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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers a more robust battery life, a number pad, and is typically less expensive. However, it is heavier and has a larger form factor which impacts portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more lightweight, has a higher performance for engineering and machine learning tasks, and comes with a touchscreen. It's generally more expensive and has a shorter battery life. If portability and high-end specs for complex tasks are priorities, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is suitable, while the ThinkPad P16 is better for longer usage without charging, at a lower cost. 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 overall display quality
- Very good battery life
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.7
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.9
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
569.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
If you need a laptop for general use, both the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offer crisp, bright displays with high resolution, providing a pleasing visual experience for everyday tasks. For engineering and design work, these laptops display colors accurately across wide color gamuts, essential for precision in creative projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are key, the lower refresh rates on these models mean they won't be as smooth as laptops designed specifically for these purposes, potentially detracting from the immersive experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has 10 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.
Portability
Poor
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,449
$3,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a price of $1,449 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.3
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
569.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers excellent keyboard quality and high screen resolution, which are great for general use, but it is heavier which affects portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a very good portability score and a unique flexible hinge for versatility, along with more storage and RAM, making it very good for a diverse range of general tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.7
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is tailored for engineering and design work due to its powerful Intel i7 CPU combined with an Nvidia Quadro GPU, specifically designed for professional applications, which ensures fluid handling of complex computations and graphics tasks. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, though also well-suited for similar tasks with its high RAM capacity and potent RTX GPU capable of gaming and hardware ray tracing, offers a more versatile form factor along with a touchscreen, making it adaptable for creative work but slightly less specialized than the ThinkPad P16.
Content Creation
8.2
8.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
8.4
8.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,449 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.5'' x 1.2'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.5 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.5" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12800HX | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 4 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 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 | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 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 ThinkPad P16 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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