When considering the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the MSI Katana 17, the MacBook often comes with a higher price due to its build quality, ecosystem, and performance suitable for professional creative work like video editing or music production. It integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices and offers a high-resolution Retina display. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 may be a cost-effective choice for gaming or tasks that require a dedicated graphics card at a lower price point. The Katana might also offer more ports and upgradability options than the MacBook Pro. However, the MacBook Pro typically has longer battery life and a more premium build, while the MSI is easier to service and upgrade. Make your decision based on whether you prioritize MacOS and build quality or gaming performance and price. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its high-resolution Mini LED screen, powerful M3 Pro processor with integrated graphics, and remarkable 17.5 hours battery life, excels in display quality and longevity for general use, while being lighter for better portability. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 provides a larger screen and double the storage, superior RAM, dedicated Nvidia graphics for better computing performance, and excellent heat management, yet it offers significantly shorter battery life and is less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is 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
8.9/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
9.3/10
6.9/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's high-resolution Retina display with excellent brightness makes it standout for clarity and comfort, while MSI's Katana 17 offers a balance between resolution and brightness at a lower cost. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro excels with its wide color gamut coverage, providing precise color accuracy crucial for professional work, whereas the Katana 17's color gamut is less comprehensive. However, for 3D applications, the MacBook Pro falls behind with a standard refresh rate, while the Katana 17, although not specifically optimized for 3D, might offer a slightly better experience with a possibly higher refresh rate.
Battery
17.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
Good
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class 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
$2,249
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,249 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,399.
The MSI Katana 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's GPU and high-resolution Mini LED display enhance its 3D creation capabilities, but it may not support many popular games. The MSI Katana 17's Nvidia GPU and swift screen refresh rate cater well to gaming demands, with a wider selection of compatible titles on its Windows platform.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and MSI Katana 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in engineering and design thanks to its powerful Apple M3 Pro CPU, ample RAM, and a GPU suitable for demanding applications, as well as its high-quality mini LED screen. As an alternative, the MSI Katana 17 offers an equally capable Intel i7 CPU and an Nvidia RTX GPU for robust engineering and graphics work, along with a larger screen and more RAM, though it sacrifices some portability and screen resolution for these features.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the MSI Katana 17
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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