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Katana 15
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Book 13
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The MSI Katana 15 is less expensive and might be better for gaming with its dedicated Nvidia graphics, but with a heavier design and lower battery life, it's less portable than the Razer Book 13. The Razer Book 13 offers stronger build quality, a higher-resolution touchscreen, and better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it suitable for business and general use. However, for tasks like 3D rendering or engineering, the MSI might perform better with its higher-spec GPU, despite a lower screen resolution and non-touchscreen display. 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 Razer Book 13
  • Good overall display quality
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Excellent portability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

7.6
Katana 15
Book 13
6.2
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Razer Book 13 is only fair.

Engineering and Design

7.7
Katana 15
Book 13
7.1
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Razer Book 13 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

6.8
Katana 15
Book 13
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
258.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
507.0 nits
The Razer Book 13 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.

Battery

4.0 Hours
Katana 15
Book 13
14.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The Razer Book 13 has 14 hours of battery life.

Portability

Fair
Katana 15
Book 13
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Razer Book 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.2
Katana 15
Book 13
8.5
The Razer Book 13 has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 15 has good build quality.

Cost

$949
Katana 15
Book 13
$1,389
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The MSI Katana 15 has a price of $949 and the Razer Book 13 costs $1,389.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.5
Katana 15
Book 13
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
258.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
507.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
14.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Book 13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.

Content Creation

7.4
Katana 15
Book 13
7.6
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Book 13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.0
Katana 15
Book 13
7.5
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Razer Book 13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.

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How the MSI Katana 15 and the Razer Book 13 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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MSI Katana 15Razer Book 13
MSI Katana 15Razer Book 13

GENERAL

Price
$949
$1,389
Release Date
February 1, 2023April 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98''11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6''
Weight
4.96 lbs3.09 lbs
Width
14.13"11.64"
Depth
10.2"7.81"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i5-12450HIntel i7-1165G7
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
20
Storage
1024 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
4 Hours14 Hours
Battery Capacity
53.5 Wh55 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"13.4"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801920 x 1200
Refresh Rate
144Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
258 nits507 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.2/108.5/10
Portability Score
6.9/109.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/108/10
Speaker Quality Score
7.5/107/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
31
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
23
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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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 Book 13

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Allen Ngo | December 2020
"The Razer Book is like an XPS 13, but faster. The Book 13 combines the design philosophy and performance of a Blade Stealth with the 16:10 display of a Dell XPS 13 for an impressive piece of hardware. Office users who want something more stylish than the typical Dell, HP or Lenovo will certainly find themselves drawn to this Razer subnotebook. If your priorities are to have the best-looking and fastest 13-inch laptop in the office over auxiliary features, however, then the Book 13 proudly fulfills that niche."

Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 15 or the Razer Book 13

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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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