Months after its launch in the United States, Microsoft has decided to launch the Surface Laptop Studio in Spain, the most peculiar laptop of the entire range of products that the company currently sells.
Spiritually, this machine replaces the Surface Book 2, the most powerful computer Microsoft has released for some time. But this Surface Laptop Studio goes further with its formula, also incorporating a screen capable of adopting three different positions. In other words, it’s not just Microsoft’s most powerful new laptop; It also proposes a different concept with that multifaceted screen.
The target audience for this computer, as Microsoft tries to make clear from the start, are professionals who require a powerful and versatile machine. Especially those who are in creative fields, where the flexibility of its screen, which is also compatible with the Surface Pen, makes special sense.
So is this the computer that this type of user should buy?
Microsoft always pays attention to the details, and the Surface Laptop Studio is no exception
It has always been clear to me that if I were to buy a new Windows laptop, Microsoft Teams would be among my top choices. The American company is one of the few that pays that extra attention to detail that is so important in a machine with which you spend dozens of hours every week. And the new Surface Laptop Studio is no exception to that rule.
Many examples of careful detail can be easily seen on this laptop. For example: the firmness with which the magnets join the screen with the rest of the chassis, the behavior of the hinge when it is opened or closed, the location of the connectors, the aesthetics of the equipment, the inclusion of a magnetic charger that protects the equipment in case someone accidentally pulls on the cable, the feeling of the trackpad, the experience of using the keyboard… All of these are details that many PC manufacturers leave in the background or simply do not know how to take care of. But all of them make the difference between a good machine, and one that, in addition to being powerful, is pleasant to use.
Another example of this I mention is how well the Surface Laptop Studio integrates with Windows 11. After turning on the machine for the first time we do not have bloatwarethe firmware of the machine is updated regularly, you have all the security options of Windows (such as encryption) available without having to worry… Again, details that other brands of PC do not always take care of but that, in fact, have an impact directly in the user experience.
The same goes for the screen. It’s relatively easy to find PCs with high-resolution or high-hertz screens. But the quality of a screen is determined by many more factors that are not always counted in the specification table. I’m talking about things like maximum brightness level, color calibration accuracy, touch system behavior, etc.
And again, Microsoft here has done a good job. The screen of the Surface Laptop Studio is not the most avant-garde at a technical level – that award goes to the MacBook Pro in this product segment – but it does take care of those nuances that are especially important in a machine that targets the creative sector – like color accuracy. In addition, its pixel density is around 200, the maximum brightness level is 500 nits, it has a refresh rate of 120 Hz…
What I like most about her, however, is her 3:2 format. That is to say: it is a little higher than usual. And honestly, I think everyone should follow in Microsoft’s footsteps in this regard. That extra square footage really comes in handy when you use the machine as a productivity machine.
This laptop, by the way, has one of its main features in its screen, which can adopt three different positions: conventional mode, presentation mode and tablet.
- I find the second mode especially useful in two situations. The first one is when you are traveling on, say, a plane and want to watch a movie without the screen hitting the seat in front of you. Beyond that, I do not see a clear utility compared to the conventional mode.
- The third mode, on the other hand, is quite handy if you want to draw on the touch screen using the stylus. The experience is relatively similar to that of a Wacom Cintiq, a touch screen often used in creative environments.
And some may wonder: Doesn’t this third mode also allow you to use the Surface Laptop Studio as if it were a tablet? And the answer is as easy as “no”. The key is both in the thickness and in the weight of the equipment. Holding it in your hands while you move is not exactly comfortable – as we could say of an iPad or a Surface Pro X. So while it’s technically possible to use it in tablet mode, I don’t think that’s the use case Microsoft intended for this product.
And if you are worried about the robustness of the mechanism that enables these three positions, don’t worry. Everything is in order. I don’t know how it will age, but in the days that I have been able to use it, the feeling has always been firm.
A capable machine
The combination of Nvidia 3050 Ti GPU + Intel Core i7 CPU makes the experience doing creative work is quite good. Especially if the applications – like the Adobe suite – know how to take advantage of the Nvidia component to speed up processes. The laptop handles tasks like editing dozens of RAW images in Lightroom or exporting 4K video using Premiere Pro with ease.
