When choosing between the MSI Katana 17 and MSI Summit E16 Flip, consider the following: for gaming or graphically intensive tasks, the Katana 17's stronger graphics card will be better, but the E16 Flip offers a higher resolution and touchscreen with a 2-in-1 convertible design for versatile use. The E16 Flip has a significantly longer battery life, which facilitates portability and unplugged use, whereas the Katana 17's larger screen might be preferred for immersive experiences but makes it less portable. The E16 Flip also has a better build quality and includes Windows 11 Pro with additional features for business users, compared to the Katana 17's Windows 11 Home. 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 E16 Flip
Very good overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.8/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 Summit E16 Flip 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
7.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is favored for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding tasks, and its larger RAM capacity that allows for intensive multitasking; its larger screen size is also beneficial for detailed work but affects portability compared to the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which has a higher resolution and touchscreen for creative tasks but offers less raw performance.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
8.0/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
256.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MSI Katana 17 provides adequate screen clarity and brightness for everyday tasks, yet lacks the color accuracy crucial for precision work in engineering and design. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E16 Flip offers vibrant and true-to-life colors needed for professional creative work, along with sufficient resolution and brightness for daily use. However, both fall short for 3D gaming, where quick image refreshes matter most, and higher refresh rates are essential for a smooth visual experience.
Battery
3.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,367
$1,550
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Katana 17 has a price of $1,367 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,550.
The MSI Katana 17 and MSI Summit E16 Flip are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 17 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
7.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and MSI Katana 17 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 E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 17 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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.
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.