Dell XPS 13 (2026) vs MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
44Performance45.1
38.4Display33.9
77.9Battery66.7
93.4Portability34
3 spec wins — Dell XPS 13 (2026)4 spec wins — MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
InnoReviews verdict
Dell XPS 13 (2026) wins this laptop face-off, 58.9 to 45.1, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+59) and battery (+11). 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 Dell XPS 13 (2026)
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 78 vs 67
- Stronger portability score: 93 vs 34
- 95% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 257 nits
- 58% lower weight: 1 kg vs 2.4 kg
- Lower launch price: $800 vs $999
Reasons to pick the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
- 300% higher charging: 240 W vs 60 W
- 44% higher capacity: 75 Wh vs 52 Wh
- 20% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 120 Hz
- 16% higher Screen size: 15.6 ″ vs 13.4 ″
Display
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.4 ″ | 15.6 ″+16% |
| Panel type | LCD | IPS |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 1920x1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz+20% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+95% | 257 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 5 320 | Intel Core i7-14650HX |
| Graphics | Intel Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 2,786Top 45% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 13,048Bottom 47% |
Battery
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 52 Wh | 75 Wh+44% |
| Web browsing endurance | 18 h | — |
| Charging | 60 W | 240 W+300% |
Design
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1 kg+58% | 2.4 kg |
| Thickness | 12.7 mm+50% | 25.5 mm |
| Material | CNC Machined Aluminum | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB Type-C | 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 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD IR webcam | 720p HD |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint reader, Windows Hello facial recognition | None |
Software
| Spec | Dell XPS 13 (2026) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
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