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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has higher storage capacity and RAM, which may provide better performance for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or heavy multitasking. Its processor also offers good performance for such activities. However, it's bulkier and heavier, making it less ideal for frequent travel. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is lighter and more portable, with a unique screen ratio that can be better for document reading and web browsing. Its performance may suffice for everyday use and its design may appeal to those looking for a compact device. If the main goal is performance for demanding tasks, the ASUS Vivobook might be preferred, but if portability and a compact design are priorities, the Surface Laptop Go could be more suitable. 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 S 15
- Good for engineering and design
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15's screen may be sufficient for general use and engineering due to decent resolution and color accuracy but falls short for gaming and 3D applications because of its lower refresh rate. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offers a more vibrant and sharp display, beneficial for both general use and detailed engineering work, thanks to its higher resolution and wider color coverage. However, like the Vivobook, the Laptop Go 3 also lacks a high refresh rate, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D tasks where smooth motion is key.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
$908
$789
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $908 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $789.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.1
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
7.1
6.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 to be good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15, with its powerful AMD Ryzen processor, ample RAM, and robust integrated graphics, is better equipped for the demands of engineering and design applications compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which has a less powerful Intel processor, less RAM, and its graphics are weaker by comparison.
Content Creation
7.6
7.3
7.4/10
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 Vivobook S 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
7.4
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 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.
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How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook S 15 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$908 | $789 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.17" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 70 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook S 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | February 2023
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"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 Vivobook S 15 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.
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