Surface Studio Laptop 2 Review

[@Alpha17x]

My dream is for them to do a Surface Studio with modular upgrade options or, just release the monitor as a thing.

[@thebradcolbow]

I completely agree! I want that monitor so bad!

[@myqaveli]

same and with rounded corners 🤩

[@ettcha]

The display not selling separately or the computer not being able to act as just a display is a terrible shame. I guess the first Surface Studios are soon reaching the age where someone won't mind modding them.

[@Gatitasecsii]

Absolutely, I want that screen but not an AIO computer...

[@lars2894]

Given the extreme niche product category, their profit margins cannot justify the high cost that goes into R&D and low demand. Also probably why they're keeping MPP stylus (microsoft pen protocol 3.0) tech proprietory instead of sharing with other PC and laptop companies like Dell, Lenovo, HP. Basically Microsoft shooting themselves in the foot.

[@newsonthego7120]

A Dell 15 laptop with 64GB of RAM, 1TB storage, and RTX4060 costs £2650, while the Surface Laptop Studio with same spec is priced at £3369, with a £700 difference. If you add an Android tablet or Wacom display pen, you will surely exceed the £700 difference. Therefore, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 seems like a fair option, albeit still expensive.

[@aegresen]

That's what I was thinking too. It's a decent close-to-high-end laptop with a high refresh rate screen tablet mixed in one, so the price doesn't seem all that bad.

[@airun5362]

You can find new laptops in US for 800$ with 4060/4070(Mobile) and 12700* or so CPU nowdays. What the hek prices do you look at.. poor UK users.

[@finno3677]

I got a surface laptop studio2 with 64gb ram, with the i7-13800h that’s reserved for business costumers, the 4060 and 2tb on eBay for 2800€ and I feel like the luckiest guy ever 😂

[@airun5362]

thats THICC config for drawing screen laptop@@finno3677 ) Nice to hear.) 4060 is a bit low for that price for my taste (at least for gaming notebooks list), but its good.

[@lukdev1183]

Well you are only comparing the specs, the studio 2 can do much more things than the dell xps, it can be set in 3 modes and others

[@flyingaviator8158]

It's so cool that you review things you have used for a longer time! Keep it up.

[@stefdevs]

As a game dev this seems ideal for drawing AND programming, but I have to seriously consider the option of an external tablet instead, so thanks for bringing that option up. Better drawing + usable on multiple machines, OR supremely convenient & compact form factor at a premium cost 🤔

[@stefdevs]

After looking around, the SLS2 actually looks very competitive! For example the XPS 15 is about the same price, has HALF the GPU wattage, and a 60hz (though otherwise prettier) screen. I would love to hear other suggestions.

[@woohoozzi]

The Asus ROG X16 seems to me like the SLS2's greatest competitor on the market (as far as all-purpose laptops with drawing options go). I ended up picking up the X16 option with the 4060 GPU for $1850 and bought 64 GB RAM separately for $145. So $1k total less than the Microsoft SLS2 but with the same RAM, GPU, and a better CPU (and that's with the 10% off deal Microsoft does). I'm just at the hobby level for drawing though. I really couldn't find any good videos comparing the drawing on SLS2 and X16. Would love more takes on the comparison, though!

[@schizofennec]

@@woohoozzithe asus pen isnt amazing, its good but not as good as Surface/ipad

[@DuneDee]

​@@woohoozziThe Flow X16 is a good device, but it's more geared toward gaming with the touchscreen performance an afterthought. I had one for about a month before returning it for the SLS2. On a scale from 1-10, the Flow is a 9 for gaming and 7 for drawing, the SLS2 is a 7 for gaming and a 9 for drawing. It depends on what you use it for the most.

[@serpentsforhair]

@@DuneDee Thanks for that! I'm considering between the 2 and my main usage will be drawing, so that helps my decision making. I couldn't find a single (maybe I'm not looking hard enough..?) review about the X16 that is from an artist's perspective and not that of a gamer.

[@lanzajr26]

Love your honest review of this device and agree that the Surface Studios are really great at everything they do. Cost of entry on this one led me to seeking out a top end version of the previous iteration and saved me about $2k.

[@davytimns]

I currently have and have been using the Surface Laptop Studio (1) for over a year now, and although I don't do any drawing, this laptop is great for engineering students. I use it to take all my notes in OneNote, and it is powerful enough to use the different softwares (CAD, simulations, etc.) I need for classes.

[@Martin-qr7cn]

That's what i wanted to hear. I just started engineering. Can you share more about it?

[@davytimns]

@Martin-qr7cn Yeah, so I always have the laptop running multiple tasks at once, I'll be taking notes in studio mode then I'll quickly swap to laptop mode for inserting the new notes into one note. The keyboard is great, good for typing but I did get an external number pad for Catia. The laptop itself runs Matlab, Ansi C, Catia, STK, and a whole lot of other programs really smoothly.

