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InnoReviews

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
43.5Inno Score
VS
WINNER
MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
45.1Inno Score
39.3Performance45.1
41.6Display33.9
45.9Battery66.7
51.4Portability34
3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 26 spec wins — MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

InnoReviews verdict

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W wins this laptop face-off, 45.1 to 43.5, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+21) and performance (+6). Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

  • Stronger display score: 42 vs 34
  • Stronger portability score: 51 vs 34
  • 133% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 257 nits
  • 17% lower weight: 1.98 kg vs 2.4 kg
  • 14% lower thickness: 22 mm vs 25.5 mm

Reasons to pick the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W

  • Stronger performance score: 45 vs 39
  • Stronger battery score: 67 vs 46
  • 100% higher charging: 240 W vs 120 W
  • 29% higher capacity: 75 Wh vs 58 Wh
  • 20% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 120 Hz
  • Lower launch price: $999 vs $2,399

Display

Display comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Screen size14.4 ″15.6 ″+8%
Panel typeIPS (PixelSense Flow, touch)IPS
Resolution2400x16001920x1080
Refresh rate120 Hz144 Hz+20%
Peak brightness600 nits+133%257 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
ProcessorIntel Core i7-13700HIntel Core i7-14650HX
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 LaptopNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop
RAM16 GB16 GB
RAM typeLPDDR5X-6400 (soldered)DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM)
Storage512 GB512 GB
Storage typePCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (user-replaceable)PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Geekbench 6 (single)2,450Bottom 29%2,786+14%Top 45%
Geekbench 6 (multi)11,500Bottom 24%13,048+13%Bottom 47%

Battery

Battery comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Capacity58 Wh75 Wh+29%
Web browsing endurance9 h—
Charging120 W240 W+100%

Design

Design comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Weight1.98 kg+17%2.4 kg
Thickness22 mm+14%25.5 mm
MaterialMagnesium and aluminumPlastic

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Ports2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A 3.1, microSDXC, Surface Connect, 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 6EWi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth5.35.3
Webcam1080p + IR720p HD
BiometricsIR face (Windows Hello)None

Software

Software comparison: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 versus MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
SpecMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
Operating systemWindows 11Windows 11 Home

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