MSI Katana 17 (B12V) review – affordable notebook with a MUX switch


MSI Katana’s super budget characteristics are now part of history. The manufacturer has somewhat successfully converted the machine from an affordable to a mid-range product. While the main contributor to this is really NVIDIA, we have a thing or two to say about MSI’s own participation.

Today, our office smells like a freshly-baked MSI Katana 17 (B12V). Intuitively, the (B12V) part of the name indicates that it has a 12th Gen Intel processor. This means that some cost-cutting is becoming evident only by looking at the specs sheet.

In addition to that, the Katana 17 (B12V) can be maxed out with the Intel Core i7-12650H. This is a CPU, that has a lower E-core count. At the end of the day, this provides less computational performance, but also generates less heat, without harming the gaming performance.

As a typical gaming notebook, it provides you with a 144Hz refresh rate. Later in the review, you will learn its color coverage, pixel response time, and more.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/msi-katana-17-b12ux-b12vx-b13ux-b13vx/

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

MSI Katana 17 (B12Ux / B12Vx / B13Ux / B13Vx) - Specs

  • AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F)
  • Color accuracy  4.6  3.8
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 8000GB SSD
  • M.2 Slot
  • 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 + 1x M.2 PCIe x4  See photo
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Home, Windows 10 Home, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, No OS
  • Battery
  • 53.5Wh, 3-cell, 53.5Wh, 3-cell
  • Body material
  • Plastic / Polycarbonate
  • Dimensions
  • 398 x 273 x 25.2 mm (15.67" x 10.75" x 0.99")
  • Weight
  • 2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 2.0
  • 2x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.1 (8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz)
  • Card reader
  • Ethernet LAN
  • 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.2
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Web camera
  • HD
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Microphone
  • Speakers
  • 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Nahimic Audio
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Katana-17-B12VX/support?sub_product=Katana-17-B12VFK

What’s in the box?

Inside the package, there is some paperwork, as well as a 200W charger.



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Fred
Fred
7 months ago

Où se procurer le support de fixation pour un second SSD ? Merci

Pierrot
Pierrot
5 months ago
Reply to  Fred

Il faut en faire la demande auprès du support MSI ils appellent ça un kit upgrade for SSD