[@Martin-qr7cn]

@@davytimns thank you so much. Im happy to hear such positive review on this device. I will get it next week.

[@DDX098]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I really needed to hear this. I am a computer science student, I do lot of 3D modeling, Maya , 3Dmax. 1-Do you think it will run these software smoothly? 2-Can you tell me what was the configuration of your laptop?

[@davytimns]

@DDX098 Yeah, I'm sure it'll be able to handle those as long as you have the dedicated graphics cars. The config I got was on the old Surface Laptop but it's the 11th gen i7, 16GB ram, 256 GB SSD, and the 3050Ti GPU. I had it replace under free warranty, though, and they gave me the 512 GB ssd

[@rolfathan]

Honestly, given the market, I feel like I used to pay way too much of a premium price for wacom stuff, Huin and XP Pen showed up, gave competition at good prices, and Wacom, to this day, never feels like it demands the premium it charges. This pen, and this laptop ACTUALLY feel premium. So while the price is kinda eye wateringly high, it doesn't actually feel like they're punching too high for what they give.

[@fajarkurniawan9434]

I bought the 1st gen because of your review video Yes it's a great laptop. The only downside is it's heavy But it just sit on my desk anyway so portability is not an issue

[@LinvalLondon]

Thanks for the video, Brad. Always appreciate your insights! I purchased the unit with 32gb of ram and the RTX 4050 as a replacement for my Surface Book 2, which has served me well since 2018. So long as I get a similar run from this unit, I'll be happy. 👍🏾 Is it expensive? Yup...but it is the perfect mix for my use case. I had considered going for a large tablet instead (Tab S9 Ultra), but I need access to full programs not apps...

[@errole]

How does this work for Video Editing and High end photography? I am looking at the model you have the 32GB and 1TB RTX4050. Battery Life? I am looking to get the M2 Mac Studio base model, but I am coming from the Book 2 as well.

[@LinvalLondon]

@@errole It is still early days, but so far, I have found Davinci Resolve runs without a hitch. I have not done much photo editing yet, but I think it would do the job. I think the M2 Mac studio may be more powerful, but definitely not as portable... I'll be a bit more mobile next week, so I'll see how the battery holds up during a day's worth of work.

[@kahuna1247]

Dang, my SB2 is working flawlessly since my purchase in 2018. I just have no reason to upgrade.

[@LinvalLondon]

@@kahuna1247 For me the issue was my SB2 battery was not holding charge anymore (dropped below 50% capacity). I thought about getting it replaced, but the quote was for over $2000 ( I live in Australia) so at that point I might as well pay more and upgrade...🤷🏾‍♂

[@TiagoMorbusSa]

Hey brad, look into "reverse pliers" for removing that broken adapter from that USB-A port. Good luck!

[@thebradcolbow]

Good advice! I will. I knew if I included that part someon would have an idea how to get it out

[@HarisAzriel]

I got really emotional and almost cried when you explained your broken USB A adapter that got stuck on the Surface Laptop 2. Especially when it is a brand new $2000 laptop. I have a Surface Pro 8, and I had bought it because of your review. These Surface devices, they are very expensive for what they are. So, every time I go through wear and tear from using them, even though they are perfectly normal things to happens with other devices too, I can't help but cries.

[@jonassch4223]

im an engineering student, so having some power for computing but also beeing able to take notes in lectures ist great. I already own an Ipad and a Laptop but from time to time Im considering to sell them and buy this thing, its just such a nice device

[@orangeofmars2835]

A great product. I have the Surface Pro 8 with keyboard and slim pen. I find the attachable keyboard and top heavy laptop use annoying. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 solves that with the heavier laptop-like base. I also have the Huion Pro 13 2.5K which is very nice for drawing but annoying to have to bring a laptop and the pen display on a trip. Easier to go to one product. Sometimes the extra money is worth it. I also have a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 inch which is a nice drawing experience but it won't run my favorite drawing/painting app-Rebelle 6. Also iPad Pro has the same issue as Surface Pro with clunky attachable keyboard situation. So, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the way to go for me and will be upgrading this winter.

[@ckmoore]

Hope you can let us know what you think of the sls2 once you update. Especially for use on-the-go and battery life. I find it's hard to beat the light weight of the ipad pro for for sketching anywhere, but you are right that it's limited. An all-in-one device with a full desktop OS would be pretty sweet.

[@zeduriku]

Been waiting for this. Waiting for mine to be delivered. Your review on the first one got me hooked on this device. Thanks Brad!

[@weatherornotsubaru]

Ok, so Surface Studio Laptop 2 VS the Asus ROG Flow X16? Any ideas about the drawing experience on either of those?

[@Sergio124]

As a teacher, this is the perfect laptop for me. Especially for online classes!

