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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers greater portability and a higher-quality build but is less powerful and has a smaller storage capacity compared to the MSI Cyborg 15. The Cyborg 15 has a stronger processor, dedicated graphics for better 3D and engineering tasks, and a larger, higher resolution screen that's better for gaming, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life. If you prioritize lightweight design and longer battery life for general use, choose the Surface Laptop Go 2. For more intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering, or gaming, and if you need more storage out of the box, the Cyborg 15 is the better option. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is labeled fair for gaming and 3D tasks because it uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics chip, which is less powerful compared to dedicated graphics options. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 is marked as good for gaming and 3D due to its more robust Nvidia RTX 4060 dedicated GPU, which can handle more demanding graphical tasks and provide higher frame rates.
Engineering and Design
6.5
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The MSI Cyborg 15 offers superior engineering and design performance with a more advanced CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a less powerful processor and relies on integrated graphics, which may limit its abilities in demanding tasks.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its higher resolution and brighter display, offers a clearer and more vibrant viewing experience that benefits both general use and detail-oriented engineering tasks. Although suitable for engineering and design due to better color gamut coverage, which ensures more accurate color reproduction, the Surface falls short for gaming and 3D applications as it lacks a high refresh rate. The MSI Cyborg 15's screen, while fair for everyday tasks and engineering work, also doesn't cater well to gaming or 3D work due to its lower refresh rate, despite having an adequate resolution and panel type for these uses.
Portability
Excellent
Good
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
6.7
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$774
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.3
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 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
7.1
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 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
7.0
7.2
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Cyborg 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$774 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.48 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 12.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1536 x 1024 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 401 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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