The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is a top-tier gaming and engineering laptop with a high-performance processor and graphics card, offering unparalleled speed and power for intensive tasks and gaming. Its large, high-refresh-rate display with excellent color coverage is ideal for fast-paced action and professional-grade visual work. However, it's heavy, has a short battery life, and isn't very portable, making it less suitable for on-the-go use.
In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is a versatile, mid-range laptop with a touchscreen and a more compact design, making it highly portable and suitable for general use, including light gaming and creative work. It has a lower performance ceiling compared to the ASUS, but it's more than capable for everyday tasks and even some light engineering work. Its battery life is longer, and it's designed for business users who value a premium build and a better balance between performance and portability.
Choose the ASUS if you prioritize raw power and performance for gaming or demanding engineering tasks and don't mind a bulkier, less travel-friendly device. Opt for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 if you need a balance of performance and portability, with a focus on general productivity and business use, and appreciate a longer battery life and touchscreen functionality. 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 G18 (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.7/10
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.7/10
6.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
240Hz
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 G18 (2024) is very 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
9.2/10
7.8/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is excellent 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.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.8/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.5/10
7.8/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.7/10
8.1/10
18.0in
SIZE
15.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Poor
Good
18.0in
SIZE
15.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,203
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has a price of $2,203 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) 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.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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