2021 ROG Strix G17 vs. Surface Laptop 4 15”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between 2021 ROG Strix G17 and Surface Laptop 4 15” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

2021 ROG Strix G17 Pros

Reasons that 2021 ROG Strix G17 is better than Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Much faster CPU performance

AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside 2021 ROG Strix G17 has a 57% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-4800H
6,440
Surface Laptop 4 15” - AMD Ryzen 7-4980U Microsoft Surface Edition
6,365
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 5-5600H
5,476
Surface Laptop 4 15” - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Upgradable memory

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Surface Laptop 4 15” since it has onboard memory.

Memory2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4LPDDR4X
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP vs. integrated

15% larger display

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 has a 17.3-inch screen size 15% larger than the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Display size
2021 ROG Strix G17
17.3-inch
Surface Laptop 4 15”
15-inch

Surface Laptop 4 15” Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop 4 15” is better than 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Supports faster memory

Surface Laptop 4 15” supports a faster memory speed than the 2021 ROG Strix G17. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Memory type and speed
Surface Laptop 4 15” - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
2021 ROG Strix G17 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
About 36% lighter

Surface Laptop 4 15” weighed 3.40 pounds, 36% lighter than the 5.29 pounds 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Weight2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Pound
5.29 lbs.
3.40 lbs.
Kilogram
2.40 kg
1.54 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between 2021 ROG Strix G17 and Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
2021 ROG Strix G17
32 GB
Surface Laptop 4 15”
32 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

2021 ROG Strix G17 Price
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
By ASUS
$999.00
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
By ASUS
$1,448.00
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
By ASUS
$1,299.00
$1,799.99 28% OFF
Surface Laptop 4 15” Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 32GB - 1TB Solid State Drive - Matte Black
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 32GB - 1TB Solid State Drive - Matte Black
By Microsoft
$979.99
$1,099.00 11% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch Touchscreen 256GB SSD AMD Ryzen 7 (8GB RAM, Windows 10 Home, Latest Model) - Platinum, 5UI-00001
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch Touchscreen 256GB SSD AMD Ryzen 7 (8GB RAM, Windows 10 Home, Latest Model) - Platinum, 5UI-00001
By Microsoft
$541.01
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 – 16GB - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) - Matte Black (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 – 16GB - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) - Matte Black (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$747.00

Availability

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Released20212021
Release DateAnnounced on January 13, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Introduced: April 13, 2021
  • Released: April 13, 2021
Pricing-
  • $1,299.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 8GB 256GB Platium Only
  • $1,499.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,699.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 16GB 512GB
  • $1,799.99
    Intel Core i7 16GB 512GB Matte Black Only
  • $2,399.99
    Intel Core i7 32GB 1TB Matte Black Only
Applicable Models
  • 2021 ROG Strix G17
  • ROG Strix G17 (2021)
  • ROG Strix G17 G713
-
Generations

Exterior

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Dimensions15.55 x 11.10 x 0.84 - 0.97” (395 x 282 x 21.4 - 24.6 mm)13.4” x 9.6” x 0.57” (339.5 mm x 244 mm x 14.69 mm)
Weight5.29 lbs (2.40 kg)3.40 lb (1,542 g)
Colors
Original Black Eclipse Gray
Metal
Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with Numpad
    ROG Overstroke Calibrated Keystrokes N-Key Rollover Aura Sync Bigger arrow keys Gaps between function keys
  • Hotkeys 
    Volume down volume up mute HyperFan Armoury Crate
  • RGB Lighting Options
    Per-Key RGB lighting 4 x Zone RGB lighting
  • Touchpad 
    85% larger glass surface matte finish
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size backlit keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
    • Large palm rest with premium Alcantara® material for maximized typing comfort.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Size17.3 Inches15 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz
    16:9 1920 x 1080 300Hz 3ms 100% sRGB 75% Adobe RGB Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync
  • 17.3” WQHD 165Hz
    16:9 2560 x 1440 165Hz 3ms 100% DCI-P3 Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync
  • Resolution: 2496 x 1664 (201 PPI)
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • 100% sRGB color, individually calibrated

