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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 offers more storage and memory, making it suited for intensive engineering tasks and multitasking, but it's heavier and less portable. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is lighter and more portable, which may appeal if you're always on the move, but with less storage and memory, it's less equipped for demanding tasks. The Dell has a larger display which might be more comfortable for long hours of work, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 2's smaller screen is more travel-friendly. Both have similar battery life, touchscreens, and build quality, but differ in their performance and portability. 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 5625
- 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 5625 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 is better equipped for general use with a larger screen, more memory, higher storage, and a powerful CPU that can handle various tasks efficiently, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, despite its exceptional portability and higher screen brightness, falls short in performance due to lower memory and storage, and less powerful CPU, which can limit multitasking and data-intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
6.5
6.8/10
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 5625 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
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 5625 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.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625, with its fair screen quality, offers a balance for general activities, providing adequate resolution and brightness without standing out, but for engineering and design, its limited color accuracy may not render the full spectrum needed for precise work. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2's good screen quality benefits general use and design tasks with higher resolution and brightness with better color reproduction, making visuals more vibrant and detailed. However, for gaming and 3D, neither laptop excels due to their screens' standard refresh rates, which fall short of providing the smooth visuals that high-refresh panels offer for fast-paced scenes.
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 5625 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 5625 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.
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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 5625 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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.
Content Creation
7.6
7.1
6.8/10
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 5625 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
6.8/10
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 5625 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 5625 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.
Cost
$800
$774
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has a price of $800 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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How the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5625 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$800 | $774 | ||
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 | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | 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 5625
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Dig into reviews and images
Ultrabook Review
Derek Sullivan | January 2023
"I think there is fair value in the Inspiron 16 this year. Very little has changed with the laptop and my opinion hasn’t really changed either. In other words, I like it. Overall, I think the pros far outweigh the cons of this laptop and the price is certainly justifiable. I found this to be a great typer and I could potentially work all day on this machine, provided I don’t need a graphics card."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
See more
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 5625 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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