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IdeaPad 3 14"
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Surface Laptop Go 2
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If affordability is a top priority, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" may be more appealing. However, if you're looking for a laptop with a more premium build and potentially better portability, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 could be worth the extra cost. Consider also the tasks you'll perform; for general use, the Lenovo might suffice, but if you require more robust performance, perhaps for professional applications, the Surface Laptop Go 2 may offer better performance. Additionally, the Surface tends to have a higher quality display, which might be important for media consumption. As for battery life, the Surface Laptop Go 2 typically offers long-lasting power, which could be beneficial if you're frequently on the move. Remember, though, that these features come at an added expense compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
  • Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
  • Good for general use
  • Good overall build quality
  • Excellent portability
  • Very good speakers
  • Good keyboard

Key differences

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Screen Quality

6.4
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.

Battery

10.0 Hours
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life.

Portability

Very Good
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
12.4in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

6.5
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.

Cost

$490
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
$774
Product image
Product image

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities

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General Use

6.9
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.

Gaming and AI

6.0
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

6.1
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
6.5
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.1
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.1
IdeaPad 3 14"
Surface Laptop Go 2
7.0
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development.

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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

GENERAL

Price
$490
$774
Release Date
October 1, 2021June 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78''11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''
Weight
3.1 lbs2.48 lbs
Width
12.76"10.95"
Depth
8.49"8.12"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 5500UIntel i5-1135G7
RAM
8 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
44
RAM Slots
10
Storage
256 GB128 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
10 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
45 Wh41 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
14"12.4"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801536 x 1024
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
313 nits401 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.5/107.8/10
Portability Score
8.3/109.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
9.5/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.5/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/108.4/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
YesYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesNo
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
21
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
NoNo
Display Outputs
11
Thunderbolt Ports
00

Shopping

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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Marvin Gollor | February 2023
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."

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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.

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.

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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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Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
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Recommendations made
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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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