Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 The versatility to create. The power to perform. Surface Laptop Studio 2 delivers enterprise-level performance in a revolutionary design that seamlessly transitions between modes. Go from a touchscreen laptop to the perfect angle for collaboration to a portable canvas. all at the fast pace of the modern workplace. With Microsoft security and innovative Windows 11 features enabled out of the box. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the ultimate powerhouse laptop. Âč Empower creativity and collaboration Elevate productivity through with Microsoft Âłâ¶â”ÂČ through a high-quality touchscreen. Studio Camera. speakers. mics. and all the ports your workers need. Versatility for any challenge Give your teams the power to tackle any challenge. whether theyre compiling data. multitasking across âŽK displays. jumping between calls. or sketching ideas. Deploy. manage. and stay secured anywhere Protect your organizations data with Secured-core PCs and chip-to-cloud securityÂł as IT saves time and money through modern deployment and management. Disclaimers Âč. Available as an option on certain of Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ. ÂČ. Sold separately. Software license required for some features. Âł. Some cloud-enabled features and functionality require paid subscription and/or qualifying license. âŽ. Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ display has rounded corners within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape the screen is ÂčâŽ. Âłâ¶? diagonally (actual viewable area is less).
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 The versatility to create. The power to perform. Surface Laptop Studio 2 delivers enterprise-level performance in a revolutionary design that seamlessly transitions between modes. Go from a touchscreen laptop to the perfect angle for collaboration to a portable canvas. all at the fast pace of the modern workplace. With Microsoft security and innovative Windows 11 features enabled out of the box. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the ultimate powerhouse laptop. Âč Empower creativity and collaboration Elevate productivity through with Microsoft Âłâ¶â”ÂČ through a high-quality touchscreen. Studio Camera. speakers. mics. and all the ports your workers need. Versatility for any challenge Give your teams the power to tackle any challenge. whether theyre compiling data. multitasking across âŽK displays. jumping between calls. or sketching ideas. Deploy. manage. and stay secured anywhere Protect your organizations data with Secured-core PCs and chip-to-cloud securityÂł as IT saves time and money through modern deployment and management. Disclaimers Âč. Available as an option on certain of Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ. ÂČ. Sold separately. Software license required for some features. Âł. Some cloud-enabled features and functionality require paid subscription and/or qualifying license. âŽ. Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ display has rounded corners within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape the screen is ÂčâŽ. Âłâ¶? diagonally (actual viewable area is less).
in 1 offers
The lowest price for Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for Business 2 TB right now is $50,000.00.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for Business 2 TB
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 The versatility to create. The power to perform. Surface Laptop Studio 2 delivers enterprise-level performance in a revolutionary design that seamlessly transitions between modes. Go from a touchscreen laptop to the perfect angle for collaboration to a portable canvas. all at the fast pace of the modern workplace. With Microsoft security and innovative Windows 11 features enabled out of the box. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the ultimate powerhouse laptop. Âč Empower creativity and collaboration Elevate productivity through with Microsoft Âłâ¶â”ÂČ through a high-quality touchscreen. Studio Camera. speakers. mics. and all the ports your workers need. Versatility for any challenge Give your teams the power to tackle any challenge. whether theyre compiling data. multitasking across âŽK displays. jumping between calls. or sketching ideas. Deploy. manage. and stay secured anywhere Protect your organizations data with Secured-core PCs and chip-to-cloud securityÂł as IT saves time and money through modern deployment and management. Disclaimers Âč. Available as an option on certain of Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ. ÂČ. Sold separately. Software license required for some features. Âł. Some cloud-enabled features and functionality require paid subscription and/or qualifying license. âŽ. Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ display has rounded corners within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape the screen is ÂčâŽ. Âłâ¶? diagonally (actual viewable area is less).
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 The versatility to create. The power to perform. Surface Laptop Studio 2 delivers enterprise-level performance in a revolutionary design that seamlessly transitions between modes. Go from a touchscreen laptop to the perfect angle for collaboration to a portable canvas. all at the fast pace of the modern workplace. With Microsoft security and innovative Windows 11 features enabled out of the box. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the ultimate powerhouse laptop. Âč Empower creativity and collaboration Elevate productivity through with Microsoft Âłâ¶â”ÂČ through a high-quality touchscreen. Studio Camera. speakers. mics. and all the ports your workers need. Versatility for any challenge Give your teams the power to tackle any challenge. whether theyre compiling data. multitasking across âŽK displays. jumping between calls. or sketching ideas. Deploy. manage. and stay secured anywhere Protect your organizations data with Secured-core PCs and chip-to-cloud securityÂł as IT saves time and money through modern deployment and management. Disclaimers Âč. Available as an option on certain of Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ. ÂČ. Sold separately. Software license required for some features. Âł. Some cloud-enabled features and functionality require paid subscription and/or qualifying license. âŽ. Surface Laptop Studio ÂČ display has rounded corners within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape the screen is ÂčâŽ. Âłâ¶? diagonally (actual viewable area is less).
The all-time low was $696.00 on 4 Aug 2026 â today's price is 7084% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before â worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 3 Nov 2026.
