The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" generally costs less and offers longer battery life, which could be enticing if you are on a budget and need to use your laptop on the go. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better suited for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering or machine learning. It also features a higher resolution touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that might be more comfortable for productivity tasks. Keep in mind that it is slightly heavier and may have shorter battery life, which could impact portability. Both laptops come with ample storage and memory, but if you prioritize performance over price and battery life, the Surface Laptop Studio is the stronger 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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 speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
7.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has an AMD processor and GPU which provide acceptable performance for engineering and design, but the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU make it better suited for more demanding engineering and design tasks. Also, while both have high-quality IPS displays, the Surface Laptop Studio offers a higher screen resolution and contrast, further enhancing its suitability for detail-oriented work.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad provides a passable visual experience, with adequate resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's superior screen resolution and brightness offer sharper and more vibrant visuals, enhancing experiences such as document editing and media consumption. When it comes to engineering and design, the Surface Laptop Studio stands out with its wider color gamut ensuring more accurate color representation, essential for tasks like photo editing and CAD work, while both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lack of high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth motion and gameplay.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers a balanced mix for general use, with decent processor power, RAM, and a full HD screen that can handle everyday tasks and media consumption with ease, all packed into a relatively lightweight frame that promotes portability and a solid battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
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
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has an integrated AMD GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, limiting its gaming and 3D capabilities, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX GPU and a higher 120Hz refresh rate, offering better performance for such tasks; however, both are only fair for gaming and 3D due to limitations in their CPU and screen quality when compared to dedicated gaming machines.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
7.3/10
7.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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