The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is a premium choice with a larger, higher-resolution mini-LED display, and a more powerful Apple M2 Pro processor that excels in general use, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It also has a significantly longer battery life but is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is much less expensive and more portable, with a smaller, lower-resolution touch-enabled IPS display, and an Intel processor suitable for general use. However, it may struggle with more intensive tasks and has a shorter battery life. Consider the MacBook Pro if you need high performance and can handle less portability and a higher price, or the Surface Laptop Go 2 for casual use, touch screen capability, and easier travel at a lower cost. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) boasts a more powerful CPU, larger RAM, and a superior screen, leading to exceptional performance, but it is heavier and less portable. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is more portable and has a touchscreen but offers lower performance due to a less powerful CPU, smaller RAM, and a lower-quality screen.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's higher refresh rate screen and superior GPU make it well-suited for demanding 3D tasks, with performance that outshines the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, which provides a fair experience in gaming and 3D, albeit with a more modest screen refresh rate and integrated GPU that's less capable; however, the latter's compatibility with a wider selection of games due to its Windows operating system could be a deciding factor for some users.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
6.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful M2 Pro processor, substantial RAM, advanced GPU, and high-quality Mini LED screen, providing exceptional performance and visuals necessary for demanding tasks.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent 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
8.9/10
7.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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
9.3/10
6.9/10
16.2in
SIZE
12.4in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's screen provides a high resolution and bright display that enhances the viewing experience for general use, while its wide color gamut supports precision in engineering and design. On the other hand, its lower refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications where fluid motion is key. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a good balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and enough color accuracy for engineering and design, yet it falls short in gaming and 3D performance due to a modest refresh rate.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
Good
Excellent
16.2in
SIZE
12.4in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$565
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
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
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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