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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is more affordable, lighter, and offers better portability with a longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and for those who are always on the move. The MSI Stealth GS66, while more expensive, delivers superior performance with a stronger processor and dedicated graphics, ideal for 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks. The Stealth also has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate but is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. Choose the Surface Laptop Go 3 for cost efficiency and mobility, or the Stealth GS66 for high-end performance and 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 3
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has a less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate than the MSI Stealth GS66, making it less ideal for high-end gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Stealth GS66 offers a superior GPU and a higher refresh rate, enhancing visual smoothness and detail in graphics-intensive tasks, despite its typically higher price and slightly less portability.
Engineering and Design
6.8
8.2
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS66 is considered very good for engineering and design use because it has a high-performance CPU and GPU, double the RAM, and a higher quality display compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers modest engineering and design performance due to its less powerful CPU, integrated GPU, and half the RAM.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.1
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
337.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When it comes to general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and the MSI Stealth GS66 both offer displays with suitable resolution and brightness, making them clear and easy to read for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. For engineering and design work, both laptops present good color accuracy that helps professionals in those fields to see their work represented reliably, though intense graphic designers and engineers might demand even wider color gamuts. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on both the Surface Laptop Go 3 and the MSI Stealth GS66 may lead to less fluid motion, which is not ideal for fast-paced or highly detailed visuals that benefit from faster screen refresh capabilities.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Excellent
Good
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$789
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has a price of $789 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.7
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
337.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with its lighter weight and excellent portability, offers a fair experience for general use, but its less powerful CPU, lower RAM, and lesser screen quality lag behind those on the MSI Stealth GS66, which, while heavier and with a shorter battery life, provides a good general use experience thanks to its superior CPU, higher RAM, and better screen resolution, along with more storage and excellent keyboard quality.
Content Creation
7.3
7.7
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
7.1
7.5
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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.
Build Quality
7.8
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to have very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$789 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.49 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1235U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 99.9 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 | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 337 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
MSI Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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