Last updated at 03/11/2026 08:16:06
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for Business, i7/64GB/2Tb, 4060DGPU, W11P
Free delivery
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Quick Overview=================================If you're married to Windows 11 and need a powerful laptop for creative and productivity tasks (with a side of gaming) that includes using a stylus, this may be the device for you. Microsoft does a good job supporting its Surface laptops in terms of updates and hardware, so this is almost like the Windows-equivalent of a MacBook Pro, but it's way more flexible than Apple's offering.Overall build=================================The all-aluminum build is impressively solid. The initial impression is that this is Apple-level of quality (granted, the MS Surface line has been pretty high-quality). As someone who prefers Windows (most productivity apps and gaming), but uses a MacBook Pro for work, these Surface devices ... MoreQuick Overview=================================If you're married to Windows 11 and need a powerful laptop for creative and productivity tasks (with a side of gaming) that includes using a stylus, this may be the device for you. Microsoft does a good job supporting its Surface laptops in terms of updates and hardware, so this is almost like the Windows-equivalent of a MacBook Pro, but it's way more flexible than Apple's offering.Overall build=================================The all-aluminum build is impressively solid. The initial impression is that this is Apple-level of quality (granted, the MS Surface line has been pretty high-quality). As someone who prefers Windows (most productivity apps and gaming), but uses a MacBook Pro for work, these Surface devices are right up there in terms of build quality. The Razer line of laptops also come to mind in terms of solid build quality.Some key physical differences between this and the previous generation are the addition of a microSD card slot and a USB-A port on the left side which should help with connectivity to any non-USB-C devices that you may still have. The microSD card slot is a good addition, in theory, but many people shooting with high-end DSLR or mirrorless cameras may be using full-sized SD cards or something like CFexpress.If you're not familiar with the Surface Laptop Studio (version 1 or 2), it may seem a bit weird with its "stepped" design on the bottom, but that allows for cooling vents and a small "shelf" for the Surface Slim Pen (NOT included...) to dock and charge right under the front lip of the touchpad.The Surface Laptop Studio 2 still uses the old Surface connector for charging, but also supports USB-C charging (though not at full speed) via the USB-C ports.The webcam is a 1080p camera that supports Windows Hello for face logins and leverages a custom AI-powered chip for meeting features like automatic reframing and background blur. Letting the AI chip handle this task means less work for your CPU or GPU.The model I'm testing has the Intel i7 13th gen, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and an Nvidia 4050 GPU. Connectivity is via Wi-Fi 6e (802.11ax) and BT 5.3 - the best wireless options currently available.Of course, being a "Studio", it has the impressive hinged display that allows you to bring the touchscreen forward in an easel-configuration or even lay it nearly flat over the keyboard deck for a better drawing experience.Performance=================================Boring stuff out of the way first, this Surface Laptop Studio 2 is listed with the ability to last 18 hours of "typical device usage", but I'm not sure how that's possible. Real world usage is looking more like 4-5 hours of real work - not just looping videos. I know when I was drawing with Clip Studio Paint with the screen at half brightness, I was getting to 20% battery after just 3 hours and change...Speaking of Clip Studio Paint, the inking/drawing experience is much better than previous Surface devices (I've had most of the tablets since the OG Surface), but it's still a far cry from a dedicated Wacom drawing tablet or Samsung Galaxy S-series tablet that uses the same Wacom technology. Slow lines will still produce wavy effects making you think you need to check in with your doctor. Quick strokes are fine, and you can help by utilizing stabilization options within your drawing program, but if you use multiple devices (I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and a Windows PC with a Wacom Cintiq 16 Pro), you don't want your settings to vary too much between devices.Also, I must say the Surface Slim Pen 2 should be included at the asking price of this Studio 2.The display itself is beautiful though not 100% color accurate. It's still a great screen overall with a high pixel density relative to the screen size. Annoyingly, the aggressive corners cut into the display and can partially block the elements of the application you're using if you're going full-resolution at 100% zoom (not 150% which is default).The screen itself is really easy to reposition over the keyboard as an easel or nearly flat. I struggled with a real use-case for the easel position since I was using 100% zoom which made touch targets very small. If I planned to use it in this mode for more than a few minutes, I'd have to zoom in a bit more to make it more touch-friendly, or use an external keyboard/mouse/trackball to make it easier to navigate. In nearly-flat mode, it was a pretty natural drawing device (though I did angle it on a laptop stand to make it more comfortable). I still prefer Wacom EMR technology to AES or N-trig digitizers but it's a pretty good device for art overall. I could do precision work on another device and use this for coloring.From a productivity/creator perspective, I think this is a great choice. You get a great screen with pen input and all the ports you need for connectivity. You get the flexible positioning of the screen and enough USB-C ports to power your real displays. I did switch to using microSD cards inside SD card adapters in my mirrorless cameras, so it was easy to transfer my photos from my cameras to the Studio 2 and do some editing in Adobe Lightroom.With a 4050 Nvidia GPU and a 2400x1600 screen, you wouldn't want to game on this at the full native resolution, but taking things down a notch to 1080 makes gaming just fine. I compared this to another device (Asus Z13 Flow - i9 12th gen, 3050ti) and on paper, it seems like the 4050 should run away with the crown here, I wasn't seeing too much of a visible performance difference. Getting down to the frame rate, we're talking about somewhere between 15-30% better performance, but I was hard-pressed to see much of a difference. Granted the Z13 was native 1080p on a smaller screen while the Studio 2 was running 1080p stretched onto a higher-resolution canvas. Either way, this might not be your primary gaming machine unless you're talking about cloud gaming solutions like Xbox/Playstation/GeForce Now.Another thing to note is the inclusion of an NPU - Intel's Movidius AI accelerator. More functions will be coming, but for now, the webcam can reframe you if you're on the side of the camera's field of view and blur the background, saving your CPU or GPU from doing it. There's also a feature that should make it look like your eyes are looking at the camera when they're not, but it didn't work for my face or another family member's face after repeated attempts. I assume they'll add more generative AI features later.Windows 11 is... well, the newest version of Windows and I'm not sure if there's much else to say. For those that are very comfortable and invested in the Windows software and gaming ecosystem, it almost seems like Microsoft is testing the limits of what it can get away with. From a forced online account sign in (no more offline/local accounts) to an OS-as-a-service that will constantly let you know about new features in Windows and why Edge is better than Chrome, it can make you question how dedicated you are to Windows. Windows 10 might be "peak" Windows in this reviewer's opinion, with more user-focused flexibility and less intrusiveness.Conclusion=================================If you're looking for a high-end Windows laptop that you can use for creative tasks and gaming is not a priority, this Surface Laptop Studio 2 would be a great recommendation. It's possible to get away with the lower-end graphics card as well. The higher-end CPU/GPU combinations (also including more RAM) can get prohibitively expensive. I think the i7/13700H, 4050 or Xe, and 16-32 GB RAM might be the sweet spot.Overall, this is a dense, high-performing, flexible creative device with a uniquely flexible display and can power your occasional gaming sessions. Just make sure to buy the pen (Surface Slim Pen 2) also.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an absolutely fantastic device, that checks the box that would normally require several devices! I never thought I would be able to play Call of Duty MW2 on a "tablet"! Flipping the Surface into tablet mode makes that possible, and it still performs amazingly! This makes it easy to take with me for quick breaks at work, or laying in bed and watching movies or playing games. The touch screen is very precise and accurate, I have had no issues with lag or my palms registering as touches on the screen when I am playing touch screen games. The battery life is very impressive for a machine this powerful! If I am just watching videos it last longer than I have ever needed it to. Gaming is definitely something you will want to do while plugged ... MoreThe Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an absolutely fantastic device, that checks the box that would normally require several devices! I never thought I would be able to play Call of Duty MW2 on a "tablet"! Flipping the Surface into tablet mode makes that possible, and it still performs amazingly! This makes it easy to take with me for quick breaks at work, or laying in bed and watching movies or playing games. The touch screen is very precise and accurate, I have had no issues with lag or my palms registering as touches on the screen when I am playing touch screen games. The battery life is very impressive for a machine this powerful! If I am just watching videos it last longer than I have ever needed it to. Gaming is definitely something you will want to do while plugged in to power, the GPU and fans will deplete the battery really quick, but this is very common. It is a little heavy to use as a daily use tablet, but the trade off is definitely worth it for the massive amount of power you are carrying around with you! The performance on this machine is really out of this world, quick booting and runs anything you throw at it. The screen is beautiful and versatile with many different ways to view it. I couldn't be happier!
