The HP Omen 15 is a more expensive choice with high-end components suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card. It also has ample storage and RAM, but it is larger and heavier, making it less portable. Its keyboard also features a number pad and customizable RGB lighting. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, on the other hand, is more affordable and very portable due to its smaller size and weight, with a touchscreen and a decent keyboard. However, it's less powerful with an Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, making it more suited for general use rather than demanding tasks. Additionally, it has limited storage capacity and lower battery life. Both run Windows 11 Home, but the decision hinges on whether portability or performance is your priority. 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 Omen 15
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
318.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The HP Omen 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the HP Omen 15 is somewhat better.
The HP Omen 15 offers robust performance for general use due to its higher RAM and a more powerful CPU suitable for intensive tasks, alongside a dedicated GPU that enhances multimedia experience, though it sacrifices some portability due to higher weight and larger size. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more portable with its lighter weight and smaller size, provides weaker performance with less RAM and a less powerful CPU, and its lower storage capacity can be limiting, making it less suited for demanding applications despite its higher portability and longer battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Omen 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.9/10
6.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The HP Omen 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.8/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation, though the HP Omen 15 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
7.6/10
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development, though the HP Omen 15 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
7.3/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The HP Omen 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The HP Omen 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both have screens with adequate resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. Their panels also cover a wide range of colors, which is valuable for engineering and design work that demands color accuracy and detail. However, these laptops may not be ideal for gaming and 3D applications as they likely have lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness during fast-paced activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP Omen 15 has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the HP Omen 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and HP Omen 15 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$993
$565
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The HP Omen 15 has a price of $993 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
"We consider around 1,260 Euros (~$1530) for a Ryzen 7 4800H, a GeForce RTX 2060, a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB dual-channel RAM to be a good offer that appeals to price-conscious gamers. Very high details are rarely a problem in the native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. Buyers will also be spoiled with a top-notch battery life that even beats most other notebook classes. If HP now improves the speed of the WLAN module, the stability of the case and the repeatedly criticized picture quality, the competition will have to dress extra warmly."
"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 Omen 15 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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