[@nil_90]

Probably the best type of product for some specific types of artists will be a normal surface like device with close to iPad level drawing capacity, and with thunderbolt connection for eGPU when it becomes necessary.

[@zenithquasar9623]

I love the design of this and the Studio desktop.

[@LetItFlowArts]

I just got a SLS2 Monday.....Just got back to work and was checking your video out this morning. Sorry that I laughed that the USB A device got stuck. I immediately went to search for a BT receiver...slapped it in, tried to pull it out...F*&^*&!!!! After destroying that one, finally figured out that you need to squeeze it on top and bottom where it is closest to the physical laptop port. It still requires more effort than it should, but has been foolproof so far. I've tested it with multiple people, and thrown them multiple dongles to insert/remove. Some of them do remove much easier, but far too much force required even when it seems "easy".

[@schizofennec]

id love to see a 14 inch macbook ipad hybrid just like this. would be superb.

[@tbray]

I always loved the MS Studio Desktop, their answer to the iMac, but *way* more expensive. $4400 was just too much. I do love MS's hardware, always have, and this is no exception. Sad it's so expensive, but still nice to look at and maybe dream of :D Great video as always :) EDIT - Also, Apple was teasing haptic feedback in their next apple Pencil, and said it would mimic the sensation of - for example, painting with very wet paint, drawing on wood or rough paper, it would help give the user the sensation of the surface having "grab", and mimic the actual feeling of drawing on paper (or canvas, etc). I tried the Surface Pen 2 and didn't really find the sensation to be that noticeable - but maybe that was just me.

[@cliffordbrooks3355]

Haptic feedback is set at 50% by default...you have to go into settings and change it to 100% to really experience it. Even then it's subtle. I miss it when it's not on, though.

[@heroninja1125]

I could see something like a framework laptop 16 with a customized hinge and touchscreen absolutely killing this device. After all, the hinge and touchscreen are pretty much the biggest selling points.

[@StrattonDraws]

Ok, so I'm in college so portability is a must. I'm also producing and directing animated content so being able to both draw AND have the horsepower to chunk through heavy video editing/compositing workloads using After Effects is also important. Hypothetically, if the premium was worth me not having to lug my heavy af desktop between home and the dorm, this would easily be the perfect answer yeah?

[@MattLazzara]

For me the price is a bit steep but comparing a PC to a laptop is great, if you’re never going to go anywhere with the laptop. The laptop is meant to be traveled with and used in the wild. Is the price difference worth it for the travel purposes? That’s up to the user and ultimately their budget. For me it was worth it, for others I understand why it wouldn’t be.

[@gcopp81]

Try vectorizing the hand drawing. MUCH easier.

[@cartoonjones2015]

I got mine on Tuesday and I love it!

[@DrawJam]

Pen looks a bit thin. Hopefully the magnet is strong enough to latch if you put a rubber grip on that sucker. Seems like a really fun device!

[@melemel9062]

Yeah the pen is horrible to hold

[@qyygle6058]

Using a gen 1, the pen stays on even with a thin rubber grip all around (used an apple pencil silicon grip cut to size ironically)

[@tahnmeep]

I'm seriously considering this as a replacement for my laptop and my aging desktop. Also... the price is currently $2,599.99 for the most souped-up version. My needs are to be as portable as possible (working anywhere, including planes) doing Unity/Quest 3 dev work + Blender + heavy After Effects motion graphics. 2D animation, video editing and AR filters are also common tasks for me. Ideally I'd plug into my 4k Cintiq, another 1080 monitor *and* Quest 3 and still get good performance (specifically in VR) when at home (using the SSL2 as an external monitor). I'm learning that since it's a laptop, you can never max out CPU and GPU simultaneously. The primary reason I want to upgrade from my gaming laptop is so I can have one less screen and 3 less cables to plug in (XP-Pen Pro 13). I'm also hoping it would be a nice upgrade from my desktop's 2060. The only other laptop that seems like it would outdo this (with an angled pen-enabled screen) is the Asus ZenBook Duo, but its amazing little secondary screen is just too small to comfortably work on (although I LOVE the keyboard placement and layout on that laptop). So indecisive! My current setup is fine but my gosh it's just getting to be clunky and annoying, as I need to be on my portable setup most of the time now.

[@PackingLess]

My old Sony Vaio laptop from 2013 had that same kind of folding screen mechanism

[@woohoozzi]

Hey Brad -- thank you so much for this! Would you consider reviewing the Asus ROG X16? Seems to me like it's the SLS2's greatest competitor on the market (as far as all-purpose laptops with drawing options go). I ended up picking up the X16 option with the 4060 GPU for $1850 and bought 64 GB RAM separately for $145. So $1k total less than the Microsoft SLS2 but with the same RAM, GPU, and a better CPU (and that's with the 10% off deal Microsoft does). I'm just at the hobby level for drawing though. I really couldn't find any good videos comparing the drawing on SLS2 and X16 -- that may not be your usual focus, but I imagine it would be a popular video.