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a well-built premium device by Microsoft that clearly takes some inspiration from Appleâs 14â Macbook Pro line of laptops. Side-by-side they would be hard to tell apart except that the Surface Studio is thicker and has a Windows logo on the lid. That extra chunkiness comes from a unique âdouble-stackâ design where the laptop is split into two halves sitting on top of each other. This design provides separation between the exhaust vents that run the length of the sides on the lower half and the ports on the upper half. It helps to hide the vents and give the illusion that the device is thinner than it really is. While itâs small enough to fit into any laptop bag it is heavier than most 14â models on the market.The touch screen is a ... MoreThe Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a well-built premium device by Microsoft that clearly takes some inspiration from Appleâs 14â Macbook Pro line of laptops. Side-by-side they would be hard to tell apart except that the Surface Studio is thicker and has a Windows logo on the lid. That extra chunkiness comes from a unique âdouble-stackâ design where the laptop is split into two halves sitting on top of each other. This design provides separation between the exhaust vents that run the length of the sides on the lower half and the ports on the upper half. It helps to hide the vents and give the illusion that the device is thinner than it really is. While itâs small enough to fit into any laptop bag it is heavier than most 14â models on the market.The touch screen is a 14.4â 2400x1600 3:2 aspect ratio that supports Dolby Vision HDR and up to 120hz refresh rate. While the screen is good, it doesnât have the pop of an OLED or mini-LED screen that I would expect to see in this price range. The screen has a hinge in the middle that allows it to be positioned over the keyboard to form what Microsoft calls âStageâ mode. Itâs great for watching content or using it in a tight place like an economy seat. The screen can then fold completely down over the keyboard and mousepad to turn into a tablet. However, Microsoft calls this âCreativeâ mode, not âTabletâ, which makes sense as it is great for digital artists but too heavy to use as a tablet that you would hold in your hands. Microsoftâs Surface line has always nailed the drawing and inking experience. Unfortunately, a big miss here is that the laptop does not come with the Slim Pen needed to do those things. It must be purchased separately if you donât already have one. If you do have one, it can magnetically charge under the front lip of the laptop.I really like the keyboard and trackpad. Microsoft is clearly showing manufacturers of Windows laptops what the gold standard should be, especially the excellent trackpad. The webcam, however, could be better. Itâs listed as 1080p but is very grainy in anything but the best lighting conditions.Included is a 127w Surface Connect charger which is a proprietary power connector. While the Studio 2 does support USB-C charging I was not able to successfully get it to charge with a 140w USB-C power adapter and cable. This is a shame as the included Connect charger is easily twice the size and weight of a quality 100w+ GaN charger.The laptop comes with a microSD slot but NOT a full-size SD card slot. I wish it had both as my high-end mirrorless camera uses a full-size card while everything else such as GoPro and drone use microSD. I canât imagine having two slots adds that much more to the cost of the laptop but if I had to pick one it would be the full size and not the micro as I could always use an adapter.The CPU is the Intel i7 13700H which performs well. I scored a 2514 single core and 12800 multicore score in Geekbench 6. The laptop performed flawlessly for me while building a Node.js app for work and using Teams. While the laptop can get a little toasty the fans do an excellent job pushing out hot air and stay mostly quiet, which means this laptop can be used in most office settings without sounding like a jet taking off. It also includes an Intel AI chip called Movidius which I know little about but may be useful to those working in those fields.The graphics card included here is from the bottom of the barrel when it comes to RTX 40 series cards. You can certainly do some gaming on it at lower presets but I wouldnât recommend buying this laptop if gaming is your priority. That said I was still able to play some Fortnite on Low settings at native resolution and 30 FPS limit. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an older title, was able to score 88 FPS on its benchmark at native resolution, the High preset, and Nvidia DLSS set to Quality. Cyberpunk 2077, a new and more demanding game scored 43 FPS in its benchmark on the Ray Tracing Low preset but was able to muster a very playable 60FPS with DLSS frame generation enabled.The laptop includes Wifi 6E wireless and on my home network I was able to get 2.1 Gbps speed which is plenty fast. No ethernet port is needed here. The SSD is 512GB and not the fastest. I measured the sequential read/write speed at about 3500Mb/s and 2800Mb/s, respectively.Pros:- Great for Productivity Work- Compact Form Factor- Intel Core i7 13700H- 16GB DDR5- Haptic Touchpad- Nvidia 4050 Laptop (80W Max GPU 6GB)- 120hz HDR Display- Converts to Stage and Creative Modes- Excellent Battery Life- Includes Two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4/USB-4), 1 USB-A- Windows Hello- Wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3Cons:- Heavy for its Size- Doesnât Come with Digital Pen- Only a MicroSD Card Slot- Expensive- Webcam could be better.- SSD SpeedsOverall â While overkill for home and students, I can see how this laptop could be perfect for professionals, developers, and the creative type such as artists. The build quality is superb, its compact, mostly quiet, and has plenty of performance. The touch screen and tablet-like capability are something you wonât find on an Apple laptop. However, it is expensive, and at the very least I wish it came with a pen to help offset that cost.
| Brand | Microsoft |
| Operating System | Windows OS |
| Processor Brand | Intel CPU |
| Graphics Processor | Intel GPU, NVIDIA GPU |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for Business, i7/64GB/2Tb, 4060DGPU, W11P
Free delivery
Quick Overview=================================If you're married to Windows 11 and need a powerful laptop for creative and productivity tasks (with a side of gaming) that includes using a stylus, this may be the device for you. Microsoft does a good job supporting its Surface laptops in terms of updates and hardware, so this is almost like the Windows-equivalent of a MacBook Pro, but it's way more flexible than Apple's offering.Overall build=================================The all-aluminum build is impressively solid. The initial impression is that this is Apple-level of quality (granted, the MS Surface line has been pretty high-quality). As someone who prefers Windows (most productivity apps and gaming), but uses a MacBook Pro for work, these Surface devices ... MoreQuick Overview=================================If you're married to Windows 11 and need a powerful laptop for creative and productivity tasks (with a side of gaming) that includes using a stylus, this may be the device for you. Microsoft does a good job supporting its Surface laptops in terms of updates and hardware, so this is almost like the Windows-equivalent of a MacBook Pro, but it's way more flexible than Apple's offering.Overall build=================================The all-aluminum build is impressively solid. The initial impression is that this is Apple-level of quality (granted, the MS Surface line has been pretty high-quality). As someone who prefers Windows (most productivity apps and gaming), but uses a MacBook Pro for work, these Surface devices are right up there in terms of build quality. The Razer line of laptops also come to mind in terms of solid build quality.Some key physical differences between this and the previous generation are the addition of a microSD card slot and a USB-A port on the left side which should help with connectivity to any non-USB-C devices that you may still have. The microSD card slot is a good addition, in theory, but many people shooting with high-end DSLR or mirrorless cameras may be using full-sized SD cards or something like CFexpress.If you're not familiar with the Surface Laptop Studio (version 1 or 2), it may seem