If you prefer a more affordable laptop for basic tasks like browsing and document editing, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is lightweight and suitable for those needs. However, if you require a laptop for more intensive tasks like engineering software, 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, and you're willing to invest more, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers powerful performance, a high-quality display, and additional versatility as it can be used as both a laptop and a drawing tablet but is heavier and less portable. The Surface also provides a longer battery life, which is beneficial if you're often on-the-go without access to power outlets. 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 Vivobook Go 12
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a weaker CPU, less RAM, a lower quality screen, and shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which results in poorer performance and lesser suitability for general use. Additionally, while the ASUS model is more portable, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a significantly better and larger high-resolution touchscreen display, more storage, a higher quality keyboard, and superior speaker quality, making it much more appealing for a range of activities including entertainment, productivity, and creative work.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
7.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12, with its Intel UHD Graphics 600 and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, falls short for gaming and 3D applications in comparison to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, which boasts a Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a 120Hz screen refresh rate, offering a significantly smoother and more visually detailed experience.
Engineering and Design
5.3/10
8.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a basic Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and an entry-level integrated GPU, with a lower-resolution TN screen, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks that require robust processing, multitasking capabilities, and high-quality graphics.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7/10
8.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1/10
7.9/10
11.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 excels with its high-resolution, bright display, and superior panel technology, offering a more comfortable and vivid viewing experience compared to the ASUS Vivobook Go 12's lower resolution and brightness. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is better for engineering and design due to its wider color gamut coverage, providing more accurate colors necessary for professional creative work, unlike the Vivobook Go 12, which falls short in color precision. However, for 3D and gaming, the Surface Laptop Studio 2's limited refresh rate holds it back from delivering the smoother visuals that are less critical for general use and professional design but essential for high-paced gaming or 3D animation.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
Excellent
Good
11.6in
SIZE
14.4in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$267
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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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