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InnoReviews

Dell XPS 14 (9440) vs MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

WINNER
Dell XPS 14 (9440)
47.3Inno Score
VS
MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
45.1Inno Score
39.9Performance45.1
38.4Display33.9
54.1Battery66.7
65.8Portability34
3 spec wins — Dell XPS 14 (9440)6 spec wins — MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

InnoReviews verdict

Dell XPS 14 (9440) wins this laptop face-off, 47.3 to 45.1, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+32) and display (+5). 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 14 (9440)

  • Stronger display score: 38 vs 34
  • Stronger portability score: 66 vs 34
  • 95% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 257 nits
  • 30% lower weight: 1.68 kg vs 2.4 kg
  • 29% lower thickness: 18 mm vs 25.5 mm

Reasons to pick the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

  • Stronger performance score: 45 vs 40
  • Stronger battery score: 67 vs 54
  • 140% higher charging: 240 W vs 100 W
  • 20% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 120 Hz
  • 20% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,786 vs 2,330
  • Lower launch price: $999 vs $1,499

Display

Display comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Screen size14.5 ″15.6 ″+8%
Panel typeIPS (3.2K OLED optional)IPS
Resolution1920x12001920x1080
Refresh rate120 Hz144 Hz+20%
Peak brightness500 nits+95%257 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
ProcessorIntel Core Ultra 7 155HIntel Core i7-14650HX
GraphicsIntel Arc (RTX 4050 optional)NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop
RAM16 GB16 GB
RAM typeLPDDR5X-6400DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM)
Storage512 GB512 GB
Storage typePCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDPCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Geekbench 6 (single)2,330Bottom 10%2,786+20%Top 45%
Geekbench 6 (multi)12,600Bottom 36%13,048+4%Bottom 47%

Battery

Battery comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Capacity70 Wh75 Wh+8%
Web browsing endurance10 h—
Charging100 W240 W+140%

Design

Design comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Weight1.68 kg+30%2.4 kg
Thickness18 mm+29%25.5 mm
MaterialCNC aluminumPlastic

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Ports3x Thunderbolt 4, microSD, 3.5mm3x 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-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth5.45.3
Webcam1080p + IR720p HD
BiometricsFingerprint reader, IR face (Windows Hello)None

Software

Software comparison: Dell XPS 14 (9440) versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecDell XPS 14 (9440)MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Operating systemWindows 11Windows 11 Home

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