Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 14.4" 2024, Core i7-13800H, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Platinum

A gorgeous, clever 2-in-1 that charges flagship prices for decidedly mid-range guts. Buy it for the hinge, not the horsepower.

The Core i7-13800H is a strong chip, sitting well above average in our database, and 16GB of LPDDR5X keeps things snappy for everyday multitasking. But here's the surprise: the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics are a real letdown at this price. Our gaming score of 17.2 out of 100 is rough, and that's being generous. The 512GB SSD is also on the small side, landing in the bottom half of our storage rankings. For a machine marketed to creators, that's a tough combo to swallow.

Stacked against the MacBook Pro M4 Max, the Surface gets absolutely demolished on performance, battery, and display quality, though the Surface's touchscreen and 2-in-1 flexibility are things Apple still refuses to offer. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i both pack dedicated GPUs that make the Surface's Iris Xe look like a toy, and they cost less. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is probably the closest spiritual competitor, a premium 2-in-1 with real graphics horsepower, and it makes the Surface's spec sheet look embarrassing. If you need the hinge, the Surface is unique. If you need performance, look elsewhere.

This is where it gets painful. You're looking at USD 2,500 to USD 3,000 depending on the vendor, and Newegg has the better deal at the lower end of that spread. For that money, you could grab a MacBook Pro with an M4 Max or a gaming laptop with a dedicated RTX GPU. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 charges flagship prices for mid-range specs, and that's a tough pill to swallow unless the hinge is worth a thousand bucks to you.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is Microsoft's weird, wonderful folding laptop that tries to be a tablet, a laptop, and a mini drawing studio all at once. The one thing to know? That hinge design is genuinely clever and the build quality is top notch, but you're paying a serious premium for the form factor while the internals feel a generation behind the price tag.

If you're looking for raw performance, gaming capability, or a good price-to-spec ratio, this isn't it. Go grab an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i instead, you'll get a dedicated GPU and more storage for less money. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is for people who specifically need that folding touchscreen form factor and are willing to pay a premium for it.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a beautifully built machine with a clever design that a very specific type of user will adore. But for everyone else, the value proposition falls apart fast. You're paying MacBook Pro money for integrated graphics and a cramped SSD. Unless that folding form factor is non-negotiable, there are better laptops for less cash.