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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 7 is the better option for high-performance tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering due to its powerful AMD processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics. However, it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, on the other hand, is very lightweight, has good battery life, and offers a touch screen, making it excellent for general use and portability. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics can handle everyday tasks comfortably but isn't as suitable for intensive tasks. Choose the Legion 7 for performance or the Surface Laptop Go for portability and casual use. 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 7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion 7 excels in general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, better screen quality, and larger, high-resolution display, though it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers greater portability and longer battery life but with a smaller display, lower screen resolution, and less powerful CPU and RAM.
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.1
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
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 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
8.2
6.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
7.9
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 7's high resolution and bright display elevate its quality for general use and engineering, with expansive color gamut coverage enhancing detail for design tasks, but its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D work. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with a good resolution and brightness, handles general tasks and engineering well, yet similar to the Legion, it falls short for gaming due to a modest refresh rate. Neither laptop is ideal for gaming or 3D modeling where smoother motion and quicker image updates are crucial, but both excel in screen quality where clarity and color accuracy are top priorities.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$789
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $789.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.6
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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.
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How the Lenovo Legion 7 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $789 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.5 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.27" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | 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 | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 469 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 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 | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
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 7 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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