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IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Surface Laptop Go 2
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What we think

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Updated January 10, 2024·

If you prioritize gaming or working with 3D graphics and machine learning applications, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is favored due to its dedicated graphics card, larger screen, and higher refresh rate, which enhances visual smoothness. However, it is heavier and has a bulkier build, reducing its portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is more portable and offers a touchscreen with a higher resolution in a smaller, lighter package, suitable for general use and travel convenience. It features an integrated graphics card, which is less suited for intensive graphics tasks but suitable for casual use. Choose the Lenovo if gaming and performance are critical, or the Microsoft Surface for greater portability and touch capabilities. 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 Gaming 3
  • Good for engineering and design
  • Good overall display quality
  • Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
  • Excellent portability
  • Very good speakers

Key differences

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Engineering and Design

7.2
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.

Screen Quality

7.2
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Portability

Good
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.2
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has somewhat better build quality.

Cost

$549
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
$774
Product image
Product image

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.4
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.5
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.0
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Content Creation

7.4
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.1
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.3
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.0
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development.

Battery

8.0 Hours
IdeaPad Gaming 3
Surface Laptop Go 2
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life.

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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

GENERAL

Price
$549
$774
Release Date
May 1, 2023June 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86''11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''
Weight
5.1 lbs2.48 lbs
Width
14.16"10.95"
Depth
10.49"8.12"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 7735HSIntel i5-1135G7
RAM
8 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
20
Storage
512 GB128 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
60 Wh41 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"12.4"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801536 x 1024
Refresh Rate
120Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
329 nits401 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.2/107.8/10
Portability Score
7.1/109.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
8/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
6.8/108.4/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesNo
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
21
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
21
Thunderbolt Ports
00

Shopping

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Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"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 Gaming 3 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.

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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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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