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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If your priorities include a higher resolution and a taller display, which can be beneficial for productivity and content creation, you may lean toward the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio with its 3:2 aspect ratio and unique ability to switch between laptop mode and drawing tablet mode, offering versatility for creative tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio with a newer graphics card will generally offer better performance, particularly in gaming and graphics-intensive applications. It tends to be slightly less expensive and might have a longer battery life, which can be a deciding factor if you need to use the laptop on the go and rely on it for extended periods without access to power. Both laptops are portable and have similar dimensions and weights, so either would be convenient for carrying around. The decision then hinges on whether you require the versatility and screen aspect of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the stronger graphics performance and potential cost savings of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.8
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers superior gaming and 3D capabilities thanks to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, which will provide a smoother gaming experience than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a lower refresh rate of 120.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.5
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is well-suited for engineering and design because of its high-quality screen, flexible display hinge, and dedicated NVIDIA GPU, although its processor and graphics card aren't as powerful as some competitors. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio boasts a more powerful CPU and a superior NVIDIA GPU, which makes it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks, but it's slightly heavier which might affect its portability.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.6
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has a better screen for software development.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio features a panel with high resolution and brightness, which makes it excellent for streaming videos and browsing, enhancing your everyday experience. Its ability to represent a wide range of colors is beneficial for engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial, yet for gaming, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for fast-paced action which requires smoother motion. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio might not reach the same brightness and color vibrancy, but it still provides a decent viewing experience for daily tasks and satisfactory color fidelity for professional work, though it also falls short for gaming due to its limited refresh rate.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has 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
7.6
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,520
$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 Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,520.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.8
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.4
7.9
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for content creation.
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
7.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Stealth 14 Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,520 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 12.4'' x 9.7'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 12.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 Stealth 14 Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | June 2023
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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