When choosing between the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, consider their strengths. The ZenBook Pro Duo, with its dual screens, targets multitaskers and content creators who can benefit from the extra screen real estate, but this can add to the weight, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a flexible hinge design, allowing it to transition into different modes suitable for various scenarios, like a studio for drawing; it also usually supports stylus input which is great for artists or note-takers. Both have impressive displays, with the ZenBook showcasing an OLED screen, which is known for vibrant colors and deep blacks. Price-wise, they are similar, so your decision may revolve around specific features like the dual screens of the ZenBook or the convertible design of the Surface Laptop Studio, depending on your needs. 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 Pro 14 Duo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
357.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo offers stellar performance for general use, with an emphasis on screen quality particularly suited for visual tasks, yet it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which, while also good for general use, provides better portability and longer battery life with a versatile hinge for tablet-like interaction.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo typically comes with high-end CPUs, ample RAM, and powerful GPUs which are crucial for demanding engineering software, and it also boasts a high-quality display for precise design work; however, its dual-screen setup can make it less portable and potentially noisier under load. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while offering capable processing power and a versatile high-quality screen, is more portable and has a quieter operation, making it a balanced choice for on-the-go professionals who still require strong performance, though it might not match the ASUS in raw power for the most intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.2/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.6/10
8.0/10
14.5in
SIZE
14.4in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
357.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio have displays with high resolution and brightness, which contribute to crisp and clear visuals that are essential for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. Their screens also cover a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that engineers and designers see accurate colors when working on projects that demand exact color matching. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens lack high refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness and responsiveness that these use cases require, making them less ideal for fast-paced gameplay or high frame rate 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo has 6 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has a price of $1,299 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is better for gaming and 3D applications because, despite having an integrated GPU, its CPU has a higher performance potential than the CPU in the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. Additionally, while both have the same screen refresh rate, the Surface Laptop Studio's Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti dedicated GPU and higher resolution screen could be better for some games and 3D tasks, but the ASUS's OLED screen has superior color reproduction and contrast, which is also important for these applications.
Portability
Good
Good
14.5in
SIZE
14.4in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a well-tuned instrument for content creators, excelling at a range of general office tasks as well as tasks that require a little more grunt like encoding and 3D rendering. The big attraction is the laptop’s dual displays. They’re the best ones we’ve used in an Asus Zenbook Duo laptop to date with a spate of year-on-year improvements that make the visuals more striking and the cross-screen integration easier than ever before."
"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 ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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.
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