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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a high-end device with significantly greater performance suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming due to its more powerful processor, GPU, and larger RAM and storage. It also has a higher resolution touchscreen and better color accuracy, which could benefit creative professionals. However, it comes at a higher price and with less portability compared to the MSI GF63 Thin. The MSI GF63 Thin, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly but offers lower performance, making it more suitable for general use and less demanding gaming. It is also slightly lighter and thus easier to carry around, but it falls short in battery life, and its lower resolution screen may not be ideal for detailed design 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- The MSI GF63 Thin has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
6.0
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a very good experience for general use thanks to its significant RAM and a powerful CPU that ensure smooth multitasking and fast performance, as well as a high-quality, versatile touch display that can double as a drawing tablet, providing added value for creative users.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is better for gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, compared to the MSI GF63 Thin which has a less powerful Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz. While both laptops offer quality screens and CPUs that can handle gaming to an extent, the superior GPU and refresh rate of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 significantly enhance gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.7
6.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a high-end CPU and GPU, which are crucial for engineering and design tasks alongside a superior screen quality, whereas the MSI GF63 Thin, with a mid-range processor and GPU, fair screen quality, and older components, lags in performance and display fidelity for the same tasks.
Content Creation
8.4
6.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
64.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
8.2
6.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
64.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.1
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work where color accuracy is critical. However, its lower refresh rate impacts its suitability for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is key. On the other hand, the MSI GF63 Thin provides adequate display quality for everyday tasks and engineering, but its limited color gamut and average refresh rate do not make it ideal for high-end gaming or professional 3D work.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,300
$599
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a price of $3,300 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI GF63 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.25 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI GF63 Thin
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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