a bit weird with its "stepped" design on the bottom, but that allows for cooling vents and a small "shelf" for the Surface Slim Pen (NOT included...) to dock and charge right under the front lip of the touchpad.The Surface Laptop Studio 2 still uses the old Surface connector for charging, but also supports USB-C charging (though not at full speed) via the USB-C ports.The webcam is a 1080p camera that supports Windows Hello for face logins and leverages a custom AI-powered chip for meeting features like automatic reframing and background blur. Letting the AI chip handle this task means less work for your CPU or GPU.The model I'm testing has the Intel i7 13th gen, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and an Nvidia 4050 GPU. Connectivity is via Wi-Fi 6e (802.11ax) and BT 5.3 - the best wireless options currently available.Of course, being a "Studio", it has the impressive hinged display that allows you to bring the touchscreen forward in an easel-configuration or even lay it nearly flat over the keyboard deck for a better drawing experience.Performance=================================Boring stuff out of the way first, this Surface Laptop Studio 2 is listed with the ability to last 18 hours of "typical device usage", but I'm not sure how that's possible. Real world usage is looking more like 4-5 hours of real work - not just looping videos. I know when I was drawing with Clip Studio Paint with the screen at half brightness, I was getting to 20% battery after just 3 hours and change...Speaking of Clip Studio Paint, the inking/drawing experience is much better than previous Surface devices (I've had most of the tablets since the OG Surface), but it's still a far cry from a dedicated Wacom drawing tablet or Samsung Galaxy S-series tablet that uses the same Wacom technology. Slow lines will still produce wavy effects making you think you need to check in with your doctor. Quick strokes are fine, and you can help by utilizing stabilization options within your drawing program, but if you use multiple devices (I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and a Windows PC with a Wacom Cintiq 16 Pro), you don't want your settings to vary too much between devices.Also, I must say the Surface Slim Pen 2 should be included at the asking price of this Studio 2.The display itself is beautiful though not 100% color accurate. It's still a great screen overall with a high pixel density relative to the screen size. Annoyingly, the aggressive corners cut into the display and can partially block the elements of the application you're using if you're going full-resolution at 100% zoom (not 150% which is default).The screen itself is really easy to reposition over the keyboard as an easel or nearly flat. I struggled with a real use-case for the easel position since I was using 100% zoom which made touch targets very small. If I planned to use it in this mode for more than a few minutes, I'd have to zoom in a bit more to make it more touch-friendly, or use an external keyboard/mouse/trackball to make it easier to navigate. In nearly-flat mode, it was a pretty natural drawing device (though I did angle it on a laptop stand to make it more comfortable). I still prefer Wacom EMR technology to AES or N-trig digitizers but it's a pretty good device for art overall. I could do precision work on another device and use this for coloring.From a productivity/creator perspective, I think this is a great choice. You get a great screen with pen input and all the ports you need for connectivity. You get the flexible positioning of the screen and enough USB-C ports to power your real displays. I did switch to using microSD cards inside SD card adapters in my mirrorless cameras, so it was easy to transfer my photos from my cameras to the Studio 2 and do some editing in Adobe Lightroom.With a 4050 Nvidia GPU and a 2400x1600 screen, you wouldn't want to game on this at the full native resolution, but taking things down a notch to 1080 makes gaming just fine. I compared this to another device (Asus Z13 Flow - i9 12th gen, 3050ti) and on paper, it seems like the 4050 should run away with the crown here, I wasn't seeing too much of a visible performance difference. Getting down to the frame rate, we're talking about somewhere between 15-30% better performance, but I was hard-pressed to see much of a difference. Granted the Z13 was native 1080p on a smaller screen while the Studio 2 was running 1080p stretched onto a higher-resolution canvas. Either way, this might not be your primary gaming machine unless you're talking about cloud gaming solutions like Xbox/Playstation/GeForce Now.Another thing to note is the inclusion of an NPU - Intel's Movidius AI accelerator. More functions will be coming, but for now, the webcam can reframe you if you're on the side of the camera's field of view and blur the background, saving your CPU or GPU from doing it. There's also a feature that should make it look like your eyes are looking at the camera when they're not, but it didn't work for my face or another family member's face after repeated attempts. I assume they'll add more generative AI features later.Windows 11 is... well, the newest version of Windows and I'm not sure if there's much else to say. For those that are very comfortable and invested in the Windows software and gaming ecosystem, it almost seems like Microsoft is testing the limits of what it can get away with. From a forced online account sign in (no more offline/local accounts) to an OS-as-a-service that will constantly let you know about new features in Windows and why Edge is better than Chrome, it can make you question how dedicated you are to Windows. Windows 10 might be "peak" Windows in this reviewer's opinion, with more user-focused flexibility and less intrusiveness.Conclusion=================================If you're looking for a high-end Windows laptop that you can use for creative tasks and gaming is not a priority, this Surface Laptop Studio 2 would be a great recommendation. It's possible to get away with the lower-end graphics card as well. The higher-end CPU/GPU combinations (also including more RAM) can get prohibitively expensive. I think the i7/13700H, 4050 or Xe, and 16-32 GB RAM might be the sweet spot.Overall, this is a dense, high-performing, flexible creative device with a uniquely flexible display and can power your occasional gaming sessions. Just make sure to buy the pen (Surface Slim Pen 2) also.
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an absolutely fantastic device, that checks the box that would normally require several devices! I never thought I would be able to play Call of Duty MW2 on a "tablet"! Flipping the Surface into tablet mode makes that possible, and it still performs amazingly! This makes it easy to take with me for quick breaks at work, or laying in bed and watching movies or playing games. The touch screen is very precise and accurate, I have had no issues with lag or my palms registering as touches on the screen when I am playing touch screen games. The battery life is very impressive for a machine this powerful! If I am just watching videos it last longer than I have ever needed it to. Gaming is definitely something you will want to do while plugged ... MoreThe Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an absolutely fantastic device, that checks the box that would normally require several devices! I never thought I would be able to play Call of Duty MW2 on a "tablet"! Flipping the Surface into tablet mode makes that possible, and it still performs amazingly! This makes it easy to take with me for quick breaks at work, or laying in bed and watching movies or playing games. The touch screen is very precise and accurate, I have had no issues with lag or my palms registering as touches on the screen when I am playing touch screen games. The battery life is very impressive for a machine this powerful! If I am just watching videos it last longer than I have ever needed it to. Gaming is definitely something you will want to do while plugged in to power, the GPU and fans will deplete the battery really quick, but this is very common. It is a little heavy to use as a daily use tablet, but the trade off is definitely worth it for the massive amount of power you are carrying around with you! The performance on this machine is really out of this world, quick booting and runs anything you throw at it. The screen is beautiful and versatile with many different ways to view it. I couldn't be happier!
