MSI Katana GF76 Gaming Laptop Review: Best Affordable Gaming Machine

The MSI Katana GF76 is a powerful and lightweight gaming laptop that offers great value for money.

 

If there’s one thing MSI does, it’s gaming laptops. And the company knows that to stay relevant in the laptop market, it needs to make an impact with next-generation tech. With this generation’s flagship model, the MSI Katana GF76, they may have done just that. 

The MSI Katana GF76 features everything you could ever want in a gaming laptop and more, including state-of-the-art cooling and graphics solutions and supercharged performance that can easily take it well into 2022 and beyond as one of the best gaming laptops on the market!

Introduction

MSI stands for Micro-Star International and was founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1986. The MSI Katana GF76 is a relatively new laptop model (released on October 2021) but has already built up a small fanbase online. With 16GB DDR4 Memory and 1TB hard drive capacity, the MSI Katana GF76 seems to be more than enough machine for gamers of all types. 

In this MSI Katana GF76 review, we will take a look at the specs, performance, and design of this gaming laptop. I will also touch on some aspects that might not be as important in other laptops but are still worth mentioning. 

The MSI Katana GF76 is a 17.3-inch full HD (1920×1080) laptop with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. It runs on Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system. The MSI Katana GF76 weighs 5.1 pounds and has a battery life of up to 6 hours which can last for two years without replacing the battery. 

Its weight may seem heavy but it’s actually lighter than most competitors. It also features great cooling capabilities even when playing graphically intense games such as Battlefield 1 or Fortnite thanks to its dual fans and heating pipes that keep the system cool. 

MSI says they used feedback from professional gamers to improve their product so the MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop is definitely worth taking a closer look at. Let’s dive into the detailed review of it!

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Price & Configurations

The MSI Katana GF76 has some excellent specs, as well as a relatively low price point. The MSI Katana GF76 is a high-end gaming laptop that’s available in six different configurations. You can purchase it with an Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3050 for about $1,202. 

The other versions include the same specs as above but with a 1TB SSD and a 2TB hard drive. All models are VR-ready and come with a dual-fan cooling system to keep things running cool. They also have both Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type C connections. 

The MSI Katana GF76 may not be cheap at over $1,200 but you’ll get your money’s worth when it comes to performance. Its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU has enough power to play any game on Ultra settings while staying cool. Overall, it’s worth the price tag very well!

Design& Build Quality

The MSI Katana line is a fusion of powerful gaming laptops, as well as ultra-portable machines that have been engineered to be as thin and light as possible. But don’t let their size fool you. The MSI Katana GF76 packs a punch, with enough power to play most modern games at playable framerates.

MSI has been doing a lot to try and make gaming laptops more portable, but they’ve yet to achieve a machine that can be slim while still having enough power to play modern games. That is until now. The MSI Katana GF76 is finally here. 

While you may notice a design similarity between it and MSI’s other thin-and-light machines (like the GS65), it’s much more powerful than its predecessors. Like all MSI gaming laptops, it’s sturdy and well-built. It doesn’t flex or bend under pressure. However, this comes at the cost of weight. The MSI Katana GF76 weighs in at just over 5 pounds which isn’t bad for a laptop with these specs. 

MSI has done an excellent job of maximizing performance without sacrificing too much battery life. The MSI Katana GF76 also includes some nice design touches like Chroma RGB lighting on the keyboard and the touchpad. Its design and builds quality are awesome!

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are both responsive and feel great to use. I also love that MSI includes a button on the keyboard to activate features like the touchpad. Another thing I love about the MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop is that they integrate a ton of extra buttons to use in tandem with your keyboard. 

If you’re using more than one set of headphones, you can easily switch between them. If you want to turn on LED lighting or change fan speeds without having to navigate through menus, that’s also possible. These small features make MSI stand out from its competitors and make for an overall better experience with less fiddling around. 

MSI’s touchpad, however, doesn’t have that issue. The touchpad is extremely responsive to all of my movements and clicks and doesn’t require a ton of pressure to click. There’s also no lag when typing on the keyboard, which is a problem I’ve had with other laptops. 

MSI’s touchpad is just as good as if not better than most high-end tablets on the market. Overall, I really enjoy using MSI’s touchpad and keyboard. Even after using laptops for years, there are always some small things about them that can drive me crazy. 

The trackpad and keyboard have a touchscreen function that allows you to do things like zoom in or out, increase or decrease volume, or pause your music without having to navigate through menus. If you’re coming from using an iPad or any other similar device, it will be easy for you to figure out what buttons do what.

Display

In this review, we’ll take a look at the MSI Katana GF76 Gaming Laptop. This laptop offers relatively high specs for a relatively low price and is an excellent option for those on a budget who are looking to get into PC gaming. 

The MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop comes with a 17.3-inches ‎Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS 144Hz pixels resolution. The screen is one of the most defining features of any laptop and MSI has done a great job with this one. It offers a bright display, crisp image, and wide viewing angles that make it perfect for gaming. 

The MSI Katana GF76 doesn’t just offer amazing specs on its own but can also be used as an external display thanks to its USB Type-C port. In order to do so you need a compatible HDMI cable or adapter. You will notice when switching to another screen that it is black and white, which is a result of not having an additional GPU or any other external video source connected.

If you have one available then no worries! Just plug in your device and enjoy a colorful experience while playing your favorite games. One thing MSI has been working on with their gaming line of laptops is touchscreens. 

