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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
If budget is a concern and you need a laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a more affordable option with good portability and battery life. However, if you're looking for high-end performance for activities like gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, while more expensive, will provide significantly more power and better graphics capabilities, albeit with likely reduced battery life and increased weight, making it less convenient for travel. 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.4
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a balance of portability and decent performance for everyday tasks with solid battery life, making it an accessible choice for on-the-go users; however, its screen and build are less premium. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, while less portable due to its larger size, packs a more powerful CPU and higher RAM, delivering smoother performance and a superior screen for demanding applications and multitasking, at the cost of reduced battery life and a higher price.
Gaming and AI
6.0
8.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, being designed for portability and everyday use, has a modest GPU and standard screen refresh rate, which may not smoothly handle graphic-intensive gaming and 3D tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 18 A.I. Studio, built with high-end gaming and content creation in mind, includes a powerful GPU and a high refresh rate screen, ensuring fluid visuals and enhanced performance for demanding applications.
Engineering and Design
6.5
9.1
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while offering decent CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, might not handle engineering software as smoothly due to its more modest GPU and screen quality; in contrast, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its high-end CPU, expansive RAM, powerful GPU, and superior screen, excels in running demanding engineering applications. Although the Surface Laptop is more portable and quieter, with a quality keyboard and speakers, the performance tradeoff is significant when compared to the heavier, possibly louder MSI Stealth with its professional-grade capabilities.
Content Creation
7.1
8.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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
8.2
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.4
12.4in
SIZE
18.0in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 suits general use and engineering tasks well because of its decent panel type, resolution, and brightness, along with adequate color gamut coverage necessary for design-related work. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its higher resolution and strong color gamut support, provides a more vivid and accurate visual experience for both general use and professional engineering/design tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial to the experience, both laptops fall short due to their focus on display qualities like resolution and color accuracy over refresh rate.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has 6 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
Excellent
Fair
12.4in
SIZE
18.0in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$774
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.8
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio to have very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$774 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.48 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 12.4" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1536 x 1024 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 401 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
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 | 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."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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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