The MSI Katana 15 is one of the new value-oriented gaming laptops that the firm is releasing, and it has a starting price of only $999; however, our step-up test unit costs $1,599. The design of the device is nothing to get excited about, and the only decoration it has is some basic RGB lighting. The screen has a refresh rate of 144 hertz, however despite its impressive performance, it’s not very attractive.
When it comes to gaming performance, this laptop has an advantage over competitors like the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 7 and the HP Omen 16 because of the powerful components that are housed within it. The actual worth of this laptop is found in its internal hardware. The Katana 15 is an intriguing choice to consider if you’re seeking to acquire hardware from the most recent generation at a price that’s lower than the flagship machines we’ve seen up to this point, and because of this, we wholeheartedly suggest it.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]The width is standard for laptops with a 15.6-inch display, but the height is rather high due to the substantial bezels that surround the screen on all sides. Although there is some wiggle room in the display hinge, the base has a strong feel to it, and the four rubber feet that are located on the bottom provide a secure grip on a table or desk.
Specification
- 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) IPS-level panel
- 144Hz refresh rate
- Up to 100% sRGB color gamut
- Up to 32GB DDR5 memory
- 4800MHz speed
- Bluetooth 5.2
Where to get MSI Katana 15 15.6?
The IPS display on the MSI Katana 15 has a screen size of 15.6 inches, a resolution of 1080p, and a refresh rate of 144 hertz (Hz). The brightness of the screen is reasonably high when looking straight on (using our light metre, we recorded 250 nits), however there is a tiny decrease in brightness when looking to the extreme left or right of the screen. My fingers glided easily across the Katana 15’s keyboard, and the keys themselves provided satisfying feedback. The keyboard features four-zone RGB lighting, giving you the ability to select from various effects such as Steady, Breath, Colour Cycle, and Wave.
Alternatively, you can use the MSI Centre app to select a theme that is uniquely tailored to your preferences. The MSI Katana 15 features a pair of speakers with a total output of 2 watts each. These speakers are positioned in the upper front bezel, behind the palm rests, and direct sound downward. The sound quality is acceptable, especially considering the low cost of this product. Although MSI’s Katana 15 is not a particularly large laptop, a large number of screws are used to attach the bottom panel to the chassis in order to ensure its stability.
We counted thirteen screws with Phillips heads, all of which were thankfully very simple to remove. If you want to conduct your own updates on the laptop but subsequently need to return it to MSI, be aware that one of the screws has a tamper warning label covering it. This sticker was placed over it.