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a well-built premium device by Microsoft that clearly takes some inspiration from Appleâs 14â Macbook Pro line of laptops. Side-by-side they would be hard to tell apart except that the Surface Studio is thicker and has a Windows logo on the lid. That extra chunkiness comes from a unique âdouble-stackâ design where the laptop is split into two halves sitting on top of each other. This design provides separation between the exhaust vents that run the length of the sides on the lower half and the ports on the upper half. It helps to hide the vents and give the illusion that the device is thinner than it really is. While itâs small enough to fit into any laptop bag it is heavier than most 14â models on the market.The touch screen is a ... MoreThe Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a well-built premium device by Microsoft that clearly takes some inspiration from Appleâs 14â Macbook Pro line of laptops. Side-by-side they would be hard to tell apart except that the Surface Studio is thicker and has a Windows logo on the lid. That extra chunkiness comes from a unique âdouble-stackâ design where the laptop is split into two halves sitting on top of each other. This design provides separation between the exhaust vents that run the length of the sides on the lower half and the ports on the upper half. It helps to hide the vents and give the illusion that the device is thinner than it really is. While itâs small enough to fit into any laptop bag it is heavier than most 14â models on the market.The touch screen is a 14.4â 2400x1600 3:2 aspect ratio that supports Dolby Vision HDR and up to 120hz refresh rate. While the screen is good, it doesnât have the pop of an OLED or mini-LED screen that I would expect to see in this price range. The screen has a hinge in the middle that allows it to be positioned over the keyboard to form what Microsoft calls âStageâ mode. Itâs great for watching content or using it in a tight place like an economy seat. The screen can then fold completely down over the keyboard and mousepad to turn into a tablet. However, Microsoft calls this âCreativeâ mode, not âTabletâ, which makes sense as it is great for digital artists but too heavy to use as a tablet that you would hold in your hands. Microsoftâs Surface line has always nailed the drawing and inking experience. Unfortunately, a big miss here is that the laptop does not come with the Slim Pen needed to do those things. It must be purchased separately if you donât already have one. If you do have one, it can magnetically charge under the front lip of the laptop.I really like the keyboard and trackpad. Microsoft is clearly showing manufacturers of Windows laptops what the gold standard should be, especially the excellent trackpad. The webcam, however, could be better. Itâs listed as 1080p but is very grainy in anything but the best lighting conditions.Included is a 127w Surface Connect charger which is a proprietary power connector. While the Studio 2 does support USB-C charging I was not able to successfully get it to charge with a 140w USB-C power adapter and cable. This is a shame as the included Connect charger is easily twice the size and weight of a quality 100w+ GaN charger.The laptop comes with a microSD slot but NOT a full-size SD card slot. I wish it had both as my high-end mirrorless camera uses a full-size card while everything else such as GoPro and drone use microSD. I canât imagine having two slots adds that much more to the cost of the laptop but if I had to pick one it would be the full size and not the micro as I could always use an adapter.The CPU is the Intel i7 13700H which performs well. I scored a 2514 single core and 12800 multicore score in Geekbench 6. The laptop performed flawlessly for me while building a Node.js app for work and using Teams. While the laptop can get a little toasty the fans do an excellent job pushing out hot air and stay mostly quiet, which means this laptop can be used in most office settings without sounding like a jet taking off. It also includes an Intel AI chip called Movidius which I know little about but may be useful to those working in those fields.The graphics card included here is from the bottom of the barrel when it comes to RTX 40 series cards. You can certainly do some gaming on it at lower presets but I wouldnât recommend buying this laptop if gaming is your priority. That said I was still able to play some Fortnite on Low settings at native resolution and 30 FPS limit. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an older title, was able to score 88 FPS on its benchmark at native resolution, the High preset, and Nvidia DLSS set to Quality. Cyberpunk 2077, a new and more demanding game scored 43 FPS in its benchmark on the Ray Tracing Low preset but was able to muster a very playable 60FPS with DLSS frame generation enabled.The laptop includes Wifi 6E wireless and on my home network I was able to get 2.1 Gbps speed which is plenty fast. No ethernet port is needed here. The SSD is 512GB and not the fastest. I measured the sequential read/write speed at about 3500Mb/s and 2800Mb/s, respectively.Pros:- Great for Productivity Work- Compact Form Factor- Intel Core i7 13700H- 16GB DDR5- Haptic Touchpad- Nvidia 4050 Laptop (80W Max GPU 6GB)- 120hz HDR Display- Converts to Stage and Creative Modes- Excellent Battery Life- Includes Two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4/USB-4), 1 USB-A- Windows Hello- Wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3Cons:- Heavy for its Size- Doesnât Come with Digital Pen- Only a MicroSD Card Slot- Expensive- Webcam could be better.- SSD SpeedsOverall â While overkill for home and students, I can see how this laptop could be perfect for professionals, developers, and the creative type such as artists. The build quality is superb, its compact, mostly quiet, and has plenty of performance. The touch screen and tablet-like capability are something you wonât find on an Apple laptop. However, it is expensive, and at the very least I wish it came with a pen to help offset that cost.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a compelling blend of power, versatility, and design. Boasting a 14.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with a 2400 x 1600 resolution, it delivers stunning visuals and supports touch and Surface Pen input. The innovative design includes a unique hinge that transforms the laptop into a versatile studio, allowing for various modes like laptop, stage, and studio.Under the hood, the laptop is powered by Intel's latest processors, providing snappy performance for productivity tasks, creative work, and even some light gaming. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU adds a significant boost for graphics-intensive applications, making it suitable for creative professionals and gamers alike. The combination of powerful components and a ... MoreThe Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a compelling blend of power, versatility, and design. Boasting a 14.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with a 2400 x 1600 resolution, it delivers stunning visuals and supports touch and Surface Pen input. The innovative design includes a unique hinge that transforms the laptop into a versatile studio, allowing for various modes like laptop, stage, and studio.Under the hood, the laptop is powered by Intel's latest processors, providing snappy performance for productivity tasks, creative work, and even some light gaming. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU adds a significant boost for graphics-intensive applications, making it suitable for creative professionals and gamers alike. The combination of powerful components and a high-resolution display creates an immersive computing experience.The build quality is exceptional, featuring a durable aluminum chassis that exudes premium craftsmanship. The backlit keyboard is comfortable for extended typing sessions, and the large precision trackpad ensures precise navigation. The inclusion of USB-C and USB-A ports, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack, provides versatile connectivity options.In summary, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a top-tier device that excels in performance, design, and versatility. Its unique form factor, robust specifications, and inclusion of innovative features cater to a niche audience seeking a premium computing experience. While the price may be steep for some, the laptop delivers on its promise of providing a powerful and flexible tool for professionals and creative enthusiasts alike.
