Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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GENERAL USE: Good—7.4/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.6/10
ENG/DESIGN: Good—7.3/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Good—7.3/10
CONTENT CREATION: Good—7.4/10
PORTABILITY: Good—7.8/10
BATTERY: Good—7.6/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Very Good—8.0/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Good—7.2/10
SIZE: 14.4"
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a versatile device due to its flexible hinge, allowing it to transition between a laptop and a drawing tablet. As a device in the upper midrange price bracket, it balances features and cost, featuring an Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, which are good for general use, 3D rendering, and some engineering applications. It has a solid 16GB of RAM and a 512GB storage drive, which supports most tasks well. The screen is a sizeable 14.4-inch with a 3:2 aspect ratio, offering a high resolution and supporting touchscreen inputs with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, enhancing both productivity and creative work. The battery life is moderate and should last through most of a typical workday. This laptop is not as lightweight as some other models, which may affect portability, but it does provide a decent port selection including Thunderbolt 4. It also boasts a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and facial recognition, which increase both convenience and security. Suitable for those who need a combination of performance and versatility but can compromise on maximum battery life and the lightest possible weight. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Flexible hinge for laptop and tablet modes
- High-refresh-rate touchscreen display
- Good build and speaker quality
- Decent general use performance
Cons
- Average battery life
- Limited port selection
- Modest heat management
- Fair 3D performance
Ratings by Category
Build Quality:4.6
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability.
Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify.
Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
General Use Screen Quality:4.5
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Keyboard Quality:4.4
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
Portability:4.3
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
General Use:4.2
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a powerful Intel i7 processor and ample RAM, supporting smooth multitasking and performance for general use. The high-resolution, color-accurate touchscreen and its unique hinge allowing for laptop and tablet modes couple with good portability and battery life, making it versatile for various tasks.
Content Creation:4.2
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, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Battery Life:4.2
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Engineering & Design:4.1
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio features a powerful Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX GPU, providing ample capability for engineering software and design tasks that demand high performance. Its high-resolution IPS touchscreen with a flexible hinge can be used as a laptop or drawing tablet, which, paired with excellent color coverage and a high contrast ratio, makes it ideal for tasks requiring precision in visual detail.
Software Development:4.1
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Operating Noise:3.8
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Gaming & AI:3.6
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio includes a relatively mid-range Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, which can handle gaming and 3D tasks but may not offer the top performance seen in high-end gaming laptops. Although it has a high screen refresh rate of 120Hz, which is beneficial for smooth gameplay, the GPU power is the limiting factor for more demanding gaming scenarios.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | ||
Weight | 4 lbs | ||
Width | 12.72" | ||
Depth | 8.98" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | ||
RAM | 16 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | ||
RAM Slots | 0 | ||
Storage | 512 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 8 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | ||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 8.5/10 | ||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | ||
Premium Business Laptop | No | ||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | ||
Webcam | 1080p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | No | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | No | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 0 | ||
USB-C ports | 2 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 2 | ||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | ||
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."
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