The ASUS ROG Flow X16 offers high-end performance suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning thanks to its powerful AMD processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is more portable and has a longer battery life but is less powerful, making it more suitable for general use and lighter tasks. The Flow X16 also has a larger, higher resolution and brighter touchscreen with greater color accuracy, which benefits creative tasks, but it comes at a higher price. 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 X16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
502.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 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
7.6/10
6.0/10
7.2/10
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
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 excels for gaming and 3D tasks with its high-performance AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, coupled with a high refresh rate screen, making it preferable for fast-paced games and rendering. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 with an Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, alongside a standard refresh rate display, makes it just fair for gaming and 3D applications, offering a more budget-friendly option with adequate, but not as powerful, capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
6.5/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 excels in engineering and design tasks due to its high-performance CPU, ample RAM, powerful GPU, and superior screen quality, key for rendering and multitasking. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more portable and offering a relatively good keyboard and quieter operation, sacrifices performance and screen quality, which are crucial for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.1/10
8.1/10
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 X16 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
7.7/10
7.0/10
8.1/10
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 X16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development, though the ASUS ROG Flow X16 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
8.5/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 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 has a high-resolution, bright display with a panel type that delivers vivid colors and sharp images, making it ideal for daily tasks and multimedia, while the Surface offers good clarity and brightness at a more affordable price point. In engineering and design, the ASUS excels with wide color gamuts ensuring accurate color representation crucial for professional workflows, whereas the Surface provides decent color coverage suitable for less demanding design tasks. However, for gaming and 3D, the ASUS’s lower refresh rate can result in less smooth visuals compared to models designed specifically for these purposes, and the Surface also falls short in this area, not catering to gaming-grade performance.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 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
16.0in
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 ASUS ROG Flow X16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 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
$1,300
$565
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average performance."
"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 X16 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.
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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