The ASUS ROG Strix G15 offers robust performance with a high refresh screen, suitable for intensive gaming and heavy-duty tasks like 3D modeling and machine learning at the expense of portability and longer battery life. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is much lighter and has a longer battery life, integrating a touchscreen with a more compact form factor making it suitable for general use on the go, but it lacks the performance capabilities for demanding tasks and doesn't provide the gaming-optimized features of the ASUS model. Choose the ASUS for performance-demanding tasks and gaming, and the Surface for general mobile use and lighter workloads. 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 Strix G15
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
284.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Strix G15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 offers a high-performing AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and more RAM, making it better suited for demanding tasks, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, affecting portability. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while lighter and offering longer battery life for increased portability, has a less powerful Intel i5 CPU and less RAM, which may not handle intensive applications as effectively.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.0/10
5.6/10
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
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is equipped with a higher-end GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, which is ideal for smooth and responsive gaming and 3D rendering. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is outfitted with an integrated Iris Xe GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offering fair performance suitable for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
6.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
5.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is equipped with a high-performance Ryzen 9 CPU, a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and a higher amount of RAM, all of which are crucial for the demands of engineering and design software; it also has a quality screen though not top-tier. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while highly portable with a lighter weight and longer battery life, houses a less powerful Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, and has less RAM, making it less suitable for intensive tasks, despite its high-resolution touchscreen and excellent portability.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation, though the ASUS ROG Strix G15 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.1/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
284.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for gaming and AI, and content creation.
For general use, you'll find both the ASUS ROG Strix G15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offer pleasing visuals due to their decent resolution and brightness, which makes viewing documents and browsing the web comfortable. They are also suitable for engineering and design work, as they possess a wide color range that's crucial for accurately seeing your projects. However, gamers and those into 3D applications might not find them ideal because of their lower refresh rates, which limit how smooth motion appears on screen.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 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
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,249
$565
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 has a price of $1,249 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.8/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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 ASUS ROG Strix G15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
"The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is a successful high-performance 15-inch laptop. The Asus ROG Strix impresses with an elaborate design and fast hardware. The latter can unleash its potential well in the large 15-inch case and achieve a decent performance boost compared to the previous generation. Especially the stunning 300 Hz display as well as the RTX 3070 and its generous TDP give gamers their money's worth. Asus didn't neglect seemingly small details, either, such as the keyboard and the maintenance options. The ROG Strix G15 offers a lot of pure performance and excellent workmanship in a 15-inch format, but connectivity leaves something to be desired."
"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 Strix G15 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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