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MSI Katana 15 (2023) is a new gaming laptopwhich boasts excellent value for money. Equipped with powerful internals: Intel Core i7-13620H processor, 8/16 GB RAM and GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics card.
Design, although rather boring, 15.6-inchthe display supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, so the model is well suited for competitive games. The new Katana 15 is a great gaming laptop that delivers performance that rivals even flagships.
Read also: MSI Stealth 14 Studio review of a compact and powerful laptop that makes a lot of noise
Specifications MSI Katana 15 (2023)
Screen
15.6-inch IPS, 1920×1080 resolution, 144Hz
CPU
Intel Core i7-13620H
Video card
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
RAM
Up to 64 GB, DDR-5200, two slots
Inner memory
1 TB, two SSD slots
Connectivity and connections
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2, Gb LAN
operating system
Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro
Webcam
720p/30fps
Sound
Dual 2W speakers
Connectors
USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C / DP, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, RJ-45, 3.5mm
Battery
53.5 Wh
Work autonomy
5.5 hours
Dimensions
35.9×25.9×2.49 cm
Weight
2.25 kg
Colors
The black
Price
170 thousand rubles
Design and features
Externally, the MSI Katana 15 does not present anything special, although for an inexpensive gaming model this is normal.
The case here is quite massive: its thickness is 2.49 cm, and its weight is 2.25 kg. Dimensions are also larger than other 15.6-inch models due to the thick bezels around the screen.
Although the laptop is almost entirely made of plastic,seems quite reliable. There are four rubber feet on the underside that keep the device firmly on the table, but the display wobbles a bit when typing.
Screen and sound
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) display isn't impressive - it's15.6-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 144Hz. The refresh rate is high, but you can't adjust it, which can negatively affect battery life.
Viewing angles on the screen of the Katana 15 (2023) are also not the best, and the brightness does not exceed 235 nits.
There are also problems with shades:sRGB color space coverage is only 64%, while DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB are 48%. If you want to fully enjoy your games, it is better to connect an external monitor.
On the bottom surface at the corners there are two2W speaker. Due to this arrangement, the sound lacks clarity, although the speakers themselves are not bad. The bass is audible, and the volume is enough for playing games and watching videos without headphones.
Keyboard and touchpad
MSI was able to put a block of numeric keys on the Katana 15, although the buttons with the symbols of mathematical operations because of this had to be moved to other places, which will take some getting used to.
The manufacturer also acted strangely with the keysarrows - they are close to the rest of the buttons, so you won’t be able to find them by touch. Often this leads to accidental clicks, especially in the dark.
Color backlighting does not solve the problem, because it is not configured for individual keys - only the setting of four zones.
But the backlight illuminates each letter well,so typing in the dark is easy and convenient. The rest of the keyboard is excellent - the keys have a deep travel, good feedback, and when you press the buttons do not stagger.
But the touchpad is disappointing - it is small andinconvenient, so for games it is better to immediately connect a good mouse. At least because of the small size of the touchpad, you won't have to worry about accidental palm presses.
Webcam, connectors and software
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) has neither a fingerprint scanner nor a face recognition function via a webcam - you will have to unlock it by entering a password or PIN code.
Typically, low-cost laptops have a lot ofextra applications, but the Katana 15 does not have this problem. The company has only added MSI Center for device performance management, and the Nahimic app for audio settings.
The webcam shoots at 720p, but image quality is good even in low light.
There are a lot of connectors on a laptop - on eachon the side there is one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and on the left there is also USB 2.0. On the right side, you'll find USB-C, but without Thunderbolt support. However, this connector can be used as a DisplayPort video output for an external monitor. Also on the right are HDMI 2.1 with 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz video output, a headphone jack, and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
Iron productivity
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) is not a cheap laptop, but it outperforms many competitive models in terms of value for money.
The assembly I tested hasIntel Core i7-13620H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics card with 8 GB of VRAM, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. The hardware here is more powerful than many competitive laptops in the price segment, and the speed is significantly higher.
In the PCMark 10 performance test, an MSI laptopgaining 7801 points, and in the Cinebench R23 test - 15,265 points. Converting a 12-minute video from 4K to 1080p using HandBrake 1.4 takes only 5 minutes, so Katana 15 (2023) is suitable not only for everyday tasks, but also for working with graphics or video.
However, the main advantage of the model is the GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics card.
In the game Assassins's Creed Valhalla with resolution1080p and Ultra settings, the laptop is capable of 107 fps, while Rainbow Six Siege is 417 fps. The presence of DLSS 3 Frame Generation technology is also important, which greatly increases the frame rate. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077 at Ultra settings and 1080p without DLSS 3 you will get about 40 fps, and with technology you will get 110 fps. Given the price segment, the result is amazing.
Katana 15 does not have serious cooling problemscomponents or body heat. Although the temperature reaches 50ºC in some areas of the keyboard, the surface of the WASD keys and places where the palm rests remain cool.
Autonomy MSI Katana 15
One of the main drawbacks of MSI's Katana 15 (2023) is not the longest battery life.
The display is big and the processor is Intel Corei7-13620H is not energy efficient. Even if you use the integrated graphics, when watching 720p video, the battery is completely drained in just 5.5 hours. If you use an NVIDIA graphics card, the battery life will drop to two hours.
Annoyingly, switching between integrated graphics and discrete graphics requires a restart of the laptop. Because of this, it will not work here to quickly switch to “energy saving mode”.
Total
The MSI Katana 15 (2023) is a great gaming laptop for those who don't want to splurge on a top-tier model with the most powerful hardware.
The Intel Core i7-13620H does a good jobwith graphics and video processing, and the GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics card is capable of delivering high frame rates even in modern games. Of course, the display could be brighter and battery life longer, even by the standards of gaming laptops. However, given the low price, these are not the most serious drawbacks.
Should I buy
MSI Katana 15 definitely recommendedand will be an excellent choice if you need a relatively inexpensive gaming laptop. It will run almost all modern games at high graphics settings.
Yandex Market Gaming laptop MSI Katana 15 (2023) – video
Alexander Shaman Alexander has been writing foralmost two decades. Initially, he collected technology news for local media. His love of science fiction awakened a huge thirst for knowledge. Trying to understand how it works and whether it can work better, he becomes so carried away, as if he is immersed in a trance. For this, among colleagues in TehnObzor, he received the nickname - Shaman. Powerful MSI gaming laptop value for money Design and ergonomics 95/100 Display and multimedia 87/100 Keyboard and input devices 90/100 Connectors and ports 95/100 Performance 97/100 Connectivity and connectivity 95/100 Battery life 85/100 Total 92 MSI The Katana 15 (B13V, 2023) boasts excellent RTX 4070 gaming performance and solid CPU numbers that don't cost a fortune. But if you're looking for long battery life and a great display, you'll be disappointed. Advantages and disadvantagesPrice and qualityGeForce RTX 4070DLSS 3 supportPowerful processorGood keyboardDream designWeak battery lifeLow display brightness 4/5 (1 review)
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