[@cdwizzerd]

asus usually don't have very good pen digitizers so arnt good for serious artwork. I know my asus convertable laptop doesn't hold a candle to my ipad pro in terms of drawing experience

[@lars2894]

This is an "artist" channel and ASUS uses an older stylus technology (MPP 2.0) from 2016 that is far behind anything available today. Their laptops are for digital handwriting, not drawing / painting, which is why Brad won't review a 100 other laptops with the exact same Pen technology.

[@MrEnzyo]

​@lars2894 Thanks a lot for that info! I was not even aware that there are different mpp protocols. So how does it work? e.g. I have a flow X16 (mpp 2.0) and a slim pen 2 (mpp 2.6). So the sp2 would work but not to it's full potential, correct? Thanks in advance ❤

[@lars2894]

@@MrEnzyo Yes, the MPP is backwards compatible with older versions. Only newer Surface devices will suppport the Slim Pen 2's full capacity as MPP 3.0

[@MrEnzyo]

@@lars2894 thank you for your time and the explanation, it was really very helpful :)

[@markanthonyart]

Csp companion mode really makes this rock. Got the sls1 and it's great. Having simultaneous touch and pen is also a good feature of the mpp pen. Not gunna upgrade to this tho.

[@markanthonyart]

And I recently got the s9 ultra and have been using it more. CSP works great on both.

[@cautiousleo2778]

Sending love from South Africa brad🇿🇦❤!!

[@DamagedAndroid]

I think My 15 inch Surface Book 2 with 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and a GTX 1060 cost pretty much the same as the first option with a GPU on this laptop. So the price doesn’t seem bad to me. Also Intel has made some great strides in their GPU tech so I’d be curious to see how their Xe GPU compares to the RTX 4050.

[@MileHiSteve2013]

I thoroughly tested the surface 8 and 9 and it feels exquisite like I'm holding a slippery diamond lol. I play games so I was able to discover the Surface 8/9 can game to a degree because the Iris Xe graphics can run near 60 fps even in Forza, it's just NOT a silky smooth powerful gaming pc

[@CowenGittens]

I actually want to get this laptop. But indeed I can't justify it to my wife before I spend that much money. I'm going to wait to see if there are any deals for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[@Tridaak]

The little adapter/dongle breaking happens... it specially happens when the USB port is more 'tight'. Isn't really the fault of the laptop, just probably close to breaking, a lot of the mini wireless dongles (from my personal experience) aren't built to last and aren't built to be constantly puggled in and out of a device.

[@joewr]

The adapter breaking happens, but having to put a lot of force on a USB plug that's stuck is less common. Curious if we're going to see more reports on this. I'll be getting my own soon, hoping this is a rare issue.

[@hazzardlord]

Thanks for this video! I was hoping for your advice. I'm an animator and I work alot with the Adobe programs, namely Photoshop, illustrator and after effects. This sort of configuration is very useful given I can draw on it and also rely on it to handle heavier motion graphic projects. I also like to travel and work too, so this would be nice and compact. However the price 😱 you mentioned potentially getting a normal laptop and also a separate tablet to draw on? I'm interested to know what you might recommend that offers the same sort of power, storage and drawing capabilities. Any advice you have would be great 🙏

[@annifis]

my plan was to get a new ipad and a macbook (my laptop is on the verge of death and my ipad is from 2017) but im thinking maybe i should just go for this two in one combo?

[@PeterHamlin]

Great review -- really thorough and clear and fair. I was disappointed in the SLS 1 specs last year, so I bought a ROG x-16. I do need the GPU, and I like having a tablet/folding format even though it's a little awkward with such a huge computer. But I also like the huge screen. About the cost -- I'm a musician and I'm used to paying what it takes to get the best instrument I can possibly afford. If I don't do that, I regret the decision every time I play. Over the life of the computer, a super-expensive computer means I'm paying a few cents more a day to have a device that helps me work better. If I didn't use the computer so intensively, I'd think differently about it. I'm glad the SLS 2 specs are back up where they should be. I needed to buy a computer last year and I really loved the SLS form factor, but the specs were just not where I needed them. I hope this computer stays in the Surface lineup and maybe I'll buy one someday.

[@elysegalloway]

I completely agree, looking at it as a "daily driver" stand point is my philosophy, too. Maxed out with a 4 year warranty means it's still only 2.74 a day. I put my tools to work, and I can't do my job without it, so I try to get the best and it's 100% worth it for me. I just ordered one! It's replacing my 8 y.o. Surface Pro 😆

[@WillowsAIAcademy]

I bought this laptop but have rarely used it in easel mode, exactly for the reason stated, that I need the keyboard. I didn’t get the stylus with the laptop but got an alternative compatible one that I love too. I guess I need to watch more of your videos to learn what software you’re using to draw freehand.

