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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI Katana 15 is less expensive and offers good performance for general and engineering use, with reasonable battery life and a midrange gaming appearance. Its larger size and weight reduce portability, but it has a number pad and customizable RGB keyboard lighting. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 15 is more costly but provides better performance for 3D tasks, machine learning, and gaming. It has a higher resolution display with better color accuracy, making it suitable for creative professionals. It also boasts a more premium build, longer battery life, and is lighter and thinner for better portability, though it has no number pad. 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 Razer Blade 15.
Advantages of the Razer Blade 15
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.7
8.5
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Razer Blade 15 offers superior engineering and design capabilities mainly due to its more powerful Intel i7 processor and higher-resolution screen, enabling better performance and sharper visual details than MSI's Katana 15 with an Intel i5 processor and a lower-resolution display. Additionally, while both laptops have the same amount of RAM and similar GPUs, which are important for demanding tasks, the Razer's higher screen quality and larger battery offer a more enhanced experience for prolonged engineering work compared to the MSI Katana 15, which does have the advantage of being slightly more portable due to its lighter weight.
Content Creation
7.4
8.0
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 15 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
7.7
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 15 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Razer Blade 15 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
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Razer Blade 15 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, the Razer Blade 15's superior panel type, resolution, and brightness make for a more vivid and detailed viewing experience compared to the MSI Katana 15, which offers acceptable but less impressive visuals. In engineering and design, the Razer Blade 15's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color reproduction crucial for professional work, whereas the MSI Katana 15's fair screen quality limits the fidelity of color-critical tasks. When it comes to 3D applications and gaming, however, both laptops have screens that may not satisfy due to poor refresh rates, despite their resolution and panel types being adequate for such tasks.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Razer Blade 15 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
8.5
The Razer Blade 15 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
$2,500
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the Razer Blade 15 costs $2,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Razer Blade 15 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15, with its Intel i5 processor and RTX 4060 GPU, offers reliable performance for general use, complemented by a good quality IPS screen and satisfactory portability owing to its under 5-pound weight; however, its moderate battery life limits its unplugged usage time. The Razer Blade 15 steps up with a more powerful Intel i7 processor and RTX 3070 Ti GPU, delivering sharper and more vibrant visuals on its higher resolution display, superior keyboard quality, and better battery life, all packed into a lighter frame, making it ideal for more demanding tasks and longer use on the go.
Gaming and AI
7.6
8.0
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
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
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Razer Blade 15 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Razer Blade 15 with the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher screen refresh rate provides smoother visuals and potentially better performance in gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI Katana 15 which, despite having a capable Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU for these tasks, offers a lower screen refresh rate for visuals. Additionally, the Blade 15 boasts a more advanced CPU and superior screen quality, further enhancing its gaming and 3D capabilities over the Katana 15.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 15 has 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.
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How the MSI Katana 15 and the Razer Blade 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 15 | Razer Blade 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$949 | $2,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | 14'' x 9.3'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.96 lbs | 4.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12450H | Intel i7-12800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53.5 Wh | 80 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 | 271 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 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."
Razer Blade 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2022
"The 2022 Blade 15 offers roughly 15 to 25 percent faster graphics performance and 20 percent faster CPU performance over last year's Core i7-11800H and RTX 3080 model. Thankfully, the system doesn't need to run noticeably louder or warmer to achieve faster results, but both power consumption and battery life take a hit. The higher consumption in particular appears to be a trend amongst many 12th gen Core laptops including the Schenker Uniwill Technology GM7AG8P or MSI Vector GP66 when compared to their previous generation counterparts. We're also glad to not see below-average CPU performance which was the case for the 10th gen Core i7-10875H model."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the Razer Blade 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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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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