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Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 16 is less expensive and offers longer battery life, but its performance is tailored more towards general use rather than intensive tasks. It's lightweight and has a larger 16-inch screen without touch capability. However, if you require a more powerful system for 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a stronger contender with high-end specifications, including a more advanced graphics card, more RAM, and a high-resolution touchscreen, but it is more expensive and has shorter battery life. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 also provides a built-in stylus experience, making it suitable for creative professionals. Both laptops are portable, but the Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a higher build quality and more versatile design for varied working positions. 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 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
270.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The LG Ultra 16's lighter weight and longer battery life make it more portable and suitable for extended use without charging, ideal for users frequently on the move. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a higher RAM capacity, a superior CPU and GPU for more intense tasks, and a high-resolution touchscreen with a flexible hinge for diverse applications like drawing, making it better suited for power users who prioritize performance and versatility over portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
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 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 16 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is deemed good for gaming and 3D largely because it has a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, which leads to smoother visuals and better rendering speeds for gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the LG Ultra 16 is rated as fair for these tasks since it comes with an integrated AMD Radeon graphics within the Ryzen 7 7730U processor and a lower screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it less capable of handling intensive graphics workloads efficiently.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design because it offers a stronger CPU, much more RAM, a high-end Nvidia GPU, and a superior screen with higher resolution, brightness, and color accuracy, making it suitable for intensive tasks and detailed designs. In contrast, the LG Ultra 16, while capable, has a less powerful CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a screen with lower resolution and color coverage, but it may appeal for its longer battery life and silent operation, which can be advantageous in settings where noise is a concern and portability is valued.
Content Creation
7.7
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the LG Ultra 16 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
7.5
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 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
6.2
7.9
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
270.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The LG Ultra 16's screen offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks, but its color accuracy may not meet the precision needed for engineering and its slower refresh rate could detract from the immersive experience in gaming or 3D applications. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, with its higher resolution and brightness, provides crisp and vivid visuals for both general use and the color-sensitive work of engineering and design, although, like the LG, its refresh rate may not be ideal for the fast-paced action in gaming and 3D environments. Overall, for non-gaming purposes, the Microsoft device offers superior visual quality, especially where color fidelity is critical, but for gaming, neither laptop may be optimal due to their lower refresh rates.
Battery
17.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$2,900
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The LG Ultra 16 has a price of $1,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The LG Ultra 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.63 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 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 | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 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 | 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
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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 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 LG Ultra 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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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