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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-end gaming or demanding 3D tasks and are okay with a heavier and thicker laptop, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X would suit you best. However, if you prefer a lightweight and portable laptop with a touchscreen and are willing to settle for slightly less raw performance, consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The Aorus 15X has a larger screen and higher refresh rate favorable for gaming, while the Surface Laptop Studio offers a better battery life and build quality, suitable for versatile everyday use and professional tasks. Both are midrange priced, with the Aorus 15X being somewhat more expensive. 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 15X
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
6.6
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X outperforms in gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti and 120Hz refresh rate. While both have high quality IPS screens and capable CPUs, the superior GPU and refresh rate of the Aorus 15X provide smoother visuals and better handling of graphics-intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
8.6
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X excels in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding tasks, and has a high-quality display that's not a touchscreen. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while still good for engineering and design, offers a touchscreen with a smaller but sharper display, along with a CPU and GPU that are less powerful than the Aorus 15X.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for engineering and design.
For general use, having a clear and bright display is crucial, and both the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offer high-quality panels with sharp resolutions and strong brightness, catering to everyday tasks like web browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals require accurate color representation for precision work, which these laptops deliver with wide color gamuts, but when it comes to 3D applications and gaming, the lower refresh rate on these models may not be as smooth for fast-paced visuals compared to laptops specifically designed for those purposes. The higher resolution and panel quality do benefit moderately in 3D scenarios, yet for hardcore gaming enthusiasts or professionals working with fast-moving graphics, a laptop with a higher refresh rate display would be more appropriate.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Gigabyte Aorus 15X both have good portability, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for general use due to its high-performing CPU and expansive RAM, which ensure smooth multitasking, combined with a high-quality screen for clear visuals, although it's less portable and has average battery life. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for general use as it also offers ample performance and a high-resolution touchscreen desirable for interactive tasks, with better portability and battery life, but it might not handle extremely demanding tasks as the Aorus 15X can.
Software Development
7.7
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for software development.
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.
Cost
$1,600
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a price of $1,600 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 15X | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,600 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.1" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.8" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 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 | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 15X
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | February 2023
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"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 Gigabyte Aorus 15X or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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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