So I received my Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 a little over a week ago and have been putting it through its paces. First off, I must say, this thing couldn't have come along at a better time. I had just recently started looking at getting a new laptop since I haven't had a new one since November of 2016 when I got an 16" Acer Aspire. Now that old laptop has done very well for me over the last 7 years and still works to this day, but it has started showing its age. It's become very sluggish and was only sporting an Nvidia 960MX. Coming to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 line, although its not he best or fastest graphics card by Nvidia (it sports an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050), it's still faster and better than that old 960MX on my old laptop.Inside the ... MoreSo I received my Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 a little over a week ago and have been putting it through its paces. First off, I must say, this thing couldn't have come along at a better time. I had just recently started looking at getting a new laptop since I haven't had a new one since November of 2016 when I got an 16" Acer Aspire. Now that old laptop has done very well for me over the last 7 years and still works to this day, but it has started showing its age. It's become very sluggish and was only sporting an Nvidia 960MX. Coming to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 line, although its not he best or fastest graphics card by Nvidia (it sports an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050), it's still faster and better than that old 960MX on my old laptop.Inside the package comes:* Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2* 120W Power Supply* Quick Start GuideNow I must say that, I typically hate laptops/keyboards that don't have a separate number keypad off to the right side of the keyboard but it hasn't really been a problem for me so far. When you first open up the laptop, it instantly comes on and is ready to go. When you open up the Studio Laptop and it logs in, you're greeted by one of the most beautiful crystal clear 14.4" touchscreen. The keys on the laptop are backlit and respond when pressed. The travel/reachability between each key is easy without strain. The screen resolution is 2400x1600 with a peak brightness of 650 nits, which is simply stunning in my book. The screen also has 120Hz refresh rate which is amazing. 60Hz who??? The screen also features an integrated webcam which is great for setting up Microsoft Hello for faster logins.On the left side is USB-A port (thank you Microsoft), and 2 USB-C ports. Under the front edge of the Studio 2 is a magnetic area where you can store your Microsoft Pen (not included) for safe keeping. The right side of the laptop features the magnetic charging port, headphone port, and microSD card slot. The Studio Laptop 2 internally also features 16 GB of ram which is a nice start, and 512 GB hard-drive. I do like that they started the baseline at 16 GB but in this day and age, I wish Microsoft as well as other companies start their baseline models with at least a 1 TB hard-drive. That being said, 512 GB is still nice and most people should be fine with it.Loading up some music or videos on YouTube and you will be blown away by the amazing sound quality and richness that comes from the speakers. This is another area where my old laptop had began having issues with.There's so much that this laptop does that its pretty much an All-In-One portable machine. When you want to relax and wind down by either watching a great movie or playing an awesome game, simply bending at the hinge in the middle of the back allows you to to bring the screen forward to hide the keyboard and set it up for viewing mode. Or you can keep going further and lay the screen flat, which in turn the laptop becomes a tablet.Microsoft did an amazing job with the build quality of the Studio Laptop 2. It is a little chunky but if you're not transporting it a lot you should be fine.
TLDR; 13th Gen i7 Mobile @ 2.9GHz, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD (475GB usable with Win11 installed), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile GPU. 2x USB-C 4.0, 1x USB-A, MicroSD reader, 3.5mm Audio Port, 14.4â screen @ 2400x1600 res @ 120Hz, Windows Hello facial recognition.The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has surprised me in that it is packing an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. Microsoft Surface products have always been prominent in their productivity market. I have my older Surface Laptop that I use daily, and it does everything that I need it to doâŠexcept gaming as it doesnât sport a discrete GPU. So this Surface Laptop Studio truly does it all; it can be used as a normal laptop, it can be folded down into a tablet, and it can be used for that real gaming experience.The ... MoreTLDR; 13th Gen i7 Mobile @ 2.9GHz, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD (475GB usable with Win11 installed), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile GPU. 2x USB-C 4.0, 1x USB-A, MicroSD reader, 3.5mm Audio Port, 14.4â screen @ 2400x1600 res @ 120Hz, Windows Hello facial recognition.The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has surprised me in that it is packing an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. Microsoft Surface products have always been prominent in their productivity market. I have my older Surface Laptop that I use daily, and it does everything that I need it to doâŠexcept gaming as it doesnât sport a discrete GPU. So this Surface Laptop Studio truly does it all; it can be used as a normal laptop, it can be folded down into a tablet, and it can be used for that real gaming experience.The design of the Studio Laptop is quite unique. It isnât the thinnest of laptops, but it does appear to âlookâ that way. It actually sports a large base in comparison to other slim laptops. But the designers gave the base a design to give an illusion that it is thinner than it looks. The best way I can describe it is that it looks like the laptop is âsittingâ on a smaller base station. From my viewing angle, all I see is the Surface Laptop. The look and feel of the keyboard is familiar, and the oversized touchpad is as well. Speaking of the laptop base, the fans actually intake and exhaust through the sides, so you donât have to worry about blocking air flow when youâre actually using this on your lap. The entire body is made out of aluminum and this thing just feels so premium when held. The keys are optimal for a laptop of this class, and the touchpad is very large. The screen tilt will take you as far as 45 degrees past 90, so you wonât be able to flatten the screen all the way down when used with the keyboard.When used as a tablet, the screen actually folds on itself and lays flat on top of the keyboard, or far enough so that you cover the keys but still have access to the touchpad. There are magnet guides in place if you want to use it in this manner. There are large bezels around the 14.4â screen and I welcome these bezels because it allows me to hold around the âtabletâ without providing spurious inputs. That being said, this thing is chunky when in this folded mode. Iâm actually typing this sentence while in tablet mode and the touch screen has no issues picking up what keys Iâm pressingâŠ.itâs just feels big to hold. But overall, Iâm thoroughly impressed with this laptop design.The Studio Laptop is packing a lot of good stuff this iteration; an i7-13700H mobile processor that provides 24MB L3 Cache and a boost frequency 5GHz (performance) and 3.7GHz (efficient). It sports 6 performance cores and 8 efficient cores. This plays a lot in power management with respect to the types of apps you will be running. This configuration also comes with 16GB DDR5 RAM @ 5200MHz and 512GB SSD (475GB usable). These are specs I would expect to see from a premium laptop, but what really stole the show for me was the inclusion of the 4050 GPU, albeit the mobile version, yet it still packs a punch!! At 1080p settings, the 4050 is able to run games at high to ultra settings. Iâve been playing a lot of Diablo 4 and it definitely is a game the 4050 can handle. Starfield is also very much playable on this thing, and it is a demanding game. I get around 50 fps in medium settings. And just to be clear, I'm not looking to break FPS records or game full time on this laptop. Use this as a gauge to know how well this laptop can handle your AAA games. It's just really nice to know I can pull up a game after a long day of work, especially if I'm on work travel. There are enough USB ports to allow me to connect my gaming mouse and headphones. It is also worth noting that having the laptop plugged in will allow the laptop components to run at their full potential.The expense of running demanding applications is the production of heat, and this thing can get hot! The CPU and GPU, being mobile variants, run hotter than their desktop PC counterparts due to the limited cooling in laptops. That being said, the i7-13700H temps were kept under 80 degrees celsius and the 4050 was kept under 90 degrees celsius during my 3dMark benchmark test. This is a little hot for my taste in terms of gaming, but the Studio does a good job maintaining those temps. I also noticed that when I rested my palms on either side of the touchpad, the laptop felt warmer, but nothing that is uncomfortable.Lastly, there is the price and this is one of the more premium priced laptops money can buy. I highly recommend this laptop if youâre looking for a jack-of-all-trades type of device. To me, itâs three different devices in one. But if you only care for one of the three (productivity laptop, tablet, gaming laptop), then you can find one of these types of devices on the market for probably much cheaper.
