The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications given its powerful processor and high-end graphics card. However, it is expensive and has lower portability due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is more affordable and highly portable with better battery life, making it a good fit for general use, web browsing, and productivity tasks. It also has a touchscreen, but it's less powerful, meaning it's not ideal for heavy-duty computing tasks like gaming or heavy programming. Choose the ASUS if power and gaming are priorities, or the Surface Laptop Go if you prefer portability, price, and battery life for everyday tasks. 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 Scar 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
283.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a powerful CPU and more RAM, which makes it better for demanding tasks and multitasking, but its heavier build and shorter battery life make it less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers improved portability and longer battery life but has a less capable CPU and less RAM, making it more suitable for lighter use. The ASUS's screen quality is good for general use, though not exceptional, while the Surface's smaller and touch-enabled screen provides a higher quality viewing experience due to its higher pixel density and brightness, albeit in a less traditional aspect ratio.
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
6.1/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
8.5/10
6.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is better suited for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality, which are crucial for demanding software, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has modest hardware and is tailored for tasks that require less computing power, offering greater portability but at the cost of lower performance in intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offer displays with sufficient resolution and brightness to make text clear and images vivid, making both laptops suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and streaming video. For engineering and design, these laptops also cover a broad range of colors, providing the accuracy needed for tasks like photo editing or CAD work; however, professional designers might demand even higher color accuracy and a wider color gamut than what these laptops provide. As for gaming and 3D applications, the refresh rates on these laptops are not as high as dedicated gaming laptops, which means they're less capable of delivering the very smooth visuals that fast-paced games or high-speed 3D simulations usually require.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
Fair
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$791
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $791.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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 Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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 Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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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