MacBook Professional 14-inch vs Microsoft Floor Laptop computer Studio 2

MacBook Professional 14-inch vs Microsoft Floor Laptop computer Studio 2

Microsoft introduced out a variety of recent {hardware} on September 21 in its Floor lineup, together with a brand new Floor Laptop computer Go 3 and the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2. Of the 2, the Studio 2 appeared to be a really attention-grabbing possibility, since it’s billed as an enormous improve over the unique Floor Laptop computer Studio.

Packing twice the ability of the unique in accordance with Microsoft, the brand new mannequin sports activities a alternative of built-in or discrete graphics choices, and a few AI smarts for the primary time.

These additions ought to make it a gorgeous proposition and will tempt potential consumers of the 14-inch MacBook Professional away to the world of Home windows. The issue is, to perform that, it has to beat Apple’s pocket book in quite a few alternative ways.

Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Professional is an simply identifiable slab of aluminum, recognizable from a protracted distance away due to its distinct aesthetic.

Microsoft’s Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 goes down a special route in quite a few methods, At first, it does appear to be a daily pocket book, full with an aluminum enclosure, however then the Dynamic Woven Hinge comes into play.

Hooked up to the show and considerably paying homage to the long-lasting kickstand the principle Floor makes use of, the hinge acts just like the Magic Keyboard accent for the iPad Professional, in letting the display flip out and ahead over the keys.

This opens up just a few potentialities, comparable to utilizing it as a kickstand and turning the pocket book right into a triangular stand for the show/pill. You can too go full pill mode by flipping the display and overlaying the keyboard totally.

Microsoft made the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 a bit thicker and heavier than the 14-inch MacBook Professional.

In the case of measurement, the Studio 2 is sort of a bit bigger than Apple’s mannequin, at 12.72 inches lengthy and 9.06 inches broad, whereas additionally 0.86 inches thick. The 14-inch MacBook Professional is 12.31 inches lengthy by 8.71 inches, and 0.61 inches thick.

On the load aspect, Apple additionally wins, because the 14-inch MacBook Professional weighs 3.5 kilos for the M2 Professional mannequin, or 3.6 kilos for the M2 Max model.

Microsoft equally has two variant sizes, with the 4.18-pound Intel Iris Xe mannequin accompanied by the 4.37-pound Nvidia variations.

As a smaller and far lighter possibility, the MacBook Professional might be the best of the pair to hold round.

Except for the hinge, the show on the Studio 2 goes a really totally different route than that of the MacBook Professional. For a begin, Microsoft goes for a barely squarer 14.4-inch show whereas Apple will get to 14.2 inches.

Whereas larger, it isn’t as high-resolution because the MacBook Professional, providing a round-numbered 2,400 by 1,600 pixels. Apple’s 3,024 by 1,964 decision is significantly larger and with a pixel density of 254 pixels per inch versus 200ppi.

There’s some parity with regards to HDR with Dolby Imaginative and prescient help, with Microsoft going for Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ, in addition to refresh charges going as much as 120Hz. However then it goes sideways as soon as once more.

Microsoft makes use of a hinged show that enables for extra versatile utilization of its new Floor Laptop computer Studio 2.

The 1,500:1 distinction ratio on the Studio 2 is so much decrease than the claimed 1 million to one of many MacBook Professional. Apple affords Huge Shade (P3) help and True Tone, whereas Microsoft goes for sRGB and Vivid shade profiles.

Then there’s the ten-point multitouch help for the Studio 2, which you merely do not get on a MacBook Professional. That is territory that the iPad Professional with Magic Keyboard resides in, not the MacBook.

There’s additionally help for styluses, with the Floor Slim Pen 2 accessible individually.

Oddly, Microsoft does not present any brightness figures for its pocket book show. Apple does, with SDR brightness at 500 nits, XDR brightness at 1,000 nits for sustained full-screen content material, and 1,600 nits at peak for HDR content material.

The MacBook Professional is provided with the M2 Professional or M2 Max chip, relying on the configuration.

The M2 Professional begins with a 10-core CPU with 6 efficiency and 4 effectivity cores, a 16-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 200GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth, and a Media Engine for hardware-accelerated video encodes and decodes in sure codecs. A second model of the M2 Professional has a 12-core GPU including two extra efficiency cores, and a 19-core GPU.

