The Gigabyte Aorus 15 offers high performance, suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software thanks to its powerful processor, large storage, ample RAM, and dedicated graphics card. However, it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, which impacts portability. Alternatively, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is lighter and has a longer battery life, making it highly portable, with a touchscreen and a higher portability score. Its performance is suited for general use, with satisfactory build quality and speakers. However, it's not designed for the same level of intense tasks as the Aorus 15, given its lesser storage, RAM, and integrated graphics. 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 offers strong performance with a higher-end CPU and more RAM than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which may appeal to users with more intensive processing needs, though it has less battery life and less portability due to its size and weight.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very 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
8.4/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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.
Content Creation
8.0/10
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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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.
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
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 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.
When considering the Gigabyte Aorus 15, its superior resolution and brightness make it an excellent choice for everyday tasks and professional engineering or design work, where detail and vibrant display are crucial. For engineering and design applications, its coverage of color gamuts ensures accurate color representation which is essential for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate impacts the smoothness of fast-moving visuals, which is less than ideal for those specific needs.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 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
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,500
$791
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $791.
The Gigabyte Aorus 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 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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How the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
"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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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.
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