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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
You have two MSI laptops to consider: the MSI Katana 15, which offers solid gaming performance at a midrange price but has lower battery life and is less portable, and the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which is pricier, better suited for business with its premium features, and has a higher battery life. The Summit E16 Flip also comes with a better screen resolution, touchscreen, and is lighter, making it more portable, while the Katana has a more powerful graphics card for high-performance tasks like 3D rendering or intensive gaming, though it is heavier and lacks the touchscreen. Choose the Katana 15 if gaming and high graphics performance are your priorities, or the Summit E16 Flip if you need a versatile laptop with longer battery life, better portability, and a higher-quality screen for business and general use. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.8
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip is only fair.
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.
Software Development
7.0
7.6
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the MSI Summit E16 Flip is somewhat better.
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
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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, while offering enough resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, doesn't provide the wide color gamut necessary for precision tasks in engineering and design. The MSI Summit E16 Flip stands out with a higher quality display that shows colors more accurately and vibrantly, crucial for professionals in engineering and design, but like the Katana, its lower refresh rate limits its desirability for fast-paced gaming and high-end 3D work. For those focused on 3D applications and gaming, neither laptop would be optimal due to the lower refresh rates that can't deliver as smooth visuals as specialized gaming laptops would.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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
16.0in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$949
$1,413
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,413.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15, with its capable processor and ample memory, fulfills general use requirements quite well and maintains a balance between screen quality and portability, albeit with moderate battery life. Meanwhile, the MSI Summit E16 Flip not only offers a higher-end processor and similar memory, which enhances performance for various tasks, but it also takes the lead with a premium, convertible design, superior screen resolution, and significantly better battery life, albeit at the cost of a higher price tag.
Engineering and Design
7.7
7.7
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 15 are both good for engineering and design.
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
7.4
7.9
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the MSI Katana 15 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 15 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$949 | $1,413 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.96 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12450H | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53.5 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 258 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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."
MSI Summit E16 Flip
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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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