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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers more storage and memory, better performance with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, making it suitable for intensive tasks like gaming and engineering work. However, it's heavier and has a larger form factor, impacting portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is significantly lighter and more portable, with a smaller screen and lower performance Intel i5 processor, adequate for general use like web browsing and document editing. Consider the Lenovo if performance is your priority and you're okay with less portability; opt for the Surface Laptop Go 2 if you prefer a lighter, more portable laptop for basic tasks. 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 15"
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.0
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
165Hz
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 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is better suited for gaming and 3D due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which greatly outperforms the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics in the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, and its higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz compared to the 60Hz of the Surface Laptop Go 2, resulting in smoother visuals during fast-paced action.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.5
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers superior engineering and design performance with its high-end CPU, ample RAM, dedicated GPU, and quality display, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, being lighter with a smaller screen, prioritizes portability and has a less powerful CPU, integrated graphics, and less RAM, which makes it less optimal for demanding engineering tasks despite its good screen quality and portability. The Legion's focus on performance and screen quality makes it very good for engineering, whereas the Surface's balance of portability and performance makes it only fair for such uses.
Screen Quality
8.0
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 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.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both offer crisp, bright displays that render text and images clearly, enhancing productivity and web browsing with their respectable resolutions and panel types. With respect to engineering and design, the two laptops provide color accuracy and a wide range of colors, essential for professionals who need precise color representation in their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates can limit the smoothness of fast-paced visuals, making them less ideal for those specific activities when compared to laptops with high refresh rate screens.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
Fair
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
5.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$999
$774
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a price of $999 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.0
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.4
7.1
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 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
7.0
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 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
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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 15" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 15" | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$999 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.3 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.33" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
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 Legion 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.
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