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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming and other high-performance tasks, the Gigabyte Aorus 15, which typically has powerful graphics and processing capabilities suitable for demanding software applications, may serve your needs well. However, it is usually heavier and might not offer the same ease of portability as lighter laptops. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is likely to be more versatile with its unique design, more portable, and equipped with a touch screen, making it ideal for artists, designers, and general multitaskers. It may not match the Gigabyte in raw power but offers a balance between performance and flexibility. The Surface might come at a higher price point compared to traditional laptops with similar performance due to its design and brand premium. Consider battery life as well; traditional gaming laptops like the Aorus may have shorter battery life due to their more powerful components. 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
Key differences
Software Development
7.6
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2560 x 1440
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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0
7.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, where clarity, detail, and comfortable viewing are key, both the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 feature high-resolution displays and bright panels that make text and images sharp and vivid. Engineers and designers depend on accurate colors, and these laptops offer displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring that the colors in projects appear as intended. However, gamers and 3D professionals seeking fluid motion will find both models lacking due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth transitions and responsiveness during fast-paced scenes or modeling.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$3,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.3
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a balance of high RAM and portability, with a notable touch screen, longer battery life, versatile design for various positions and lighter weight, making it excellent for general use including creative work. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 15, while powerful with a high-performance CPU and GPU suitable for gaming, has a heavier build and shorter battery life, ranking it good for general use, particularly for users who prioritize performance over portability.
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.7
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is ideal for gaming and 3D thanks to its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics and a screen with a high refresh rate of 165, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, despite having a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, has a slightly lower refresh rate of 120 which makes it less optimal for the fastest-paced games but potentially better for creative tasks with its higher screen resolution and touchscreen capability.
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 15 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.6'' x 1.02'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.6" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 316 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | December 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
See more
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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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