The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are similarly priced with equivalent storage, but with different strengths. The ASUS has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate which is suitable for fast-paced gaming, and its processor and graphics card are powerful, making it well-suited for engineering and 3D tasks. However, it has less RAM than the Surface, a shorter battery life, and is heavier, which affects portability. The Surface offers a higher resolution touchscreen with a unique aspect ratio beneficial for productivity, significantly more RAM for multitasking, better battery life, and is lighter, enhancing its portability. Consider the ASUS if gaming and engineering performance are priorities, and the Surface if portability, battery life, and a high-resolution touchscreen are more important. 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 gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
7.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
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 2 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is lauded for gaming and 3D tasks due to its high refresh rate screen and powerful GPU, which are crucial for smooth, detailed gameplay and rendering performance, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, with its also competent GPU and high-resolution screen, offers versatility with a flexible hinge for varied use, though it has a lower refresh rate.
Software Development
7.4/10
8.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
7.9/10
7.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 typically has a display that's bright and clear, ideal for tasks like web browsing and document editing, catered to general use, and its color accuracy benefits professionals in engineering and design. However, for gaming and 3D work, where smooth motion is crucial, the display's refresh rate may not be high enough to avoid visual lag or choppiness. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a display that's both bright and color-accurate, ticking the boxes for general tasks and engineering design needs but faces similar limitations in refresh rate for optimal gaming and 3D rendering.
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 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 2 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
$3,300
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 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 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers more RAM and a higher resolution touchscreen display with better brightness and contrast, making it very good for general use due to enhanced multitasking capabilities and a crisper, more vibrant screen experience. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, while having a powerful CPU and GPU suitable for gaming, has less RAM and a lower resolution display, and its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less optimal for portability compared to the Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
8.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, with its high-end CPU and GPU, caters to users requiring robust performance for engineering and design, but is less portable and versatile compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which, despite a slightly less powerful CPU, offers significantly more RAM, a higher resolution and a touchscreen with a flexible hinge for tablet-like usage, making it versatile for design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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."
"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 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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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