Surface Laptop Studio 1 vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Which should I buy?

Surface Laptop Studio 2 photos
Surface Laptop Studio (left) vs Surface Laptop Studio 2 (right) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Microsoft is now shipping its second-generation Surface Laptop Studio, which brings several key improvements and updates over the original. We've got more ports, better processors, more powerful graphics, an updated display, and more! So, let's compare both the original and new models and see which one is worth buying in 2023.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Specs

To start this comparison off, let's take a look and compare the official specifications between the original Surface Laptop Studio and the new Surface Laptop Studio 2.

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CategorySurface Laptop StudioSurface Laptop Studio 2
OSWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home
ProcessorIntel Core i5-11300HIntel Core i7-11370HIntel Core i7-13700H
GraphicsIntel Iris XeNVIDIA RTX 3050 TiIntel Iris XeNVIDIA RTX 4050NVIDIA RTX 4060
RAM16GB or 32GB LPDDR4x16GB, 32GB, 64GB DDR5X
Storage256GB512GB1TB2TB512GB1TB2TB
Ports2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C1x 3.5mm Headphone Jack1x Surface Connect2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C1x USB-A1x microSD1x Surface Connect1x 3.5mm Headphone Jack
Display14.4-inch PixelSense Flow2400 x 1600 (201ppi)120Hz IPS touchscreen14.4-inch PixelSense Flow2400 x 1600 (201ppi)120Hz IPS touchscreenHDR
Camera1080p1080p with wide FoV
SecurityWindows Hello face unlockWindows Hello face unlock
WirelessWi-Fi 6 802.11axBluetooth 5.1Wi-Fi 6E 802.11axBluetooth 5.2
Weight3.83lbs (i5)4.00lbs (i7)4.18lbs (Iris Xe)4.37lbs (NVIDIA)
BatteryUp to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
Price$1,599 starting$1,999 starting

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: What are the major differences?

Surface Laptop Studio (top) vs Surface Laptop Studio 2 (bottom) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

At first glance, the differences between the Surface Laptop Studio 1 and Surface Laptop Studio 2 are very minor. We have a couple of new ports and better internal specs, and that's about it. But if you take a closer look, there are actually several big differences that make the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a pretty significant release. 

DESIGN: The new Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a similar design to the original, but not identical. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is slightly thicker and heavier than the first to accommodate the more powerful CPU and GPU and the new USB-A port. Furthermore, the colorway used on Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a shade lighter, which is noticeable when you put them side by side. Lastly, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 casing is made of aluminum, whereas the original used Magnesium.

PROCESSORS: A fundamental change between the original and new Surface Laptop Studio is the selection of processors. We've gone from Intel 11th-Gen chips to Intel 13th-Gen, which offer significant performance increases. We've also seen Microsoft reduce the selection of processors available with Surface Laptop Studio 2 as the new model drops any Intel Core i5 offerings.

DISPLAY: Although the displays look the same on the surface, the technology behind them has improved. Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a brighter HDR400 capable display, unlike the original, which has a standard PixelSense screen that doesn't support HDR. HDR will allow HDR-certified content to really shine on Surface Laptop Studio 2.

Surface Laptop Studio (top) vs Surface Laptop Studio 2 (bottom) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

RAM: Microsoft has also updated the choices for RAM with the new Surface Laptop Studio. Just like the first, you can configure Laptop Studio 2 with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, but for the first time on a Surface PC, Microsoft offers Laptop Studio 2 with 64GB RAM in the top-end configurations. This model is designed for those planning heavy multitasking and data crunching. 

PORTS: The selection of ports between the first and second are noticeably different. On the original, we have just two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with a 3.5mm audio jack and Surface Connect for charging. Surface Laptop Studio 2 adds to this lineup with an additional USB-A port and microSD card reader, which should help creative professionals looking to offload images from a camera to the laptop.

NPU: A critical difference between the original Surface Laptop Studio and the new Surface Laptop Studio 2 is including a dedicated NPU chip that enables several AI features exclusive to newer Windows 11 devices. Laptop Studio 2 supports Windows 11's "Studio Effects," which can enhance your webcam and microphone using AI technology.

PRICE: Pricing between the Laptop Studio 1 and Laptop Studio 2 is comparable, except at the entry level. Surface Laptop Studio 1 started at $1,599, as Microsoft had a lower-spec on offer with an Intel Core i5 and 256GB storage. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 omits this configuration, starting at $1,999 for an Intel Core i7 and 512GB storage. Pricing maxes out at $3,799 for the Laptop Studio 2 and $3,699 for the Laptop Studio 1.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Performance comparisons

(Image credit: Windows Central)

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 ships with a much newer and far more powerful Intel 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, paired with an NVIDIA RTX 4060 graphics card in the high-end models. To compare, the original Surface Laptop Studio shipped with an 11th-Gen Intel Core i7 with an NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti in the high-end models.

These newer chips in Surface Laptop Studio 2 translate to significant performance increases over the original. In our Geekbench 6 test, the original Surface Laptop Studio earned a single-core score of 2,064, with the Surface Laptop Studio 2 earning a score of 2,588. That's a 25% increase in single-core performance over the original.

Multi-core scores had an even greater difference. Surface Laptop Studio 1 earned a score of 6,826, and Surface Laptop Studio 2 earned a score of 13,468. That's almost double the performance in multi-core workflows, incredible!

(Image credit: Windows Central)

Regarding GPU performance, we see similar gains. The RTX 3050 Ti in the original Surface Laptop Studio earned a respectable 5,293 in our 3DMark Time Spy test, but the Surface Laptop Studio 2 blows it out of the water with its RTX 4060, coming in with a score of 9,523. That's an impressive 80% increase in performance!

(Image credit: Windows Central)

How do those numbers translate into real-world performance? You'll notice the improved performance most when utilizing workflows that take advantage of multiple cores. Single-core performance is similar between both models, so day-to-day tasks may not feel overly speedier. You will notice better performance in scenarios that utilize the GPU or multiple cores on the CPU, such as video editing or data crunching.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Which should I buy?

Surface Laptop Studio (left) vs Surface Laptop Studio 2 (right) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Deciding which Surface Laptop Studio to buy can be tricky, but we can help narrow it down. If you're price-conscious, you're almost always going to find the original Surface Laptop Studio for cheaper, as it's older and on sale much more often. The original Laptop Studio with an Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, and NVIDIA RTX 3050 is still an excellent laptop that you can often find for less than $2,000 these days.

If money is no object, and you want something that will last longer and is more powerful, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the one for you. Because it's newer, it supports more features, including Windows 11's excellent Windows Studio Effects. With the ability to configure it with up to 64GB RAM, it can cover many more workflows that the original Surface Laptop Studio just can't.

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads