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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is less expensive and offers a more portable option with a mid-range performance suitable for general use. Its touchscreen and 3:2 aspect ratio make it versatile for creative tasks, while the MSI Stealth 17, with its high-end pricing, is geared toward intensive performance with a top-tier processor and graphics card capable of handling demanding 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks. Despite its larger size and heavier weight, the MSI Stealth 17's superior hardware makes it well-suited for gaming and professional creative applications. However, its battery life is shorter, affecting mobility. 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 build quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers solid performance with a good balance between processing power and battery life, making it suitable for general tasks, and its form factor enhances its portability. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 provides top-tier performance and superior screen quality, but it compromises on portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life; it excels in handling more demanding applications and multitasking thanks to its more powerful CPU and abundant RAM.
Gaming and AI
6.6
9.1
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's fair performance in gaming and 3D can be attributed to its mid-tier Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a maximum screen refresh rate of 120Hz, whereas the MSI Stealth 17 excels due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU paired with a screen that refreshes at up to 240Hz, offering smoother visuals for fast-paced games and more detailed renderings in 3D applications. The Surface Laptop may benefit general use or creative work where portability and versatility are prioritized, while the Stealth 17 is better suited for demanding games and 3D tasks that require superior graphics processing power and a higher refresh rate for a more immersive experience.
Engineering and Design
7.3
9.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a unique flexible hinge for use as a laptop and drawing tablet, with a high-quality screen and good portability but less high-end specs than the MSI Stealth 17, which caters to the most demanding engineering and design tasks with top-tier CPU, RAM, and GPU, although at the expense of heavier weight and reduced battery life.
Content Creation
7.4
8.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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 Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Stealth 17 both offer high resolution and brightness, making them suitable for tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and document editing. For engineering and design work, both laptops have screens that cover a wide color spectrum, ensuring that designers can see accurate colors while working on projects requiring color precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, neither model is ideal because they have lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes or when working on time-sensitive 3D rendering tasks.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$3,899
$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 Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 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 | 5.5 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 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 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
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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 Stealth 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Stealth 17
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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