The Gigabyte G5 is a more affordable option that provides solid performance for general use and gaming with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, but its battery life is on the shorter side. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, on the other hand, costs more but offers a higher resolution touchscreen, significantly more RAM for multitasking, and a longer-lasting battery, making it a better choice for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, engineering applications, or machine learning. It also has a more portable and premium design with additional features like facial recognition. If budget is a concern and gaming is a priority, the Gigabyte may be suitable, whereas if you need a powerful workstation with better screen quality and battery life, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the better choice. 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 G5
The Gigabyte G5 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte G5 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 outshines the Gigabyte G5 for general use with significantly more RAM for multitasking and a more powerful processor for responsive performance, coupled with a higher-resolution, touch-enabled screen that enhances visual quality and interaction. While both have similar portability, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 also boasts a longer battery life for extended use away from power sources and a flexible hinge design for versatile modes of use, which justify its higher suitability for a variety of tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
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 Gigabyte G5 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for engineering and design thanks to its superior processing power from an Intel i7 CPU, abundant RAM for multitasking, and a high-resolution touchscreen that offers flexibility for design work.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte G5 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
6.8/10
8.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte G5 is only fair.
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
6.8/10
7.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
248.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte G5's screen may not provide the vibrant colors and sharpness needed for extensive engineering tasks and its lower refresh rates are less suitable for gaming. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, with its superior brightness, resolution, and panel type, offers a vivid and detailed display that benefits both general use and design work, although its refresh rates are not ideal for fast-paced gaming. For engineers and designers, the Surface's better color accuracy is a significant advantage, ensuring that their work is represented with true-to-life colors.
Battery
3.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte G5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$868
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gigabyte G5 has a price of $868 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Gigabyte G5 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte G5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
"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 G5 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.
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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