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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize versatility with a high-end build and touch screen for creative tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 could be a better choice, despite its higher price. However, if you're looking for a more gaming-oriented machine with high-end graphics performance that is still suitable for creative and engineering applications, then the MSI Stealth 14 Studio would be a more cost-effective option. Keep in mind, the MSI may not offer the same premium build quality or the unique design features of the Surface but will likely give you more raw performance for your money. Consider how important portability, battery life, and build quality are to you compared to raw power and gaming capability when making your decision. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.8
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers better portability and battery life, supporting a versatile usage with its flexible display hinge for drawing and tablet mode, making it very good for general use. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio, on the other hand, excels in speaker quality and has a slightly better screen refresh rate, though it provides less battery life than the Surface, positioning it as good for general use with an edge for entertainment.
Software Development
8.2
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the MSI Stealth 14 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
7.9
7.6
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display and impressive brightness, which enhances clarity and detail for productivity and design tasks, coupled with wide color gamuts that ensure accurate color representation vital for engineering and design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, it falls short as it lacks a high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio, with good screen quality and resolution, offers a decent visual experience for general use and engineering but is not optimized for gaming and 3D because it too does not prioritize a high refresh rate, leading to less fluid motion during gameplay.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.6
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,300
$1,520
$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 Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,520.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both equipped with Nvidia RTX 4060 GPUs, making them suitable for gaming and 3D tasks by providing robust graphics performance. While the Surface boasts a higher screen refresh rate of 120 FPS for smoother visuals, the Stealth Studio has an even higher refresh rate of 165 FPS, offering a more fluid gaming experience; both have quality screens and capable CPUs, although these factors are less critical than GPU and refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both very good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for engineering and design due to its robust CPU and double the RAM of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, making it more adept at handling complex tasks and multitasking, along with a higher resolution screen which is beneficial for detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Stealth 14 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.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
14.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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 Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Stealth 14 Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $1,520 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 12.4'' x 9.7'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 12.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13620H | |
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 | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 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 Stealth 14 Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | June 2023
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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