The HP 15" Laptop is a budget-friendly option with adequate storage and performance for everyday use, but its graphics capabilities are limited and it's not best suited for intensive tasks or gaming. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, on the other hand, is a high-end laptop with substantially more storage, a powerful processor, impressive graphics performance, making it ideal for intensive engineering tasks, 3D work, or gaming, but at a higher price point. 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 HP 15" Laptop
The HP 15" Laptop 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
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop, with its Intel i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage, offers fair performance for general use and is lighter in weight for better portability, but has limited storage and screen quality compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a much more powerful Intel i7 processor, a substantial 64GB RAM, a high-resolution touchscreen that doubles as a drawing tablet, and considerable storage of 1024GB, justifying its very good designation for general use despite being slightly heavier and pricier.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
7.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
The HP 15" Laptop's Intel UHD Graphics, combined with a standard 60Hz refresh rate screen, provides a fair gaming and 3D experience suitable for less demanding games or visual tasks. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2's Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 120Hz refresh rate screen deliver a smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D experience, better suited for more intensive gaming and graphic work.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
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 HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop, with its moderate RAM and entry-level Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics, is less equipped for demanding design tasks compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which boasts a high-end Intel i7 processor, a substantial amount of RAM, and a powerful Nvidia GPU, making it more suitable for engineering and creative applications that require intense processing and graphical capabilities.
Content Creation
6.9/10
8.4/10
5.8/10
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 HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
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
6.7/10
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the HP 15" Laptop 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
6.3/10
7.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the HP 15" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering the screen quality for general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out due to its higher resolution and brightness, yielding a crisper and more vibrant display compared to the HP 15" Laptop. For engineering and design purposes, the Surface Laptop Studio 2's display covers a wider color gamut, offering more accurate color representation essential for those fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP 15" Laptop 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.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the HP 15" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$378
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $378 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
"Chances are high that the HP 15 is one of the first laptops to pop up when you search for an inexpensive notebook. Indeed, its price tag is very tempting for many, and of course, this is the reason for its popularity. However, the HP 15" suffers from poor performance due to low power consumption. On the bright side, one of the good things about it is the port selection. On the inside, this includes two SODIMM slots for memory, an M.2 PCIe x4 slot for storage, and a SATA drive bay. However, the TN panel, and mediocre input devices are not ideal."
"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 HP 15" Laptop or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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