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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, consider the following: The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is likely more powerful and better suited for gaming and other intensive tasks due to its targeted gaming hardware. However, it is also likely to be heavier and less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which offers a balance of performance and portability with a sleeker design. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 may be preferred for its versatility and touch screen capabilities, making it a more suitable option for creative professionals who value the convertible form factor for design work. In terms of battery life, gaming laptops generally have shorter battery life due to their powerful components, while the Surface model may offer longer usage between charges. Ultimately, if you prioritize gaming or need robust performance for engineering tasks, the ASUS may be the better choice. If you seek a balance between performance and portability with a touch screen for general use and creative tasks, consider the Surface Laptop Studio 2. 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 A17
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Software Development
7.7
8.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
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 A17 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
6.8
7.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17's display might not be as vibrant and sharp for tasks that require high color accuracy and resolution like engineering and design, while its lower refresh rate hampers its ability to provide smooth visuals crucial for gaming and 3D applications. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a screen with higher resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use, and a wide color gamut suitable for precise engineering and design work, but its lower refresh rate is not ideal for the fast-paced action seen in gaming and 3D. Both laptops lack the high refresh rates preferred for gaming and 3D tasks, leading to less fluid visual experiences in these scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,552
$3,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,552 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
253.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers high-end CPU and graphics performance suitable for tasks beyond general use, a large screen, and a significantly higher battery capacity for longer use, but it's heavier, which affects portability. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a superior screen quality with higher resolution and touchscreen functionality, more RAM for smooth multitasking, and its design is much more portable with a flexible hinge, but it has a lower battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.1
7.7
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good.
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
8.3
8.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is praised for engineering and design because of its robust AMD Ryzen 9 processor, Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, and ample 16 GB of RAM, which can handle demanding software used in those fields. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a similar high performance with its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, complemented by a higher RAM capacity of 64 GB and superior screen resolution and quality, beneficial for precise design work, though it's lighter and has convertible features for portability and convenience.
Content Creation
8.1
8.4
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 TUF Gaming A17 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 TUF Gaming A17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,552 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.4'' x 0.9'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.39" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 253 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS TUF Gaming A17
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2022
"There is one big question that needs an answer. Is the TUF Gaming A17 FA707 a better purchase than the ROG Strix G17 G713R (2022)? Well, it depends. Undoubtedly, the Strix is the more premium product. Arguably the biggest advantage it has over its TUF fellow is in regards to the display. ASUS TUF Gaming A17 A707’s IPS panel has a Full HD resolution, comfortable viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"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 A17 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.
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