The MacBook Pro M3 vs Surface Laptop Studio 2 is every beginner and professional’s dream laptop. In all honesty, both PCs are ideal for creators, gamers, and power users. However, it’s only logical you get one of these two. So which one should you buy? Here’s a detailed comparison to guide you in making the right choice.
See Also: MacBook Pro M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max: Which Should You Choose?
Price | Availability | Configurations
Starting with their price, the M3 MacBook Pro base model is cheaper than the Surface Laptop Studio 2. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has a starting price of $1,599 for the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage model. In contrast, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more expensive with a starting price of $2,400 for the base model of 16GB RAM + 512GB storage.
They are now available for purchase and you can use the boxes underneath to buy either of them. The M3 MacBook Pro is available in different options 8GB, 16GB, 18GB, 24GB, 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, 96GB, 128GB RAM + 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB storage options.
| Surface Laptop Studio 2 | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | £1,999.99 |
| Buy on Amazon(UK) | £1,969.00 |
| Buy on Amazon(EUR) | €2,719.00 |
| M3 MacBook Pro | Price | Storage |
| Buy on Amazon | $1,599.00 | 512GB |
| Buy on Amazon(UK) | £1,549.97 | 512GB |
| Buy on Amazon(EUR) | €1,998.99 | 512GB |
On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is available in a few memory and storage configurations. The base model is 16GB and can go up to 32GB, and 64GB memory. While the storage options are 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
Design | Display
When it comes to design, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more flexible and versatile. It has a 2-in-1 design, has a touch and pen support which can enhance your productivity. Unfortunately, the M3 MacBook Pro doesn’t support screen touch or pen.
However, the M3 MacBook Pro has a richer and brighter panel. The design is not as flexible as the Surface Laptop Studio 2 but the quality of the display is sport on.
The M3 MacBook Pro has a mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with 3024×1964 resolution on the 14-inch and 3456×3224 on the 16-inch. And offers 120Hz refresh rates, True Tone, Wide Color P3, and can go up to 1600 nits.
On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 features an IPS LCD panel. You get a 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow display with a 2400×1600 resolution and a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate that can go down to 60Hz.
See Also: Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs MacBook Pro M2 Pro/Max: Which is Better?
Performance
Performance-wise, both laptops are top-flight. The MacBook Pro with M3 chipset can be configured with 8-16 core CPU and the GPU has 10-40 cores depending on your configurations. In contrast, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 features 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H CPU, and the GPU is filled with options of Intel Iris Xe, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, GeForce RTX 4060, NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada.
From our testing of these two laptops, we have to the conclusion that performance is never an issue. Editing 4k videos is pretty easy, photo editing and playing games are all working very well. However, you must go for the top configuration before you can experience a very smooth 3D rendering because that requires more graphical power.
Battery Life
MacBook Pro M3 has a better battery life than the Surface Laptop Studio 2. During our testing in the studio, while surfing the web with both laptops, the MacBook Pro M3 lasted 17 hours. In contrast, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 only lasted 9 hours. So the MacBook Pro M3 has a better battery life.
See Also: 5 Best Dongle for MacBook Air: List of Cheaper USB Adapters for MacBooks
Conclusion: MacBook Pro M3 vs Surface Laptop Studio 2
MacBook Pro M3 and Surface Laptop Studio 2 have excellent performance but there are two key areas where the MacBook Pro M3 shines more. First and foremost is the battery life. The MacBook Pro M3 offers a longer battery life. Secondly is the panel quality.
However, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 can be considered because of its flexibility and versatility. The design is unique and can serve multiple purposes. Moreover, it has a touchscreen and pen support to enhance your creativity and productivity. So make a personal observation of yourself and examine which one out of these two meets your needs.
