Let's consider your options. The Eluktronics RP-15, being more expensive, offers a larger screen, higher resolution, and significantly better gaming or heavy task performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics. It's suitable for demanding engineering programs and 3D tasks but is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is more affordable with better battery life and portability due to its smaller, lighter design, and integrated Intel graphics. It's ideal for general use like internet browsing, document editing, or casual photo editing, but not 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 Eluktronics RP-15
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Eluktronics RP-15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
8.2/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Eluktronics RP-15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Eluktronics RP-15 is equipped with a high-end CPU, ample RAM, and a dedicated GPU which makes it more suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 that has a mid-range CPU and integrated graphics, with less RAM, emphasizing portability and casual use over intensive workloads. Additionally, the RP-15's better screen quality provides enhanced visuals that are crucial for design work, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 3 offers fair screen quality, suitable for general use but potentially limiting for detailed engineering graphics.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Eluktronics RP-15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Eluktronics RP-15's superior resolution and panel type offer crisp imagery and wide viewing angles, making it an excellent choice for browsing, video streaming, and productivity tasks, while the Surface Laptop Go 3 offers a balance of good screen quality with a focus on portability. With engineering and design work in mind, the RP-15's wider color gamut ensures more accurate color reproduction, which is crucial for detailed design work, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 3 maintains good color accuracy but may not fully satisfy professional design standards. However, gamers and those engaged in 3D work might find the RP-15 less appealing due to its lower refresh rate, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced games and animations, while the Surface Laptop Go 3 would likewise struggle due to similar limitations, both not being optimized for such high-intensity graphical tasks.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Eluktronics RP-15 has 6 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.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
4.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Eluktronics RP-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
$1,399
$789
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Eluktronics RP-15 has a price of $1,399 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $789.
The Eluktronics RP-15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
The Eluktronics RP-15 boasts a stronger CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a higher-resolution screen, making it well-suited for demanding tasks, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, which affects portability. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offers more portability due to its lower weight and longer battery life, but its performance and screen resolution are lower, which makes it fair for general use compared to the RP-15.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Eluktronics RP-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
7.4/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Eluktronics RP-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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Eluktronics RP-15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
"To conclude, I’m genuinely impressed with Eluktronics and what they have been able to deliver with the RP-15. You see this is all about maximizing performance, cooling, and giving users the most flexible I/O, and then wrapping it into a chassis that doesn’t feel super cheap. Let’s also not forget the price point, I think they have really nailed it in that department."
"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 Eluktronics RP-15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
About Eluktronics
Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.
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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.