The HP EliteBook 845 G9 is usually less expensive and lighter, making it more portable, with a battery life suitable for longer usage away from a power source. It is well-suited for business tasks and general use. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while usually more expensive and heavier, offers better screen resolution with touchscreen capabilities and a higher refresh rate which is beneficial for creative tasks or entertainment. It has a dedicated graphics card, delivering better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. Both laptops have similar storage, RAM, and are geared towards premium business use but the Surface Laptop Studio can handle gaming and intensive tasks better. 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 EliteBook 845 G9
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.1/10
8.0/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers satisfactory visuals for everyday tasks with its resolution and brightness, complementing its panel type that's suitable for an array of general applications. For engineering and design, it falls short despite its decent color accuracy because professionals often seek wider color gamuts for more precise work, which the Surface Laptop Studio provides with its superior color coverage, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. Neither, however, is ideal for 3D applications or gaming due to lacking high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and detail in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 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.
Cost
$740
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a price of $740 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
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 EliteBook 845 G9 are both only fair 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.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.3/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for engineering and design.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers a robust AMD CPU and integrated GPU setup for engineering and design tasks with a highly rated keyboard and quiet operation, though it has a standard display resolution and lacks the versatility of a touchscreen.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.7/10
7.3/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP EliteBook 845 G9 to have very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP EliteBook 845 G9 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the HP EliteBook 845 G9 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"The high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
"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 EliteBook 845 G9 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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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