The Asus Vivobook Go 14 offers a more budget-friendly option with respectable performance for everyday tasks and casual use. It’s larger and heavier, which might be a consideration if portability is important. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is pricier but provides higher performance, and a sharper screen, and is lighter, which makes it more portable. It has a better battery and is equipped with a higher quality camera for video calls. Choose the Asus if cost is the primary concern or if the laptop’s primary use will be basic tasks; select the Surface if performance and portability are priorities, and you need a machine better suited for intensive tasks like engineering or creative work. 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 14
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 offers a more powerful Intel i7 processor, double the memory, and higher screen resolution and quality which drives its better performance for general use over the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 which has a mid-range AMD Ryzen 3 processor and less RAM; the Surface Laptop 5 is also slightly lighter and has a marginally longer battery life, enhancing its portability, although the Vivobook Go 14 is assessed to have excellent heat management.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
7.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14, with a less powerful AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and 8GB RAM, along with an entry-level AMD Radeon GPU, is insufficient for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which boasts a more robust Intel i7 CPU with double the RAM at 16GB and a superior Intel Iris Xe GPU coupled with a higher resolution screen that offers better clarity and color accuracy for intricate designs. While the ASUS offers a slightly larger screen size, the superior CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality of the Surface Laptop 5 make it a better fit for engineering and design professionals who need high-performance hardware and display fidelity.
Content Creation
6.5/10
7.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is only fair.
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
6.4/10
7.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is only fair.
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
6.2/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14, with its fair screen attributes like resolution and brightness, provides an adequate display for regular tasks but may not bring out the vibrancy and detail needed for precision engineering work or the immersive experience desired in gaming. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" steps up with a higher quality display that offers clearer and more accurate visuals, crucial for detailed engineering and design projects, although it falls short in gaming due to a lower refresh rate. Both laptops lack the high refresh rate that gamers and 3D designers seek for a smooth and responsive visual experience.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$450
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has a price of $450 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has a less capable AMD Radeon 610M GPU and lower screen pixel density, which limits its performance and visual detail for gaming and 3D applications, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" includes a more proficient Intel Iris Xe GPU and a higher resolution screen, offering better gaming and 3D experiences within a fair performance range.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has 7 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"The lack of a backlit keyboard in this price segment shouldn't sway the buyer the other way. However, it still comes down to user preference. The Vivobook Go 14 is a decent laptop in an extremely competitive price segment. A few omissions are a part of the balancing to reach the price segment. The Asus Vivobook Go 14 is a rare find when it comes to the price to performance ratio."
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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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