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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is more expensive yet offers better battery life, a higher-resolution touchscreen, and a more versatile 3:2 aspect ratio suitable for productivity tasks. With an i7 processor and a RTX 3050 Ti GPU, it performs well in general use and has a solid build quality. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin has a more traditional gaming laptop appearance and includes a faster RTX 3060 GPU, suitable for gaming and graphics-intensive tasks, but it has shorter battery life and a lower-resolution screen. Both have the same storage capacity, but the Surface offers double the RAM. 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
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Key differences
General Use
7.4
6.5
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with a higher-performance CPU, more RAM, a higher-resolution touchscreen, and versatility in use due to its flexible hinge, offers a superior experience for general use, while also providing good battery life and portability. The MSI GF65 Thin, despite having a strong GPU and aimed more towards gaming with a higher refresh rate screen, falls short in CPU performance, has less RAM and a lower-resolution screen, which makes it just fair for general use, plus it has slightly less battery life than its competitor.
Engineering and Design
7.3
6.7
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a powerful Intel i7 processor, ample RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti which, alongside its high-quality screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, makes it suitable for engineering and design applications; its flexible hinge allows for versatile use as a tablet or laptop. The MSI GF65 Thin, while slightly less portable, offers a robust Intel i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, and a larger screen, making it a strong candidate for similar tasks but with a greater gaming appearance and emphasis.
Content Creation
7.4
6.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, making it suitable for daily tasks and media consumption, while MSI's GF65 Thin provides adequate clarity and brightness but doesn't stand out. In engineering and design, the Surface Laptop Studio's display covers a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that creators see accurate and vibrant colors which is essential for detailed work, whereas the GF65 Thin may not represent colors with the same fidelity. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the GF65 Thin's modest refresh rate might meet the basic needs, while the Surface Laptop Studio lags due to a lower refresh rate despite its high-resolution and panel quality.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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
6.7
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,100
$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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.8
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a versatile design suitable for gaming and 3D tasks with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a refresh rate of 120Hz; despite this, the MSI GF65 Thin has a more gaming-focused Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU with a higher refresh rate of 144Hz, which can be more favorable for these activities.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI GF65 Thin 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 GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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."
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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