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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 7 leans towards gaming and intensive tasks with its high-end GPU and larger storage, yet it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The Surface Laptop Studio, being lighter with better battery life and a touchscreen, is more suited for on-the-go use and flexibility in tasks like note-taking or design work, though it has half the storage and a slightly less powerful GPU than the Lenovo. 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 Legion 7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 7.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.6
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 7 offers superior gaming and 3D performance with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, as opposed to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio which has an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a lower refresh rate of 120Hz. While both laptops have quality IPS screens, the Legion 7 is more focused on gaming features, whereas the Surface Laptop Studio offers flexibility as a 2-in-1 device but compromises slightly on the gaming-centric hardware.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, which excel in compute-intensive tasks and allow for smooth operation with complex 3D models, yet it is heavier and less portable compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. Conversely, the Surface Laptop Studio, while slightly less powerful with an Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, offers a balance of performance and portability, with a unique, flexible hinge design that caters to designers who might benefit from a touchscreen for drawing or note-taking.
Screen Quality
8.3
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have high-resolution displays with vibrant color accuracy and brightness, making them excellent for general use where clarity and visibility are key. Their displays cover a wide color spectrum, crucial for engineering and design professionals needing precise color representation for tasks like CAD and digital art. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is vital, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, despite their decent resolution and panel technology.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,500
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 7 with its robust CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen is great for general and gaming tasks but less portable due to its larger size and shorter battery life, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio stands out for its versatility and strong battery life, making it highly portable, with its flexible hinge adding the ability for tablet use, though it has less storage and a slightly less powerful CPU and GPU. Both have high-quality keyboards and screens, with the Lenovo leaning towards gaming performance and the Surface Studio offering a more creative and adaptable user experience.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 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
7.6
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 Lenovo Legion 7 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.5 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.27" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 469 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"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."
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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.
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