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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Zenbook 14 is less expensive and offers decent performance with a vibrant OLED screen; it's lightweight and good for everyday tasks or light creative work. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more expensive but significantly more powerful, especially for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, thanks to its high-end processor and dedicated graphics card. It also features a flexible display allowing it to double as a drawing tablet. However, it is heavier and less portable than the Zenbook. Prioritize your needs: the Zenbook for cost-effective general use and portability or the Surface for premium performance and versatility in creative tasks. 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 Zenbook 14
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.2
8.3
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with less RAM and a less powerful CPU, may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly as the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which offers significantly more RAM and a higher-end CPU for better overall performance. Additionally, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a higher resolution touchscreen with a better contrast ratio, enhancing its screen quality for general use, while the Zenbook's OLED screen, although good, isn't as bright or as versatile given its lack of touch capability.
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.7
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14's strong screen quality and a respectable CPU make it suited for engineering and design, albeit with modest graphics capabilities. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a high-powered CPU, substantial RAM, and a dedicated GPU, along with a flexible display that doubles as a drawing tablet, making it a more robust choice for demanding engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.3
8.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3
7.9
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 both have high-quality screens with ample resolution and brightness, making them suitable for general tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and document editing. Their screens also cover a wide range of color gamuts, providing the color accuracy and precision required for engineering and design work. However, both lack high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth visuals in 3D applications and gaming, leading to a subpar experience in these areas.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 14 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$300 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.35" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.69" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 339 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Zenbook 14 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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CEO and Laptops Editor
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