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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or complex tasks like video editing or 3D modeling, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is designed for high performance with a larger screen, making it ideal for these purposes but heavier and less portable. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, on the other hand, offers better portability and is suitable for general use like web browsing, office applications, and streaming, but it won’t handle intensive tasks as well. Consider the Lenovo for power and the Surface Laptop Go for light use and moving around easily. Expect to pay more for the higher-spec Lenovo, while the Surface Laptop Go is more budget-friendly and offers better battery life. 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 Legion 5 17"
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.1
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is equipped with a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate which are essential for smooth gaming and 3D performance; however, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with its less capable GPU and lower refresh rate, offers adequate performance for casual gaming and less demanding 3D tasks. The CPU and screen quality of the Legion also typically exceed that of the Surface Laptop Go 3, further enhancing its gaming and visual capabilities.
Engineering and Design
7.6
6.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" boasts a high-performing Intel i7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, all of which significantly bolster its capacity for demanding engineering and design tasks, complemented by a quality 17.3-inch screen; however, it's less portable and has noisier operation. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3's lower-tier Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, together with half the RAM, make it less suited for intensive workloads, though it offers better portability and quieter performance with a smaller, high-resolution touchscreen.
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For both laptops, the screens offer clear visuals and enough resolution for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, with sufficient brightness to view comfortably in various lighting conditions. Their color reproduction covers a broad range needed for precision in engineering and design work, ensuring accurate depiction of projects and images. However, they lack the high refresh rates crucial for smooth 3D rendering and gaming, resulting in less fluid motion and potentially less immersive experiences in these applications.
Battery
4.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
Poor
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
12.4in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$699
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $699.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a powerful CPU, more RAM, and a larger, higher refresh rate screen, making it better suited for intensive tasks, but its portability and battery life are lower compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Go 3, while having a lower-performance CPU and less RAM, boasts better portability and battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go use despite being less ideal for demanding applications.
Content Creation
7.2
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
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 Lenovo Legion 5 17" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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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