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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is more expensive and offers powerful performance suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. It comes with dedicated graphics, a high refresh rate display, and is built for heavy workloads, but it is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is significantly lighter and cheaper, making it more portable and well-suited for everyday tasks, multimedia consumption, and entry-level productivity with its touch-enabled display. However, it has a less powerful processor, less RAM, and limited graphics capabilities, which makes it less suitable for demanding software or games. 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 Predator Helios 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.5
6.0
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is suited for gaming and 3D because it has a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with hardware ray tracing and a high screen refresh rate, which results in smoother visuals and better gaming performance. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a much less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.7
6.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and GPU, a larger amount of RAM, and a higher quality screen, all of which are very important for performance in engineering and design tasks. On the other hand, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers enhanced portability and lower operating noise, it falls short in CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality, which are critical for such intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.1
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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
7.9
7.0
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.8
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios 16 offers a vibrant display with higher resolution and brightness, making text and images crisp and easy to view; the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a lesser resolution but still provides a clear and bright image adequate for day-to-day tasks. The Helios 16's display covers a wider color gamut, essential for precision in engineering and design work, whereas the Laptop Go 2's color accuracy, while acceptable, falls behind for professional design standards. For gaming and 3D applications, the Helios 16's lower refresh rate can make fast-paced visuals appear less smooth, while the Laptop Go 2's poorer screen attributes, including the refresh rate, significantly detract from the immersive experience and responsiveness needed in these environments.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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
Fair
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,236
$774
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,236 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 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 | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 16
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Dig into reviews and images
IGN
Samuel Horti | June 2023
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
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 Predator Helios 16 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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