[@elysegalloway]

I'm curious about the real-use battery life, so if you know, I'd love to hear about your experience! I just bought one 🥳. At max configuration with a 4 year protection plan, it costs me $2.74 a day (for 4 years), which as a daily user, is a no brainer. My old Surface Pro lasted about 8 years. I'm an artist, my business paid for it, so I don't particularly care about price. I'm excited for the upgrade! My surface pro lasted 8 years with daily use, and it's rapidly dying finally. I wanted another Surface Pro, but this Studio 2 was x4 the Ram and x2 the storage, so that's what sold me. I use the tablet function and the laptop function about equally, so that was important to me. Plus I can still use all my charging cords and my pen (I believe). I'm really excited to try it!! I use heavy software, and I think this should work beautifully. 💕💕

[@TheIReynoldsI]

How do you like it?

[@elysegalloway]

@TheIReynoldsI So far, it's been a pretty good experience. I do everything with it, and it's been reliable. Oftentimes, I unplug to take it to the printer and get distracted. The laptop just goes into sleep mode instead of going dead. I use Photoshop to make reference material for my artwork. It never has a problem running large documents. I honestly haven't done much video editing lately, but i imagine it would be just fine. I'm still cautious and warry of the battery life (fear from my last computer), so i keep it plugged in most of the time. I should probably exercise the capacity a bit more than i do. The only real issue I've had is the mouse pad getting hyper sensitive and clicking a million times when my finger hovers over the track pad. I turned the sensitivity to zero, and it has mostly worked itself out. It still shadow-clicks on occasion, which inadvertently clicks or drags whatever it happens to be touching. If you're a lefty, you'll probably love this laptop set up, as the usb is on the left and charger on the right. As a righty, this is extremely annoying. My entire setup with printer and everything is built for the reverse. Wires have to cross across the front of the printer to reach the left side of the laptop usb port. My charger cord has to run along the back of the laptop. It often seems to be in the way now that it's on the right side. I don't use the tablet mode nearly as much as i used to. With such a strong screen attachment, I generally just leave it in laptop mode now. Tablet mode is a really nice feature to have, though. If you have any specific questions, lmk.

[@TheIReynoldsI]

@@elysegalloway thank you! I’ve seen people complaining about “ghosting” while scrolling through apps usually on dark mode, is it that big of a deal? I’m so torn between this and the asus zenbook duo

[@elysegalloway]

@TheIReynoldsI It's annoying, as it opens apps or moves icons occasionally, but otherwise, it's not a deal-breaker. I haven't done any research on the model you mentioned. If you're used to Microsoft, it's very much inline with previous models, which I liked. It's very easy to use.

[@yspud]

i LOVE my gen 1 surface studio ... yeah it was expensive but the form factor just *works* for me... will i upgrade to the new model ? probably not.. my existing laptop still performs well enough for me and shelling out another $2500 just now seems like a waste... will i keep my eye out for discounts down the road ? you bet ... For a tool i use every single day, if i DIDNT have a studio already i would absolutely recommend anyone with the money to get this laptop ... hands down the best laptop ive ever owned and i have owned a lot ( I am an IT consultant ... i have a dozen other brands sitting around my house that I could be using on any given day including some beautiful machines like the lenovo yoga x1 and even the new dual screen 9i ).

[@sharpiefumes]

IT’S HERE!

[@dmw5332]

I want a 2 in 1 because I want to replace art supplies when hiking and going outdoors. I have a powerful Windows desktop and all Corel products. I have not seen anything from creatives on how if you use an Android tablet for drawing how you would bring it back to the Windows software for further development.

[@LouRao]

Would you consider iPad Pro M1 or M2 over this Surface Studio Laptop as far as drawing?

[@aaronkaw4857]

I think I prefer the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i form factor. The keyboard is available without needing to shift the screen back.

[@pixelpusher1393]

Was really looking forward to this, but the price is eye watering where I live. 3.800€ for the 64gb RAM/1TB version, 4.200 for 2TB. Almost impossible to justify the expense. 2.400€ will get you a considerably more performant gaming laptop, and a used Wacom Cintiq 16 Pro in very good condition can be had for around 500-600€. For the remaining difference an iPad Pro 12.9 from 2021 with 1TB is possible by now.

[@DaBigCheeso]

I picked this up for a more portable PC for travel since I'm gaming more with my Steam Deck than laptop on the road. I got to take advantage of that pre-order from Microsoft where they threw in the 4 year warranty for free. I ordered the $1999 version as battery life was my biggest concern and nothing eats battery like a dedicated GPU. I've been happy with it so far the last 2 weeks. I'd recommend it, but also recommend getting it on discount or some kind of bundle deal.

[@TheIReynoldsI]

How are you liking it?

