MSI launches DDR4 config Katana 15 HX C14 gaming laptop in 2026

The memory crisis has affected the tech industry in more ways than one. Prices are skyrocketing, and manufacturers are either having to make cutbacks or find clever ways to sell hardware. MSI seems to have chosen the latter with its latest Katana 15 HX gaming laptop by integrating DDR4 RAM in 2026.

As per the spec sheet shared by TechPowerUp, MSI has updated its Katana 15 HX C14 gaming laptop with up to an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU. It can be configured with up to an RTX 5070 laptop GPU with 8GB VRAM. While it doesn’t clarify what the base storage options are, it states that there are two NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe Gen4 slots. The Katana 15 HX comes with either a 15.6-inch QHD (2,560x1,440), 165 Hz IPS-level panel or a full-HD (1,920x1,080), 144 Hz IPS-level panel.

What’s more interesting is the RAM configuration. There are two DDR5 slots that allow up to 96GB of memory, but there’s also a DDR4 option with two slots, also supporting up to 96GB. Once again, the base configuration is unclear.

That DDR4 96GB claim is surprising because DDR4 doesn’t come in 48GB modules, which is what you would need to fill the two slots in order to get a max of 96GB. Maybe MSI realized the mistake and is fixing the spec sheet, which is why, at the time of publishing, the page was unavailable.

Since the Intel Core i9-14900HX is compatible with both DDR5 and DDR4 memory, MSI wouldn’t have had to make any major changes to the Katana 15 HX. It’s still interesting to see a 2026 gaming laptop launching with DDR4 memory, though not surprising. It is a cost-cutting move since DDR5 prices are at an all-time high. That said, MSI has not shared pricing and availability for the Katana 15 HX C14.