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
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.2/10
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.
The MSI Katana 15, with its Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, is optimized for gaming and can handle 3D tasks efficiently. In contrast, the Razer Book 13 uses an Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU and has a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less capable for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
7.1/10
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.
The MSI Katana 15 with its powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and capable Intel i5 processor is cut out for demanding engineering applications and design work, further supported by a high-refresh-rate screen though it's heavier and less portable. In contrast, the Razer Book 13, while offering a high-resolution touchscreen with superior color coverage and an Intel i7 processor, has an integrated GPU which is less suitable for intensive graphics tasks but benefits from high portability and quality build.
Screen Quality
6.8/10
7.3/10
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.
The MSI Katana 15's display may not offer the vividness and clarity for intricate design work due to limited color gamut coverage, but its balance of resolution and brightness makes it sufficient for typical tasks like web browsing or document editing. In contrast, the Razer Book 13 provides sharper visuals and a wider color range, essential for precision in engineering and graphic design applications. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial, and their screens can't deliver the smooth, responsive experience demanded by these activities.
Battery
4.0 Hours
14.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 15 has 4 hours of battery life. The Razer Book 13 has 14 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
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
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Razer Book 13 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
$1,389
$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.
The Razer Book 13 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15 offers robust gaming-ready performance with its higher-tier CPU and dedicated graphics, making it suitable for a variety of tasks beyond general use, though it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Razer Book 13, which boasts a compact design and longer battery life, alongside a high-quality screen and sufficient performance for everyday tasks with its capable integrated graphics. The Razer Book 13 also provides a touchscreen with better color coverage, ideal for those valuing screen quality and portability, while the MSI is favorable for users needing more power and gaming capabilities, at the expense of a larger form factor and reduced mobility.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.6/10
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.
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
7.0/10
7.5/10
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.
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 Razer Book 13 compare to other laptops
"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."
"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.
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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