They haven’t released a laptop with a touch display yet, but it will definitely come soon. We all know how useful touchscreens are on laptops so it is a big plus that MSI is moving towards implementing them in their product line.

Specs & Performance

The MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop is a true powerhouse. It has a new, 11th-generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (expandable to 64GB), 512GB SSD (expandable to 2TB), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics. 

The system also has an impressive 6 hours of battery life for all-day gaming without needing to charge. The MSI Katana is a laptop that truly delivers when it comes to performance. Additionally, because of its size and weight, this laptop can easily be carried around in my backpack so I never have to worry about not being able to game on the go again. 

On top of its performance and portability, I am also incredibly satisfied with how well-built it is. The screen feels very sturdy, and it’s easy to open up and access all of its inner parts. The MSI Katana also has two fans on either side of it that are able to cool it down better than most other gaming laptops I’ve tried out. 

These two fans provide the perfect balance of blowing hot air away from me while also sucking in cool air from the back of the machine. When you put all these factors together, you get a machine that performs well and doesn’t overheat as many others do. All these features make it one of my favorite machines I’ve ever used as a gamer!

Special Gaming Performance

The MSI Katana is equipped with an 8-core Intel Core i7 11800H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. As a result, this laptop can handle any AAA title at 1080p on high settings. Another great thing about this laptop is that it comes with an IPS display panel that offers viewing angles of up to 178 degrees. 

This laptop is so fast that I can open multiple applications and boot my games in less than 30 seconds. After testing, MSI Katana GF76 was able to achieve 100000 points in the 3DMark test, more than double what I get from my current laptop. 

Not only does this machine offer incredible performance, but it’s also very lightweight. When I use MSI Katana for gaming, it only takes me about 3 seconds to get back to my desktop. Although it is a bit heavy compared to other gaming laptops in its category, I believe that its excellent performance makes up for its weight. 

MSI’s Dragon Center software provides you with all of your basic laptop-management functions, but it also adds a few gaming tools. The Gaming Mode setting automatically optimizes your machine to give you maximum performance for playing games. 

You can also create profiles for different games or set custom preferences like your keyboard lighting or volume levels. There are three modes available (Performance, Sport, and Eco) which will allow you to customize your system according to how much power it needs at the moment. 

With MSI Katana GF76 you’re getting a computer that has top-of-the-line specs in every category for under $1300! Overall, this is a laptop that is purely built for professional gamers.

Audio Quality

The MSI Katana GF76 has great audio quality. It has two speakers on the front and two on the back with a subwoofer in between. The sound is clear and crisp with no distortion whatsoever at any volume. The MSI Katana GF76 also features Nahimic 2, which helps reduce background noise and improves voice communication. 

This aspect of quality is difficult to discern, but you should look at input devices like keyboards and mice as well as trackpad comfort. In some cases, other options will be provided; for example, an office ergonomic chair might have a built-in massager. 

Your objective here is to choose between a few different brands and models that are available within your budget range. The audio quality on all of these speakers is stellar, but they don’t all sound exactly alike. 

Overall, you can definitely tell that MSI chose some excellent hardware to install inside their laptop, especially when it comes to producing powerful and clear mids and highs. 

With strong audio performance throughout, this MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop review would recommend this device if you’re looking for something that can help immerse yourself in gaming or music without having to turn up the volume too high.

Battery Life & Charging

The battery life on this laptop is a bit short, but MSI has made up for that with an included charging dock. The dock plugs into the wall, and then you can charge your laptop by sitting on top of it. I haven’t had to use it yet because I’m usually near a power outlet, but in case of emergencies, this could be very useful. 

The battery lasts around 6 hours of usage. The processor performs quite well and didn’t have any hiccups when I was playing video games. While I do enjoy gaming on my laptop, I don’t like how hot it can get when I’m playing for a long time. 

However, MSI has provided a few nice extras in order to make up for those cons. There’s an included charging dock that plugs right into your wall. If you’re away from a power outlet and need to recharge, just put the laptop on top of the charging station. All in all, MSI did a good job with the Katana GF76 gaming laptop.

Is it worth your money? (Price, Value, etc.)

The MSI Katana GF76 is a gaming laptop with a matte display and 6GB of VRAM. It’s not priced as high as other models but it still delivers good gaming performance. The only downside is the battery life, which doesn’t quite live up to its six-hour claim. 

But overall, this is a solid laptop and worth considering if you’re looking for something inexpensive with good specs and decent performance. Overall, if you are in search of a reasonably priced gaming laptop that won’t break the bank, then you should consider MSI’s Katana. 

It will deliver good performance and a great user experience for web browsing and watching videos, along with decently good gaming performance (depending on your video settings). 

And though it has its flaws such as underwhelming battery life, there are far worse things out there than MSI’s laptop. If you’re looking for an affordable laptop that provides good value, then MSI Katana GF76 could be a good choice for you.

Final Verdict – Should you buy it?

The MSI Katana GF76 gaming laptop is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a professional gaming laptop. It comes with many features that will provide you with performance that meets your standards and is portable enough to travel with you wherever you go. 

It has specifications that will satisfy all of your needs, from its powerful specs to its sleek and simple design, the MSI Katana GF76 is one of the best laptops on the market today. If you are in need of a reliable laptop for business or even for high-level gaming, then the MSI Katana GF76 may be just what you’re looking for. 

I hope you enjoy my detailed review and know anything about it. If you still have any questions in your mind so feel free to comment down below or also don’t forget to subscribe to our blog post updates!