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The MSI Katana 15 HX has dropped to $1,139 during Amazon Prime Day, saving shoppers 15% of a surprisingly capable midrange gaming laptop.

It should come as no shock that gaming laptops tend to be very expensive. You're taking the latest high-end hardware and putting it all into a compact form factor. But there are plenty of low-cost options, and the MSI Katana 15 HX is one of them. There are two configurations available. The one that I recommend houses an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor alongside an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card, ensuring enough horsepower to tackle modern AAA games with visual-enhancing software. Also, the hardware is capable of handling demanding creative projects, such as video editing.

Also: I've been reviewing laptops for years: These are my 25 favorite Prime Day laptop deals

I reviewed this laptop last year, and I have to be honest: I'm jealous of all buyers because this is the MSI Katana 15 HX I wish I'd gotten. My unit was saddled with a Full HD display that looked pretty dull. This version addresses that issue by featuring a 15.6-inch QuadHD 165Hz display that supports the full DCI-P3 color gamut. This upgraded screen is much better than the old one, providing a richer, more vibrant experience. The higher refresh rate helps gameplay feel noticeably smoother, which will come in handy on fast-paced titles.

Review: MSI Katana 15 HX

MSI has given the Katana 15 HX with the Cooler Booster 5 cooling system, dual fans, and shared heat pipes to keep internal temperatures under control. Gaming laptops can run pretty warm, so it's important that temperatures don't go out of control. Other notable features for MSI's machine include a 4-Zone RGB keyboard complete with full-size numpad, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and Power Delivery to recharge connected devices.

How I rated this deal 

As per ZDNET's rating system, I grant this deal a 2/5. Gaming laptops with laptops with a RTX 50-series graphics card are still relatively new. So seeing one paired with a QuadHD display for nearly a $1,000 makes this a strong value purchase for gamers on a budget. If you're willing to spend extra money, there's another, more powerful version of the MSI Katana 15 HX with an RTX 5070 GPU and 32GB of RAM.