Another day, another comparison of two of the biggest branded 2-in-1 convertibles on the market, the HP Elite Folio VS. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio:
The HP Elite Folio comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 mobile processor that tends to be the best Tablet CPU these days. It also packs in a quality touchscreen with great visuals.
In the opposite corner, we have the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. It has two variants, including a Core i5 and a Core i7. The Surface Laptop Studio also has a quality IPS touchscreen panel…
But which 2-in-1 is best?
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Specifications
HP Elite Folio 2-in-1 Notebook, $950
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2
- Graphics: Adreno 690 Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB & 16 GB
- Display: 13.5″ 3:2 WUXGA+ (1,920 x 1,280) Bright View
- Storage: 128 GB – 512 GB PCIe SSD
- Operating system: Windows on Arm 10
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, $1,300
- Processor: Intel Core i7-11370H & Intel Core i5-11300H
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe & Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- RAM: 16 GB & 32 GB
- Display: 14.4″ 3:2 IPS 2,400 x 1,600
- Storage: 256 GB – 1 TB PCIe SSD
- Operating system: Windows 11
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Design and Build
The HP Elite Folio is an outstanding laptop, especially for those who aren’t keen on leather. Its vegan leather-alternative cover is smooth to the touch and helps it feel warm, cozy, and welcoming.
While it’s not quite as luxurious as the HP Spectre Folio 2-in-1 laptop, it’s durable and very comfortable to carry around as a tablet. Also, the internal frame of the Elite Folio is constructed from magnesium, so it feels solid and robust in your hands.
In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio presents an interesting dichotomy as it is all magnesium and aluminum, cool to the touch, and simultaneously durable. Both laptop builds are quite superb.
Winner: It’s a tie in terms of design and quality.
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Performance Overview
Microsoft Surface comes with the latest Intel 11th-generation 35-watt H-series CPU, with options of either a Core i5-11300H or a Core i7-11370H.
Furthermore, the Surface Laptop is powered by the Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU. It offers strong gaming capabilities as well as maxing out other tasks like video and photo rendering.
Microsoft’s new powerhouse laptop is a perfect gaming and productivity 2-in-1 that includes Windows 11.
The Elite Folio has been built differently. So, most of the time, the Elite Folio will be used as a tablet. In that form, it performs much like any other ultra-thin slate with a low-power Snapdragon 8cx processor.
Unfortunately, performance is fine for everyday activities, but you won’t want to run demanding apps or professional programs on it.
Winner: Of course, it’s the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio in terms of performance, productivity, and gaming as well. It offers a range of Memory and Storage options as well.
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Conclusion
The Elite Folio 2-in-1 is a decent option if you are looking for a device that has a long battery life, but the Surface Laptop Studio is simply more powerful.
The biggest takeaway is that a refurbished HP Elite Folio is $949 and a Surface Laptop Studio is $1,200. That is a bit of a price gap but used vs. new always has a premium. And for just $251 more you get a much better, 2-in-1.
For more information on these devices, check out the links below: