ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) vs MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
51.6Performance45.1
38.4Display33.9
70.7Battery66.7
79.4Portability34
9 spec wins — ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606)2 spec wins — MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
InnoReviews verdict
ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) wins this laptop face-off, 57.5 to 45.1, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+45) and performance (+7). MSI Katana 15 HX B14W still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606)
- Stronger performance score: 52 vs 45
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 71 vs 67
- Stronger portability score: 79 vs 34
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
Reasons to pick the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
- 269% higher charging: 240 W vs 65 W
- 20% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 120 Hz
- Lower launch price: $999 vs $1,700
Display
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+3% | 15.6 ″ |
| Panel type | OLED touchscreen (Lumina, 100% DCI-P3, HDR True Black 500) | IPS |
| Resolution | 2880x1800 | 1920x1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz+20% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+95% | 257 nits |
Performance
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Intel Core i7-14650HX |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon 890M Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop |
| RAM | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (on board) | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,817+1%Top 43% | 2,786Top 45% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,363+2%Top 50% | 13,048Bottom 47% |
Battery
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 78 Wh+4% | 75 Wh |
| Charging | 65 W | 240 W+269% |
Design
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.5 kg+37% | 2.4 kg |
| Thickness | 11.9 mm+53% | 25.5 mm |
| Material | Ceraluminum | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x USB4 Type-C (40Gbps, display/PD), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, SD 4.0 card reader, 3.5mm combo audio jack | 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0), HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | FHD with IR | 720p HD |
| Biometrics | IR camera (Windows Hello) | None |
Software
| Spec | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
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