MSI Katana 17

LaptopMedia.com Laptop Specs MSI Katana 17 (B12Ux / B12Vx / B13Ux / B13Vx) MSI Katana 17

Date Published: 02 Mar 2025

Intel Core i7-13620H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 105W)
17.3”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS
2000GB SSD
64GB RAM
2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)

TOTAL SCORE

6.9 Portability Good

7.0 Display Very Good

7.5 For Work Very Good

7.6 For Gaming Very Good

Best Prices Specs Review Display For Work For Gaming

MSI Katana 17

$1739^.00

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Review

MSI Katana 17 in-depth review

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 [...]

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Pros

Competitively priced
Decent cooling and performance
Two SODIMM slots, and one M.2 PCIe x4 slot
Rigid structure
No PWM (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
144Hz refresh rate (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))

Cons

51% sRGB coverage (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
Slow pixel response times (AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F))
No SD card reader
One of the M.2 slots is not very user-friendly

Disassembly, maintenance and upgrade options

Generally, the MSI Katana 17 (B12V) comes with decent upgrade options. However, there is some controversy around the second M.2 storage slot.Check out all MSI Katana 17 (B12V) prices and configurations in our Specs System, or read more in our In-Depth review.1. Remove the bottom plate To access this notebook's internals, you need to undo 13 Phillips-head screws. Then, pry the bottom panel with a plastic tool and lift it away from the chassis.2. Remove the battery Inside, we find a 53.5Wh battery pack. To remove it, unplug the battery connector from the motherboard, and un[...]

DISPLAY: 17.3-inch, 1920x1080, IPS

Name
AUO B173HAN04.9 (AUO978F)

Diagonal
17.3"

Pixel density
127.34 ppi

Brightness
281 cd/m²

sRGB
50%

PWM frequency
No PWM (Flicker-Free)

Panel Type
IPS

Resolution
1920x1080

Becomes "Retina" from
27 inches (69 cm)

Contrast
1220:1

dE Color Checker
4.6 3.8

PWM Rating
10.0: (safe)

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Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

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Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

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Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.