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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for engineering tasks or gaming and don't mind a heavier laptop with shorter battery life, the MSI Raider GE76 with its more powerful graphics and processor, larger RAM and storage capacity would suit you. However, if portability, touch capabilities, a higher screen resolution, and longer battery life are what you need for general use, then the lighter and less expensive Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio might be a better fit, despite its lower specifications relative to the MSI Raider GE76. 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 portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE76
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its flexible hinge for tablet use, is good for general tasks due to its solid screen, moderate performance with a balance of battery life and portability. Meanwhile, the MSI Raider GE76 offers higher performance, more RAM, and a more powerful graphics card, but with a larger screen and heavier weight, it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it better suited for users needing a workhorse laptop for more intensive tasks at the cost of portability.
Gaming and AI
6.6
8.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE76 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks due to its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a screen with a high refresh rate of 240Hz, which are key for smooth and rich visual experiences. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics card and a lower refresh rate of 120Hz, making it less suited for such intense graphics use.
Engineering and Design
7.3
9.0
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with a mid-tier graphics card and processor, provides good CPU and GPU performance suitable for engineering and design tasks in a more portable form factor with high-quality screen and speakers, though its smaller RAM might limit heavy multitasking or very complex projects. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE76 offers top-of-the-line CPU and GPU capacity with significantly more RAM and larger, high-refresh-rate screen, ensuring superior performance for the most demanding engineering and design applications, but it is heavier and less portable, with potential for higher operating noise due to more powerful internals.
Content Creation
7.4
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 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
8.6
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a high-resolution display and precise color accuracy, which meets the needs of engineers and designers who rely on detailed visuals and color representation; however, it falls short for gaming due to a lower refresh rate. The MSI Raider GE76, while offering a similar quality display in terms of resolution and color gamut, also tends to lack the high refresh rate that gamers prioritize for smooth and responsive visuals. General users will find both laptops provide clear and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks, as panel type, resolution, and brightness are well-suited for activities like browsing, video streaming, and document editing.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE76 has 6 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
Poor
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$3,552
$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 MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Raider GE76 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Raider GE76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Raider GE76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $3,552 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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."
MSI Raider GE76
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2022
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Raider GE76
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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