For a balance of performance and portability with a touch of elegance, consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6. It offers a higher resolution touchscreen with pen support, superior color accuracy, and a taller 3:2 aspect ratio, making it excellent for general use and productivity tasks. The Surface Laptop's premium build quality and design also make it a stylish choice for business environments. However, it falls short in gaming and intensive engineering tasks due to its less powerful GPU compared to the MSI Prestige 14, which has a more robust integrated GPU better suited for those needs. The MSI also provides longer battery life and a more comprehensive range of ports, including Thunderbolt support, which is beneficial for connecting multiple devices or high-speed data transfer. While the Surface Laptop has a better webcam and speaker quality, the MSI's performance in graphics-intensive tasks and its connectivity options give it an edge for users prioritizing those features. 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 Prestige 14
The MSI Prestige 14 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.7/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Prestige 14 are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is somewhat better.
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
6.9/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Cost
$1,040
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The MSI Prestige 14 has a price of $1,040 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Prestige 14 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.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Prestige 14 are both only fair 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.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.7/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Prestige 14 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
7.3/10
7.7/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and MSI Prestige 14 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.
Battery
8.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The MSI Prestige 14 has 8.5 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
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Prestige 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
"The MSI Prestige 14” is excellent for productivity and business use cases, but it is not ideal for creators or visual content editors. The Prestige was able to power through days of email, spreadsheets, and text documents without breaking a sweat and was a joy to use. The additional ports were a breath of fresh air, as most laptops seem to be moving towards just Thunderbolt ports. The security options made signing in effortless, with two quick, more secure, and faster options than even the most complex alphanumeric passcode."
Get a great deal on the MSI Prestige 14 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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.