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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize longer battery life and a higher-resolution touchscreen for creative tasks or note-taking, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 may suit your needs, although it comes at a higher price. On the other hand, if you prefer a laptop with a larger screen, a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals in gaming and a better portability due to a thinner design, the MSI Stealth GS66 could be a better choice, generally costing less. Both laptops are capable of handling demanding engineering and 3D tasks, but the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers more storage and RAM for intensive multitasking and large projects. 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 Stealth GS66
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.7
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a better experience for general use with its higher screen quality and longer battery life, complemented by a higher RAM capacity that enables smoother multitasking, making it very good in this aspect. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66, while still providing a capable setup for general use with a respectable screen and solid CPU performance, leans more towards users prioritizing gaming, with its higher refresh rate display and dedicated gaming design, but has a shorter battery life and less RAM which might limit its general use capabilities.
Content Creation
8.4
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Software Development
8.2
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.1
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and ample brightness, making it excellent for daily tasks and multimedia consumption. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the Surface's wide color gamuts, offering precision in color-sensitive applications. However, for 3D gaming, where fluid motion is key, the Studio 2's lower refresh rate holds it back compared to laptops designed with higher refresh displays, despite its adequate resolution and panel type.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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
$1,799
$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 GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i7 CPU, abundant RAM, and high-end Nvidia GPU, coupled with a high-resolution display that supports touch, making it ideal for hands-on design work.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and MSI Stealth GS66 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 Stealth GS66 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 Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,300 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 99.9 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 | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 503 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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 GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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