This Gaming Laptop Offers Great Value Despite High Prices in the Market

Right now, shopping for a gaming laptop isn’t the best experience. The skyrocketing prices of RAM and, to a lesser degree, storage have pushed the cost of low-to-midrange laptops well above what they should be. While recent offers on gaming laptops have been lackluster, one model stands out: the MSI Katana. This laptop features a 15.6-inch 1440p display, an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, a speedy Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, all for $1,133.67.

It’s a bit nostalgic to remember when you could find laptops with 4070 or 5070 GPU options in this price range, but those days seem to be behind us—hopefully not for long. Still, the Katana offers solid value if you’re looking to spend around $1,100. I’m particularly impressed with its 165Hz refresh rate and the variety of ports available. Alongside its barrel plug charging port, it includes three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port that supports video output, an HDMI 2.1 port capable of 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz, Ethernet, and a headphone jack.

Despite the current high prices for RAM, the Katana can accommodate up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM running at 6,000MHz through two accessible slots. However, it only has one M.2 SSD slot. You can find all the specs on MSI’s website.

Here are a few other noteworthy deals to consider:

* If you’re thinking about upgrading your Ethernet switch, Ugreen’s 10-port gigabit switch is worth a look. While it may not seem extraordinary at first glance, eight of its ports support power over Ethernet (PoE), which is becoming increasingly common for smart home devices. This switch, currently priced at $37.97, can deliver up to 60W to compatible devices and is over $20 cheaper than a similar model from another brand. If you don’t need PoE, there are cheaper options available.

* For fans of classic films, the limited edition bundle of the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy from the 1990s is now available for $39.09. This set includes all three films in 4K Blu-ray (with Dolby Vision and HDR10 support) and comes packed with extras like posters, cards, and director’s commentaries. It’s a great deal for any fan, and I’m already wondering how soon I can introduce these movies to my kid—I loved The Secret of the Ooze when I was young.

* Lastly, if you’re interested in gaming, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is currently priced at $55.99 on Steam during the summer sale, running through July 9th. However, you can snag it for $10 less at another retailer using the code 5DSUMMER at checkout. The PC version, which launched a few months after the PS5 version, is already more affordable on Steam than a pre-owned copy for PS5 at some stores. PC gamers can also enjoy 21:9 aspect ratio support and various graphical enhancements not available on the console version.