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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
- The ASUS Zenbook 14 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.4
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is adequate for general use due to its fair balance of CPU performance, sufficient RAM, and decent screen quality, but it has less portability due to a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. The Surface Laptop Go 2 offers greater portability with better battery life and a touchscreen display, but comes with a smaller storage capacity and less powerful GPU, which makes it less suitable for demanding graphics tasks yet still fair for everyday activities.
Software Development
6.4
7.0
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 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
6.7
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14's display offers sufficient clarity, brightness, and color that will suit most day-to-day activities, while the Surface Laptop Go 2's display also provides a pleasant visual experience with good brightness and crisp images. In engineering and design, the ASUS Zenbook may offer wider color coverage imperative for detailed work, but both deliver enough performance for such tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lack of a high refresh rate on both machines means they fall short for a smooth, responsive experience that these activities usually demand.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 6 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.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.0
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
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with a more capable GPU, handles gaming and 3D tasks better; however, its screen refresh rate may limit the smoothness in fast-paced visuals. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more lightweight and with a high-quality screen, is less suited for intensive gaming or 3D work due to a less powerful GPU and moderate refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.3
6.5
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a dedicated Nvidia MX450 GPU and a larger storage capacity, which may enhance performance in engineering and design applications compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, which has an integrated Iris Xe GPU and less storage. However, the Surface Laptop Go 2 has a higher-resolution touchscreen and superior contrast, possibly providing better screen quality for design work, alongside greater portability due to its smaller size and weight.
Content Creation
6.8
7.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to have excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and ASUS Zenbook 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$570
$565
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $570 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 14 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$570 | $565 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.65'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.91 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.56" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.27" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 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 | 250 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"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 Zenbook 14 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.
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Why trust us
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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