Choosing between the HP 14" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 involves weighing portability against storage and performance. The HP laptop generally costs less, offers twice the amount of storage, and has higher performance for general use, engineering tasks, and 3D/machine learning applications when compared to the Surface Laptop Go 2. However, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is lighter, more portable, and offers a better screen, with touch capability and a higher resolution for better image clarity. If long battery life is crucial, both laptops offer similar battery capacity. Consider the tradeoffs between budget, performance, and the need for a lightweight, touch-enabled screen when making your decision. 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 HP 14" Laptop
The HP 14" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.3/10
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the HP 14" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The HP 14" Laptop's screen provides adequate clarity and brightness for everyday tasks and basic engineering software, but its limited color range and lower resolution may not be optimal for precision design work. While the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a richer display with better resolution and wider color coverage, meeting the needs for detailed engineering and design tasks, it still lacks the high refresh rate sought by gamers and professionals working with 3D applications. Both screens fall short for gaming and 3D rendering due to their lower refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion and a more immersive experience.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
3.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the HP 14" Laptop has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality, while the HP 14" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$565
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The HP 14" Laptop has a price of $418 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be good for general use, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 14" Laptop, with its larger screen and higher resolution, offers a superior visual experience compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, but the latter provides better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight. Both laptops have similar battery life and RAM, with the HP having a more powerful CPU and more storage, while the Surface Laptop Go 2 boasts a higher quality touchscreen display and better speaker quality, making it more suitable for media consumption on the go.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP 14" Laptop is poor.
The HP 14" Laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 integrated GPU and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 with an Intel Iris Xe GPU, both providing fair graphical performance levels for lightweight gaming and 3D tasks, but they may struggle with more demanding games due to standard refresh rates of 60Hz. While the HP offers a larger 14-inch screen conducive to gaming, the Surface Laptop Go 2's smaller 12.4-inch screen and higher resolution may offer sharper images with touch capability, enhancing overall screen quality, though neither reaches the upper echelons of gaming display performance.
Engineering and Design
6.0/10
6.5/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and HP 14" Laptop are both only fair for engineering and design.
The HP 14" Laptop, with its AMD Ryzen processor and integrated graphics, is suitable for basic engineering and design tasks, though it may struggle with more intensive applications due to moderate processing power and screen quality. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while extremely portable and featuring a high-quality touchscreen display, also has moderate specs including an Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics that are adequate for entry-level engineering and design but may not handle demanding workloads as efficiently. Both laptops have decent RAM for multitasking, but neither excels in raw performance or high-end graphics capabilities.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.1/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and HP 14" Laptop 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
6.8/10
7.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be good for software development, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
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
8.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP 14" Laptop has 8.5 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.
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How the HP 14" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
"This feels like an ideal laptop for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a laptop and isn’t too bothered by things like build quality or construction. It’s a laptop that will be used to pay bills, keep track of expenses, do some online shopping, and will be tucked away in a spare bedroom/home office. It’s an appliance designed to do a job without fuss. It’s not a premium experience—the materials do feel a little cheap, the display won’t exactly wow you, and the battery life is nothing to write home about, especially if you’ve used more expensive devices. But overall it’s not too shabby, especially for the price."
"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 HP 14" Laptop or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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