When deciding between the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, consider your primary needs. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13, being a gaming-oriented device, offers higher performance suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. However, it comes at a higher price point and may not be as portable due to its gaming-centric design. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is more affordable, lightweight, and portable, making it a good choice for general use like web browsing, office applications, and on-the-go tasks. Its battery life is also likely to be better since it's designed for more casual use, but it won't handle demanding tasks as effectively as the ASUS model. Consider these tradeoffs to decide which laptop aligns better with your usage patterns and budget. 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 Z13
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
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers a more powerful CPU and more RAM, which are very important for general use, leading to higher performance in multitasking and demanding applications compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. The Z13 also boasts a higher quality screen, but these advantages come at the cost of shorter battery life and reduced portability relative to the lighter and more battery-efficient Surface Laptop Go 2.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.0/10
6.2/10
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
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 outperforms the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for engineering and design use due to its significantly more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, which are very important for such tasks, along with a higher-quality screen offering better resolution, higher color accuracy, and more brightness. While both laptops have commendable portability, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is slightly lighter and quieter, traits somewhat important for general use, but it falls short on the critical hardware specs required for demanding engineering software.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.1/10
9.5/10
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 Z13 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
8.0/10
7.0/10
9.5/10
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 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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
8.4/10
6.9/10
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 Z13 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.
When considering screen quality for general use, factors like clear resolution and ample brightness are crucial, which the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, though satisfactory, doesn't match up in clarity or luminosity. For engineering and design work, the wide color gamuts offered by the ASUS cater to precision in color-sensitive tasks, providing richer and more accurate color reproduction than the Surface Laptop Go 2. However, for gaming and 3D applications where swift action is key, the ASUS lags due to a lower refresh rate that can't keep up with fast-paced visuals, while the Surface, despite sharing this downside, doesn't set high expectations as a gaming device to begin with.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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
$1,575
$565
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a price of $1,575 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
"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 Z13 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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