For intensive tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or engineering work, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is the better choice with its powerful processor and graphics card, providing strong performance. However, it's heavier and not as portable as the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers more lightweight convenience. If you prioritize battery life and portability over performance, and your tasks are more general use like web browsing, office applications, and streaming videos, the Surface Laptop Go 3 would be a more suitable and budget-friendly option. Keep in mind that the gaming capabilities and processing power will be limited on the Surface Laptop Go 3 compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A15. 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 TUF Gaming A15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
271.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is equipped with higher RAM and a more powerful CPU and GPU, making it better suited for multitasking and demanding applications, but its larger screen size and higher weight decrease its portability compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. The Surface Laptop Go 3, while offering lower storage and less powerful internals, has higher portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, and its display provides better brightness, but its smaller battery capacity results in shorter battery life compared to the ASUS model.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers superior gaming and 3D performance thanks to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, essential for smoother gameplay and visual tasks. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, provides fair performance, better suited for less demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, substantial RAM, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and good screen quality, which are crucial for such tasks. In contrast, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offers excellent portability and touch screen feature with its smaller and lighter design, it has a less robust Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, limiting its ability to handle demanding engineering and design software.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
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 TUF Gaming A15 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
7.2/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
271.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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.
For general use, both the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offer screens with sufficient resolution, brightness, and panel quality to ensure a comfortable viewing experience for tasks like browsing or document editing. In engineering and design, both laptops provide adequate color coverage to satisfy the needs of color-sensitive work, although professional designers may seek even higher color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as their refresh rates are lower than what's ideal for smooth motion rendering, and while their resolutions and panel types are acceptable, they don't align with the higher standards expected by gaming enthusiasts.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 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
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$788
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a price of $2,059 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $788.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
"With the release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
"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 TUF Gaming A15 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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