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Updated January 12, 2024·
If saving money is a priority and you need a larger screen, the MSI Katana 17 might be the better option. However, the Razer Blade 15 usually offers higher build quality and better portability due to its smaller size. For gaming or video editing, the Razer Blade 15 often has superior graphics and display quality, but at a higher price. If you're frequently on the move and require a lighter, more compact laptop, the Razer Blade 15 is more suitable, but if you prefer a bigger display for multitasking or content viewing and can accept a heavier device, the MSI Katana 17 could be a better fit for you. 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 Razer Blade 15.
Advantages of the Razer Blade 15
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
256.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Razer Blade 15 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the MSI Katana 17's screen may offer satisfactory levels of brightness and resolution, making everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming comfortable, but the Razer Blade 15's higher resolution and luminosity provide sharper and more vibrant visuals, which is preferable. In engineering and design, where color accuracy matters, the Razer Blade 15 stands out with its wider color gamuts, ensuring that designers see truer colors, while the MSI's narrower gamuts may result in less precise color representation. When it comes to 3D and gaming, although both the MSI Katana 17 and Razer Blade 15 don't excel due to lower refresh rates, the Razer's potentially better resolution and panel type could still provide a decent experience for casual gaming or entry-level 3D work.
Battery
3.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 15 has 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
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Razer Blade 15 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Razer Blade 15 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
$2,500
$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 Razer Blade 15 costs $2,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
256.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Razer Blade 15 and MSI Katana 17 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17's more robust CPU and larger RAM make it a strong performer for various tasks, complemented by a good-sized screen and battery life suitable for extended general use, though its larger size and weight reduce its portability. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 15, while also performing well, benefits from a higher-quality screen and is more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, with a battery that supports longer use away from a power source; however, it sacrifices some performance capabilities due to less RAM.
Gaming and AI
7.9
8.0
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
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
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Razer Blade 15 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 has a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it very good for gaming and 3D applications. The Razer Blade 15 also excels in these areas, with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and an even higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which can offer smoother visuals in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.5
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 15 and MSI Katana 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The MSI Katana 17 excels in engineering and design use due to its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and capable GPU, making it a great match for the demands of complex software, but its larger size and weight sacrifice some portability compared to the Razer Blade 15. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 15 balances performance with a sharp, high-quality screen, contributing to detailed visual work, and offers better portability, though with less RAM, which may impact multitasking and very RAM-intensive applications.
Content Creation
7.8
8.0
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Razer Blade 15 to be 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
7.7
8.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 15 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.
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How the MSI Katana 17 and the Razer Blade 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Katana 17 | Razer Blade 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,367 | $2,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | 14'' x 9.3'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.67" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.75" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13620H | Intel i7-12800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53.5 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 256 nits | 271 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
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
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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."
Razer Blade 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2022
"The 2022 Blade 15 offers roughly 15 to 25 percent faster graphics performance and 20 percent faster CPU performance over last year's Core i7-11800H and RTX 3080 model. Thankfully, the system doesn't need to run noticeably louder or warmer to achieve faster results, but both power consumption and battery life take a hit. The higher consumption in particular appears to be a trend amongst many 12th gen Core laptops including the Schenker Uniwill Technology GM7AG8P or MSI Vector GP66 when compared to their previous generation counterparts. We're also glad to not see below-average CPU performance which was the case for the 10th gen Core i7-10875H model."
Get a great deal on the MSI Katana 17 or the Razer Blade 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.
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.
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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.
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