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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize versatility and a touchscreen for drawing or note-taking, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is designed with a flexible hinge that transforms it into a tablet, but this feature contributes to its higher price. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63, while not as versatile, offers a solid performance for general use and gaming at a more affordable price. The MSI Thin GF63 also has a newer generation processor and may have better gaming graphics, but the Surface Laptop Studio offers a higher-resolution screen which may be better for creative work. Consider how important portability is for you; the MSI is slightly heavier and thicker, which might affect ease of carrying it around. Choose the Surface Laptop Studio for its premium features and flexibility or the MSI Thin GF63 for gaming performance and value. 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 speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
- The MSI Thin GF63 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Key differences
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 Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a high-resolution display and vibrant colors, benefiting general use and engineering tasks where clarity and color accuracy are essential. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, which is crucial for a smooth and responsive experience in gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 provides adequate resolution and color representation for basic tasks and creative work but falls short in gaming and 3D performance due to its lower refresh rate and less-ideal panel technology.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 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
6.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 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
$880
$0
$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 Thin GF63 costs $880.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
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 MSI Thin GF63 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its strong processor, ample RAM, high-resolution touchscreen, and flexible hinge for versatile use, excels in screen quality, portability with reasonable battery life, and has a reputation for good build and keyboard quality, making it well-suited for a variety of general tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MSI Thin GF63 offers better gaming and 3D capabilities primarily due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's less potent Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti and 120Hz refresh rate. While the Surface Laptop Studio provides a higher-resolution display and touch capability, its GPU and refresh rate are less optimized for gaming and 3D applications than those of the MSI model.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.5
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Thin GF63 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.4
7.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Thin GF63 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
7.2
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Thin GF63 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
15.6in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $880 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
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 i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 Thin GF63
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Thin GF63
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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