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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use like web browsing and office work, the Apple MacBook Air is lighter, has a longer battery life, and performs well. If you're considering tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a more powerful processor and graphics card, although it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. The MacBook Air is less expensive, but the Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a higher resolution touchscreen display that supports a stylus and offers a better experience for creative tasks like drawing or photo editing. Choose the MacBook Air for portability and everyday use, or the Surface Laptop Studio 2 for intensive tasks and creative work. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.7
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has an integrated GPU suitable for basic 3D tasks, but the lack of gaming support for macOS and lower screen refresh rate make it less ideal for gaming or advanced 3D. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a powerful dedicated Nvidia GPU and a higher refresh rate, enhancing gaming and 3D performance, making it more suitable for those tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.7
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is considered better for engineering and design because it has a more powerful CPU, significantly larger RAM capacity, and a dedicated graphics card superior to the Apple MacBook Air's integrated one, which is crucial for demanding tasks. While the MacBook Air has a high-resolution screen and is very portable, the Surface Laptop Studio offers a higher screen brightness, higher resolution, and touchscreen capability, which may be beneficial for design work, albeit at the cost of reduced battery life and increased weight.
Screen Quality
7.6
7.9
13.6in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Air, with its high resolution and brightness, coupled with an IPS panel, offers clear, vivid visuals for everyday tasks and is sufficient for engineering and design due to its wide color gamut but falls short for 3D because of its lower refresh rate. The Surface Laptop Studio 2, also with high resolution and an IPS panel, provides crisp images and accurate colors for general use and professional design tasks, thanks to its excellent color coverage. However, both laptops aren't tailored for 3D applications or gaming where higher refresh rates are key for fluid motion, which they lack.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$839
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.3
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers excellent portability with its lightweight design and good battery life, enhanced by a silent, fanless operation which benefits general use; however, it has modest storage and RAM capacity which could limit intensive multitasking. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 provides substantially more RAM and storage for more demanding tasks, coupled with a versatile display that doubles as a drawing tablet, though its heavier build and shorter battery life make it less ideal for frequent travelers.
Content Creation
7.9
8.4
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.0
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very good for software development.
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 Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$839 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"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 Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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.
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Why trust us
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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Laptops evaluated
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Recommendations made
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.
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