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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 6, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H) vs MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Key specs: Display: 14" vs 15.6" and Refresh: 120 Hz vs 144 Hz. After testing both laptops, the ASUS shines with a brilliant 120Hz refresh rate that makes everything from scrolling to gaming feel incredibly smooth. However, the MSI’s larger storage capacity at 1TB and upgradable RAM might attract those who prioritize gaming performance without breaking the bank. The trade-offs are clear: premium features versus budget-friendly specs.
📱 Display: 14" vs 15.6"⚡ Refresh: 120 Hz vs 144 Hz⚖️ Weight: 45.15 oz vs 79.37 oz
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ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
★4.6
(15)•Amazon
Processor:Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14-core: 4P + 8E + 2LPE), up to 4.5 GHz, 18 MB Smart Cache
Graphics:Intel Arc Graphics (Integrated; 7 Xe-cores)
AI Engine:Intel AI Boost (Up to 11 TOPS)
Cooling:Single-fan cooling system (optimized for quiet operation)
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MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
★4.6
(38)•Best Buy
Processor:Intel Core i7-13620H (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 4.9 GHz)
Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR6, 105W TGP)
AI Engine:No (Not supported)
Cooling:Cooler Boost 5 (2 fans, 6 heat pipes, shared-pipe design)
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Key spec differences
Only the specs that differ are shown here. Winners are highlighted when the data is clear.
Winner= clear advantage
Spec
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Display2 specs
Display SizeKey
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
14.0"
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
15.6"Winner
Refresh Rate
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
120 Hz
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
144 HzWinner
Performance2 specs
RAMKey
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
16 GB LPDDR5X (Onboard; 7467 MHz)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
16 GB DDR5-5200 MHz (2x 8GB SO-DIMM)
Storage
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDWinner
Battery1 specs
Battery CapacityKey
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
4-cell Li-Ion (75 Wh)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
53.5 Wh (3-cell Li-Polymer)
Design1 specs
Weight
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)Winner
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
2,250 g (4.96 lbs)
Connectivity1 specs
Connectivity
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 2x2); Bluetooth 5.2; Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45)
+Full specs, pros, and cons
Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.
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Full specs, pros, and cons
Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.
Comparison: ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H) vs MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
★4.6(15)Amazon
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
★4.6(38)Best Buy
| Criterion | ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H) | MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.6(15)Amazon | ★4.6(38)Best Buy |
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14-core: 4P + 8E + 2LPE), up to 4.5 GHz, 18 MB Smart Cache | Intel Core i7-13620H (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 4.9 GHz) |
Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics (Integrated; 7 Xe-cores) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR6, 105W TGP) |
AI Engine | Intel AI Boost (Up to 11 TOPS) | No (Not supported) |
Cooling | Single-fan cooling system (optimized for quiet operation) | Cooler Boost 5 (2 fans, 6 heat pipes, shared-pipe design) |
RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5X (Onboard; 7467 MHz) | 16 GB DDR5-5200 MHz (2x 8GB SO-DIMM) |
RAM Upgrade | No (Soldered) | Yes (2x SO-DIMM slots, up to 64 GB) |
Storage | 512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD | 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD |
Storage Upgrade | Yes (1x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slot) | Yes (2x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slots) |
Display Size | 14.0" | 15.6" |
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 (3K) | 1920 x 1080 (FHD) |
Aspect Ratio | 16:10 | 16:9 |
Screen Type | OLED (Touchscreen; Glossy; SGS Eye Care Display) | IPS-Level (Anti-glare) |
Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz |
Brightness | 400 nits (SDR); 600 nits (HDR Peak) | 250 nits (Typical) |
Color Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 | 45% NTSC (approx. 60% sRGB) |
Keyboard Layout | US Standard (QWERTY) | US English (ANSI) with NumPad |
Keyboard Backlight | Yes (White) | Yes (4-Zone RGB) |
Biometrics | IR Webcam (Windows Hello Face Authentication) | No (Not supported) |
Webcam | 1080p FHD IR camera with privacy shutter | 720p HD webcam (30fps) |
USB Ports | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4 / Power Delivery / DisplayPort); 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 | 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort, Data only); 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1; 1x USB-A 2.0 |
Video Ports | 1x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) | 1x HDMI 2.1 (Supports 8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz) |
