Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.7/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair.
The Acer Swift Edge 16, with its AMD Radeon 780M graphics and OLED screen capable of a 120 Hz refresh rate, provides vivid visuals and smooth gameplay ideal for gaming and 3D applications. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 leverages a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU along with a high-quality IPS touchscreen, also at 120 Hz, making it a strong contender for intensive gaming and creative 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is somewhat better.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is rated higher for engineering and design primarily due to its significantly more powerful CPU and GPU combo, as well as a substantially larger amount of RAM, which allows for smoother multitasking and handling of complex design programs. On the other hand, the Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a lighter and sleeker design for better portability and an OLED screen that might be preferred for its deep blacks and vibrant colors, though it has less raw power for intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
8.8/10
7.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift Edge 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offer clear, high-resolution displays with ample brightness, enhancing everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. When it comes to engineering and design, both laptops boast wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and a responsive experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$820
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.1/10
8.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.2/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.