Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio involves knowing what's important for you. If you favor a premium build, longer battery life, and you work with Apple's ecosystem or macOS, the MacBook Pro is a reliable choice for general use, 3D, machine learning, and engineering applications. However, keep in mind that it is more expensive and has a heavier design. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio is often less expensive and offers touchscreen functionality with similar performance for engineering tasks and a dedicated GPU which is better suited for gaming. Its portability is somewhat better than the MacBook's, and it runs Windows, which might be necessary for certain applications. Remember, the battery life on the Surface is shorter, which could be a downside if you need to use the laptop on the go for extended periods. 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 Pro 16 (Late 2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in general use due to its powerful CPU and GPU, ample RAM, superior screen quality with high resolution and color accuracy, and long battery life, although it is less portable compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The Surface Laptop Studio also handles general use well with a flexible touchscreen and strong performance, but offers shorter battery life and is slightly less impressive in screen quality and color performance.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is well-suited for 3D tasks due to its high-performance GPU and fast screen refresh rate which make for smooth visuals, but its operating system limits the selection of popular games. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with a dedicated Nvidia GPU and compatibility with a wide range of games, is fair for gaming and 3D, but it may not match the MacBook Pro's processing power and screen technology for the most demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers superior engineering and design capabilities primarily due to its more powerful CPU and GPU setup, as well as the higher RAM capacity and its Mini LED screen which provides exceptional brightness and color accuracy.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.9/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Screen Quality
9.3/10
8.0/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.4in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display with bright and vibrant color accuracy, making it ideal for tasks that need detailed visuals like photo editing or designing, but its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio also offers a high-quality display with good color reproduction necessary for engineering and design work, but it doesn't have the high refresh rates that gamers and 3D designers require for optimal performance. For general use, both laptops provide crisp and clear visuals, but the MacBook's superior brightness and resolution give it an edge in displaying sharp images and videos.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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.
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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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
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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Laptops Expert
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