MSI Brings DDR4 Back To Gaming Laptops As DRAM Costs Rise
MSI’s Katana 15 HX C14 will ship in regional DDR4 and DDR5 variants, using cheaper DDR4-3200 memory to offset a wider DRAM price squeeze in entry-level gaming notebooks.
MSI has brought DDR4 memory back into a current gaming laptop line as DRAM prices push entry-level notebook costs higher, Tom's Hardware reported, using the Katana 15 HX C14 to split buyers between DDR4-3200 and DDR5 configurations by region.
The change turns system memory into a direct bill-of-materials lever.
A 32GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM kit costs about $200, while a comparable DDR5-6000 kit costs more than $400, leaving MSI room to position a lower-cost version without changing the processor and graphics options that define the machine.
The Katana 15 HX C14 uses Intel's 14th-generation Raptor Lake Refresh platform and can be configured with up to a 24-core Core i9-14900HX.
Graphics options extend to Nvidia's RTX 5070 laptop GPU with GDDR7 memory, DLSS 4.5, real-time ray tracing and current AI feature support.
MSI lists two SO-DIMM slots, with either DDR4 or DDR5 compatibility depending on the market.
The specification also names support for up to 96GB of memory, but that capacity remains unclear on the DDR4 variant because 48GB DDR4 SO-DIMMs are not available in that market.
The power and cooling package keeps the DDR4 decision from being the only cost-control feature.
MSI rates the combined CPU and GPU power at up to 170W, backed by a two-fan thermal module, three heat-transfer pipes and four vents, and the chassis includes two PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 slots so buyers can add a separate game-library SSD.
Display options are a 15.6-inch IPS panel at QHD, or 2560x1440, with up to a 165Hz refresh rate, or FHD, or 1920x1080, with up to a 144Hz refresh rate.
The chassis is 22.9mm thick, weighs 4.62 pounds, uses a black finish with textured slash patterns and red logos, and ships with a 240W power adapter.
Connectivity and input details include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C charging through Power Delivery 3.0, a 60Whr battery, DTS-enhanced dual 2W speakers and a four-zone RGB keyboard with 1.7mm key travel.
Global availability is planned, but pricing remains undisclosed.
The final cost difference between the DDR4 and DDR5 variants will determine how much of the memory-price gap reaches buyers rather than staying inside MSI's margin structure.
