On September 21, 2023, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop Studio 2, its most powerful Surface notebook with the latest Intel processors and NVIDIA graphics cards. Microsoft plans to ship the computer in early October, but the first-generation Surface Laptop Studio is still available, often with notable discounts.
Should you buy a discounted first-gen or go for the latest model? Should you upgrade from the original Surface Laptop Studio to Surface Laptop Studio 2? In this Specs Appeal article, we prepare a comprehensive list of differences between the two devices to help you decide.
Here are the key changes summed up in a list:
- A better screen with HDR 400 support and 650 nits peak brightness.
- The 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H processor in all configurations.
- Newer and more powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and 4060 laptop GPUs with 6GB and 8GB VRAM.
- Bigger storage: up to 2TB user-removable SSD, with 512GB in the base configuration.
- More ports: the laptop now has one USB-A 3.1 and a microSDXC card reader.
- Improved connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
- A new trackpad with adjustable click sensitivity, right-click area, and adaptive touch mode.
- Better power supplies: configurations without a discreet GPU come with a 102W PSU. More powerful variants with dGPU feature a 120W power supply.
- Price tag: the base variant now costs $1,999. Technically, the computer is even cheaper since a similar first-gen Surface Laptop Studio configuration with an Intel Core i7, dGPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD would have set you back $2,099.
And here is a detailed spec-by-spec comparison:
|
| Surface Laptop Studio 2 | Surface Laptop Studio 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions & Weight | 12.72" x 9.06" x 0.86" 4.18/4.37lbs | 12.72" x 8.98" x 0.746" 3,83/4lbs |
| Display | 14.4" 3:2 PixelSense Flow Display | 14.4" 3:2 PixelSense Flow Display 120Hz, 2400 x 1600 (200 PPI) 10-point multi-touch Dolby Vision Surface Slim Pen 2, off-screen Surface Dial |
| Processor | 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H Intel Gen3 Movidius 3700VC VPU | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11300H |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB |
| Memory | 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB LPDDR5x | 16 or 32GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSD User-removable | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD User-removable |
| Sensors | Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope | Ambient light sensor |
| Ports | 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 1x USB-A 3.1 microSD reader 3.5mm headphone jack Surface Connect | 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 3.5mm headphone jack Surface Connect |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera & Audio | 1080p front-facing camera Windows Hello face authentication Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos | 1080p front-facing camera Windows Hello face authentication Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos |
| Battery & Charging | 58Wh 102W or 120W Surface PSU | 58Wh 65W or 102W Surface PSU |
| Price | $1,999+ | $1,599+ |
*NVIDIA® RTX™ 2000 Ada Laptop GPU.
You can preorder the Surface Laptop Studio 2 at the Microsoft Store. The company plans to ship the computer on October 3, 2023.
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