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Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 13 typically costs slightly less and offers more storage and RAM than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. With its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Vega 7 graphics, it's better suited for tasks requiring more computational power, like engineering or 3D work. However, its battery is larger, contributing to better battery life, but it lacks a touchscreen and has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio screen. It has a white backlit keyboard, but no number pad, and offers USB-C charging without a Thunderbolt port. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, usually a bit pricier, has less storage and RAM, with an Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics. It's more portable due to its smaller screen and light weight but has a shorter battery life. Notably, it features a touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which can be advantageous for productivity tasks. The build quality and speaker performance are rated higher, and it comes with a fingerprint reader, but it also doesn't come with a number pad or Thunderbolt port. If budget and higher computing demands are crucial, the LG Ultra 13 is more favorable, while the Surface Laptop Go 2 is for those valuing portability, build quality, and touchscreen features for general 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 LG Ultra 13
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
6.9
13.3in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The LG Ultra 13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 have similar screen quality.
The LG Ultra 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both offer panels with resolutions and brightness levels that make them suitable for general use, providing clear and vibrant displays for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design work, where accurate color reproduction is crucial, both laptops have color gamuts that support a wide range of colors, though they may not cover professional color standards fully, they are adequate for non-professional design work. However, their screens fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to modest refresh rates, meaning they won’t deliver as smooth motion or responsiveness that high-end gaming or 3D modeling requires.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 13 has 10 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.
Cost
$529
$774
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The LG Ultra 13 has a price of $529 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The LG Ultra 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The LG Ultra 13 is rated better for general use than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and larger solid-state drive for storage, which contribute to faster and smoother performance in everyday tasks. Although both have high-quality IPS screens, the LG's screen is slightly bigger and offers higher resolution, while the Surface Laptop Go 2 offers touchscreen capability; however, the LG compensates with a considerable advantage in battery life, making it more suitable for longer use without needing to recharge.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Ultra 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
6.6
6.5
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The LG Ultra 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The LG Ultra 13 is better-equipped for engineering and design due to its stronger AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and double the RAM of the Surface Laptop Go 2, which can significantly affect performance in demanding applications. However, the Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a higher-resolution touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio which may be more suitable for design tasks, yet its lower RAM and Intel i5 CPU might limit its capabilities for more intensive engineering software.
Content Creation
7.2
7.1
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 13 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
7.2
7.0
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The LG Ultra 13 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.
Portability
Excellent
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
12.4in
2.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Ultra 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and LG Ultra 13 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 LG Ultra 13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 13 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$529 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.1'' x 0.6'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.16 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.08" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.14" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 13
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | April 2017
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
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 LG Ultra 13 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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