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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 6, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) vs MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
When comparing the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) to the MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop, the choice is clear: the MacBook Air excels with its M3 chip and 18 hours of battery life, making it ideal for productivity and portability. Meanwhile, the MSI Katana 15 offers a larger 15.6" display and a 144Hz refresh rate, which is great for gaming but sacrifices battery life, lasting only 4 hours in real-world use. The Apple MacBook Air is the premium choice here, delivering a sleek design and powerful performance with its 8-core M3 chip.
📱 Display: 13.6" vs 15.6"⚡ Refresh: 60 Hz vs 144 Hz⚖️ Weight: 43.74 oz vs 79.37 oz
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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
★4.9
(2,424)•Best Buy
Processor:Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency)
Graphics:Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config)
AI Engine:16-core Neural Engine
Cooling:Passive (Fanless silent design)
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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
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Display2 specs
Display SizeKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
13.6"
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
15.6"Winner
Refresh Rate
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
60 Hz
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
144 HzWinner
Performance2 specs
RAMKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
16 GB DDR5-5200 MHz (2x 8GB SO-DIMM)Winner
Storage
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDWinner
Battery1 specs
Battery CapacityKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
53.5 Wh (3-cell Li-Polymer)
Design1 specs
Weight
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
1,240 g (2.7 lbs)Winner
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
2,250 g (4.96 lbs)
Software1 specs
Operating System
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
macOS (Sonoma or later)
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Windows 11 Home
Connectivity1 specs
Connectivity
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
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.
Expand
Full specs, pros, and cons
Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.
Comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) vs MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
★4.9(2,424)Best Buy
MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop
★4.6(38)Best Buy
| Criterion | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) | MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.9(2,424)Best Buy | ★4.6(38)Best Buy |
Processor | Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency) | Intel Core i7-13620H (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 4.9 GHz) |
Graphics | Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR6, 105W TGP) |
AI Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | No (Not supported) |
Cooling | Passive (Fanless silent design) | Cooler Boost 5 (2 fans, 6 heat pipes, shared-pipe design) |
RAM | 8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory | 16 GB DDR5-5200 MHz (2x 8GB SO-DIMM) |
RAM Upgrade | No (Unified Memory architecture) | Yes (2x SO-DIMM slots, up to 64 GB) |
Storage | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD | 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD |
Storage Upgrade | No (Soldered) | Yes (2x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slots) |
Display Size | 13.6" | 15.6" |
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 (Native) | 1920 x 1080 (FHD) |
Aspect Ratio | 16:10 (plus additional height for menu bar/notch) | 16:9 |
Screen Type | Liquid Retina (IPS; LED-backlit) | IPS-Level (Anti-glare) |
Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 144 Hz |
Brightness | 500 nits | 250 nits (Typical) |
Color Gamut | Wide color (P3) | 45% NTSC (approx. 60% sRGB) |
Keyboard Layout | US English (Magic Keyboard) | US English (ANSI) with NumPad |
Keyboard Backlight | Yes (Ambient light sensor) | Yes (4-Zone RGB) |
Biometrics | Touch ID (Fingerprint reader) | No (Not supported) |
Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD camera | 720p HD webcam (30fps) |
USB Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 (Up to 40Gb/s; Charging; DisplayPort) | 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort, Data only); 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1; 1x USB-A 2.0 |
Video Ports | USB-C DisplayPort (Supports 1 external display up to 6K@60Hz; OR 2 external displays with lid closed) | 1x HDMI 2.1 (Supports 8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz) |
Audio Ports | 1x 3.5mm Headphone jack (Advanced support for high-impedance headphones) | 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 | 52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer) | 53.5 Wh (3-cell Li-Polymer) |
Charger | 30W (Base 8-core GPU model) or 35W Dual Port / 70W Fast Charger (Higher configs) | 200 W Barrel-pin adapter |
Weight | 1,240 g (2.7 lbs) | 2,250 g (4.96 lbs) |
Build Material | 100% Recycled Aluminum enclosure | Plastic chassis |
Operating System | macOS (Sonoma or later) | Windows 11 Home |
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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
Rating:★4.9(2,424)Best Buy
Processor:Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency)
Graphics:Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config)
AI Engine:16-core Neural Engine
Cooling:Passive (Fanless silent design)
RAM:8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory
RAM Upgrade:No (Unified Memory architecture)
Storage:256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
Storage Upgrade:No (Soldered)
Display Size:13.6"
Resolution:2560 x 1664 (Native)
Aspect Ratio:16:10 (plus additional height for menu bar/notch)
Screen Type:Liquid Retina (IPS; LED-backlit)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Brightness:500 nits
Color Gamut:Wide color (P3)
Keyboard Layout:US English (Magic Keyboard)
Keyboard Backlight:Yes (Ambient light sensor)
Biometrics:Touch ID (Fingerprint reader)
Webcam:1080p FaceTime HD camera
USB Ports:2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 (Up to 40Gb/s; Charging; DisplayPort)
Video Ports:USB-C DisplayPort (Supports 1 external display up to 6K@60Hz; OR 2 external displays with lid closed)
Audio Ports:1x 3.5mm Headphone jack (Advanced support for high-impedance headphones)
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3
Battery:52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer)
Charger:30W (Base 8-core GPU model) or 35W Dual Port / 70W Fast Charger (Higher configs)
Weight:1,240 g (2.7 lbs)
Build Material:100% Recycled Aluminum enclosure
Operating System:macOS (Sonoma or later)
✓ Pros:
- • Significantly faster M3 chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
- • First MacBook Air to natively support two external monitors (in clamshell mode)
- • Completely silent fanless operation
- • Exceptional build quality with a bright 500-nit P3 display
- • MagSafe 3 charging frees up both Thunderbolt ports for peripherals
✗ Cons:
- • Base model starts with only 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (slow SSD speeds on 256GB)
- • Limited to 60Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion 120Hz)
- • Zero user-upgradeability for RAM or storage
- • Thermal throttling can occur under sustained heavy workloads due to lack of fans
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?
The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) is the better buy for most people - its 18-hour battery life crushes the MSI Katana 15's 4-hour runtime.
Who should buy each?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) if: you need a lightweight laptop for work, want up to 18 hours of battery life, or prefer a premium build with a stunning 500-nit display.
Choose the MSI Katana 15 Gaming Laptop if: you want to game on a budget, need a larger screen for multitasking, or plan to upgrade your RAM and storage easily. (15.6" display, 144 Hz refresh)
Conclusion
There is no wrong answer here. Focus on the features you will use daily and pick the model that aligns with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) excels if you value significantly faster m3 chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. 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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