The M2 Max has the 12-core CPU configuration, a 30-core GPU with a 38-core improve attainable, the 16-core Neural Engine, 400GB/s reminiscence bandwidth, and a Media Engine with extra decoding and encoding parts.

The Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 is provided with an Intel Core i7-13700H processor, a Thirteenth-gen chip that’s constructed on Intel’s Evo platform. It has 14 cores, consisting of six efficiency and eight effectivity cores, with the previous operating at 5GHz beneath Turbo and the latter at 3.7GHz.

Intel additionally contains 20 threads in whole, in addition to Intel Iris Xe Graphics, which has 96 execution items.

Whilst you might use the Intel built-in graphics, Microsoft additionally affords different configurations utilizing Nvidia GPUs. The bottom possibility is the GeForce RTX 4050 with 6GB of GDDR6 vRAM.

Additionally accessible is the GeForce RTX 4060 with 8GB of GDDR6, and an RTX 2000 Ada Era laptop computer GPU with 8GB of GDDR6.

The pocket book additionally contains the Intel Gen3 Movidius 3700VC VPU AI Accelerator, which is successfully Intel’s analog to Apple’s Neural Engine. The chip is designed to assist the CPU by dealing with a wide range of processing duties that the CPU would in any other case take a very long time to perform, which usually entails machine studying ultimately.

Whereas it is vitally early days on Home windows for chips like this to be employed, it’s nonetheless capable of deal with some duties, comparable to enabling webcam options like Eye Contact correction and Automated Framing. It should additionally assist energy Copilot, Microsoft’s subsequent stab at AI help following Cortana.

On reminiscence, Microsoft contains 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB configurations of LPDDR5x reminiscence. In the meantime, Apple has 16GB and 32GB configurations accessible for the M2 Professional, with 64GB accessible for the M2 Max chips, and 96GB for the top-specification M2 Max.

Geekbench 6 browser figures for single-core testing.

By way of benchmarks, we all know that the identical Intel Core i7-13700H in different notebooks can attain as much as 2,500 for single-core Geekbench 6 CPU checks, and about 11,600 for multi-core testing.

By comparability, the 10-core M2 Professional can rating 2,637 and 12,084 for a similar checks, the 12-core M2 Professional goes as much as 2,641 and 14,196 respectively, and the M2 Max can hit 2,734 and 14,472.

Geekbench 6 browser figures for multi-core testing.

Below OpenCL benchmarks, the RTX 2000 ADA Era laptop computer GPU can get to 78,624, the RTX 4060 Laptop computer GPU goes to 88,932, and the 4050 manages 70,302. Geekbench 6 places Intel Iris Xe Graphics at 12,019.

Geekbench 6 OpenCL GPU scores for a MacBook Professional with an M2 Professional is reported within the browser at 44,108 for the 16-core GPU mannequin and 50,045 for the 19-core GPU model. The highest-end M2 Max with 38 GPU cores can get 84,795 in a MacBook Professional.

The benchmark figures point out that the Intel chip in all fashions of the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 will carry out single-core duties at about the identical degree because the MacBook Professional, although Apple does take the lead for multi-core checks.

For the GPU aspect, the built-in Intel Iris Xe Graphics is not any match for Apple’s lowest-performing GPU configuration. The Nvidia discrete GPU choices definitely do effectively, however are pipped by the top-tier M2 Max’s GPU.

Nestled into the highest of the show on the MacBook Professional is a notch, which comprises a 1080p FaceTime HD digicam. That imaging gadget is backed up with Apple’s picture sign processor that may enhance the image high quality, and do some small graphical tweaks to spice up video too.

The Studio 2 makes use of a 1080p digicam with a large discipline of view, which matches Apple’s one. Microsoft additionally contains Home windows Studio Results, with the digicam benefiting from Auto Framing, Eye Contact, and Background Blur.

Apple additionally manages to offer related methods, due to Heart Stage controls in macOS Sonoma.

Microsoft does embrace Home windows Hi there 2.0 help for the digicam, with infrared used to offer facial recognition. Whereas the MacBook Professional does not embrace Face ID, it does nonetheless supply biometrics by way of a Contact ID button on the keyboard.

