For a balance of performance and portability with a high-quality screen suitable for engineering tasks, consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15". It offers a larger, higher-resolution touchscreen with superior color accuracy and a more powerful processor, crucial for demanding applications. However, it's pricier and less portable due to its size and weight.
If you prioritize budget and portability for general use, the XPG Xenia 14 is a strong contender. It's lighter, more compact, and generally less expensive, making it ideal for on-the-go tasks. Its screen, while not as high-resolution or color-accurate as the Surface, is still solid for everyday use. Keep in mind, it may not handle intensive tasks as efficiently due to its less powerful processor and integrated graphics. 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 6 15"
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the XPG Xenia 14
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
6.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2496 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and XPG Xenia 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
6.8/10
8.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good for engineering and design, while the XPG Xenia 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2496 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and XPG Xenia 14 are both good for software development, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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
8.1/10
6.9/10
15.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2496 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the XPG Xenia 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The XPG Xenia 14 has excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a price of $1,200 and the XPG Xenia 14 costs $800.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and XPG Xenia 14 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
8.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2496 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and XPG Xenia 14 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 hours of battery life. The XPG Xenia 14 has 10 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and XPG Xenia 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and the XPG Xenia 14 compare to other laptops
"The Xenia 14 is a top 14-inch laptop under 1 kg. ADATA isn't exactly known for its laptops and so we weren't expecting much from its first 14-inch Ultrabook. With that said, we're pleasantly surprised by how well the Xenia 14 looks and performs. Not only is it incredibly light, but it has a color accurate 16:10 display, high CPU and GPU performance, easy RAM and SSD serviceability, plenty of port options including Thunderbolt 4, and long battery life. It packs a lot of punch and features considering the size and weight to be better than even the LG Gram series."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" or the XPG Xenia 14
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.
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Laptops Expert
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