For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is a solid choice, offering a high-performance Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a fast 165Hz display, albeit with a slightly higher price tag and less battery life compared to the Surface Laptop. However, if you prioritize a premium business laptop experience with a touchscreen, excellent color accuracy, and longer battery life, suitable for general use and light gaming, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" with its sleek design and Windows 11 Pro operating system would be more appropriate. It's also more portable and has a unique 3:2 aspect ratio screen, which is great for productivity. 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 G16
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Very good overall display quality
Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.3/10
7.8/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
291.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,374
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a price of $1,374 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.8/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" are both good for content creation.
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
7.8/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and ASUS ROG Strix G16 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Strix G16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
"With the mobile Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, the Asus ROG Stix G16 hits the sweet spot between performance and cooling. The G16 also does not have to shy away from direct comparison with its supposedly stronger family member, the ROG Strix Scar 18 with its RTX 4090, as most benchmarks of the two laptops are very close to each other. Moreover, the G16 should be significantly cheaper. Depending on the supplier, the price difference here could be almost US$ 2,000. In the 2023 model series, Asus has significantly leveled out the differences between the two high-end lines."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,895
Recommendations made
22,078
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.