MSI Katana 15.6" B14WFK-810US Black 2024

A budget gaming laptop with a flagship CPU and a great GPU, wrapped in a plastic shell that weighs too much. Buy it for the performance, not the build quality.

The CPU here is the star of the show. That i7-14650HX sits in the 86th percentile in our database, which means it's one of the best laptop processors on the market right now. The RTX 5060 with 8GB of VRAM is no slouch either, landing in the 83rd percentile. What surprised us most is how well this thing handles QHD gaming at 165Hz. The 16GB of DDR5 is about average, and you'll feel that in heavier multitasking or if you try to run local AI models. The 1TB NVMe SSD is solid, and the 75Wh battery is decent for a gaming laptop, though don't expect all-day unplugged sessions.

The Katana 15 HX sits in a weird spot. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is lighter, better built, and has a more premium feel, but you'll pay more for it. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 is the better pure gaming machine with more RAM and better thermals, but it's also pricier. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is sleeker and more portable, but the Katana's CPU beats it. If you want raw performance per dollar, the Katana wins. If you want something that feels premium and travels well, the Zephyrus G14 or OMEN Transcend are better picks. The MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a completely different league and price bracket, so it's not really a fair fight.

Here's where it gets interesting. US buyers can snag this for $1,468 to $1,585, which is a steal for this spec sheet. But if you're in Canada, the spread is wild. CAD 2,000 to CAD 2,500 across just two listings. Memory Express has the better deal at the lower end, so shop there if you can. At the US price, this is a no-brainer. At the top Canadian price, you're getting into territory where better-built machines start looking tempting.

The MSI Katana 15 HX is a budget gaming laptop that punches above its weight where it counts. You're getting a 16-core i7-14650HX and an RTX 5060, which is a seriously capable combo for the money. The one thing to know? This is a performance-first machine that makes some real compromises on build and portability to hit that price.

If you're looking for something thin, light, and premium-feeling, this isn't it. Go grab the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or HP OMEN Transcend 14 instead. And if you need serious RAM for video editing or AI work, the 16GB here will frustrate you. Look at the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i with 32GB or more.

Buy the Katana 15 HX if you want maximum gaming performance for minimum cash and don't care about portability or build quality. The CPU and GPU combo at this price is genuinely hard to beat. Just know you're getting a plastic chassis, average RAM, and a laptop that weighs as much as a small dog. For the US price, it's an easy recommendation. For Canadian buyers, wait for a sale or grab it from Memory Express at the lower end.