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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If the priority is maximum performance for tasks like engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers better specs with a stronger processor and superior graphics capabilities which will excel for these intensive tasks. However, this option is generally more expensive and has slightly less battery life than the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i. On the other hand, if portability, longer battery life, and cost savings are significant factors, and the tasks are more in the realm of general use with some performance tasks, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is a compelling choice that is also less expensive. Both laptops have high-quality displays and design, but the Lenovo offers a higher brightness and refresh rate which might provide better viewing experiences, especially for fast-motion content. Choose the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for more power-heavy uses, or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i for a balance between performance, cost-efficiency, and portability. 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 Slim Pro 9i
- Best in class overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i.
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.6
7.9
14.5in
SIZE
14.4in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
618.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i excels in general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution display, which provides sharp text and images, and its wide color gamut ensuring accurate color representation. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 also offers a high-quality display suitable for general use and professional design work, with strong color accuracy and a bright screen for visibility in various lighting conditions. However, neither laptop has a high refresh rate, making them less ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion and faster screen updates are crucial for the best experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$1,500
$3,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a price of $1,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.5
8.3
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
618.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very 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
7.6
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is well-suited for gaming and 3D with its high refresh rate screen and dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, complemented by its Mini LED display providing vivid colors and high brightness. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, featuring a slightly lower refresh rate screen but a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, also delivers a compelling gaming and 3D experience with a quality screen, despite some tradeoff in color coverage compared to the Lenovo.
Engineering and Design
8.9
8.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.5
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very 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
8.3
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very 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
14.5in
SIZE
14.4in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 Slim Pro 9i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Slim Pro 9i | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.64" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13705H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3072 x 1920 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 618 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | August 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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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