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Updated January 10, 2024·
If affordability is a priority and you require more storage, the Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger storage capacity. It's also beneficial for tasks that benefit from a larger 17-inch screen, like browsing and multi-tasking, but this size reduces its portability. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while providing lesser storage, offers better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it convenient for carrying around. However, it has a smaller screen that may not be as comfortable for extended viewing or multitasking. It does include touchscreen capability, which might enhance interaction for certain users. For those who prioritize a balance of performance and battery life over screen size, the Surface Laptop Go 2 could be the better choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its fair screen quality, strikes a balance between resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks, but it may not sustain the vibrancy and precision required for high-end engineering and design due to limited color gamut. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 provides a higher-quality display that enhances general use and professional engineering design work with better color accuracy and brightness. However, both laptops fall short for 3D tasks and gaming, as they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth, immersive visuals that these applications demand.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$565
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with a larger screen and higher battery capacity, is rated good for general use because it offers a spacious view and longer usage time, but it's less portable due to its larger size and weight. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is considered fair for general use because it's highly portable with a smaller, touch-enabled screen and lighter build, yet it falls short with less storage capacity and a smaller battery which translates to slightly better battery life but possibly limiting for more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are judged to be fair for gaming and 3D tasks, likely due to their integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics which provide modest graphical capabilities but fall short of the performance delivered by dedicated gaming GPUs. Both have a common screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate for casual gaming but not ideal for high-frame-rate competitive play; the Acer offers a larger 17.3-inch screen, which may enhance the visual experience, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 2's smaller 12.4-inch screen offers higher portability.
Engineering and Design
6.7
6.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger screen and greater storage capacity, which are beneficial for engineering and design, but it might feel bulky for users needing portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is highly portable and has a high-resolution touchscreen which is advantageous for design tasks, yet its smaller storage capacity could be a limiting factor for some engineering applications. Both have similar CPU, RAM, and integrated GPU, placing them at a comparable level for fair performance in engineering and design usage.
Content Creation
7.2
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.2
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $565 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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