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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is more affordable and more portable with longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and mobility needs. It features a touchscreen with a 3:2 ratio and is well-suited for tasks like productivity work and casual creativity. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78, while more expensive, offers significantly more power with advanced components designed for demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering software. It boasts a larger screen and more robust heat management but is less portable and has a shorter battery life. Choose the Surface for mobility and everyday tasks, or the MSI if you need a desktop replacement for high-end gaming and professional applications. 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
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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
9.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its flexible hinge, is portable and has good battery life, making it suitable for general use, while the MSI Raider GE78 offers superior performance with more RAM and a more powerful CPU, but is less portable and has a shorter battery life, though it outshines in screen quality and overall build. If you value a laptop that's easy to carry with longer battery life for everyday tasks, the Surface Laptop Studio is a strong option; however, if performance and screen quality take precedence and you can compromise on portability and battery life, the Raider GE78 may be the better choice for you.
Gaming and AI
6.6
9.5
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 GE78 is best in class 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
9.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 boasts a more powerful Intel i9 processor and double the RAM of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, plus a significantly more capable Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, making it excellent for demanding engineering and design tasks; however, it is less portable and heavier than the Surface Laptop Studio, which offers a unique flexible hinge for versatile use as a laptop or drawing tablet. Screen quality is superb on both, with the Raider GE78 providing a larger screen and higher refresh rate but no touchscreen feature, unlike the versatile Surface Laptop Studio.
Content Creation
7.4
8.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.5
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 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 and the MSI Raider GE78 both offer sharp resolutions and bright displays ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work, ensuring clear and vivid images. For engineering and design, their screens cover a wide range of colors, which allows for precise and accurate visual representation, essential for detail-oriented projects. However, for Gaming and 3D, their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops may result in less smooth visuals, which can be a drawback for fast-paced games and 3D rendering that benefit from quick screen updates.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$4,386
$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 GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Raider GE78 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 GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 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 1600 | |
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 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
See more
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 GE78
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Raider GE78
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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