Also it is possible to enjoy video games with a fairly good quality considering the type of product we are talking about. Obviously it can’t hold a candle to state-of-the-art gaming laptops or purpose-built desktops, but for those looking to run titles without everything moving in Ultra quality at 120 FPS with ray-tracing enabled, it’s more than enough. .
The fan that cools the interior I have to say that comes into operation relatively easily when you work with the machine. In fact, you can feel the surface around the trackpad heating up – although it never gets to an annoying point. Of course: it does a good job oxygenating the interior to avoid the dreaded heat throttling which so often happens when you put the machine through lengthy processes like exporting a video in Premiere Pro.
The fans, by the way, they obtain and expel the air thanks to grids located in the lower part of the chassis, which has a peculiar step. It is a curious solution by Microsoft that, by the way, the brand takes advantage of to protect the styluswhich adheres magnetically.
an adverse context
So far, everything in order. The Surface Laptop Studio generally meets what is expected of a Microsoft product, it has enough power to handle all kinds of creative tasks – and even play the occasional game – and, in addition, it has that extra flexibility that its screen brings.
However, the trial of the Surface Laptop Studio does not end there. The Microsoft laptop lands in Spain in a complicated context. And I’m not saying this because of the shortage of chips. The key, in this case, is the change of status quo going through the semiconductor industry right now.
In 2020, Apple released the first computers with Apple Silicon processors, based on ARM technology. A movement that undoubtedly stirred up the waters from the first moment. Apple’s chips not only turned out to be amazing in terms of performance; they were also much more energy efficient than proposals from Intel or AMD. And Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio, which uses these types of components, suffers from this reality.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro processor -which costs for practical purposes the same as the unit that I have tested during these weeks-, outperforms the Surface Laptop Studio in multiple performance tests. And, in addition, it offers better autonomy – where the Microsoft laptop does not shine – or an even higher quality screen – and yes, the Surface Laptop Studio is good, but the MacBook Pro is simply the best in its segment –.
Besides, Microsoft’s laptop arrives a little late in Spain. When it was presented at the end of 2021, the Intel chip that it housed inside was one of the best options that the manufacturer had in its catalog. However, in these first months of 2022, many other brands – such as Dell or HP – are already selling, for a price similar to that of the Surface Laptop Studio, computers with twelfth-generation Intel processors that significantly improve those of the previous one. And those that do have a processor similar to that of the Microsoft laptop are usually cheaper.
Is the Surface Laptop Studio worth it?
The aftertaste that leaves me the Surface Laptop Studio has been, in general, quite good. It is a well-designed machine and one that I have felt quite comfortable working with. Part of the reason that the final aftertaste has been positive is, as I said lines earlier, that attention to detail that Microsoft pays and that, for me, is clearly differential.
On the other hand, the curious mechanism of the screen, although in my case I do not find it very useful, I recognize that it is well resolved. And for people in the creative world, having the flexibility to turn your laptop into a Cintiq is a huge asset.
However, if I judge this machine from a slightly more global perspective, it is easy to see that crying out for a processor upgrade. The Intel Core i7 that mounts the unit that I have tested does not exceed a MacBook Air with an M1 processor (which costs half) in performance tests such as Cinebench or Geekbench. And the situation is even more unfavorable if we compare it with the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, which is the team with which it really competes.
A simple upgrade with Intel’s 12th generation chips could significantly improve this situation. And yes, those components are still behind Apple’s in terms of performance per watt (efficiency); but, at least, they are able to measure up in raw power – even if it is consuming more energy.
On the other hand, one aspect where I also think Microsoft could go a step further is on the screen. The panel of the Surface Laptop Studio, I insist, is of good quality, but Apple, with its miniLED technology, is clearly ahead. And in another type of laptop this factor would perhaps be a little less relevant. But in a computer that is clearly aimed at the creative sector, having the best display technology is essential.
Taking into account the above, and despite the fact that the aftertaste that the machine has left me has been good, I have to admit that I find it difficult to recommend the Surface Laptop Studio on a large scale. At least while mounting the aforementioned eleventh generation processors, a component that, in my opinion, is its main burden compared to the competition.
If you especially value those differential factors that this machine has (such as the refinement of certain details or the flexibility of its screen) and you don’t mind giving up a fraction of power, the Surface Laptop Studio may be an option to consider.
However, for that bulk of people who simply want the most complete laptop to work with, the smartest thing right now is not to opt for this Surface Laptop Studio, but for the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro processor.