The Gigabyte Aorus 5 commands a premium price, offers high performance with a strong processor and dedicated graphics card, ample storage, and is suited for intensive tasks including 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering. However, it's heavier, with shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, priced lower, provides good performance for general use, and has a touchscreen with a higher resolution display in a lighter and more portable design. Its battery lasts longer, but its internals are less capable of handling demanding applications like gaming or professional software frequently used in engineering. 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 5
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.1/10
8.2/10
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 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is superior for gaming and 3D applications due to its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card and a screen that supports a high refresh rate, which offers smoother visuals and better responsiveness in fast-paced scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5, with a high-performing CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a good screen, meets the demands of engineering and design tasks, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with less powerful hardware and a smaller screen, falls short for such intensive tasks despite its advantages in portability and being lighter. The latter's strengths lie in activities that require carrying your laptop around frequently and don't place heavy demands on processing power or graphics capabilities.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and Surface Laptop Go 3 offer displays with adequate brightness and resolution, resulting in clear, crisp visuals for daily tasks such as browsing or document editing. Their color accuracy and wide color gamuts make them suitable for engineering and design work where precise color representation is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops might not provide as smooth an experience as models designed specifically for these purposes, which could hinder gameplay and the fluidity of 3D rendering.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 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
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,359
$791
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a price of $2,359 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $791.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is better for general use due to its more powerful CPU, greater RAM, and dedicated graphics unit, providing speed for multitasking and demanding applications; however, its heavier weight and larger size reduce portability compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers better battery life and is more portable but has a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and relies on integrated graphics, which may not handle intensive tasks as effectively. Additionally, the Aorus 5's larger screen may improve productivity and entertainment experiences, but the Surface Laptop Go 3's smaller, higher-resolution touchscreen and excellent keyboard could be more favorable for on-the-go users and frequent typists.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.3/10
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 5 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
7.3/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 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 5 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 5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
"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 5 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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