•  Date Published: 13 Nov 2023
    • Intel Core i7-13620H
    • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 105W)
    • 17.3”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS
    • 2000GB SSD
    • 64GB DDR5
    • 2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)
    7.5
    TOTAL SCORE
    6.9 Portability Good
    7.0 Display Very Good
    7.9 For Work Very Good
    7.8 For Gaming Very Good

    Specs

    • HDD/SSD
    • 2TB SSD
    • M.2 Slot
    • 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 + 1x M.2 PCIe x4  See photo
    • RAM
    • 64GB DDR5
    • OS
    • Windows 11 Home
    • 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
    • Gifts
    • TLG 32GB USB Drive

    Portability

    MSI Katana 17 (B12Ux / B12Vx / B13Ux / B13Vx)
    15.67" x 10.75" x 0.99" Dimensions
    2.60 kg (5.7 lbs) Weight
    Average 17.3-inch laptop
    2.86 kg (6.3 lbs) +10% Weight

    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 [...]

    Read the full review

    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[...]

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