The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a better price and longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and gaming, with a gaming laptop appearance. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs more but provides better performance for engineering tasks and 3D/machine learning, thanks to its more powerful processor and graphics. The Surface Laptop Studio also has a touchscreen with a higher resolution and is more portable due to its lower weight. If you need a laptop for on-the-go productivity and complex tasks, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 could serve you well, but if you prioritize gaming and value, the ASUS may be your best bet. 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
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
8.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is favored for engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, a newer CPU, and a more powerful GPU, which are very important for such tasks; moreover, it has a higher resolution and brightness screen that supports touch, enhancing design work. While the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is a solid competitor with substantial battery life and an ample screen, it falls short in RAM and screen quality, making the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a better choice for the most demanding engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.3/10
8.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.5/10
7.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When choosing between the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use, the Microsoft option offers a crisper, brighter display with higher resolution, enhancing everyday activities like browsing, video streaming, and document editing. For engineering and design work, the Microsoft device's wider color gamut support brings more accurate and vibrant colors, which is essential for tasks that require precise color representation, such as photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals, which are critical for an immersive gaming experience and fluid 3D modeling.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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."
"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 TUF Gaming A16 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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