[@DaBigCheeso]

@@TheIReynoldsI still loving it

[@TheIReynoldsI]

@@DaBigCheeso Just got mine today, any tips or settings i should change?

[@DaBigCheeso]

@@TheIReynoldsI it's not much different than any other laptop, set it up however works best for you. I'm always tweaking something

[@juice1988]

Hey Brad, great video! I've been waiting to purchase a laptop for this to release, and am a little cautious to take the plunge based on the price (in my budget, but like you said, it's premium pricing), and a couple of other concerns I've seen on other reviews regarding heat. Do you or anyone else in the comments have feedback on the feel of the Surface Pen 2 on this screen compared to the S-Pen on say, the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360? You mention on this review that the Surface Pen 2 doesn't quite hold up to a Wacom pen, your review on the Galaxy Book3 praised the S-Pen while hinting that it may not be great ("rubber on screen" or something to that effect). In the off chance you see this, I appreciate the time! I found the channel thanks to this video specifically, and loved getting your opinion on different drawing-capable screens.

[@bort-]

My USB mouse adapter also got stuck and broke in the exact same way. Had to buy a pair of very thin pliers to get it out. It's definitely an issue with this model.

[@mimijester]

There was an acer aspire 2 in 1 from like 2013 that had a very similar designed hinge, HOWEVER the swapped the keyboard and the trackpad.

[@dianemarie8831]

Yes, that was the R7. I bought it when it was new and it also had a steep ticket price for it's time but I love it. The hinged screen was one of a kind at the time and it was very well made and designed. I've replaced the original hard drive with an SSD and added more RAM and it's still going strong, but with that older GPU will no longer run some newer Adobe programs like Fresco so I need an updated device. The touch screen functionality with a stylus on the R7 screen isn't really very good though, so I have to use a Wacom tablet for drawing tasks . That's why I'm here looking at Surface Studio reviews, in search of a replacement.

[@rjcarter2020]

I've got the SLS2 and I've had USB-A cables getting stuck. So far I've had to use a firm pull to dislodge it. It's almost as if there's something locking on to stop it being pulled out. I even tried ejecting the USB-A device in File Explorer in case there was some software mechanism that was actuating a 'lock' on the USB-A socket.

[@nivedya_raj]

Hi Brad, Apart from the price point of the device, is it facing any other problems like heating issues or so?

[@BobA-ez2ue]

Appreciate and concur with your opinion. Bought a large Surface Studio within the first year it came out and have loved it until Windows 11 was pushed to it. Now it gets very hot, probably the GPU, and gets very sluggish. For everything but drawing (yes can still do) my Pi is better performing.

[@strangeapprentice]

this is great! can you make a video about other better alternative laptops?

[@Harry-tp7qx]

Make video on Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE.

[@DayaMcCarthy]

As a traveler i sure can build a way more powerful pc desktop but its not portable so because of this, this laptop is an amazing fot

[@ajtatosmano2]

I've never tried it, but the Concept D 7 laptop has Wacom's better pen tech like Samsung does and it's more powerfl for the price (better cooling helps a lot). Concept D 3 and 7 use different pens, 3 is way worse.

[@trowawayacc]

I have a question between this pen or the new Samsung s9 ultra which one do you like best? Also how easy is the pen to replace? Can i buy it when the batteries run out?

[@sergeilazarev6626]

Thanks for the review. It still makes me doubting. I don't know if it will be convenient for me to draw professional things in illustrator on this pc. If not, then I'd better go for Lenovo slim pro 9i which has i9 processor, 64 GB ram, 165 Hz touch screen with mini led high resolution and brightness of 1000 nits and costs only 2700$. Surface studio 2 costs 3500 where I live. It is a huge difference

[@yano391]

it seems to be a great product BUT what about battery life ? Is it still 3 to 4 hours without pluging the device ? And also, does it also start up to heath and blow like crazy for...just doing nothing like the surface laptop 1 ? I've been quite disappointed buy the first version of this device, still figuring out if I'll buy the new laptop studio or not because it's quite pricey.

[@ryebread4781]

The original Surface Studio Laptop topped out at 4 cores you can get up to 14 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores on the Surface Studio Laptop 2!

[@cdwizzerd]

this is how I feel about the asus egpu products (I own a flow x13 myself), unique form factors can be invaluable

[@pikachu3b366m]

Excuse me Brad. Can you please review Asus ROG Flow X16 and see if that laptop is good for digital art. 🙏

[@985Mindy]

I'm a huge surface fan. I'm sad the book is discontinued. I use a book 3 and pro 8 on the daily. I would definitely rock this but my devices are still fully capable. 4k is steep but I got close to that with my sb3

[@karelsmutny7038]

Long time Surface fan here. Since Surface Pro 2, had all Surface Books. Upgraded from SB3 to Surface Laptop Studio and never looked back. Not an artist. Heavy note taker and programmer.

