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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is better suited for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering applications due to its powerful processor and high-end graphics card. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is lighter and offers longer battery life, which enhances its portability for general use like browsing and productivity tasks. It has a higher resolution touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that's great for reading and editing documents. If you prioritize mobility and battery life over high-performance computing, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is advisable. 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 17
- 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
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with its more powerful processor, higher RAM, and advanced graphics, handles demanding tasks better, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers better portability and longer battery life due to its smaller size and lower power consumption, but with less storage, lower RAM, and a less capable processor, it may struggle with more intensive applications. The Aorus 17 is also geared towards gaming, which can be overkill for some general users, whereas the Surface Laptop Go 3, with its touchscreen and lightweight design, might appeal more to those prioritizing ease of carry and casual use.
Gaming and AI
8.1
6.1
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
360Hz
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 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, provides a superior gaming and 3D experience. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is equipped with the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and offers a modest refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it less suited for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.4
6.8
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 17 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
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 both feature panels with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them suitable for tasks like browsing and productivity applications that require crisp text and clear visuals. For engineering and design work, these laptops may have the necessary color accuracy with respectable coverage of color gamuts, ensuring that colors are represented accurately and vibrantly. However, for Gaming and 3D uses, their lower refresh rates can make them less ideal, as these activities benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother motion and a more immersive experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$791
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $791.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.5
7.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $791 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"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 17 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.
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