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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 22, 2024·
If you value a laptop that transitions between a traditional laptop and a tablet for versatility and you prioritize a high-quality display with touch capabilities, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio suits you well, especially if you're into design or creative work. On the other hand, if your focus is on performance for tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, and you need a dedicated GPU and more CPU power, the MSI Creator M14 may serve your needs better, although it may not offer the same level of portability or battery life as the Surface Laptop Studio. Choose based on whether your priority is versatility and portability or raw performance for specialized tasks. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Creator M14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.0
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Creator M14 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a balance of power and portability with a high-quality screen and versatile form factor, making it suitable for various everyday tasks, but with less emphasis on extensive multitasking or heavy workloads due to moderate CPU and RAM. The MSI Creator M14, while similar in screen quality, leans more towards the creative professionals with its stronger CPU and more RAM, allowing for more demanding software to run smoothly, though it may come at the expense of reduced battery life and increased weight, affecting its portability.
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.3
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator M14 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a GPU that isn't as powerful as what you'd find in the MSI Creator M14, which means it won't handle gaming and 3D tasks as efficiently. Additionally, the MSI has a higher screen refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals important for gaming, although both laptops have capable CPUs and good screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Creator M14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The MSI Creator M14 typically offers higher CPU and GPU performance, which is crucial for demanding engineering software, and has ample RAM with a high-quality screen to handle detailed designs and multitasking with ease. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio provides versatility with its unique design, a high-resolution screen for sharp visuals, and is easier to carry, but may have slightly lower performance than the MSI for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
8.0
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator M14 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
7.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator M14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for software development, though the MSI Creator M14 is somewhat better.
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
7.5
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the MSI Creator M14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Creator M14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's higher resolution and panel quality provide crisper text and more vivid colors than the MSI Creator M14, making it more pleasant for day-to-day tasks such as browsing and video streaming. When it comes to engineering and design, the Surface Laptop Studio excels with wider color gamuts, offering professionals more accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing and CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate of the Surface Laptop Studio's screen makes it less ideal than laptops designed with gaming in mind, which usually prioritize higher refresh rates for smoother motion.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator M14 has 4.5 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
8.5
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI Creator M14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Creator M14 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Creator M14 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Creator M14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Creator M14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 12.4'' x 9.2'' x 0.88'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 3.53 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 9.19" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Creator M14
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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