Deciding between the HP 17" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio involves considering the balance between cost, performance, and features. The HP is more affordable but the Surface Laptop Studio, while more expensive, offers better graphics performance with its dedicated graphics card, making it well-suited for 3D rendering, machine learning, and light gaming. Its smaller screen combined with better battery life also makes it more portable. Meanwhile, the HP's larger screen is beneficial for productivity and multitasking, but it's less ideal for mobility and battery life is shorter. If portability and graphics performance are priorities, the Surface Laptop Studio is preferable. However, for budget-conscious users needing a larger screen for general use, the HP may be a better option. 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 17" Laptop
The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.6/10
8.0/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP's larger screen offers ample space for multitasking, but the lower resolution and brightness compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio might make text less crisp and colors less vibrant. In engineering and design, the Microsoft Surface excels by displaying a wider range of colors more accurately, which is vital for precise visual work; the HP, while adequate, doesn't match up in this aspect. However, neither of these laptops would be ideal for gaming or 3D applications due to their subpar refresh rates, resulting in less fluid motion and responsiveness in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP 17" Laptop 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
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use.
The HP 17" Laptop has solid processing capabilities suitable for everyday tasks, large screen real estate, and substantial RAM, but is heavier with moderate battery life, making it less portable. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, on the other hand, boasts a stronger CPU, a high-quality display with touch support, superior build, and longer battery life, all in a more compact form, enhancing its portability; it's versatile too, doubling as a drawing tablet, but it comes at a higher price point.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP 17" Laptop are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP 17" Laptop's performance in gaming and 3D is constrained by its integrated GPU, which is less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs, and it has a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate but not optimal for fast-paced gaming.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
7.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio to be good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop is equipped with a Ryzen 7 CPU and AMD's integrated graphics suitable for design tasks, with its large 17-inch screen offering ample workspace; meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio features a higher-resolution touchscreen and a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, providing superior graphics performance for engineering software, coupled with portability and versatile form factor for on-the-go use and presentations. While both have similar RAM, the Surface Laptop's better screen and GPU make it ideal for graphics-intensive tasks, but the HP's larger screen and form factor may be preferable for extended sessions of design work.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP 17" Laptop are both 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
7.1/10
7.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP 17" Laptop 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.
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How the HP 17" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"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 HP 17" Laptop or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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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