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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a more budget-friendly option with good battery life and portability, suitable for general use and it has a touchscreen. It is lighter which makes it easy to carry around, but its performance is lesser compared to more powerful laptops. On the other hand, the MSI Titan GT77 is significantly more expensive, offers top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its superior processor and graphics card. It is less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it more suitable as a desktop replacement than a travel companion. Choose the MSI Titan GT77 if performance is critical, and the Surface Laptop Studio if you need portability and touchscreen features at a lower cost. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Titan GT77
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Excellent for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.9
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its moderate processor and graphics card, is suited for general tasks and offers a good balance of screen quality, portability, and battery life, making it a solid choice for everyday use and mobility. On the other hand, the MSI Titan GT77 provides top-tier performance with its advanced processor and graphics card, higher RAM, and superior screen resolution, which translates into excellent general use performance; however, due to its larger size and lesser portability, it's better suited for stationary use or those who prioritize power over ease of carrying.
Gaming and AI
6.6
10.0
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The MSI Titan GT77 offers a more powerful GPU in the Nvidia RTX 4080 and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, ideal for smooth gaming and detailed 3D work, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti and a lower 120 Hz refresh rate, which is fair for gaming but not as robust for high-end performance.
Engineering and Design
7.3
10.0
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is suited for engineering and design due to its high-quality CPU and GPU which handle demanding tasks well, but the MSI Titan GT77 is considered the best as it boasts a more robust CPU, larger memory, and a superior GPU, which allows for handling more intensive workloads and complex simulations. Additionally, while the Surface Laptop Studio offers decent portability and a quality screen for creative work, the Titan's focus on top-tier performance specs means it is less portable and has a louder operating noise, factors that might be less critical for users needing extreme computing power.
Content Creation
7.4
9.1
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan GT77 is excellent 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
9.1
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is excellent 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
9.7
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
The MSI Titan GT77 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 MSI Titan GT77's screen is superior due to its high resolution and brightness, which enhances readability and visual comfort. Regarding engineering and design tasks, the MSI has a wide color gamut offering accurate colors necessary for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both the Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Titan GT77 fall short because of their lower refresh rates that can't deliver the smooth visuals often desired by gamers.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan GT77 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.
Portability
Good
Poor
14.4in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the MSI Titan GT77 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$4,499
$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 Titan GT77 costs $4,499.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Titan GT77 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 Titan GT77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Titan GT77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $4,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 15.6'' x 13'' x 0.91'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 7.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 12.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 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 | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 602 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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | Yes | |
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 Titan GT77
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V is the utimate gaming laptop with RTX 4090 & Core i9-13950HX. The new MSI Titan GT77 will most likely only reach a very small group of users due to the high price, but it is still an impressive showcase of what is possible. The high-end gamer combines the best components you can currently get in almost every regard and it is a very good overall package, which does not have to hide behind full-fledged desktop systems."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Titan GT77
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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