[@Ed-el6pp]

how is the battery life? how many hrs of netflix + web browsing + youtube with max brightness?

[@julianmanjarres1998]

its much cheaper on ebay

[@TomMarvan]

Superb review. New subscriber. I am curious to know which monitor to pair with it. I have the first iteration of this laptop and I love it for many reasons. It has a thunderbolt out (2 actually - but that’s it), one of which is connected to my LG monitor with a thunderbolt plug in, and it looks amazing - UHD, or something, I don’t know. Not sure the refresh rate is even above 60 hz and the speed below 8ms… but, it might be… no where I am going with this? Btw, typing on this is a smooth as butter.

[@이촌동파이리]

I hope they add an anti-reflective screen.

[@NicCrimson]

They need to make this thing thinner and more compact even if it's a lower end version. Something like the Galaxy Book

[@amirhosseinsharifzadeh6278]

The design could be better if they add another kickstand on the back like surface pros. As the screen is not OLED, the angle is important and the 45 degree is not suit for many situations with the glassy screen and the price! It has already dropped 300-400 but I hope drop much more! 1800 is the fair price for the device with GPU! if they produce more the price will drop for sure.

[@psicologiajoseh]

It's so sad they seem to have discontinued this design! Great!

[@mannkeithc]

The price is not so bad when you compare it with a Microsoft Pro 9 with a 12th gen core i7 U processor and same amounts of RAM and storage plus keyboard and pen, because at least with Studio 2 you also get a core i7 H processor with more cores, a RTX 4050 GPU and keyboard included for a remarkably similar price. In the Apple ecosystem you need both a MacBook Pro laptop and iPad to achieve the same level of functionality, so even more expenditure, and Apple fleece you even more for memory and storage upgrades, plus not all software is optimised for Apple Silicon and their iGPU.

[@deadlockedsculptures5766]

would you be able to do a review where you talk all of the portable drawing items that are relevant and compare them to see which is the best overall.really like the ide of this computer but maybe I should go with something else

[@00gloom]

are the only differences from the og laptop studio the graphics card and extra ports?? Glad I didn't wait

[@thenerdysk8er]

Battery life is better

[@Yoza_]

Can u review the Dell Inspiron with the Mx550? You can use the Wacom bamboo pen.

[@Mikefiser]

I have the previous version and the finish is getting scratched around the keyboard just by being in a laptop case, it is too fragile. Also, the front side is really sharp to hands, just like mcbooks. It is overheating when running more demanding software, games are making it really sweaty, it sounds like a helicopter. Be careful about these things! Drawing on it is almost impossible, its just clunky, issues mentioned in the video - you just need a kezboard for anything on PC.

[@scottdpeterstv]

This makes me think of the Nintendo vs PlayStation or Xbox debate. People buy Nintendo for the innovative hardware and unique user experience and another set of users prioritize power and performance as the end all be all. I personally have always been a Nintendo guy and being a professional designer that has used a pen tablet daily for the last 15 years, the SLS2 feels like the perfect device for me and something that even though will cost more, i think ill create twice as much with.

[@seanmartinflix]

I want to point out that Samsung tablets can be used as a Monitor with touchscreen and pin support. And it works very well. The laptop just seems almost there. for that price u can get a better GPU in other Laptops. Its pretty thought in a copy MacBook kind of way.

[@MileHiSteve2013]

I just bought the $2500 version for $1999 at Best buy, that's really pricey, but it might be worth it as I love the touchscreen, the screen looks borderline OLED, and I have to have a good discreet GPU, and I also adore the color white or silver, so we'll see, I want to love it but if I don't it's definitely too expensive not to be near purrfect, I'll let u know

[@DanzyRemix]

So how is it

[@asiimwesamuelcaleb]

Isn't it cheaper to buy a MacBook and an iPad with a pen separately?

[@ClaSpecialized]

How palm rejection works here? Can you place your hand on the screen and draw / write without moving the screen?

[@msganga1974]

Thank you for your amazing and detailed review Brad. I have purchased, after watching your videos a Kamvas Huion 16 Pro. It is less expensive and surely less powerful about specs but the drawing experience is amazing and honest. I say honest because you do not have any keyboard. In my modest opinion in order to make a good use of short cuts you need to see your keyboard very well. Using this device you surely have a more versatile experience where you can run even 3D rendering applications with confidence but you are not perfectly set for a pure drawing experience. So my opinion is that this device is perfect for people that do not intend this product on the same category of a Wacom mobile 16 or Huion Studio 16 but they need to sketch sometimes an idea and they are happy about this opportunity. Nevertheless I feel it is a bit too expensive. 😅

[@GeekingAround]

Yeah it’s a little expensive but I think once you get a discount or a refurbished one, price is reasonable. Still waiting on Apple to make a MacBook Pro like Surface Laptop Studio or an iMac Pro like the Surface Desktop Studio. And while we at it bring the Apple Pencil to iPhone.

