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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more expensive and offers better performance for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks due to its higher-end processor and GPU. It has a longer battery life, but it is heavier and less portable. The MSI Creator Z16P is less costly and also performs well in creative tasks but with less power. It has a larger screen, which is good for design work but can make it even less convenient to carry. Consider the Surface Laptop Studio 2 if performance is your top priority, or the MSI Creator Z16P if you want to save money while still having a capable laptop for creative work. 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 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Software Development
8.2
7.6
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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
7.9
8.3
14.4in
SIZE
16.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Creator Z16P for software development, and content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen for gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Creator Z16P offer high-resolution displays with excellent brightness and panel types that deliver crisp and vibrant visuals. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops provide screens with wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are common, the lower refresh rates on these models may not offer the smoothest experience, making them less ideal for those specific needs.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Cost
$3,300
$1,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a price of $3,300 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
7.8
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Creator Z16P is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is ideal for general use because it combines a powerful CPU with high RAM capacity and a high-quality screen while also being lightweight and offering a versatile display hinge for tablet-like use, but it has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers solid gaming and 3D capabilities with an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high 120Hz screen refresh rate, which are very important for fluid visual performance. However, the MSI Creator Z16P, while also equipped with a strong Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, boasts a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, providing an even smoother gaming experience, though the trade-off is slightly decreased portability due to a larger screen size and heavier build.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Creator Z16P are both very good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is powerful for engineering and design primarily due to its high RAM capacity and high-performance CPU and GPU, coupled with excellent screen quality, which includes touch capability, high brightness, and color accuracy.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
16.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Creator Z16P both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Creator Z16P 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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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
MSI Creator Z16P
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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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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