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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or doing intensive engineering tasks, the Acer Predator Triton 300 with its powerful graphics card and processor may be the better option; however, it's heavier and has shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. On the other hand, if you prefer a lightweight, more portable device with longer battery life and a touchscreen, then the Surface Laptop Go 3 may be more suitable despite its less powerful internals, which are more aligned with general use and not as well-suited for demanding tasks or gaming. The Surface Laptop also tends to be less expensive, which can make it a compelling choice for everyday tasks and budget-conscious users. 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 Triton 300
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1
6.1
6.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Triton 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Triton 300 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high 144Hz screen refresh rate, making it better suited for demanding gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers fair performance for less intensive gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
6.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
6.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Triton 300 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Triton 300 is equipped with a higher-end CPU and dedicated GPU, making it better suited for CPU-intensive and graphic-dependent engineering tasks compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which has a mid-range CPU and integrated graphics. Additionally, the Predator has a larger screen with a high refresh rate, providing better screen quality, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 3 offers greater portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, but its hardware is less capable for demanding engineering software.
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering screen quality for general use, both the Acer Predator Triton 300 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 have panels with good resolution and brightness, making them suitable for daily tasks like web browsing and document editing. For engineering and design, the importance of accurate color reproduction means that both laptops, having displays that encompass a wide range of colors within the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spaces, can reliably handle tasks requiring color precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops may result in less fluid visuals compared to models specifically designed with higher refresh rates, crucial for these immersive experiences.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Triton 300 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,150
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Triton 300 has a price of $1,150 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $800.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Predator Triton 300 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Triton 300 provides better performance for general use with its higher RAM capacity and more powerful CPU than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which still offers good performance but may be slower with multitasking or demanding applications. Additionally, despite the Predator's lesser portability due to its larger size and heavier weight, it compensates with a larger, high-refresh-rate screen, making it suitable for immersive video and gaming experiences, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 3 shines in portability and longer battery life, better suited for on-the-go use with lighter workloads.
Content Creation
7.3
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Triton 300 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
7.1
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Acer Predator Triton 300 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Acer Predator Triton 300 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 Triton 300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Triton 300 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,150 | $800 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.9'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.9" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 720p | 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 | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Triton 300
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | December 2020
"In our particular review configuration, the Acer Predator Triton 300 turned out to be a fairly powerful gaming notebook. Both CPU and GPU performance were at a high level, and the aluminum case turned out to be fairly robust. Only the display lid could have been a bit more robust. For customers on a budget that do not mind tinkering with the device’s fan management the Acer Predator Triton 300 can be worth a closer look."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Triton 300 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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