MSI Katana 15 HX B14WFK-446CA 2024, Core i7-14650HX, 32GB, 1TB SSD, RTX 5060, Black

The MSI Katana 15 HX packs an RTX 5060 and i7-14650HX into a heavy 4.04kg chassis. Gaming performance is excellent, landing in the 89th percentile for GPU. It's worth buying at the lower end of its CAD 2,099 to CAD 2,500 price range, but only if you don't plan to carry it around much.

The i7-14650HX is a 16-core monster that chews through games and creative workloads without breaking a sweat. Paired with the RTX 5060, you're looking at one of the better mobile gaming combos in our database right now. The 32GB of DDR5 is a nice touch, way better than the 16GB you usually see at this tier. The 165Hz QHD display is a standout too, landing in the 84th percentile for screens. That resolution and refresh rate combo means games look sharp and feel smooth. The 1TB SSD is solid, about average for this class, but fast enough that load times won't annoy you. One thing to note: the port selection is just okay at the 69th percentile. You get one USB-C, three USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6E. Fine, but nothing to write home about.

Against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, the Katana wins on raw CPU and GPU muscle but loses badly on portability. The Zephyrus is a featherweight by comparison, and its build quality feels more premium. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 is a closer fight, with similar gaming chops but better reliability scores in our database. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is lighter and sleeker, but you're giving up some performance for that slim chassis. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a different league for creators, but it's also in a different price bracket entirely. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition isn't even a gaming machine, so it's not a fair fight. For pure gaming performance per dollar, the Katana holds its own against all of them.

Pricing is a bit of a rollercoaster in Canada. We're seeing listings from CAD 2,099 to CAD 2,500 across two vendors. That's a CAD 401 spread, which is annoying. Memory Express has the better deal at the lower end of that range. At CAD 2,099, this is a strong value for the raw gaming performance you're getting. At CAD 2,500, it's harder to justify. Shop around before you commit. The hardware here is legitimately good for gaming, but you don't want to overpay for a laptop that's this heavy and this average on ports.

The MSI Katana 15 HX is a gaming laptop that puts its money where the frames are. You get an Intel i7-14650HX with 16 cores, an RTX 5060 with 8GB of VRAM, 32GB of DDR5, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. That's a serious spec sheet for the price, and our benchmarks back it up. The GPU lands in the 89th percentile for this category, and the CPU isn't far behind at 86th. This thing is built to push a 165Hz QHD panel, and it mostly delivers.

But it's not all sunshine. The Katana is heavy at 4.04kg, and our compact score of 43.3 out of 100 puts it in the 11th percentile. That's basically a desktop with a screen bolted on. If you want something to toss in a backpack, this ain't it. If you want a desk-bound gaming rig that can technically move rooms, keep reading.

Skip this if you need a laptop that actually travels. At 4.04kg, it's a brick. Students, commuters, and anyone who works from coffee shops should look at something like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 instead. Also skip it if you care about build quality and reliability more than raw performance. The 60th percentile reliability score is fine, but it's not going to win any durability awards. And if you need lots of ports, the single USB-C and three USB-A setup is workable but not generous.

Buy this if you want a desktop replacement that lives on a desk and occasionally moves to a different desk. The gaming performance is legit, the display is great, and the 32GB of RAM means you won't be upgrading anytime soon. It's a workhorse, not a show pony. If you're a student or someone who actually needs to carry a laptop around, this is a hard pass. But for a stationary gaming setup that can fold up and move when you need it to, the Katana 15 HX delivers where it counts.