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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choose the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 if you prioritize a device with a hinge that allows for multiple usage modes, such as a laptop and a drawing tablet, and if you need high-end processing and graphics power for tasks like intensive engineering, 3D work, or gaming. However, it's less portable due to its weight and size. On the other hand, if you prefer a laptop that is more affordable, lighter, and has a high-resolution OLED display for stunning visuals while still offering decent performance for everyday use and some creative work, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo would be your go-to, but it may not handle intensive tasks as well as the Surface. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.7
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Screen Quality
7.9
8.4
14.4in
SIZE
16.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offer vibrant displays with ample resolution and brightness, ensuring crisp text and vivid images. Regarding engineering and design, the excellent color accuracy and wide color gamuts on the MSI Prestige make it ideal for professionals who require true-to-life color reproduction for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid visuals and a less immersive experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,900
$1,399
$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 $2,900 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
8.6
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is praised for versatile general use thanks to its ample RAM, high-end CPU, and quality touch IPS screen with a unique flexible hinge, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life than its counterpart. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offers a lighter build, longer battery life, and an impressive OLED display, making it a solid choice for on-the-go users who value screen quality and portability.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo are both very good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is highly suitable for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, abundant 64GB of RAM, capable Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, and high-quality, high-resolution IPS touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that aids productivity. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo also excels in these areas with its Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, sufficient 32GB of RAM, the Intel Arc graphics unit, and a superior OLED screen with a denser pixel count and higher color accuracy, which is fantastic for precision work, though the non-touch screen and smaller RAM size are trade-offs compared to the Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Content Creation
8.4
8.6
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very 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
8.2
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both very 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
16.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 Prestige 16 AI Evo compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,900 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | December 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 10.02" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 Prestige 16 AI Evo
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMag
Mark Anthony Ramirez | December 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
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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