight impacting portability. Both offer good build and keyboard quality, but the Stealth GS66 takes the lead in overall performance.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 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's screen may not be as bright and may have lower resolution compared to higher-end models, which matters for clarity and comfort in general use and detail in engineering work, but its color range could be sufficient for non-professional creative tasks. The MSI Stealth GS66 likely offers brighter, sharper visuals, enhancing the experience for general activities and engineering applications with better color accuracy for professional design work. However, neither model has a high refresh rate, meaning that while they may suffice for casual gaming, they wouldn't provide the smoothest visuals that dedicated gaming laptops offer for fast-paced 3D gameplay.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15 offers good general use with its adequate CPU, RAM, and high-refresh-rate IPS screen, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the MSI Stealth GS66, which provides a higher-end CPU and better battery life along with a similarly capable RAM and screen, making it also suitable for extensive use without frequent recharging. The Stealth GS66's lighter build and longer battery life add to its portability, although its higher-quality keyboard and speakers may reflect a steeper price.
Gaming and AI
7.6
7.8
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI Katana 15 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and has a screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it suitable for high-frame-rate gaming and smooth 3D rendering, but the MSI Stealth GS66 boasts an even higher refresh rate of 360 Hz with a slightly more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, offering exceptional fluidity in gaming and 3D applications, albeit with potentially higher power draw. While the Katana has a capable CPU for gaming, the Stealth GS66 features a more robust CPU, enhancing its performance in CPU-intensive tasks and potentially providing a smoother experience in complex gaming scenarios and demanding 3D projects.
Content Creation
7.4
7.7
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and MSI Katana 15 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
7.0
7.5
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
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How the MSI Katana 15 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 15 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$949 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.96 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12450H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 5.5 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 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 258 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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