The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is more expensive but offers better performance for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks, along with powerful gaming capabilities due to its superior graphics card. It's also relatively lightweight and offers a high refresh rate display, which is beneficial for gaming and smooth visuals. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while less expensive, provides lower performance in intensive tasks but has a larger screen and higher resolution, making it potentially better for creative work that benefits from a 3:2 aspect ratio. The Surface Laptop Studio also has a larger contrast ratio, which generally translates to better viewing experience. Both devices have touchscreens, backlit keyboards, and similar battery life, but if portability is a concern, the ASUS at under three pounds is easier to carry compared to the four-pound Surface Laptop Studio. 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 ASUS ROG Flow X13
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
Very good portability
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.1/10
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 offers better gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which make a significant difference in rendering graphics smoothly and responsively. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while still capable for gaming, has a less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which means it may not handle graphically-intensive tasks or high-frame-rate gaming as effectively.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 stands out for engineering and design use due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, making it well-suited for demanding tasks that benefit from higher processing and graphics capabilities, along with a higher-resolution screen for detailed work. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while also good for engineering and design, has a less powerful Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, making it slightly less optimal for intensive tasks, but it compensates with a larger screen and a unique flexible hinge for additional usage modes.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.0/10
7.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.4/10
8.0/10
13.4in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Flow X13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offer high resolution and brightness with quality panels that provide crisp and clear visuals, making them great for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, the wide color gamuts found on both models ensure accurate color representation for professional creative work. However, gamers and 3D designers may find the lower refresh rates on these laptops limiting for fast-paced visuals and high-frame-rate gaming, despite their adequate resolution and panel quality.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.4in
SIZE
14.4in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,500
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a price of $2,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
"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 ASUS ROG Flow X13 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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