If portability and a higher resolution, albeit smaller display are crucial for you, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is the better choice, and it's also lighter than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15". However, the Lenovo offers a larger, standard FHD screen, more storage space, and higher-end processing power, making it more suitable for performance-intensive tasks. Keep in mind that the Lenovo has a longer battery life which could be beneficial for long work sessions without access to power, but it is heavier, which might be a downside if you need to carry it around frequently. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.5/10
6.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
341.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a decent resolution and brightness which makes it suitable for browsing and video streaming, but its limited color gamut and average refresh rate aren't ideal for color-sensitive engineering work or the faster refresh demands of 3D applications and gaming. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its higher resolution and brightness, provides a crisper and more vibrant visual experience for both general use and engineering tasks, although, like the Lenovo, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a standard refresh rate. Therefore, if your priority is general use and engineering design, the Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a better screen experience, but for gaming or 3D rendering work, you may want to consider alternatives with faster refresh rates and possibly higher resolutions.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 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
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$690
$774
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a price of $690 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 has a more capable CPU, which is better for multitasking and demanding applications, while its larger screen size and higher battery capacity enhance productivity and longer usage times, making it good for general use. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, on the other hand, is lighter and more portable due to its smaller screen and size, and while it offers good screen quality and is very portable, its relatively lower battery life and smaller storage capacity make it fair for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
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
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is equipped with an AMD Ryzen Vega 8 GPU, which is capable for light gaming but may struggle with demanding 3D applications, and it has a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate which is suitable for casual gaming but not optimal for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
6.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" boasts a powerful processor and integrated GPU, suitable for engineering and design tasks, but its larger screen and heavier weight may affect portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers greater portability and a higher resolution screen for detailed work, yet trades off some performance due to its processor and less powerful integrated graphics.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.1/10
6.8/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.6/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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