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Microsoft has a completely new Surface Laptop, which means Surface fans suddenly have to make a new purchasing decision. That’s why we’re pitting the Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3 to find out who should consider one over the other.
As our AMD Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch) review and our Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch, Intel) review demonstrated, even the Surface Laptop 3 has a lot of complexity under the hood. But how challenging is the new Surface Laptop Go?
The Surface Laptop Go is all about value, while the Laptop 3 has a range of options for more serious power users. So while we wait to test the Surface Laptop Go, we decided to see how these surfaces stack up on paper, comparing Microsoft’s claims about its latest laptop to the results of our Surface Laptop 3 tests.
Here’s everything you need to know before considering Surface Laptop Go or Surface Laptop 3.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Specs
| Surface Laptop Go | Surface Laptop 3 (13.5-inch) | Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch) | |
| starting price | $ 549 | $ 999 | $ 1,099 (commercial buyers), $ 1,199 (consumers) |
| Screen resolution) | 12.4 inches (1536 x 1024) | 13.5 inches (2256 x 1504) | 15 inches (2496 x 1664) |
| CPU | 10th Generation Intel® Core ™ i5-1035G1 Processor | Intel Core i5, 10th Gen Core i7 | AMD Ryzen 5 3580U, Ryzen 7 3780U | Business: 10th Gen Intel Core i5, Core i7 |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB | 8GB, 16GB | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB |
| Webcam | 720p HD (f / 2.0) | 720p HD (f / 2.0) | 720p HD (f / 2.0) |
| Battery duration | Up to 13 hours (claimed) | 9:17 (tested) 11.5 hours (claimed) | 9:32 (Intel, tested), 8:00 (AMD, tested), 11.5 hours (claimed) |
| Size | 11 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches | 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches | 13.4 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.5 pounds | 2.8 pounds | 3.4 pounds |
| Colors | Ice blue, sandstone, platinum | Cobalt Blue, Matte Black, Platinum, Sandstone | Matte black, platinum |
| Ports | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, headphone jack, Surface Connect port | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, headphone jack, Surface Connect port | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, headphone jack, Surface Connect port |
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Price and Value
The entry-level $ 549 Surface Laptop Go is more affordable than its bigger siblings, as the $ 999 (13.5-inch) Surface Laptop 3 and $ 1,199 (15-inch) Surface Laptop 3 start at about double ( or a little less).
That being said, you get a bit more when you pay more. Both Surface Laptop 3 models have Full HD (or sharper) displays, while the Surface Laptop Go isn’t quite at 1536 x 1024. On top of that, the $ 549 Surface Laptop Go gives you 64GB of slower eMMC storage, while Both sizes of the Surface Laptop 3 start with faster SSDs that have twice the space (128GB).
For now, until we test the Surface Laptop Go, this seems like a “you get what you pay for” case. And while the Go has a simpler entry fee, it’s not a great-value offering in terms of specs.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Design
Surface Laptop Go may come in pretty colors (ice blue, sandstone, and platinum) and it looks like a smaller, but still, version of Surface Laptop 3, but the devil is in the details. On the bright side of the Surface Laptop Go, it appears to have slightly thinner bezels than what you get with the Surface Laptop 3.
Available in Cobalt Blue, Matte Black, Platinum, and Sandstone, Surface Laptop 3 is made entirely of aluminum. You can also get the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 with the Alcantara fabric on the palm rest, if you like.
The Surface Laptop Go, however, only has aluminum on its lid. It is based on a “fiberglass polycarbonate composite resin system with 30% post-consumer recycled content,” and while we want to hope that this greener model will be an update, we are waiting to see how it feels in person. Because for now, that description reads like a mix that’s not quite as refined as the Surface Laptop 3 platform.
But the 12.4-inch Surface Laptop Go wins in portability, weighing in at 2.5 pounds, which is a third of a pound lighter than the 13.5-inch (2.5-pound) Surface Laptop 3. 9 pounds less than the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 (3.4 pounds). ). That might be a benefit you’d prefer if you went along with your smaller screen.
