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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Laptop Studio 2 depends on your needs and budget. The original surface laptop is at a midrange price and perfectly capable for general usage or professional tasks, making it cost-effective for everyday users. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio 2, which comes at a high-end price, offers significant enhancements suited for intensive gaming or creative work that requires high processing power and superior graphics. If budget is a concern, the original model will serve you well for typical tasks, but if you need top performance for demanding applications, the newer model is the better investment despite the higher 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
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
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.3
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio provides good general use capabilities with a strong CPU and ample RAM, offering a high-quality display and long battery life within a portable design. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 elevates this with significantly more RAM and an upgraded CPU, enhancing performance for more demanding tasks, plus it doubles the storage, yet slightly increases in weight and thickness, retaining the same battery life and high-quality display features.
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.7
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.7
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.9/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is suited for engineering and design due to a powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality touchscreen display; however, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 steps up performance with a more advanced CPU, significantly more RAM, an even better GPU, and improved screen contrast, enhancing its capabilities for demanding tasks. Both offer similar battery life, portability, and build quality, although the newer model is slightly heavier and less colorful in display but makes up for it with a higher screen contrast and quieter operation, while maintaining excellent inputs from its keyboard and good speaker quality.
Content Creation
7.4
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2400 x 1600
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 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
7.3
8.2
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
8.0
7.9
14.4in
SIZE
14.4in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio series offers vibrant displays with high resolution and brightness, providing crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks like browsing, office work, and media consumption. Engineers and designers benefit from the wide color gamuts of these laptops, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks such as photo editing, graphic design, and CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates limit the smoothness and responsiveness of the visuals, which is less ideal for fast-paced, immersive experiences.
Cost
$1,700
$2,900
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a price of $1,700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
14.4in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 | | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 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 | 6.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
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."
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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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