The HP Envy x360 15" is more budget-friendly and offers decent performance for general use with a longer battery life, which may appeal if cost and endurance are priorities. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is pricier but provides a more powerful processor, graphics, and additional RAM that are beneficial for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks, alongside a higher resolution and refresh rate display that enhances visual work and recreation. It's also slightly lighter, enhancing its portability. Both laptops have touchscreens and are versatile for different tasks, but your choice will depend heavily on your specific needs and budget. 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 Envy x360 15"
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
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
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP Envy x360 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is somewhat better.
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
6.5/10
7.3/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
The HP Envy x360 15" offers modest specs suitable for average engineering tasks, with a decent main processor and graphics, but with less memory and storage capacity compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which sports a more powerful CPU and GPU combo and higher RAM, making it better for demanding engineering and design applications.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
271.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the HP Envy x360 15" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio boasts a higher resolution and brightness, providing clearer and more vibrant visuals compared to the HP Envy x360 15", whose screen might appear duller and less sharp. With engineering and design tasks being color sensitive, the Surface Laptop's superior color gamut coverage ensures that colors are represented more accurately and vividly, which is essential for such professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications that rely on smooth motion, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, leading to less fluid on-screen action compared to laptops designed specifically for gaming.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP Envy x360 15" has 10 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the HP Envy x360 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$430
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The HP Envy x360 15" has a price of $430 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP Envy x360 15" are both good for general use.
The HP Envy x360 15" with its reliable AMD processor, ample RAM, and full HD touchscreen, offers good performance and versatility for general use, while remaining light and boasting long battery life, making it easily portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with a more powerful Intel CPU, the addition of a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, and a high-resolution display that doubles as a drawing tablet, caters to those needing a bit more punch for creative tasks, although at the cost of shorter battery life and a slightly heavier build.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.4/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP Envy x360 15" 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
7.2/10
7.3/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP Envy x360 15" 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and HP Envy x360 15" both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP Envy x360 15" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"Despite its good looks, stellar webcam and comfortable keyboard, the Envy x360 15 is hard to recommend because of its dim, 16:9 display. If the display isn't an issue for you, just be sure to wait for a good sale price. Otherwise, a more modern two-in-one with a 16:10 display such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 or Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 provides a larger workspace without adding much to the size and weight of the system."
"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 Envy x360 15" 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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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