All three laptops have the same ports (1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, headphone jack, and Surface Connect), although the Surface Laptop 3 is compatible with the Surface Dial and the Surface Laptop Go is not.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: display
Surface Laptop Go can Come on because it’s smaller and more portable, and that means it also has a smaller, less sharp screen. So the Surface Laptop 3 laptops win with their larger 13.5-inch (2256 x 1504) and 15-inch (2496 x 1664) displays, which have more pixels than the Surface’s 12.4-inch (1536 x 1024) panel. Laptop Go.
Surface Laptop 3 is also gaining in pixels per inch, with a ratio of 201ppi to the Surface Laptop Go’s 148ppi mark.
But that is far from the whole story. If the Surface Laptop Go can match its siblings in brightness and color output, this is going to be a closer race. And that seems more than possible. If we can consider the Surface Go to be a close relative of the Surface Laptop Go, its sRGB spectrum (107%) and brightness numbers (408 nits) suggest good things for the Surface Laptop Go.
Color output readings from the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 are not much higher (121%) and those of the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 are closer to the Surface Go, at 101% (AMD) and 104.5% (Intel). And when it comes to brightness, the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Laptops are all dimmer than the Surface Go, between 348 and 380 nits.
This is another reason we want to have our hands on the Surface Laptop Go before rendering a verdict, so we can see where it is nits rank.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: performance
The Surface Laptop Go’s 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 quad-core processor is probably good for moderate multitasking. But the question on our mind is whether it will beat the AMD 3000 series chips in the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3, which fell in battle with the Intel version.
Speaking of which, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 for Business and the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 are powered by 10th Gen Quad Core Intel Core i5 and Core i7 chips. We’d assume the Surface Laptop Go won’t be as fast as those chips, but stay tuned to find out for sure.
The Surface Laptop Go is likely to face stacking issues as well because it starts out at half the memory, with 4GB to 8GB on the Surface Laptop 3.
And in terms of graphics performance, the Intel UHD graphics chip in the Surface Laptop Go doesn’t inspire much confidence. It’s no exaggeration to think that the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 (Intel Iris Plus), the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 (AMD Radeon Vega 9, RX Vega 11), and the Business Surface Laptop 3 (Intel Iris Plus Graphics) they will drink the Surface Laptop Go shake at games.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Security
Surface Laptop Go and Surface Laptop 3 split the point on built-in security. Surface Laptop Go has a power button for fingerprint reading, while the Surface Laptop 3 has a Windows Hello-compatible IR webcam.
It’s simply a matter of preference here, whether you prefer to log into your PC via fingerprints or facial recognition.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Webcams
This is a clean draw. All Surface laptops feature the same 720p HD webcam. I just wish the Surface Laptop Go had the same 5.0MP webcam as the Surface Go 2, offering 1080p resolution for calls.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Battery Life
We need to test the Surface Laptop Go battery, but we’re already optimistic about its possibilities here. Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop 3 will last up to 11.5 hours and the Surface Laptop Go will last up to 13 hours.
However, Tom’s Guide’s battery test showed that Intel’s Surface Laptop 3s simply last longer, with times of 9 hours 32 minutes (15 inches) and 9:17 (13.5 inches) beating the model’s time. AMD from 8:00. . And since the Surface Laptop Go is powered by Intel, that’s another reason to expect it to last longer than both models.
Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: Outlook
Right now, the Surface Laptop Go seems like an attractive offering for those who prioritize battery life, portability, and price over performance and screen resolution. The Intel versions of the Surface Laptop 3 may offer too much for power users to choose the Surface Laptop Go, but I can think of many people I know who are probably happier with this new option.
I emphasize may because everything is in the air right now. Once we put the Surface Laptop Go through its paces, we’ll have a better idea of whether it’s a success or, like the original Surface Go, a device that needs another year of iteration.
