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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620, generally more affordable, is better equipped for tasks that demand more power, such as engineering or 3D tasks, with its higher RAM and storage capacity. It also provides a larger screen size and a numeric keypad, but it is heavier and thus less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, slightly more expensive, offers a more compact and lightweight solution with a high-resolution touchscreen and better portability. It's more suited for general use and mobility, but its smaller storage and less RAM might not be ideal for intensive tasks. 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 Dell Inspiron 16 5620
- Good for engineering and design
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.7
7.0
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620, with higher RAM and a larger, quality display, provides smoother multitasking and a better visual experience for general use, while its larger size and modest battery life may reduce portability. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers great portability thanks to its smaller size and lighter weight, but compromises with less RAM and a smaller screen, which may affect performance and user experience for more demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.5
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 offers double the RAM, significantly more storage, and a larger screen with higher resolution, which are very important for engineering and design tasks, subsequently offering better performance and screen quality for those uses.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 provides adequate resolution and brightness, but the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a superior panel that offers sharper images and better color reproduction. In engineering and design, the Surface Laptop Go 2 stands out with its higher color accuracy important for detailed work, though the Dell is serviceable for less color-critical tasks. For gaming and 3D, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, but they could still handle less demanding visual tasks.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$565
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has a price of $500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both use integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, not discrete GPUs, with standard 60Hz screen refresh rates, which is why they're only fair for gaming and 3D applications. While the Inspiron has a larger screen with higher resolution providing a wider workspace and potentially better visual detail, the Surface Laptop's smaller, touch-enabled screen offers a different experience with higher portability due to its lesser weight and size.
Content Creation
7.6
7.1
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.5
7.0
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has 8 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5620 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $565 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.68'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.12 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1235U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 265 nits | 401 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 | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 16 5620
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Stuff
Brett Venter | January 2023
"If the world is exciting enough right now, you can do far worse than a solid performer that you know will get the job done. Our review model is as powerful as you'd want an office machine to be unless you're performing specialist tasks and the price point is pretty attractive (unless work will let you have a MacBook Air instead)."
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 Dell Inspiron 16 5620 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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