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Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance is a priority, especially for demanding tasks like 3D modeling, gaming, or engineering software, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is a strong choice, as it generally offers higher computing power. However, if portability and budget are more important to you, you'll find the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be lighter, more affordable, and with suitable performance for general use such as web browsing, office applications, and media consumption. The ROG will likely have a shorter battery life due to its more powerful hardware, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 2 is designed for longer use on a single charge. Keep in mind, though, the Surface may struggle with more intense applications due to less powerful internals compared to the ROG. 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 ASUS ROG Flow X13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.1
7.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 excels in performance with more powerful CPU and GPU, greater RAM, and superior screen quality, making it versatile for various tasks but at the cost of being less portable and having average battery life. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers excellent portability due to its lighter weight and compact size, with fair screen quality, but it's limited by less RAM and a less powerful processor, making it suitable for lighter use.
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.0
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a screen with a higher refresh rate of 165Hz, providing smoother visuals and better graphics performance, compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 which uses the Intel i5-1135G7 Iris Xe GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, resulting in fair gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.5
6.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 stands out for engineering and design use because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, which results in better overall performance for demanding tasks. Additionally, the Flow X13 has a higher quality screen with better resolution and color accuracy, making it suitable for detail-intensive work, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 2 is lighter and more portable with quieter operating noise, appealing for on-the-go use and everyday tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.1
9.2/10
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 ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.0
7.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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
8.4
6.9
13.4in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 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 ASUS ROG Flow X13 provides a combination of high resolution and brightness, along with a panel type that offers wide viewing angles and vibrant colors, making it ideal for everyday tasks. When it comes to engineering and design work, the same laptop offers extensive color gamuts, ensuring that professionals can see a wide range of colors accurately, which is crucial for detailed visual work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness and responsiveness of the visuals, which is less than optimal for high-speed gaming where every fraction of a second counts.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good 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
$2,500
$565
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a price of $2,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 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
Very Good
Excellent
13.4in
SIZE
12.4in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to have excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Flow X13 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,500 | $565 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.87 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.77" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.35" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 511 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 7.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Flow X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2021
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
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 ASUS ROG Flow X13 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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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