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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is significantly less expensive and more portable with a smaller 12.4-inch touchscreen, better for casual use and carrying around due to its light weight. It has modest storage and is suitable for basic tasks. The MSI Prestige 15, though pricier, offers more power, larger storage, and a 15.6-inch non-touchscreen better for multitasking and demanding applications, including light gaming given its dedicated graphics card. It's heavier and not as portable but better for engineering and creative work with its larger battery and more connection options, including Thunderbolt 4. 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
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
- Good for engineering and design
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.5
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the MSI Prestige 15 is somewhat better.
The MSI Prestige 15 excels in general use over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 due to having a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a higher resolution screen, which contribute to better overall performance and multitasking capabilities. Additionally, the Prestige 15's larger battery and superior heat management make it more suitable for prolonged use, although it is less portable than the lighter and more compact Surface Laptop Go 2.
Engineering and Design
6.5
7.2
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a more basic integrated GPU and a smaller, lower resolution screen which makes it less ideal for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the MSI Prestige 15, which is equipped with a more powerful dedicated GPU and a larger, higher resolution screen. Additionally, the MSI Prestige 15 offers more memory, which is crucial for multitasking and running complex software used in those fields.
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
60Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for software development.
For general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and MSI Prestige 15 offer displays with sufficient resolution, panel quality, and brightness to handle everyday tasks such as web browsing, watching videos, and document editing comfortably. In engineering and design tasks, the screens on these laptops have adequate color accuracy to manage work that involves photo editing, CAD, or other color-sensitive applications. However, for gaming and 3D modeling, which benefit from higher refresh rates, the displays on both laptops fall short as they are not designed with the high refresh rates preferred for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Portability
Excellent
Good
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$774
$1,044
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.3
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU which is less powerful for gaming and 3D applications than the MSI Prestige 15's dedicated Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics, although both have the same screen refresh rate. Despite this, the Surface's smaller screen and higher resolution may offer better screen quality, but the Prestige 15's larger screen size is more immersive for such tasks and it comes with a more capacious battery for longer use.
Content Creation
7.1
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 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
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 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 Prestige 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and MSI Prestige 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the MSI Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$774 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.48 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 82 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 401 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Prestige 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Prestige 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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