•  Date Published: 08 Dec 2022
    • Intel Core i9-12900H
    • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (Laptop, 105W)
    • 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 240 Hz, IPS
    • 4000GB SSD
    • 64GB DDR5
    • 2.25 kg (5 lbs)
    7.3
    TOTAL SCORE
    5.5 Portability Average
    7.0 Display Very Good
    8.0 For Work Excellent
    7.7 For Gaming Very Good

    Review

    MSI Katana GF66 in-depth review

    No matter how hard it tries, MSI will always be associated with gaming hardware. However, as with any product out there, you get to choose depending on your budget. And most of the time, your piggy bank is only big enough for a low-end gaming laptop. But what happens, if a low-end device gets high-end hardware? Are the compromises around the additional features worth the higher fps when playing games?These are some of the questions we're going to be answering in today's review of the Katana GF66 (12Ux). Yes, you have figured it - we bought ourselves the unit that has the RTX 3070 Ti. It does not come cheap, but it is definitely less expensive than similar listings of the GS66 Stealth for example. So, if you want to keep your wallet happy, you can go all the way down to the RTX 3050, w[...]

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    Pros

    • Competitively priced
    • Two SODIMM slots, and up to two M.2 PCIe x4 slot with Gen 4 support
    • Rigid structure
    • Lacks PWM (AUO B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90))
    • 144Hz refresh rate (AUO B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90))
    • Powerful hardware options*

    Cons

    • 53% sRGB coverage (AUO B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90))
    • Slow pixel response times and low maximum brightness (AUO B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90))
    • No SD card reader and Thunderbolt 4
    • *Runs hot and fails to extract the maximum out of the hardware

    Disassembly, maintenance and upgrade options

    MSI Katana GF66 (or its twin - the Sword 15) has a pretty decent upgrade options roster.Check out all MSI Katana GF66 (12Ux) prices and configurations in our Specs System or read more in our In-Depth review.1. Remove the bottom plate There are 13 Phillips-head screws holding this laptop's bottom panel in place. After you undo them, pry the panel with a plastic tool, and lift it away from the chassis.2. Battery This laptop comes with a 53.5Wh battery pack. It lasted us nearly 6 hours of Web browsing, or 5 hours and 30 minutes of video playback. To take it out, unplug the b[...]

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