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Updated January 10, 2024·
When deciding between the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, consider your primary needs. The Zenbook Pro 16X offers higher performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, but comes at a higher cost and weighs more, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is more affordable, lightweight, and has enough power for general use, like web browsing, watching videos, and light productivity tasks. It also tends to have a longer battery life but may struggle with more demanding applications. If you frequently travel or need a laptop for simple tasks, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is a good choice, but if you require high performance for specialized work, the Zenbook Pro 16X is a better fit despite being more expensive and heavier. 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 Zenbook Pro 16X
- 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
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.0
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
354.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is rated as very good for general use because it has a powerful CPU and a larger amount of RAM, which directly improves performance, along with a high-resolution OLED screen for outstanding color and image quality. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while being more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size, has a less powerful CPU and less RAM, and an IPS screen with lower resolution, resulting in a fair rating for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.0
6.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
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
8.6
6.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
6.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is superior for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, higher-end GPU, and OLED screen with much higher resolution, making it ideal for tasks that demand intense graphical and computational performance. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more portable and quiet, falls short with a less capable processor, less RAM, integrated graphics, and an IPS screen with lower resolution, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks but more for everyday use and on-the-go work.
Content Creation
8.5
7.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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
8.2
7.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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
8.3
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
354.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness, making for a crisp and clear image suitable for a variety of tasks, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 provides a decent display but with lower resolution and brightness. In engineering and design, the Zenbook's superior color accuracy, covering a wide range of color gamuts, ensures that professionals see precise color representation, a feature not as prominent in the Surface Laptop Go 2. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the ASUS's screen is held back by a lower refresh rate which is less ideal for the fast-paced visuals, a limitation that the Surface also shares.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has 7 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,300
$774
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a price of $1,300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.7'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 96 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 354 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | 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 Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marc Herter, Alex Wätzel | November 2023
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
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 Pro 16X 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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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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