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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value a larger screen, more storage, and better processing power, particularly for engineering tasks or more intensive applications, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo with its higher RAM and more recent processor is a solid choice, but it is heavier and so less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. Conversely, if portability, a high-quality keyboard and excellent heat management are priorities for you, and you are okay with moderate performance for general use, the lighter Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 with a smaller screen might fit your needs better. It is also often less expensive, offering savings if you are budget-conscious. Both laptops have touchscreens, solid build quality, and are not designed for intensive gaming. 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 Summit E13 Flip Evo
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.6
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is somewhat better.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers less storage and memory, a lower-powered CPU, and shorter battery life compared to the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, which may impact performance and multitasking capabilities. Moreover, the Flip Evo boasts a higher resolution and larger screen, a more powerful processor, and a longer-lasting battery, enhancing both the visual experience and overall usability for demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.5
7.3
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is less suitable for engineering and design due to its lower capacity processor, less RAM, and lower resolution screen compared to the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, which offers a more powerful processor, double the RAM, and a higher resolution screen, providing better performance for resource-intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
6.9
7.3
12.4in
SIZE
13.4in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo boast displays with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and watching videos. For engineering and design work, both laptops offer panels that cover a broad range of color gamuts, ensuring that colors are accurately represented for tasks such as photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, these laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which means they are less capable of delivering the smooth visuals required for fast-paced games and high-frame-rate 3D rendering.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has 11 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
$565
$699
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $565 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo costs $699.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.3
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo are both limited in gaming and 3D performance because they are equipped with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which are less powerful compared to dedicated gaming GPUs, and both have a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is lower than the higher refresh rates favored for gaming. While they share these constraints, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo may offer a slightly better experience in gaming and 3D applications than the Surface Laptop Go 2, due to its more powerful CPU and higher quality screen.
Content Creation
7.1
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.4
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
Very Good
12.4in
SIZE
13.4in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to have excellent portability, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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 Summit E13 Flip Evo compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$565 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 11.8'' x 8.8'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.48 lbs | 2.98 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 11.82" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 8.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-1260P | |
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 | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 70 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 12.4" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1536 x 1024 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 401 nits | 517 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 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 | 1 | |
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 Summit E13 Flip Evo
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2021
"MSI wants to prove that it can do more than just gaming laptops and the Summit E13 Flip is a great example of what the manufacturer is capable of especially in terms of aesthetics and performance. Normally for subnotebooks or convertibles, TDP and performance are often below average as makers want to meet slimmer designs and lower weight targets. The Summit manages to outperform others in its size class and category while still looking sleek and portable in the process. If you want a convertible that won't throttle significantly when under load, then this MSI will be one of the better options you can find."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
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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