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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is more budget-friendly and offers reliable performance for general use, with a good balance of portability and screen size. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is at a higher price point but provides more power and versatility, including a high-performance graphics card suited for demanding 3D work, machine learning, or gaming. Moreover, its unique hinge allows for use as both a laptop and a drawing tablet, making it well-suited for creative tasks. However, it is heavier, possibly affecting its portability. If cost is a primary concern and your tasks are more general, the Dell may serve you well, but if you need a machine that supports intensive tasks and doubles as a creative tool, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the better choice, despite the higher cost. 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 Dell Inspiron 16 5630
- The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.7
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is better suited for gaming and 3D because it has a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 which is equipped with a less powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics solution and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.7
8.7
8.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.8/10
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 Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design due to its higher RAM, more powerful Intel i7 CPU alongside a dedicated Nvidia GPU, and a superior screen with a higher resolution and touchscreen capability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has less RAM and relies on an integrated GPU, which might be adequate for less demanding tasks but falls short for intensive 3D modeling or rendering; however, it might be slightly more portable and quieter due to its fanless operation.
Screen Quality
6.8
7.9
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
Both the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offer screens with high resolution and brightness, making them great for general use and detailed work in engineering and design where crisp text and vivid images are key. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 has an edge in engineering and design tasks due to its wider color gamut, meaning it can display more colors more accurately, essential for precision work. However, for 3D work and gaming, neither laptop is ideal as they have lower refresh rates which can lead to less fluid motion and slower response times in fast-paced scenes or simulations.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$849
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has a price of $849 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 offers a large 16-inch screen with good brightness and full coverage of the sRGB color space for clear and accurate visuals, a powerful CPU for smooth performance in day-to-day tasks, and it is lighter, emphasizing portability; however, it has a shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a high-resolution touch-enabled display with exceptional brightness and a higher contrast ratio, excellent for creative work, a more powerful GPU capable of handling more graphics-intensive processes, and superior RAM, but it is slightly heavier and has a unique design that can transform into a drawing tablet, which might be less traditional for some users' preferences.
Content Creation
8.1
8.4
8.2/10
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 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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.
Software Development
7.9
8.2
8.2/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5630 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$849 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.28 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.91" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1360P | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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 Dell Inspiron 16 5630 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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