The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers higher storage capacity and more RAM than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, making it suitable for gaming and intensive engineering tasks. It features a dedicated GPU, larger screen, and higher refresh rate, enhancing its performance for 3D rendering and machine learning; however, it's heavier and less portable. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is more portable with a higher portability score, touchscreen, and brighter display, making it ideal for general use and tasks that benefit from a touchscreen, but it's not as well-suited for intensive tasks due to its lower specifications. 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 A16
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
7.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, making it better suited for demanding tasks and multitasking, along with a larger and faster refresh screen, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.0/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.7/10
6.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is better suited for engineering and design primarily because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a dedicated higher-end GPU compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, making it more capable of handling demanding tasks and graphics-intensive applications; additionally, it offers a larger and higher-quality screen. However, the Surface Laptop Go 2 leads in portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, along with a touchscreen feature, but at the cost of performance and screen size which are crucial for engineering and design work.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offer resolutions and brightness levels that provide clear and vivid image quality, along with panel types that support wider viewing angles. When considering engineering and design, both laptops cover a range of color gamuts ensuring that colors are accurately represented for tasks like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, their lower refresh rates may result in less smooth visuals compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates specifically for gaming.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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 2 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$838
$565
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.3/10
7.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
"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 TUF Gaming A16 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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