Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

14.4 inches | September 2023

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Acer Swift 3 SF316-51

16.1 inches | May 2021

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51, two laptops from Microsoft and Acer. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 was introduced to market in September 2023 and Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 was launched in May 2021. As you can see, Swift 3 SF316-51 is 2 years older than Surface Laptop Studio 2. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 Key Specs

Launched in September 2023
14.4" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 13700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
323 x 230 x 22 mm (12.72 x 9.06 x 0.87 inches)
Weight: 1.98 kg (4.37 lbs)

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Key Specs

Launched in May 2021
16.1" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 11300H
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
8GB Ram
367.8 x 236.1 x 15.9 mm (14.48 x 9.3 x 0.63 inches)
Weight: 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51 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 Studio 2 over Acer Swift 3 SF316-51

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~83.1% vs ~82.3%	Larger screen area ratio
Refresh Rate	120 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Screen PPI	200 ppi vs 137 ppi	More pixels per inch
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Interact with your fingers
Screen Resolution	2400 x 1600 pixels vs 1920 x 1080 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	600 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	7.9 TFLOPS vs 1.41 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	LPDDR5X vs LPDDR4X	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	3D Surround Sound Support
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.3 vs v5	Higher Resolution Camera
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 4.0 vs 1x USB 3.2	Faster USB-C connection
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.2	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 over Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

Weight	1.70 kg vs 1.98 kg	0.28 kg lighter
Side Bezel Thickness	5.7 mm vs 9.3 mm	3.6 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	16.1 inches vs 14.4 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Contrast Rate	1842:1 vs 1500:1	more pleasing colors
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Easy login with fingerprint
Number of USB-A Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.1	Connect more device at the same time
USB-A Port Type	3.2 vs 3.1	Faster USB-A
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 2.0 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers

Common Strengths of Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

Launch Dates	September 2023 vs May 2021	Both laptops are recent models
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 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
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 Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.98 kg (4.37 lbs)	1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)
Surface Area	743 cm2 (115.2 inches2)	868 cm2 (134.7 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~83.1%	~82.3%
Side Bezel Thickness	~9.3 mm	~5.7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.14 kg/inch	0.11 kg/inch
	0.308 lbs/inch	0.242 lbs/inch
Colors	Silver	Gray

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Laptop Studio 2 weighs 1.98 kg (4.37 lbs), whereas the Swift 3 SF316-51 weighs 1.7 kg (3.75 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 Studio 2 1.98 kg

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 1.42 kg

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 1.70 kg

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 2.08 kg

Thickness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 22.00 mm

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 17 mm

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 15.90 mm

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 20.33 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 Studio 2 is 0.14 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 is 0.11 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
Microsoft Surface Pro 12: 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

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i7 13700H Intel Core i7 13800H	Intel Core i5 11300H Intel Core i7 11370H
Base Frequency	2.4 GHz	2.6-3.1 GHz
Turbo Frequency	5 GHz	4.4 GHz
Number of Cores	14	4
Number of Threads	20	8
L3 Cache	24 MB	8 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80EU
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1904	1416
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	13394	4620
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1882	1399
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	16430	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 Studio 2 and Acer Swift 3 SF316-51.

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

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 13700H

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 11300H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile 8GB RTX A2000 Mobile 8GB	Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
Base Clock Frequency	1455 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1755 MHz	1100 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	50 W	15 W
Type	Dedicated	Integrated
FLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS	1,408 GFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	System Shared
Memory Type	GDDR6	System Shared
Memory Bus	96 bit	System Shared
Memory Speed	2000 MHz 16 Gbps effective	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	2560	640
TMUs	80	40
ROPs	48	20

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 Studio 2 has a FLOPS value of 7.9 TFLOPS whereas the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 ' has a FLOPS value of 1.41 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB 64GB	8GB 16GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	7500 MHz	4266 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5X	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	No	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

With a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers an advantage for multitasking and resource-intensive applications compared to the Swift 3 SF316-51's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

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 Studio 2	Acer Swift 3 (SF316-51)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ 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	58 Wh	56 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	102 / 120 W	65 W

Moreover, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a larger battery capacity of 58 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Swift 3 SF316-51's56 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 58 Wh

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 55.93 Wh

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 56 Wh

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 73.72 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 2 TB, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the Swift 3 SF316-51's max. storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
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 Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 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 Studio 2 has a display size of 14.4".On the other hand, Swift 3 SF316-51 has a larger16.1" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is 617cm² / 96inch² whereas the Swift 3 SF316-51's total usable screen area is 714cm² / 111inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a higher pixel density with 200 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 200 PPI

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 173 PPI

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 137 PPI

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 167 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a higher maximum brightness of 600 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 600 nits

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 383 nits

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 300 nits

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 407 nits

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Swift 3 SF316-51 (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
Both Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51 have USB-A ports. Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 1x USB 3.1 USB-A ports, while Swift 3 SF316-51 has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51 have USB Type-C ports. Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while Swift 3 SF316-51 has 1x USB 3.2 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 Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51 are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Swift 3 SF316-51 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.0) for connecting to external monitors. Surface Laptop Studio 2 does not have an HDMI port.

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
Surface Laptop Studio 2 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Swift 3 SF316-51 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Swift 3 SF316-51 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)	v6E	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.3	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	1x USB 3.1	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 5)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	No
Proprietary Charging Port	No	Yes