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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Build Quality
    3. Hinge
    4. Portability
    5. Serviceability
    6. In The Box
  5. Display
    1. Screen Specs
    2. Refresh Rate
    3. Contrast
    4. Brightness
    5. Reflections
    6. Black Uniformity
    7. Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
    8. Color Gamut
    9. Flicker
  6. Interface
    1. Keyboard
    2. Touchpad
    3. Speakers
    4. Webcam & Microphone
  7. Connectivity
    1. Ports
    2. Wireless Communication
  8. Configuration
    1. CPU
    2. GPU
    3. RAM
    4. Storage
  9. Performance
    1. Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
    2. Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
    3. Blender (3D Rendering)
    4. Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
    5. Storage Drive Performance
    6. Battery
    7. Borderlands 3
    8. Civilization VI
    9. Counter-Strike 2
    10. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
    11. Thermals And Noise
    12. Performance Over Time
  10. Additional Features And Software
    1. Software
    2. Extra Features
  11. Comments

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) vs Acer Nitro V 16 (2024)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024)
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024)

Tested using Methodology v0.8.3

Updated May 02, 2025 02:44 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8.3

Updated May 02, 2025 02:45 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Picture
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Picture

Variants

  • Katana A15 AI (B8VF-448US) (Black - FHD/144Hz/Ryzen 7 8845HS/RTX 4060/32GB/1TB)
  • Katana A15 AI (B8VF-406CA) (Black - FHD/144Hz/Ryzen 9 8945HS/RTX 4060/32GB/1TB)
  • Katana A15 AI (B8VG-423US) (Black - FHD/144Hz/Ryzen 9 8945HS/RTX 4070/16GB/1TB)
  • Katana A15 AI (B8VG-430US) (Black - QHD/165Hz/Ryzen 7 8845HS/RTX 4070/16GB/1TB)
  • Katana A15 AI (B8VG-450US) (Black - QHD/165Hz/Ryzen 9 8945HS/RTX 4070/32GB/1TB)
  • Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41-R2R4) (Obsidian Black - FHD/165Hz/Ryzen 5 8645HS/RTX 4050/8GB/512GB)
  • Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41-R5J0) (Obsidian Black - FHD/165Hz/Ryzen 7 8845HS/RTX 4060/16GB/1TB)
  • Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41-R5K2) (Obsidian Black - FHD/165Hz/Ryzen 7 8845HS/RTX 4060/16GB/1TB)

Our Verdict

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024)

Acer Nitro V 16 (2024)

The Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) and the MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) are both excellent budget gaming laptops. If you only care about performance, the MSI is the clear pick. It offers higher-end hardware options than the Acer, topping out at an RTX 4070 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs. However, the Acer's user experience is better overall. It offers brighter displays, stays much cooler under load, resulting in a more comfortable gaming experience, and has better build quality.  

0 

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

6.1
6.7

Battery 
 

3.7
6.0

Keyboard 
 

8.6
7.4

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Style Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.5

Build Quality Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Build Quality Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

5.8
8.1

Hinge Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Hinge Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

180°
155°

Stability 
 

Decent
Decent

One Finger Lift 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.5
5.7

Dimensions Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Dimensions Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

15.6"
16"

Thickness 
 

1.4" (3.5 cm)
1.2" (3.1 cm)

Width 
 

14.1" (35.9 cm)
14.3" (36.3 cm)

Depth 
 

10.4" (26.4 cm)
11.1" (28.1 cm)

Volume 
 

202.4 in³ (3,317.2 cm³)
193.0 in³ (3,162.1 cm³)

Weight 
 

5.1 lbs (2.3 kg)
5.4 lbs (2.5 kg)

Charger Size 
 

17.8 in³ (292.2 cm³)
14.4 in³ (236.3 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

1.7 lbs (0.8 kg)
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)

Serviceability 
 

8.1
8.6

Internals Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Internals Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

7.0
8.0

RAM Slots 
 

2
2

Storage Slots 
 

2
2

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) In The Box Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Display Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

1920 x 1080
1920 x 1200

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:9
16:10

Pixel Density 
 

141 PPI
141 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

No
No

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

73%
79%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

8.9
9.1

Motion Blur  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Motion Blur
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

144 Hz
165 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

FreeSync
G-SYNC
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

7.8
7.6

Contrast Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Contrast Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

1,599 : 1
1,515 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness 
 

6.4
7.2

Maximum Brightness 
 

250 cd/m²
324 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

12 cd/m²
22 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

8.2
7.3

Reflections Photo Off  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Reflections Photo Off
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Reflections Photo Max
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Matte
Matte

Total Reflections 
 

3.71%
4.99%

Indirect Reflections 
 

3.2%
3.59%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

0.51%
1.81%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

6.4
6.5

Black Uniformity Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Black Uniformity Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

1.724%
1.633%
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

6.2
9.4

White Balance Screencap  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) White Balance Screencap
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Gamma Curve Screencap
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Color Screencap
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

3.14
1.87

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.32
2.31

Avg. Color dE 
 

4.81
1.61

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

7,212 K
6,834 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

4.5
8.7

Gamut SDR  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Gamut SDR
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

69.37%
99.99%

sRGB uv 
 

57.46%
99.97%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

51.18%
79.51%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

50.47%
88.56%

Gamut HDR  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Gamut HDR
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

50.8%
80.97%

DCI P3 uv 
 

46.64%
85.71%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

36.53%
58.1%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

34.22%
62.5%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Flicker Graph
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
Yes

Flicker Frequency 
 

No Flicker
No Flicker

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
0%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

8.6
7.4

Keyboard Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Keyboard Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

8.5
7.0

Numpad 
 

Yes
Yes

Backlighting 
 

RGB Zones
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Operating Force 
 

68 gf
64 gf

Actuation Force 
 

32 gf
40 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

1.03 mm
1.15 mm

Total Travel 
 

1.53 mm
1.42 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

7.1
7.7

Touchpad Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Touchpad Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

7.5
7.5

Size 
 

10.5 in² (68.1 cm²)
16.5 in² (106.7 cm²)

Material 
 

Plastic
Plastic

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

4.8
7.8

Frequency Response Plot  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Max Volume 
 

72 dB SPL
76 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

10.7 dB
4.7 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

3.7
-2.2

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

230 Hz
354 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

18 kHz
17 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

1.9 dB
1.5 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

4.8
6.1

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

4.5
6.0

Resolution 
 

720p
720p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
No

Face Unlock 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

7.5
7.0

Ports Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Ports Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

3
2

USB-C Ports 
 

1
1

Thunderbolt 
 

No
No

USB-C Charging 
 

No
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

2.1
2.1

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

No
No

Ethernet 
 

Yes
Yes

Proprietary Port 
 

No
Acer Power Adapter Port

Security Lock 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.3
5.2
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

AMD
AMD

Model 
 

Ryzen 9 8945HS
Ryzen 7 8845HS

Core Count 
 

8
8

Thread Count 
 

16
16
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

NVIDIA
NVIDIA

Model 
 

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Dedicated
Dedicated

VRAM Size 
 

8 GB
8 GB

GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP) 
 

105W
85W
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

32 GB
16 GB

Modules 
 

2
2

Type 
 

DDR5
DDR5

Speed 
 

5,600 MHz
5,600 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

1,000 GB
1,000 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

926 GB
952 GB

Drive 1 
 

WD PC SN560 SDDPNQR-1T00-1032
SK Hynix HFS001TEJ9X110N

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.9
9.9

Geekbench Image  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Geekbench Image
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

1,933 points
1,979 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

11,823 points
11,390 points

GPU Compute 
 

104,655 points
110,480 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

9.9
9.9

Cinebench R23 Photo  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Cinebench R23 Photo
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

1,747 points
1,776 points

Multi-Thread 
 

16,162 points
16,319 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

9.3
9.4

Blender Image  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Blender Image
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

2.6 min
2.5 min

GPU Render Time 
 

0.4 min
0.3 min

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

10 s
11 s
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

9.6
9.9

Basemark Image  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Basemark Image
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

109,009
125,147
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.4
9.5

Storage Performance Image  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Storage Performance Image
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

1,138.2 MB/s
1,524.7 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

3,976.4 MB/s
4,148.2 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

101.5 MB/s
121.1 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

62.3 MB/s
55.4 MB/s

Battery 
 

3.7
6.0

Capacity 
 

54 Wh
59 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

4.0 hrs
6.1 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

3.8 hrs
5.9 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

1.1 hrs
1.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.3 hrs
1.9 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

7.7
8.2

Borderlands 3 Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

96 fps
114 fps

1% Low 
 

60 fps
66 fps

0.1% Low 
 

31 fps
45 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

6 ms
6 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

21 ms
13 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

204 fps
205 fps
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

8.4
8.5

Civilization VI Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

168 fps
176 fps

1% Low 
 

94 fps
93 fps

0.1% Low 
 

48 fps
60 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

5 ms
5 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

15 ms
11 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

258 fps
273 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

6.63 s
7.27 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

8.5
8.5

CS2 Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

230fps
222fps

1% Low 
 

69fps
68fps

0.1% Low 
 

52fps
48fps

1% Low Delta 
 

10 ms
10 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

15 ms
16 ms

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

349fps
292fps
Show Text 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

9.1
8.4

SOTTR Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

135 fps
131 fps

1% Low 
 

100 fps
77 fps

0.1% Low 
 

78 fps
49 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

3 ms
5 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

5 ms
13 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

178 fps
139 fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

6.8
7.5

Keyboard Temps Picture  

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024) Keyboard Temps Picture
Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

32 °C (90 °F)
31 °C (89 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

49 °C (119 °F)
39 °C (102 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

47.5 dBA
49.5 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

10
9.7

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

67 °C
73 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

0% loss
0% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

67 °C
67 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

0% loss
1% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Windows 11
Windows 11

Additional Software 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Biometrics 
 

No
No

RGB Illumination 
 

Yes
No

Touch Pen Support 
 

No Stylus Support
No Stylus Support

Secondary Display 
 

No
No
Show Text 

MSI Katana A15 AI (2024)

Acer Nitro V 16 (2024)

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