[@neolordie]

they're never gonna do it, their whole thing is few product that appeal to the most people

[@GeekingAround]

@@neolordie Yet I see so many average joes running around with MacBook Pros or Mac Pro and all they do is simple office work. Look at the iPad Pro, people are spending $1000+ to do things the regular/weaker iPad can do. So I think if they made a MacBook Pro Studio or iMac Pro Studio, people would jump on it.

[@MRwilsondraws]

Do you draw in tent mode? if so, how is the screen stability with applying pressure with the hand while drawing? is there very noticeable Screen flex?

[@Hueventure]

I draw and do little animation. Recently more so very light game development. I'm always on the go. This is an ideal all in one solution that could fit my needs and workflow. Most things I do come out of clip studio ex. The rest, paper 2d in unreal. I have a really ancient surface pro 4, it seems to be able to handle most of my workload when I'm not at home on my desktop. That 2nd tier $2400 would be killer. But that price really hurts. Definitely could just build another PC for that. Actually i could almost build 2 PCs if i wait for tech sales which happen so frequently, that it's almost non-justifiable unless I can get it refurbished, on a big sale, or ebay it. My current desktop only cost me $1200 at the time from parts (5 years ago and have upgraded a few parts since then), in total, and my surface was like $250 at the time (like 5 years ago) off of a bid and still works fine for drawing.

[@istvan.design]

How about ~1100$ for a brand new surface studio 2 with 32Gb RAM , RTX A2000, 1 Tb and 13 gen i7 ?

[@sacb0y]

Yeah i love my surface studio laptop, I use it for work so i don't mind spending the money on it. And I'd get the 2 if I could justify the upgrade XD Maybe someday. I really want a 40 series.

[@Draconius1000]

what do you think about new Amazon Fire Max?

[@sitoudien9816]

Frameworks make this! Or the Lenovo dual screen i9

[@live2walk]

Ha, I watched your review because I'm on the fence with this... and after your review, it confirmed exactly what I was thinking, and I'm still on the fence. My use case is photo editing, and currently using a Surface Pro 5, which is just sluggish for some tasks. I'll probably get the SLS2, because at the end of the day, I can afford it. But, man, I wish it was about $800 cheaper.

[@pascalokafor]

Hi Brad, I got the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 (such a mouthful!) in February at launch, is it possible to trade it in with some cash to get the new Surface Studio Laptop 2? PS. I'm in the UK.

[@jeffjohnson3620]

Even if you don’t need a GPU, I like the keyboard better than a surface tablet. I with it had more ports hdmi, Ethernet, SD cards etc. it’s thick enough

[@TheBoris178]

Is this one better than the galaxy book4 pro 360 ?

[@Amir-7080]

If screen could be disconnected and become sth like surface pro 9 it would be absolutely perfect

[@Davyjones449]

Is it worth ?Asus ZenBook 14 Flip OLED 2.8K Intel Core i7-1360P (Evo 13th Gen) Intel Iris Xe Graphics 16 GB RAM

[@daqwan]

Great video. I cant draw (i use my laptop for lightroom) but I always used a surface laptop until now when i though about upgrading to the Studio laptop 2 from my Surface laptop 1 it just didn't make sense even tho i love the MS eco system i ended up getting the Lenovo slim Pro 9i i paid only 1400 for it and its twice the machine only thing i lose is surface pen

[@samim-jd4ql]

man can you please make a video on comparison of 'tab s6 lite' with 'xiomi pad 6'.....

[@Dave102693]

4:15 just send it back to Microsoft for repair or use ifixit’s kits and website to fix it yourself

[@AnnaKincaid]

I really wanted to get this laptop but was talked out of it for now because of the price. You are correct it's just way too expensive so I'm sticking with my Surface book 2 for now although I can no longer remove the screen because the battery in the screen has died. I also have an ipad mini which I do most of my drawings on at the moment. We are a PC and android house hold so having an IOS device is odd for us but In ended something small and that worked pulse I really don't like the Spen so that left me with the ipad mini and honestly I love it for what I use it for. 🙂

[@Mario-lm8np]

How about an iPad Pro which you can add a keyboard?

[@AnnaKincaid]

@@Mario-lm8np I use my laptop for more then just art, video editing, gaming, photo editing and so much more. We are also a PC based house so adding IOS devices in our house adds a slight complication. I do really enjoy drawing on my ipad mini though I also use it as a digital notebook. Great suggestion though! I could do the same with my surface book 2 if I can flip the screen around then connect a blue tooth keyboard to it. I also like to have portability for many reasons otherwise I would just get a desktop. 🤪

[@dudana53]

Is it hot when you write on screen. I use surface pro 8. When I write it very hot, so i think to buy macbook and ipad separately