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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for engineering tasks and can accept a heavier and larger device, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 with its powerful processor and professional-grade GPU would be an excellent choice. However, if you prefer a more portable and versatile laptop with a touchscreen and a higher refresh rate display that can also handle lighter engineering tasks and some gaming, then the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio might be better for you. The ThinkPad offers longer battery life and has available RAM and storage slots for future upgrades but is less portable due to its size and weight compared to the Surface Laptop Studio, which is lighter and has a unique form factor conducive to creative tasks. 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 ThinkPad P16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good battery life
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.4
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
569.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers a larger screen with higher resolution and a more robust CPU, which translates to better performance for demanding tasks and a higher quality visual experience, but it is heavier and has lower portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while equipped with a CPU that is less powerful, provides a flexible display for tablet use, contributes to lighter weight for easier portability, and still offers sufficient performance and screen quality for general use.
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
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
8.2
7.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
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
8.4
7.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
569.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both feature displays with high resolution and panel quality with good brightness, which translates to crisp and clear visuals that are suitable for typical tasks like browsing, video streaming, and document editing, meeting general use demands. For engineering and design, they offer wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation vital for professional photo editing, graphic design, and CAD work, albeit not as vibrant for high-end color work as specialized monitors. However, their screens fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates, making them less smooth for fast-paced action and less optimal for rendering immersive graphical environments compared to displays designed specifically for gaming with higher refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Portability
Poor
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,449
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a price of $1,449 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.6
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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 ThinkPad P16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,449 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2023 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.5'' x 1.2'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.5 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.5" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12800HX | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 4 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 94 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 569 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.1/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | February 2023
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
See more
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."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
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