The Laptop Studio 2 builds on the previous generation which already was one of the best windows laptops on the market. It had the best screen, best touchpad, keyboard, speakers along with a unique folding hinge screen and none of that has changed.The biggest improvement on the Laptop Studio 2 is Windows 11 itself and how it has matured from its initial release. Microsoft has done a great job adding features which make the Windows 11 an inclusive product for everyone no matter the other devices they use (Android/IOS). Windows has also greatly improved in speed and reliability; I did not experience one slow down or crash while using the Laptop Studio 2. Windows has done a lot of work with the small details to make sure that the system is not only visually appealing ... MoreThe Laptop Studio 2 builds on the previous generation which already was one of the best windows laptops on the market. It had the best screen, best touchpad, keyboard, speakers along with a unique folding hinge screen and none of that has changed.The biggest improvement on the Laptop Studio 2 is Windows 11 itself and how it has matured from its initial release. Microsoft has done a great job adding features which make the Windows 11 an inclusive product for everyone no matter the other devices they use (Android/IOS). Windows has also greatly improved in speed and reliability; I did not experience one slow down or crash while using the Laptop Studio 2. Windows has done a lot of work with the small details to make sure that the system is not only visually appealing but also fast and responsive. Features such Snap feature (auto sizes screens for productivity), Desktop groups, AI integration, current update to paint which allows you to add layers and upgraded photos application make Windows 11 a must for most people.Screen: The screen on the Laptop Studio 2 is still great and this years includes HDR support (500 nits normally or 650 nits for HDR content) and there is no screen wobble which is saying something since the screen goes into tablet mode and content viewing mode. The borders are a bit thick for todayâs standards but in all honesty they work and I hardly noticed them. The thicker borders are actually a plus when you use the device to take notes/draw. The screen is still 120 Hz so all the transitions are smooth and make using the Laptop Studio 2 a joy as your daily driver.Trackpad: Is on par with the best laptops in the market and the most inclusive because of the adaptive touch mode which allows people with limited mobility to use the trackpad.Sound: The speakers are the best on any windows machine of this size. The laptop studio 2 improves the base and mids/highs but is a bit lacking is the spatial audio.Touch: The touch response on the Laptop Studio 2 is almost as good as my smart phone, no matter where you touch the screen it registers instantly. When working with windows apps such as word/paint the drawing works just as well with your fingers as it does with a surface pen. If you do purchase the surface pen the laptop becomes a hybrid between laptop/media machine/tablet. The touch features work great with your fingers and you can take it to the next level if you have a surface pen which allows you to highlight/cut/draw and so much more.Form factor: The unique design of the Laptop Studio 2 is great for media consumption and using windows ink for drawing/note taking purposes. I was not a believer in the design when it came to the media consumption part, however the screen being a tad closer makes a huge difference for content viewing which I was not expecting.Performance: The Laptop Studio runs one gen older CPU but has the newest GPU which blazes through anything you can throw at it. Now it does get hot when youâre doing triple A title games or heavy video editing but that is expected for the work it is doing. Besides the heavy task the Laptop Studio 2 runs quiet and I only heard the fans turn on when I did windows update.The Laptop Studio 2 is the cream of the crop when it comes to windows laptops. Everything from the look to the performance is top of the line with very little drawbacks. The windows operating system has come a long way and Windows 11 is a joy to use not only for productivity but in all aspects that you would need a laptop. The only downsides for the Laptop Studio 2 was that the webcam wasnât the best otherwise this is one of the best windows laptops on the market.
I am reviewing the Surface Laptop Studio 2 as someone who has had the first-generation version since it was released a little over 2 years ago. I have been a huge fan of that computer during my ownership and have recommended it several times to friends and family, as I think it has been the best overall computer money can buy and the only thing that could be better would be a better one. Well, here it is. The Laptop Studio 2 is improved over its predecessor in nearly every way or at least matches it if not, and visually almost indistinguishable from it which in my opinion is not a bad thing as I also like the design a great deal. It has a couple small physical changes in that it now has a singular USB-A 3.1 port to go along with the 2 USB-C thunderbolt 4 ports it ... MoreI am reviewing the Surface Laptop Studio 2 as someone who has had the first-generation version since it was released a little over 2 years ago. I have been a huge fan of that computer during my ownership and have recommended it several times to friends and family, as I think it has been the best overall computer money can buy and the only thing that could be better would be a better one. Well, here it is. The Laptop Studio 2 is improved over its predecessor in nearly every way or at least matches it if not, and visually almost indistinguishable from it which in my opinion is not a bad thing as I also like the design a great deal. It has a couple small physical changes in that it now has a singular USB-A 3.1 port to go along with the 2 USB-C thunderbolt 4 ports it retains from the first generation and adds a micro-SDXC slot on the opposite side. This all makes it more compatible with more things and that is fantastic since using adapters is not always a good time. It still has the magnetic wireless charging space under the front lip for the Surface Pen slim 2 which I brought over from my original and it immediately synced up by simply attaching it to the underside as I always have. The keyboard still feels just as tactile and responsive as I remember, and the touchpad also still has the haptic feedback that I have grown accustomed to.The original had a very high-end screen called PixelSense Flow, which is a 120hz 2400 x 1600 multitouch display that I find very well balanced and easy to look at and use. Surface Laptop Studio 2 carries that awesome display over and adds Dolby Vision IQ and HDR 400 certification for even greater brightness and contrast. In short, the screen looks fantastic, with near OLED quality. Battery life is exceptional, with well over 10 hours of light desktop use for word processing, internet browsing, or other tasks that donât require much graphics power. However, if you plan to play any games on it or use graphic intensive apps the battery depletes very quickly so it needs to be plugged in for anything that wakes up the GPU. Speaking of gaming, the RTX 4050 is indeed a powerful GPU for games particularly at the native resolution of the PixelSense screen. I have played a few games on it with no issues at all running high to max settings on the native display, and using an external monitor via USB-C is also still possible and works flawlessly. It does get relatively hot and loud when running games but as long as it has room to breathe it never has any issues. I have a monitor with hub and reverse charging capability so plugging a single thunderbolt 4 cable into it allows the laptop to charge and transfer video, sound, and USB hub over to the monitor.One of the most exciting things about the Surface Laptop Studio originally was that it was one of the first computers to come with Windows 11. Obviously, that has not changed as Windows 11 is still the current OS but continues to receive updates and performance improvements that apply to touch screen laptops such as this one. The unique screen form factor with the Laptop Studio is that it can flip and transition into a tablet format or in-between in a tent-like state putting the screen in the perfect position for watching something or gaming with a controller. Windows 11 automatically changes formats depending on the mode the laptop is in as well. Bringing the Surface Pen slim 2 into the equation allows you to interact with the entire OS with the pen for clicking things, selecting items, and using Ink to convert your handwriting into typed words if you choose. Using the pen with Windows 11 is smooth and feels just like writing on paper to me. I am no artist, but I can use it for things like creating floorplans and then follow up by notating changes or directions right on the fly. Everything is fast and smooth; I have never had a single hiccup while using any application I had tried.Overall I would continue to feverishly recommend the Surface Laptop Studio 2 just as I did the original to anyone looking to acquire a computer that can fulfil any and all possible needs. This device can act as a tablet, laptop, and even take the place of a desktop with its powerful 13th gen i7 and RTX 4050. Get a Surface pen and create art or work on designs with the touch screen and smooth refresh rate. Feel the extraordinary build quality and feast your eyes on a screen that rivals the best out there. Windows 11 is a testament to the willingness Microsoft has had in recent years to listen to their customers and provide meaningful updates and new features regularly. It is powerful, and always works exactly as I anticipate. I spent the last two years telling people the original was the best computer I had ever owned, and now I have an even better one that has many noticeable improvements so I have no doubt that I will be saying that about the Laptop Studio 2 for years to come as well.