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 10 Home, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, Windows 10 Pro, DOS, No OS, Windows 11
    • 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
    • optional
    • Microphone
    • Speakers
    • 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Nahimic Audio
    • Optical drive
    • Security Lock slot

    All MSI Katana 17 (B12Ux / B12Vx / B13Ux / B13Vx) configurations

    #CommissionsEarned

    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.



    Subscribe
    Notify of
    guest
    2 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Fred
    Fred
    1 year ago

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

    Pierrot
    Pierrot
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Fred

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