To seize audio, Microsoft makes use of Twin Studio Mics with Voice Readability, for “super-wideband and pure full-duplex conversations.” Apple opts for a studio-quality three-mic array with a excessive signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming.

Audio playback begins with the six-speaker sound system on the MacBook Professional, full with force-cancelling woofers and broad stereo sound. Excessive-impedance headphones are supported by the three.5mm headphone jack, and there is Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for the audio system and supported earphones.

The Floor affords Quad Omnisonic audio system with Dolby Atmos. There’s additionally a 3.5mm headphone jack as effectively.

Apple contains 512GB of SSD Storage for a begin with its MacBook Professional, with choices for 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB. Microsoft makes use of detachable Gen 4 SSDs at 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities.

For connectivity, Microsoft features a pair of USB-C ports with USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4 help, together with DisplayPort and Energy Supply. There’s additionally a USB-A 3.1 port, a MicroSDXC card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Floor Join port.

You may flip the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 right into a pill, relying on the duty at hand. .

Apple affords three Thunderbolt 4 ports that additionally deal with DisplayPort and Energy Supply, an SDXC slot, HDMI, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s additionally a MagSafe 3 connection for recharging.

Wi-fi connectivity for each gadgets extends to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

The 14-inch MacBook Professional has a 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery that may final for as much as 18 hours of Apple TV app film playback. Microsoft merely states that there’s a nominal battery capability of 58 watt hours.

Microsoft begins its Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 at $1,999.99, which incorporates 16GB of reminiscence, 512GB of storage, and Intel Iris Xe graphics. Upgrading to the RTX 4050 raises the fee to $2,399.99, whereas a 3rd configuration provides a 1TB SSD and 32GB of reminiscence at $2,799.99.

A fourth configuration with 64GB of reminiscence, 1TB SSD, and an RTX 4060 prices $3,299.99, or $3,699.99 in case you go for the 2TB SSD model. A seventh possibility with 32GB of reminiscence, a 1TB SSD, and the RTX 2000 Ada is $3,599.99.

The 14-inch MacBook Professional begins at $1,999, with the 10-core M2 Professional CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of Unified Reminiscence, and 512GB of storage.

Upgrading the chip to the 12-core M2 Professional with the 19-core GPU prices $300, the M2 Max with a 30-core GPU is an extra $200. The highest-end M2 Max with the 38-core GPU is one other $200 once more.

Going from 16GB to 32GB of reminiscence prices an additional $400, with the 64GB possibility one other $400 once more, and the 96GB an additional $400 as soon as extra.

The SSD storage enhance from 512GB to 1TB is $200, with 2TB one other $400 on high. Paying one other $600 will get 4TB of SSD storage, and 8TB will be had for an additional $1,200 once more.

The costliest 14-inch MacBook Professional configuration is $6,299. Nonetheless, going for the quickest chip, 64GB of reminiscence, and a 2TB SSD to be in the identical configuration ballpark because the highest-specification Studio 2 brings the 14-inch MacBook Professional to $4,099.

That is $399 dearer than essentially the most highly effective Studio 2.

The Floor lineup has at all times been aspirational for Home windows pocket book customers, and the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 affords the identical factor.

It is an uncommon design of pocket book that appears to supply so much, together with the touchscreen capabilities that Apple continues to go away off its MacBook lineup.

This Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 packs machine studying smarts.

It is too early to inform whether or not the addition of Intel’s AI chip will likely be of profit to Home windows customers, but when Apple has already soundly demonstrated, it may be a particularly helpful addition down the highway.

Whereas the promise and the processing capabilities of the Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 are nice and corresponding to what Apple affords in its 14-inch MacBook Professional, that is actually the place Microsoft’s benefit ends.

Apple nonetheless produces a thinner, lighter pocket book within the type of the 14-inch MacBook Professional than Microsoft’s newest pocket book providing. One which has a significantly higher-resolution show, one that may be configured to increased specs, and has already put the Neural Engine to work on real-world duties.

Microsoft’s Floor Laptop computer Studio 2 is definitely an awesome pocket book amongst different Home windows {hardware}. It is a highly effective machine with so much to supply, and for individuals who want Home windows, it is an awesome alternative.

The 14-inch MacBook Professional, on paper at the very least, nonetheless looks like the higher purchase for the second.