When choosing between the MSI Katana 17 and MSI Raider GE76, consider that the Raider has a more powerful graphics card and higher screen resolution, which may be better for gaming and intensive tasks, but it is also heavier, making it less portable. The Katana offers a balance of performance and portability with a newer CPU generation, at a somewhat higher price. If budget is a concern, the Raider offers more power for a lower cost but sacrifices some portability due to the extra weight. For demanding applications, the Raider is likely the better choice, while the Katana may be preferred for everyday tasks and easier transport. 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
The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE76.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE76
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
256.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 offers solid general use with its latest generation processor and ample RAM, complemented by a full HD screen and moderate weight, making it reasonably portable with a fair battery life. In comparison, the MSI Raider GE76 boasts a higher-resolution screen and a more powerful graphics card which is beneficial for more demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a larger battery that provides longer unplugged usage, albeit at the cost of reduced portability. Both have high-quality keyboards and manage to control heat well.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
8.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE76's higher screen refresh rate and superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, make it excellent for gaming and 3D tasks by enabling more fluid visuals and better handling of graphic-intensive applications compared to the MSI Katana 17's Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and lower refresh rate. Though both laptops have solid CPUs and quality screens, the Raider GE76's advantages are particularly crucial for the smoothest gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
9.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 is very good.
The MSI Raider GE76 stands out for engineering and design work with its powerful GPU, superior screen quality including higher resolution and color accuracy, and added features like Thunderbolt connectivity. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 provides respectable performance for such tasks with a capable CPU and GPU combo, ample RAM, and a good quality screen, but does not quite match the higher-end components and expanded connectivity options of the GE76; moreover, both models are somewhat bulky which impacts portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 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
7.5/10
8.2/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
6.9/10
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
256.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI Katana 17's display offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks but lacks the wide color gamut needed for precision in engineering and design; its slower refresh rate diminishes the gaming and 3D experience. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE76 provides a richer visual with both a high-quality display with vibrant colors for engineers and designers demanding accuracy in their visuals, although, like the Katana, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lesser refresh rate. For general use, both laptops are very capable, with the Raider GE76 offering a slight edge in screen quality due to its superior color representation.
Battery
3.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE76 has 6 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,367
$3,552
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Katana 17 has a price of $1,367 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 17 to have only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Katana 17 and the MSI Raider GE76 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 17 or the MSI Raider GE76
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.
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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