If performance is your priority and you do intense engineering tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, with its higher-end processor and advanced graphics capabilities, excels, and it's also suitable for gaming. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is more affordable and offers a longer battery life, making it highly portable, but it has less power, storage, and memory, which may limit its capability for demanding applications. It's still well-suited for general use and business tasks with its professional design and Windows 11 Pro operating system. 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
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.3/10
7.6/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
503.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels in general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, higher screen resolution, and quality, making it responsive and visually impressive, but it compromises slightly on portability and battery life compared to the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, which while having less powerful hardware, offers better battery longevity and is easier to carry around. The MSI's advantage in portability and battery life renders it a good choice for users who value mobility and long usage times, albeit with decent performance that fits standard tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
6.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers superior gaming and 3D performance due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a screen with a high refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth and detailed visual rendering in games and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, with its integrated Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate screen, provides adequate but less powerful capabilities, making it less suitable for intensive gaming or 3D work.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out for engineering and design use with its more powerful CPU and GPU, plus a higher RAM capacity, all of which are crucial for demanding tasks, while its screen has a higher resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio that benefits design applications. In comparison, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, despite having a less powerful integrated GPU and less RAM, offers greater battery life and lightness, enhancing portability for users who prioritize flexibility and mobility alongside sufficient performance for less intensive engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.5/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
8.2/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.9/10
7.3/10
14.4in
SIZE
13.4in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
503.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a high-resolution display that provides crisp, clear visuals and good brightness, which makes it excellent for general use and detail-oriented tasks like engineering and design. Its screen covers a wide range of colors, making it suitable for professional design where color accuracy is critical. However, it has a lower refresh rate, which is less ideal for gaming or 3D modeling where smoother visuals are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has 11 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
14.4in
SIZE
13.4in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,300
$699
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a price of $3,300 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo costs $699.
"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 wants to prove that it can do more than just gaming laptops and the Summit E13 Flip is a great example of what the manufacturer is capable of especially in terms of aesthetics and performance. Normally for subnotebooks or convertibles, TDP and performance are often below average as makers want to meet slimmer designs and lower weight targets. The Summit manages to outperform others in its size class and category while still looking sleek and portable in the process. If you want a convertible that won't throttle significantly when under load, then this MSI will be one of the better options you can find."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 or the MSI Summit E13 Flip 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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