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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is a more affordable and lightweight option, suited for general use with average performance and a good battery life, while the Razer Blade 17 is much costlier, intended for high-performance tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning with top-notch graphics and processing power, but it is heavier with lesser battery life. The Razer Blade 17 offers a significantly larger and higher-resolution screen without touch capabilities, as opposed to the smaller, touch-enabled screen of the Surface Laptop Go 3. If you seek portability and value for everyday tasks, go for the Surface Laptop Go 3; for intensive tasks and better overall performance, the Razer Blade 17 is the better choice. 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 Razer Blade 17
- 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
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.2
8.5
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
337.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with its lesser-capacity processor, less RAM, and a smaller screen with lower resolution, provides just enough for general tasks with a higher portability and battery life; while the Razer Blade 17 boasts a high-end CPU, more RAM, and a larger, higher-resolution display which makes it better for intensive applications despite being heavier and having shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1
8.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.8
9.1
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has a mid-range CPU, less RAM, and an integrated GPU which can handle engineering and design tasks to a fair level, but the Razer Blade 17 boasts a high-end CPU, substantially more RAM, a powerful dedicated GPU, and superior screen quality, specifics that cater to demanding engineering software and high-fidelity designs. In terms of portability and everyday use, the lighter and quieter Surface Laptop with a higher quality keyboard may appeal to those valuing mobility and comfort, whereas the Razer Blade 17 trades some portability for top-tier performance and screen quality, which are very important for engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.3
8.5
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
7.1
8.5
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
6.8
8.6
12.4in
SIZE
17.3in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
337.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 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 considering laptops for general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and the Razer Blade 17 offer high-quality displays with clear resolution and bright screens, making them excellent for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For those focused on engineering and design, the Razer Blade 17 stands out with a display that covers a wider color range, ensuring more accurate and vibrant color reproduction for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth motion and a less immersive experience in fast-paced games and simulations.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 17 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
Fair
12.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has excellent portability, while the Razer Blade 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Razer Blade 17 has 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.
Cost
$800
$4,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has a price of $800 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 | Razer Blade 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$800 | $4,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.49 lbs | 6.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 10.24" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1235U | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 12.4" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1536 x 1024 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 337 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
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 3
See more
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."
Razer Blade 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 or the Razer Blade 17
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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