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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a high-end device with a powerful processor, high RAM, and advanced graphics, making it excellent for intensive tasks such as engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning. Its higher resolution touchscreen is suited for creators who need to draw or interact directly with the screen, and it has a longer battery life for typical use. However, it is heavier, less portable, and more expensive. The MSI GF65 Thin, being more affordable and lighter, has lower performance due to its less powerful processor and graphics. It also has less RAM and storage, making it more suited for general use or gaming but may struggle with more demanding engineering applications and intensive multitasking. It has a standard refresh rate screen without touch capabilities, which might appeal more to gamers but has a shorter battery life for typical use. Choose the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 if performance in demanding tasks and battery life are critical and budget is less of a concern, or the MSI GF65 Thin if you prioritize affordability and portability for general use or gaming. 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 GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
6.5
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers higher performance for general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, along with a higher quality screen which includes better brightness and color coverage. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, although lighter and thus more portable, has a lower battery life and a screen with less color accuracy and brightness, making it less suitable for tasks that require fine color details or extended use away from power sources.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.8
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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
6.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is equipped with a newer and more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and has a high-quality display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin has an older Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, but its display and GPU are less advanced, reflecting in a performance that's sufficient but falls short for more intensive gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.7
6.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
64.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is favored for engineering and design because it has a more powerful CPU, significantly more RAM, and a higher-end GPU than the MSI GF65 Thin, along with a higher quality screen that offers better resolution, brightness, and color accuracy. While the Surface is more capable in handling demanding tasks, it's heavier than the MSI GF65 Thin, which strikes a balance between performance and portability, albeit with less power for intensive applications.
Content Creation
8.4
6.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 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
6.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 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
6.8
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in screen quality for general use and engineering because it offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors, covering a wide range of the color spectrum important for precise design work, and it is sufficiently bright for comfortable viewing. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its refresh rate isn't as high as dedicated gaming laptops, which can detract from the smoothness of fast-paced visuals. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin provides an adequate display for general tasks and engineering with fair color coverage, but its moderate screen specifications and lower refresh rate might not deliver the premium visual experience required by high-end gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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
6.7
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 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
$1,100
$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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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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 GF65 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 GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
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 i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 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 | 503 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
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 GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI GF65 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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