Choose the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for a lower price and better gaming performance with its dedicated GPU and higher refresh rate screen which suits gaming and engineering tasks. However, it’s bulkier and has a heavier power brick which makes it less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The Surface Laptop Studio, despite being pricier, offers a higher resolution touchscreen and is more portable with a lighter build. Its screen also supports a higher resolution and pixel density, favorable for design and artistic work. The Surface has a shorter battery life but excels in build quality, and it has features like facial recognition and hardware ray tracing. The ASUS leads in general use and engineering performance, while Surface Studio wins in portability and screen features. 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 TUF Gaming A16
Good for gaming and AI
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.6/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is 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.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, the balance between the Surface Laptop Studio's high-resolution display and excellent brightness makes text crisp and viewing angles wide, compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A16's decent resolution and brightness, which are adequate but not outstanding. When addressing the needs of engineering and design, the Surface Laptop Studio stands out with superior color accuracy and a wider color gamut, necessary for precision work, whereas the ASUS also offers acceptable color coverage but falls short of the Surface's standards. For gaming and 3D applications, despite both laptops not being ideal due to their lower refresh rates, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 might be marginally better suited thanks to a slightly quicker display compared to the Surface Laptop Studio, which focuses more on visual fidelity than motion smoothness.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good portability, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$838
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a strong processor and graphics card with a large, high-refresh-rate screen and a robust battery life, making it well-suited for both demanding applications and general use, albeit this comes with reduced portability and potentially more weight to carry. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, by contrast, while also powerful, boasts a higher resolution touchscreen with a flexible hinge, a lighter and thinner build for better portability, and a shorter battery life, making it ideal for users who value a versatile form factor for general use and creative tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
7.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both 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.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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 TUF Gaming A16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
"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 TUF Gaming A16 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
100,695
Recommendations made
21,818
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.