For a balance of performance and portability with a high-quality display suitable for creative work, the MSI Creator Z16P is a strong choice, though it comes at a higher price point. Its powerful processor and top-tier graphics card make it ideal for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. The high refresh rate and resolution also cater to professionals who require precision and speed in their visuals. However, its larger size and weight make it less travel-friendly compared to the Surface Laptop.
On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 offers a more compact and lightweight design, making it excellent for on-the-go use. It's also more budget-friendly while still providing solid performance for general use and some light gaming or creative work, thanks to its efficient processor and integrated graphics. The Surface Laptop's battery life is longer, contributing to its portability, and it has a very good keyboard and webcam, enhancing its appeal for everyday productivity tasks. However, it may not handle intensive gaming or specialized engineering software as well as the MSI.
Ultimately, if your priority is top-tier performance for demanding applications and you don't mind a bulkier device, the MSI Creator Z16P is the way to go. But if you value portability, battery life, and a more affordable price for general productivity and light creative tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 is the better option. 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 MSI Creator Z16P
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
7.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
394.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 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
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0/10
7.4/10
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,300
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The MSI Creator Z16P has a price of $1,300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
The MSI Creator Z16P and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both 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
7.6/10
7.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Creator Z16P are both 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.
Give feedback
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How the MSI Creator Z16P and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the MSI Creator Z16P or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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.
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.
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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