Many of the gaming laptops I’ve had the pleasure of testing are very powerful units designed to surprise you. Often, review units are filled with the latest technology, meaning you can play the latest games at the highest quality and still generally get great frame rates. While that’s all good in theory, this level of performance comes at a significant cost, and generally means that many review-unit laptops are well out of the price range of most consumers. It’s a different story this time, as I’ve been testing the MSI Katana GF76, and this gadget is a great kit for those looking for high performance at a reasonable price point, albeit at the cost of visual fidelity and graphics.
I say this because the Katana GF76 has a 17.3-inch 1080p display panel that can run up to 144Hz. For anyone unfamiliar with what this means, generally 1080p/144Hz monitors are reserved for gamers who prioritize performance over graphics, as you can use these specs to run games more smoothly, even if said game looks Not as clear or vivid. It’s the same situation for the Katana GF76’s monitor, so you should understand that this is a device that puts performance first.
But what kind of hardware does it have under the hood in this case? Well, this review unit has a 12th Gen Intel i7-12700H CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, all with 16GB of RAM. This hardware isn’t top-of-the-line, but what it does do is integrate well with the display, prioritizing high-performance 1080p gameplay over games running at extreme settings.
Paste the latest games on high settings or lower, and the Katana GF76 can deliver frame rates around 100fps, with Forza Horizon 5 ranging from 90-120fps, depending on the stressful situation. Age of Empires IV, on the other hand, typically clocks in between 50-100fps, it all depends on the number of units and one Chaos unwrapped. It should now be noted that, as is the case with most gaming laptops today, this all happens while plugged in, not just on battery power. The reason this is important is that performance takes a huge hit on battery only, to the point where Age of Empires IV struggles to maintain 28fps even in low stress situations, which is seriously lacking considering the Katana GF76 can display games at up to 144Hz number of frames.
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Long story short, both the hardware and the display combine the laptop to handle most titles at high graphics settings and still deliver over 100 framerates, which is all very good, and it all doesn’t make the computer work a lot of the time Overload and give fans the best impression of the F-15 fighter. Before putting aside the subject of performance and graphics, it’s worth noting that if you do plan to use the Katana GF76 to run games on the highest graphics options (which seems like an unusual idea considering a 1080p monitor), the frame rates will take a hit, Usually it drops by about 50% depending on the situation.
Now that the performance is gone, it’s worth going back and talking more about this laptop’s cooling solution, as well as its noise level. On the base of the Katana GF76 are a series of vents that serve as the primary means of dissipating heat. The problem with this solution is that the hot air is jetted from the same spot where the laptop rests, which is usually right on your thighs, which means your legs get toasted when the Katana GF76 is under pressure. Likewise, the Katana GF76 isn’t a very quiet device when used to the max. So if you’re going to push this laptop to its limits, I’d recommend buying a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Otherwise, this laptop is a very attractive device with a relatively low profile. It’s pretty big considering the 17.3-inch display, and it’s also particularly heavy considering the hardware it packs. However, it has a subtle and rather conservative design that, if anything, is a little too basic in places, as the body has a ton of negative space around the keyboard (which has a red backlight) and trackpad. It’s hard to get away from the feeling that the keyboard could have been a little bigger, especially when looking at the crammed number pad on the right side.
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In terms of connectivity and battery life, the Katana GF76 comes with a range of ports, including a 4K/60Hz HDMI, various USBs (two Type-A 3.2s, one Type-A 2.0 and one Type-C 3.2) and a Wi-Fi -Ethernet port for Fi 6. The battery will last you many hours, assuming you’re using it for less stressful tasks like word processing or watching Netflix. If you do plan on gaming on the go, you’re lucky to get a few hours off the battery, so keep that in mind.
All in all, when you consider the type of laptop the Katana GF76 is and what kind of gaming experience it hopes to offer, it’s hard to really knock this computer down. Granted, it’s a bit basic in design and mostly lacks its 1080p display, but it’s a great laptop for anyone looking to game at higher frame rates and sacrifice visuals, and consider To the retail value of today’s high-end gaming laptops and hardware, all at a pretty reasonable price point.