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a decent laptop that feels and looks like it is really trying hard to be like that other brand of similar slimline sealed computers. Sure, this one is a bit unique in the angle and flip touch screen, but it feels bulky and too heavy to treat as an actual tablet unless you want to work out your arm. And, for the price range, you could find something with a higher end graphics card and the ability to upgrade on your own.The computer feels very solid with its metal exterior. Even the flip screen feels strong. The screen is clear and sharp, but could really do with some more brightness and is extremely reflective. It seamlessly flips between screen modes with the positions being locked in with magnetism. It has the ability to ... MoreThe Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a decent laptop that feels and looks like it is really trying hard to be like that other brand of similar slimline sealed computers. Sure, this one is a bit unique in the angle and flip touch screen, but it feels bulky and too heavy to treat as an actual tablet unless you want to work out your arm. And, for the price range, you could find something with a higher end graphics card and the ability to upgrade on your own.The computer feels very solid with its metal exterior. Even the flip screen feels strong. The screen is clear and sharp, but could really do with some more brightness and is extremely reflective. It seamlessly flips between screen modes with the positions being locked in with magnetism. It has the ability to work with the Surface Slim Pen, also magnetically stored under the lip of the touchpad, but not included. At this price point, it feels like something that should come with it. The power connector is also unique to the Surface and held by magnets, so a little shifting around and you might not even notice that you are no longer charging because it is barely holding in there. Neat thing about the charger though, it has a USB-A port so you can charge other USB items at the same time.As for charging, I donât know how you are going to get 19 hours of battery life. Maybe if you turn the brightness down ever further, make sure the keyboard lightness is off and not running any applications. Just letting it play a movie on loop it died at about 9 hours. Even then, there were times in which the video looked like it was skipping frames.For ports you have USB-A 3.1, two USB-C USB4/Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5 mm headphone/mic and MicroSDXC card reader. It has Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E: 802.11ax as well. However, for some speed tests I ran with it on my new Wi-Fi 6E router it returns half the upload speed. My other 6E capable laptop returns expected results for the download and upload speed though. Regardless, it was getting up to 1.2Gbps down, which is my ISP cap. It also has a 1080p Full HD camera in which you can use Studio effects for your video meetings. Itâs pretty sharp and maintains decent light balance.Despite all the negative points I may have mentioned above, it is still a really nice looking laptop and very capable to do most things with some lower performance settings on applications. It is sitting in the price range of many gaming laptops, but it sits in a benchmark less than most office computers. Like I mentioned at the start, it really feels like it is trying to be a direct competitor with the other major brand, but still feels dated and not outdoing it other than being Windows based. For what it is I give it the stars, but I would not recommend this to a friend unless they needed it for a very specific reason.
The Surface Studio 2 is an elegant laptop that offers a few differentiating features that most other laptops can match. Some trade-offs are made for these features, but the result is an incredibly nice and capable laptop and tablet. First things first, the Surface Studio looks very elegant. The finishes feel premium, and the laptop itself also feels very compact. It immediately feels somewhat heavy to hold in comparison to other laptops, but that weight actually feels quite nice when you're using it as a table with the pen for sketching, keeping it firmly in place as you're working. The display is excellent, touch and pen response is great. I do wish that it came with the pen as well. It really allows this laptop to shine, and not including it almost feels liked a ... MoreThe Surface Studio 2 is an elegant laptop that offers a few differentiating features that most other laptops can match. Some trade-offs are made for these features, but the result is an incredibly nice and capable laptop and tablet. First things first, the Surface Studio looks very elegant. The finishes feel premium, and the laptop itself also feels very compact. It immediately feels somewhat heavy to hold in comparison to other laptops, but that weight actually feels quite nice when you're using it as a table with the pen for sketching, keeping it firmly in place as you're working. The display is excellent, touch and pen response is great. I do wish that it came with the pen as well. It really allows this laptop to shine, and not including it almost feels liked a missed opportunity. The Surface Studio even has a nice place on the bottom-front that allows you to store and charge the pen. While this isn't a review of the pen, I want to add that the haptics while using the pen on the Surface Studio screen feel outstanding. The added feedback you get that feels like you're drawing on a surface that isn't smooth, like glass.Performance is another standout feature of the Surface Studio 2. The i7 processor is able to handle most tasks you throw its way, and add in the RTX 4050, and you have a potent portable studio tablet. I do wish the lowest model of RTX card they used was the 4060 though. Just to up the performance a bit and to get more VRAM. Speaking of the video card, while this isn't really intended as a gaming laptop, I couldn't help but run a few benchmarks on it to see what its capable of. I've included them in my review as well. I ran Cyberpunk 2077 and Gears 5, since they both have excellent benchmark tools. Cyperpunk's raytracing is very heavy and I was able to get it playable on the Surface Studio at medium raytracing settings with framerates consistently above 30fps. If you wanted to sacrifice any of the raytracing, you could easily get much higher framerates. Gears 5 could easily be maxed out with Ultra settings and have a steady 60fps. To be fair, it's a bit older now, but it still looks great and runs very well on the Studio.For most people, creative apps like Photoshop or Fresca will likely be their use-case for the Studio. Both run exceptionally well and again, pen input is superb on both. However, Photoshop doesn't seem to currently support the pen's haptic feedback as of yet. I was able to load up a couple of scenes in Blender and the results were better than expected as well. Cycles renders were in line with my previous desktop machine with a 30 series NVIDIA card.Specs and performance aside, the Surface Studio 2 is a pleasure to use in all tasks that I've tried with it. The different screen positions really add to its usability. The "Stage" mode as they refer to it is a nice way to bring the screen closer and will be great for plane rides. It angles the screen and would be a great way to watch movies, or game. Moving the screen into this position, there's what feels like a magnetic connection just above the trackpad that holds it in place there. Moving into the "Studio" mode with the screen flat against the base is probably what most people are interested in. The Surface Studio feels excellent in this mode. Also, while in either Stage or Studio mode, Windows 11 will adapt to allow for larger touch targets, which makes it easier to tap whatever you're trying to touch. It also has a nice inking feature that allows you to customize what happens when you press buttons on the pen. It works seamlessly and is a clear sign of how inking has evolved on the Surface line of machines. I've owned several throughout the years (including the original Surface Pro).If you're a creative, and you're looking for a laptop and/or a drawing tablet, this may be the best of both worlds for you. It's powerful, compact, and very nice to use.Pros: Excellent hardware, feels and looks very premium, touch and pen input are excellent, gaming performance is goodCons: Does not include the pen, can seem heavy
| Brand | Microsoft |
| Operating System | Windows OS |
| Processor Brand | Intel CPU |
| Graphics Processor | Intel GPU, NVIDIA GPU |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
