The ASUS Vivobook 16X may be a good choice if you're looking for a less expensive laptop that still offers solid performance for general usage and lighter productivity tasks, as it's significantly more affordable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2. If intense work, such as 3D, machine learning, gaming, or demanding engineering software, is important, and you are willing to invest more, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a high-end experience with a flexible display hinge that allows it to double as a drawing tablet, helpful for creative professionals. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the ASUS Vivobook 16X, which may affect portability and ease of use during long stretches away from a power outlet. 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 Vivobook 16X
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for its higher RAM capacity, larger storage, finer screen resolution with touchscreen capabilities, as well as better keyboard and speaker quality, which contributes to an overall very good experience for general use. The ASUS Vivobook 16X offers a similar CPU and GPU but has less RAM and storage, an acceptable screen without touch functionality, and lesser build and speaker quality, making it simply good for general use, while also being slightly more portable and having a longer battery life.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.4/10
9.0/10
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 Vivobook 16X 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
7.4/10
8.2/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X 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
7.3/10
7.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels with a higher resolution and brightness, enhancing everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X offers a satisfactory display that's less vivid. In engineering and design, both laptops provide wide color gamuts, crucial for accurate color work, yet the Surface Laptop Studio 2 may edge out with better color consistency and precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, lacking the fluid visuals required for immersive and competitive gameplay.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16X has 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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$3,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook 16X has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
The ASUS Vivobook 16X and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 16X and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and feature high screen refresh rates of 120Hz, making them suitable for gaming and 3D applications. While they share similar processors, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a higher screen resolution and is a convertible device, enhancing its screen quality for creative tasks, but both have high-quality IPS displays.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.7/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS Vivobook 16X are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook 16X and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both highly suitable for engineering and design due to their powerful CPUs, substantial RAM, and high-performance GPUs, essential for demanding software in these fields; the Vivobook's larger screen provides more workspace, while the Surface Laptop Studio 2's higher resolution and touchscreen with a flexible hinge offer finer detail and versatile design interaction.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and ASUS Vivobook 16X both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Vivobook 16X and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
"I think the ASUS Vivobook 16X is fantastic. Great performance, decent battery life, good keyboard and trackpad, and a massive screen – just that the screen quality itself is kinda subpar. If you’re okay with the screen, then I think this is an okay laptop. However, I’d like to see a price drop."
"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 Vivobook 16X 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,795
Recommendations made
21,623
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.