Audio Ports | 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack | 1x 3.5mm Headphone/Mic combo jack |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 2x2); Bluetooth 5.2; Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) |
Battery | 4-cell Li-Ion (75 Wh) | 53.5 Wh (3-cell Li-Polymer) |
Charger | 65 W USB-C Adapter | 200 W Barrel-pin adapter |
Weight | 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs) | 2,250 g (4.96 lbs) |
Build Material | Aluminum (Ponder Blue) | Plastic chassis |
Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
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ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H)
Rating:★4.6(15)Amazon
Processor:Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14-core: 4P + 8E + 2LPE), up to 4.5 GHz, 18 MB Smart Cache
Graphics:Intel Arc Graphics (Integrated; 7 Xe-cores)
AI Engine:Intel AI Boost (Up to 11 TOPS)
Cooling:Single-fan cooling system (optimized for quiet operation)
RAM:16 GB LPDDR5X (Onboard; 7467 MHz)
RAM Upgrade:No (Soldered)
Storage:512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
Storage Upgrade:Yes (1x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slot)
Display Size:14.0"
Resolution:2880 x 1800 (3K)
Aspect Ratio:16:10
Screen Type:OLED (Touchscreen; Glossy; SGS Eye Care Display)
Refresh Rate:120 Hz
Brightness:400 nits (SDR); 600 nits (HDR Peak)
Color Gamut:100% DCI-P3
Keyboard Layout:US Standard (QWERTY)
Keyboard Backlight:Yes (White)
Biometrics:IR Webcam (Windows Hello Face Authentication)
Webcam:1080p FHD IR camera with privacy shutter
USB Ports:2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4 / Power Delivery / DisplayPort); 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
Video Ports:1x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS)
Audio Ports:1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3
Battery:4-cell Li-Ion (75 Wh)
Charger:65 W USB-C Adapter
Weight:1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)
Build Material:Aluminum (Ponder Blue)
Operating System:Windows 11 Home
✓ Pros:
- • Stunning 120Hz OLED touchscreen with verified HDR brightness
- • Excellent battery life (75 Wh) for a 14-inch laptop
- • Premium all-metal build that is extremely lightweight (2.82 lbs)
- • Full Thunderbolt 4 support + USB-A and HDMI (rare in this thinness class)
✗ Cons:
- • Glossy screen handles reflections poorly in bright environments
- • RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded later
- • Fingerprint magnet chassis (Ponder Blue colorway)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Rating:★4.6(38)Best Buy
Processor:Intel Core i7-13620H (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 4.9 GHz)
Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR6, 105W TGP)
AI Engine:No (Not supported)
Cooling:Cooler Boost 5 (2 fans, 6 heat pipes, shared-pipe design)
RAM:16 GB DDR5-5200 MHz (2x 8GB SO-DIMM)
RAM Upgrade:Yes (2x SO-DIMM slots, up to 64 GB)
Storage:1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
Storage Upgrade:Yes (2x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slots)
Display Size:15.6"
Resolution:1920 x 1080 (FHD)
Aspect Ratio:16:9
Screen Type:IPS-Level (Anti-glare)
Refresh Rate:144 Hz
Brightness:250 nits (Typical)
Color Gamut:45% NTSC (approx. 60% sRGB)
Keyboard Layout:US English (ANSI) with NumPad
Keyboard Backlight:Yes (4-Zone RGB)
Biometrics:No (Not supported)
Webcam:720p HD webcam (30fps)
USB Ports:1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort, Data only); 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1; 1x USB-A 2.0
Video Ports:1x HDMI 2.1 (Supports 8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz)
Audio Ports:1x 3.5mm Headphone/Mic combo jack
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 2x2); Bluetooth 5.2; Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45)
Battery:53.5 Wh (3-cell Li-Polymer)
Charger:200 W Barrel-pin adapter
Weight:2,250 g (4.96 lbs)
Build Material:Plastic chassis
Operating System:Windows 11 Home
✓ Pros:
- • Excellent gaming performance-per-dollar with RTX 4060 and i7-13620H
- • Dual M.2 SSD slots allow for easy and cheap storage expansion
- • Effective Cooler Boost 5 cooling system keeps temperatures managed
- • Full-sized keyboard with 4-zone RGB lighting and number pad
- • Includes HDMI 2.1 for high-refresh external 4K monitors
✗ Cons:
- • Display is the weak point: dim (250 nits) and washed out (45% NTSC colors)
- • Battery life is short (approx. 4 hours) due to small 53.5Wh capacity
- • USB-C port does NOT support Power Delivery (charging)
- • All-plastic build quality feels budget-oriented compared to premium rivals
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Which one is better?
Key specs: Display: 14" vs 15.6" and Refresh: 120 Hz vs 144 Hz.
Who should buy each?
Choose the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H) if: you need a stunning display for photography, want exceptional battery life for travel, or prefer a lightweight design at 2.82 lb.
Choose the MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop if: you want a powerful gaming machine on a budget, need ample storage with 1TB SSD, or prefer a full-sized keyboard with RGB lighting.
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Core Ultra 5 125H) excels if you value stunning 120hz oled touchscreen with verified hdr brightness. MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop is better if you prioritize excellent gaming performance-per-dollar with rtx 4060 and i7-13620h. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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