Ports

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
Left (3)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (5)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0b
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps
  • 1 x power port
Surface Laptop 4 15” Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.2. Gen 2
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 1 x Surface Connect™ +
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack

Internal Specs

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Processor
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.20 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 8MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 3.30 → 4.20 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.00 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 8MB L3 Cache, 15W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
Integrated Graphics
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1600 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1800 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores,
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
16GB 32GB
Dual-Channel DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650
    4GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1615MHz at 50W (65W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1802MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1660MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
-
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0.
2 x M.2 SSD slots.
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Removable M.2 NVMe SSD

Connectivity

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax) 2x2 multi-antennaWi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
Ethernet Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.
-

Battery

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Size
56Wh 90Wh
4-cell lithium-ion battery.
45.8 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 12 hours of video playback.
  • Up to 17.5 hours of typical device usage
    AMD™ Ryzen™ 7 models.
  • Up to 16.5 hours of typical device usage
    Intel® Core™ i7 models.
Power Supply
  • 240W
      ø6.0 mm power adapter.
  • 100W
      USB-C power adapter.
  • Supports fast charging technology with up to 50% in 30 minutes.
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
OS
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate GameVisual Aura Creator Scenario Profiles
Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
CameraNo Built-in camera.
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 720p HD front-facing video camera
Audio
  • Speakers
    • 2 x 4W speaker with Smart Amp Technology.
    • 2.8x Louder Volume.
    • 3x More Bass.
    • 6.5dBa Dynamic Range.
  • Microphones
    • Built-in array microphone.
    • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation.
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
Inking-Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Secured-Core PC
    For Surface Laptop 4 powered by AMD RyzenTM Microsoft Surface Edition
  • Windows enhanced hardware security
    For Surface Laptop 4 powered by 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors
In the box-
  • Surface Laptop 4 15”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty-
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Surface for Business customers: Includes Advanced Exchange, an expedited replacement service, at no additional cost
More-Supports Surface Dial
Supports off-screen interaction only

Key Features

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”
At Glance
Released in
2021
16:9 WQHD
17.3”
1440p 165Hz
Weight
5.29 lb
2.40 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,416
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,663
Multi-Core
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ Graphics
8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3070
8GB GDDR6 115W TGP
Released in Early
2021
3:2 2.5K
15”
1664p 60Hz
Weight
3.40 lb
1.54 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop 4 15” Ports

Comparison Summary

2021 ROG Strix G17 vs. Surface Laptop 4 15”

ASUS has released the ROG Strix G17, a 17.3-inch machine, in 2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 15” was introduced by Microsoft around the same year in early-2021. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1185G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H1,07876.13%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H1,24087.57%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33494.21%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,416100.00%
Surface Laptop 4 15”1
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition1,09076.98%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G71,40499.15%
01,416

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H6,44084.04%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H5,47671.46%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09892.63%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,663100.00%
Surface Laptop 4 15”1
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition6,36583.06%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G74,86463.47%
07,663

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 has a 17.3-inch display which is considerably larger than the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 15”. In addition, the 2021 ROG Strix G17 weighs 5.29 lbs. about 55% heavier than the 3.40 lbs. Surface Laptop 4 15”. Moreover, measured at 15.55” x 11.10” x 0.97”, the 2021 ROG Strix G17 is much bulkier than the Surface Laptop 4 15” at 13.4” x 9.6” x 0.57”.

2021 ROG Strix G17Surface Laptop 4 15”

Moving over to upgradability, ASUS claims that the 2021 ROG Strix G17 supports up to 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

For Surface Laptop 4 15”, it supports up to 32GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Unlike 2021 ROG Strix G17, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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