Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15

15 inches | May 2024

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

14.4 inches | September 2021

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio, two laptops by Microsoft. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 was introduced to market in May 2024 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio was launched in September 2021. As you can see, Surface Laptop Studio is 3 years older than Surface Laptop 7 15. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio are members of Microsoft's Surface Laptop series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8	May 2024	13.8"	301 x 220 x 17.5 mm	1.34 kg (2.95 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15	May 2024	15.0"	329 x 239 x 18.29 mm	1.66 kg (3.66 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5	March 2024	13.5"	308 x 223 x 16.7 mm	1.38 kg (3.04 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15	March 2024	15.0"	340 x 244 x 16.9 mm	1.68 kg (3.7 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2	September 2023	14.4"	323 x 230 x 22 mm	1.98 kg (4.37 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3	September 2023	12.4"	278 x 206 x 15.7 mm	1.13 kg (2.49 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13.5	October 2022	13.5"	308 x 223 x 14.5 mm	1.27 kg (2.8 lbs)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 15	October 2022	15.0"	340 x 244 x 14.7 mm	1.54 kg (3.4 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 Key Specs

Launched in May 2024
15.0" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
16GB Ram
329 x 239 x 18.29 mm (12.95 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches)
Weight: 1.66 kg (3.66 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Key Specs

Launched in September 2021
14.4" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 11300H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile 4GB
16GB Ram
323.2 x 228.3 x 18.9 mm (12.72 x 8.99 x 0.74 inches)
Weight: 1.82 kg (4.01 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio was replaced by Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 over Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

Weight	1.66 kg vs 1.82 kg	0.16 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~85.2% vs ~83.7%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	6 mm vs 9.4 mm	3.4 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	15 inches vs 14.4 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen Resolution	2496 x 1664 pixels vs 2400 x 1600 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
CPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 8 nm	Newer Generation GPU
Charging Port Position	Left, Right vs Right	Flexible cable positions
RAM Type	LPDDR5X vs LPDDR4X	Faster RAM Type
WiFi Standard	v7 vs v6	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.4 vs v5.1	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio over Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15

Refresh Rate	120 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Contrast Rate	1714:1 vs 1300:1	more pleasing colors
Screen Opening Angle	180° vs 135°	More flexible screen
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 400 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	7.2 TFLOPS vs 3.80 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15

Launch Dates	May 2024 vs September 2021	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Type	Touch Screen vs Touch Screen	Interact with your fingers
HDR Support	Yes, Dolby Vision vs Yes, Dolby Vision	Watch HDR Clips
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15

Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size
Fingerprint Sensor	No vs No	No fingerprint login feature
HDMI Output	No vs No	Need an adapter to connect to HDMI displays

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.66 kg (3.66 lbs)	1.82 kg (4.01 lbs)
Surface Area	786 cm2 (121.9 inches2)	738 cm2 (114.4 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~85.2%	~83.7%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6 mm	~9.4 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.11 kg/inch	0.13 kg/inch
	0.242 lbs/inch	0.286 lbs/inch
Colors	Black, Gray, Blue, Yellow	Silver
Cover Opening Angle	135Â°	180Â°

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Laptop 7 15 weighs 1.66 kg (3.66 lbs), whereas the Surface Laptop Studio weighs 1.82 kg (4.01 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 1.66 kg

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 1.95 kg

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 1.82 kg

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 1.42 kg

Thickness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 18.29 mm

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 20.17 mm

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 18.90 mm

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 17.12 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 is 0.11 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is 0.13 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite	Intel Core i5 11300H Intel Core i7 11370H
Base Frequency	3.8 GHz	2.6-3.1 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz
Number of Cores	12	4
Number of Threads	12	8
Integrated GPU	Adreno 750	Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80EU
CPU Fabrication Process	4 nm	10 nm
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1682	1399
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	14583	5381

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 11300H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	undefined	GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile 4GB
Base Clock Frequency	900 MHz	735 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)		75 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	3.80 TFLOPS	5.299 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	4 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5X	GDDR6

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 has a FLOPS value of 3.80 TFLOPS whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio ' has a FLOPS value of 7.2 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	4266 MHz	4266 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5X	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	No	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Surface Laptop 7 15 and the Surface Laptop Studio, come with similar RAM capacities of 16 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15	Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	66 Wh	58 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left, Right	Right
Charge Power	65 W	60 / 95 / 102 W

Moreover, the Surface Laptop 7 15 boasts a larger battery capacity of 66 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Surface Laptop Studio's58 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 66 Wh

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 62.1 Wh

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 58 Wh

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 55.79 Wh

STORAGE
The Surface Laptop Studio offers a larger max storage capacity of 2 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Surface Laptop 7 15's storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Surface Laptop 7 15 has a display size of 15.0".On the other hand, Surface Laptop Studio has a smaller 14.4" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Laptop 7 15 is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Surface Laptop Studio's total usable screen area is 617cm² / 96inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Both Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio feature the same pixel density with 200 pixels per inch (PPI).

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 200 PPI

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 144 PPI

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 200 PPI

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 173 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Surface Laptop Studio offers a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Surface Laptop Studio offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 400 nits

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 319 nits

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 500 nits

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 383 nits

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Surface Laptop 7 15 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v7, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Surface Laptop Studio (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Surface Laptop 7 15 is equipped with 1x USB 3.1 USB-A ports. Surface Laptop Studio does not have USB-A ports.
Both Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio feature 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Neither Surface Laptop 7 15 nor Surface Laptop Studio has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors. Neither Surface Laptop 7 15 nor Surface Laptop Studio has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Neither Surface Laptop 7 15 nor Surface Laptop Studio has an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Laptop 7 15 and Surface Laptop Studio are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v7	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.4	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	1x USB 3.1	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	2x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	No	No
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes