The Asus Vivobook Go 15 offers a budget-friendly option with sufficient capabilities for basic tasks and general use, such as browsing the internet, working with office applications, and media consumption. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" comes at a higher price but provides a boost in performance and is better suited for more demanding applications like engineering software, graphic design, intensive multitasking, and has a higher quality display. The Surface Laptop also offers better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight. In summary, if you seek better performance and portability and are willing to pay a premium, the Surface Laptop is the superior choice; if you are looking for an affordable laptop for everyday tasks, the Asus may be the appropriate selection. 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 15
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 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
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 has lower CPU performance, less RAM, a lower quality TN screen, and shorter battery life, which are drawbacks for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a more powerful CPU, more RAM, a higher quality IPS touchscreen, and longer battery life, contributing to a better overall user experience.
Gaming and AI
5.5/10
6.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is poor.
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
5.4/10
7.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 has a lower-end Intel Celeron processor, basic integrated graphics, and a lower-quality TN screen, which render it less capable for demanding engineering and design tasks, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" features a more powerful Intel Core i7 processor, better integrated Iris Xe graphics, and a high-resolution IPS screen that provide the performance and display quality needed for such applications. Additionally, the Surface Laptop boasts higher RAM, enhancing multitasking and complex software operations, which is crucial for engineering and design work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 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
5.9/10
7.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 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
5.2/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 likely has a lower resolution and less vibrant panel, which leads to a lackluster display for all use cases, while its basic screen attributes fail to meet the demands of engineering tasks or provide the color accuracy needed for design software. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a higher resolution and brighter screen, important for clarity and visibility in general use, and it includes a more accurate color representation which benefits professional engineering and design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite decent resolution and panel type, the Surface Laptop falls short due to its lower refresh rate, which is crucial for the smooth visuals gamers and 3D modelers rely on.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and ASUS Vivobook Go 15 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$240
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 has a price of $240 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
"The Asus Vivobook Go 15 is a good option if you’re looking for one device to tackle a bunch of smaller problems. For simple school studies, portable evening entertainment or distractions, and getting household admin or light office workloads out of the way, it’s a great little package with respectable battery life, and a great contender for the advent of cloud gaming."
"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 15 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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