A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The MSI Katana 17 offers higher performance with a more powerful processor and graphics card, which is better for intensive gaming or 3D work, but it is larger and heavier which affects portability. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15, while being more compact and lighter, making it easier to carry around, comes with a less powerful processor and graphics card, making it more suitable for everyday use and less demanding creative tasks. It also has longer battery life, favoring users who need to work on the go without frequent charging. Consider your primary use and whether portability or power is your priority when deciding. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.3
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 15 is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and has a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which are both excellent for gaming and 3D applications, delivering more fluid visuals and allowing for more detail in fast-paced scenes.
Engineering and Design
8.4
7.2
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 15 is good.
The MSI Katana 17's superior CPU, larger RAM, and more powerful GPU make it particularly well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, while also offering a larger screen for detailed work. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 has less powerful components but is more portable and quieter, making it a good option for those who value mobility and a less intrusive operating noise without needing the highest performance.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
256.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Prestige 15 has a better screen for engineering and design.
For general use, a screen's sharpness, clarity, and visibility in different lighting conditions are vital, hence panels with higher resolution and brightness levels, like those in the MSI Prestige 15, ensure more comfortable and clearer viewing experiences compared to the MSI Katana 17. In the context of engineering and design, accurate color representation is paramount, and the MSI Prestige 15 likely offers better coverage of professional color spaces, ensuring that designs are rendered with the intended hues and saturation. However, for gaming and 3D, a high refresh rate is crucial to achieve smooth motion, and since both laptops fall short in this aspect, neither is ideal for these high frame-rate dependent tasks.
Battery
3.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 15 has 7.5 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
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Prestige 15 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,367
$1,044
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Katana 17 has a price of $1,367 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
256.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 is rated very good for general use due to its robust CPU and ample RAM which excel in multitasking, along with a high-quality large screen, though it's less portable and has shorter battery life. Conversely, the MSI Prestige 15, while still good for general use, has a more moderate CPU and less RAM, but it benefits from better portability with a lighter form factor and longer battery life, suitable for on-the-go users.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Prestige 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
7.5
7.2
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Prestige 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The MSI Prestige 15 and MSI Katana 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Katana 17 and the MSI Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 17 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,367 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.67" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.75" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13620H | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53.5 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 256 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 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 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
MSI Prestige 15
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 17 or the MSI Prestige 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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
124,395
Recommendations made
26,953
Consumer hours saved
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.
Featured in
