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Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 16 is a more budget-friendly option with a larger 16-inch screen, very good battery life, and a lighter build making it more portable. It also operates quietly and is well-suited for general use, though its performance for 3D work, machine learning, and engineering tasks is decent but not top-tier. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is more expensive but offers more robust performance due to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card, making it a better choice for intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, and some gaming. It also features a touchscreen with a higher resolution, a more pronounced aspect ratio preferable for productivity tasks, and higher build quality, but has a shorter battery life and a smaller 14.4-inch screen. 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 LG Ultra 16
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
270.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The LG Ultra 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize screen sharpness and vibrant display for everyday tasks and professional design work, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers superior resolution and brightness, which enhances text clarity and image detail. For engineers and designers, its wider color gamut support ensures that colors are accurately reproduced, a critical factor when precision in visuals is essential. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion and quick screen updates matter most, both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates, with the Microsoft still ahead owing to its overall better screen specifications.
Battery
17.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
6.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The LG Ultra 16 has a price of $1,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
270.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The LG Ultra 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both 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
6.2
6.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The LG Ultra 16's integrated GPU is less suited for gaming and 3D compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, which offers superior graphical performance. Additionally, the Surface Laptop Studio provides a higher screen refresh rate that enhances the smoothness of visuals, important for gaming and 3D applications, contrasting with the LG's standard refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and LG Ultra 16 are both 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
7.7
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 16 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
7.5
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The LG Ultra 16 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Ultra 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the LG Ultra 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.63 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 270 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 16
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
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."
Get a great deal on the LG Ultra 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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