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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Lenovo LOQ 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, consider the following tradeoffs. The Lenovo comes with a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better suited for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software. It also has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, which is good for fast-motion visuals, but this also makes it heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is more lightweight and offers better battery life, which makes it highly portable and ideal for general use like browsing, office tasks, and media consumption. Its touchscreen feature adds convenience, but it has less storage and lower performance capabilities compared to the Lenovo, making it less suited for intensive tasks. If you prioritize mobility and battery life without the need for high performance, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is a good choice. If you need more power for complex tasks and a bigger display at the expense of portability, the Lenovo LOQ 16 would be more suitable. 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 LOQ 16
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.0
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo LOQ 16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is ranked good for general use because it offers ample storage, high RAM, and a superior CPU and GPU, suitable for more demanding tasks, yet it is heavier and has shorter battery life, impacting its portability. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers fair general use performance with moderate storage and RAM, a less powerful CPU, and longer battery life, wrapped in a highly portable and lighter design with a better screen pixel density and color accuracy.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.0
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is equipped with a superior Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications; on the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, offers moderate performance that is sufficient for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 excels in engineering and design due to its higher performing CPU, double the RAM, and significantly more capable GPU, along with its larger, higher-resolution screen which contributes to better visual detail and workspace. Contrastingly, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more portable and having a higher-quality keyboard, falls short in engineering performance because of its less powerful CPU, lower RAM amount, and less advanced integrated graphics, all of which are less suitable for demanding engineering applications.
Screen Quality
7.2
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both offer displays with sufficient resolution, panel quality, and brightness suitable for general activities like browsing and office work, ensuring clarity and comfort for everyday tasks. For engineering and design professionals who require accurate color representation, both laptops provide good coverage of professional color gamuts, allowing for precise visual work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is critical, their screens fall short as they lack the high refresh rates that provide smoother visuals, making them less ideal for such demanding graphics tasks.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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
16.0in
SIZE
12.4in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.6
7.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.5
7.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo LOQ 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$740
$774
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a price of $740 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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How the Lenovo LOQ 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo LOQ 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$740 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1.02'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.92" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | 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 | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.3/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo LOQ 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | September 2023
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
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 LOQ 16 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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