A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is priced higher but offers superior performance with more storage, better battery life, and higher RAM, making it suitable for intensive tasks like engineering and 3D rendering. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and more portable, but with less power and storage. Choose the HP Dragonfly for demanding workloads or the Surface Laptop Go for regular use like web browsing and document editing, with better portability at a lower price. 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 Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
405.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" excels in general use due to its more powerful CPU, higher RAM, superior screen quality, and longer battery life, which together provide a smoother and more efficient user experience when handling everyday tasks. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, while offering decent performance for general use with an adequate CPU and screen, is limited by its lower RAM and shorter battery life, making it less suited for more demanding multitasking or prolonged use away from power sources.
Engineering and Design
7.6
6.8
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is 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
7.9
7.3
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for content creation, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
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
7.8
7.1
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for software development, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.1
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 have screens with sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing the web and working with text documents, making them suitable for general use. Their displays cover a range of colors that are vital for engineering and design work, where accurate color representation can be critical. However, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates that are less ideal for gaming and 3D applications, which require smoother motion and quick screen updates to provide the best experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$791
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $791.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.1
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Dragonfly Pro 14" | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $791 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.42 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.39" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.78" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64.6 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 405 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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.
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