The MSI Katana 17 offers powerful performance with a gaming-grade graphics card, larger screen, and higher capacity for memory and storage, making it suitable for intensive tasks like gaming and engineering. However, it's heavier, which compromises portability. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, being lighter and featuring a 2-in-1 convertible design, is more portable and flexible, catering to general use and more casual workflows. It comes with a touchscreen and is also equipped with a professional version of the operating system. The Katana is a considerable investment up front; the Summit is less expensive but offers modest performance compared to the Katana. Choose the Katana for high-performance needs or the Summit for portability, convenience, and everyday tasks. 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 Summit E13 Flip Evo
Good overall display quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.3/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
6.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.3/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
256.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo for content creation, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the MSI Katana 17 and the Summit E13 Flip Evo suits well because they offer good enough resolution and brightness, making daily tasks, web browsing, and video viewing pleasant. The Summit E13 Flip Evo stands out for engineering and design due to its superior color accuracy and wider color gamut, ensuring that designs appear as intended. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates and moderate resolution make neither ideal, as these applications benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother motion and more detailed textures.
Battery
3.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has 11 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,367
$699
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Katana 17 has a price of $1,367 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo costs $699.
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17, with a larger screen, more RAM, and a dedicated GPU, is very good for general use as it delivers powerful performance suitable for various tasks, but its size and weight may limit portability compared to the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, which is also good for general use due to its high-resolution touchscreen and 2-in-1 convertible design, making it more portable and versatile, although it has less RAM and relies on integrated graphics.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.2/10
7.4/10
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
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How the MSI Katana 17 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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."
"MSI wants to prove that it can do more than just gaming laptops and the Summit E13 Flip is a great example of what the manufacturer is capable of especially in terms of aesthetics and performance. Normally for subnotebooks or convertibles, TDP and performance are often below average as makers want to meet slimmer designs and lower weight targets. The Summit manages to outperform others in its size class and category while still looking sleek and portable in the process. If you want a convertible that won't throttle significantly when under load, then this MSI will be one of the better options you can find."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 17 or the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
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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