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Surface Laptop Go 2
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Raider 18 HX
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·

For everyday tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers excellent value with its budget-friendly price, compact design, and solid performance, making it a great choice for students or professionals on the go. Its high-quality screen with touch capability and a 3:2 aspect ratio is ideal for web browsing and document work. However, it's not designed for gaming or intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning. On the other hand, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for the most demanding tasks, including gaming, 3D modeling, and machine learning, thanks to its top-tier processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The larger screen with a high refresh rate and Mini LED panel provides vibrant colors and deep contrasts, which is fantastic for both gaming and professional media work. It's also built for expandability with additional RAM and storage slots. Keep in mind, its high-end performance comes with a higher price tag, and it's less portable due to its size and weight. Choose the Surface Laptop Go 2 for its portability, suitability for general use, and affordability. Opt for the MSI Raider 18 HX if you need a high-performance machine for intensive tasks and gaming, and you're willing to compromise on portability and cost. 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 Raider 18 HX
  • Very good for general use
  • Best in class for engineering and design
  • Excellent for gaming and AI
  • Very good for software development
  • Excellent for content creation
  • Excellent overall display quality

Key differences

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General Use

7.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
8.8
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.

Gaming and AI

6.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
9.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.

Engineering and Design

6.5
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
9.6
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.

Content Creation

7.1
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
9.1
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.

Software Development

7.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
8.8
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.

Screen Quality

6.9
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
9.4
12.4in
SIZE
18.0in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
Poor
12.4in
SIZE
18.0in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Cost

$774
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
$3,999
Product image
Product image

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
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Key similarities

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Battery

8.0 Hours
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
9.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 hours of battery life.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop Go 2
Raider 18 HX
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and MSI Raider 18 HX both have good build quality.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the MSI Raider 18 HX compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2MSI Raider 18 HX
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2MSI Raider 18 HX

GENERAL

Price
$774
$3,999
Release Date
June 1, 2022March 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26''
Weight
2.48 lbs7.94 lbs
Width
10.95"15.91"
Depth
8.12"12.09"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i5-1135G7Intel i9-14900HX
RAM
8 GB32 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
04
Storage
128 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours9 Hours
Battery Capacity
41 Wh99.9 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
12.4"18"
Display Technology
IPSMini LED
Resolution
1536 x 10243840 x 2400
Refresh Rate
60Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
401 nits1000 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.4/10
Portability Score
9.3/105.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.4/108/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
YesNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
13
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
13
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Raider 18 HX

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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.

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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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