If you prioritize high performance for gaming or demanding engineering software, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, with its higher-end graphics card and processor, will serve you well; however, it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel or long periods away from power outlets. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while offering good performance suitable for general use and creative tasks with its versatile touchscreen and stylus support, is more lightweight and boasts longer battery life, making it a more portable choice, but it may not handle intensive gaming or complex engineering applications as smoothly as the ASUS. 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 Strix Scar 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
6.6/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 excels in engineering and design tasks with its more powerful CPU and higher-end GPU, which are crucial for intensive computing and graphics handling, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's strengths in screen resolution and touchscreen capability make it suitable for precise design work but offer less raw performance. Although the ASUS is heavier and less portable, its gaming-grade hardware provides superior performance for demanding applications, while the Microsoft Surface's lighter design and flexibility as a drawing tablet are offset by its lower-tier CPU and GPU.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
Both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio achieve high marks in screen quality for general use due to their high-resolution displays and brightness, making them suitable for a variety of tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and document work. For engineering and design, their wide color gamuts cover a large spectrum of colors, crucial for tasks like photo editing and CAD work that require color accuracy. However, their screens fall short for gaming and 3D applications because they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and quick response times in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, with its high-performance CPU and GPU, large display, and ample storage, is excellent for demanding tasks but is heavy and has a short battery life, making it less portable. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while having a high-quality display and touchscreen functionality with tablet mode capability, is lighter, and boasts better battery life, but compromises slightly on processing power and storage capacity compared to the ASUS.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
"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 Strix Scar 15 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,295
Recommendations made
21,948
Consumer hours saved
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.