Surface go vs surface laptop m3

[alternatedenver]

Hey all. I am moments away from getting into the surface world, but I'm sitting between a Surface Go 128gb SSD 8gb RAM and a Surface Laptop m3 128GB SSD 4GB RAM. For some reason, I've not been able to find a comparison between these two similarly priced "SKUs". I like the Go form factor, but if the performance is considerably lower than the base line laptop, I'll take the laptop. Does anyone know if the Surface Laptop performs considerably better than the high end Go? or are they similar? Thanks!!!

 

[LibbyLA]

What are you going to do with it? If it’s basic stuff like typing and web surfing, watching videos, there may not be an perceptible difference in performance. If you’re running graphics or processor intensive tasks, then you will notice a difference.

 

[LibbyLA]

Does either form factor particularly appeal to you? I’m all about the small, the Go is finally the “just right” that I’ve been wanting in a portable computer since I got my first one (if you can call a 30 lb. thing that looked like a sewing machine case “portable”) in 1982. The Go absolutely hits my “sweet spot” as far as size goes.

Get the one you think you prefer, as long as you have a reasonable return time. If you don’t like it, return it and get the other.

 

[Insti Gator]

I'm not surprised you don't see comparisons between these devices since they are VERY different use cases.

A Surface Laptop is a laptop through and through. It cannot be a tablet, it weighs almost 3 pounds, has a 13.5" screen and full size USB port. The battery is large inside the full size laptop frame and therefore can last a long time on battery.

The Surface Go is a Tablet PC. It is primarily a tablet that can behave like a laptop, it weighs only 1 pound (1.5 with keyboard) has a small 10" screen and small USB-C port. The battery is small to fit the frame and therefore usage on battery is adequate-lowish.

Performance between the two will be nearly identical. CPU and Graphics will be 30%-ish better on Laptop, RAM and SSD/Disk speed will be slighly better on Surface Go.

It's really a matter of form factor, do you want an ultra-portable tablet PC or a full-size ultrabook?

 

[alternatedenver]

Hey all, thanks for the reply. A lot articles seemed to compare the Surface Go to other i5 Surfacies (or is it Surfacices?). An i5 is admittedly more than I need, but didn't want to pay too much for the Go vs an m3 just because I'm drawn to the form factor. If they are comparable performance for browsing, the odd resume updating, and movies, then I'll go Go. It'll probably spend most of it's time sitting on the coffee table in the living room, which will be a nice change from the beat-up Asus that is currently sitting there. I appreciate the advice, it made the decision much easier.

 

[alternatedenver]

Thanks all. I was asking because a lot of articles seem to compare the performance of the Go to the i5 version of the Surfacies (or Surfacices). An i5 is admittedly more than I need as I'll mostly be browsing, watching movies, and occasionally updating a resume. I just didn't want to pay a similar price for the Go if it significantly underperformed the m3 laptop, which it doesn't based on your guys' response. Ultimately, I will probably go Go because of the form factor. It'll look much nicer on my coffee table than the beat up Asus that currently sits there. I do dream of a day when I can play Forza on my Xbox and on a device like the Go, but that is probably a couple years off (and a couple thousand more than I'd be willing to pay) I appreciate the advice; it made the decision much easier.

 

[Internaut]

I'm guessing the 8Gb will confer some advantage. Whenever Amazon have heavily discounted the Core M surface, I’ve been put off by the lack of an 8Gb option (but that’s really because I use a laptop of that kind of spec as a development machine, often using Oracle Virtualbox to run up a Linux VM).

 

[Andrew G1]

In all honesty if I were you I'd just spring for the Surface Pro i5. The i5 is clearly more powerful than both the m3 and the Pentium Gold, but it isn't as powerful as you think. You can find an i5 Pro for something like $800 US, and if you're on a budget, pick up an old Surface Pro 4 keyboard cover (that's what I did - it's almost identical to the current model in terms of functionality). Also, the Surface Pro has all the advantages of a detachable that the Go has, specifically great inking and potential use as a tablet for media consumption. The Surface Laptop seems nice but if you're considering a detachable, go detachable. Don't worry, the kickstand solves so many problems! It's totally worth it!

Oh, and a 4GB laptop? No thanks ... I made the mistake of getting the 4GB Surface Pro, and I have regretted it ever since.

Whatever you do, good luck!

Hey all. I am moments away from getting into the surface world, but I'm sitting between a Surface Go 128gb SSD 8gb RAM and a Surface Laptop m3 128GB SSD 4GB RAM. For some reason, I've not been able to find a comparison between these two similarly priced "SKUs". I like the Go form factor, but if the performance is considerably lower than the base line laptop, I'll take the laptop. Does anyone know if the Surface Laptop performs considerably better than the high end Go? or are they similar? Thanks!!!

 

[Akram Eleyan]

If you want detachable, I would lean toward Surface Pro 2017 i5/8GB model.
Surface Go is nice, it is just too small for full OS such as Windows 10.
I still don't think Windows 10 is good for small screens. The Surface Pro I consider is the smallest screen that makes using Windows 10 enjoyable and usable.
If you can afford the 8 GB RAM, don't do the 4 GB. Usually 4 GB feels enough at the beginning, as your needs evolve and you start installing more and more stuff, you will hate your decision of 4 GB, sometimes I even hate the 8 GB!

I would avoid Surface Laptop overall, you can get Dell XPS 13 with better specs for same price in case you need a traditional laptop form factor.

 

[ochhanz]

Surface Go is nice, it is just too small for full OS such as Windows 10.
I still don't think Windows 10 is good for small screens.

, this really depends on what you are trying to do on a windows 10 device. I have a 10.8 16:9 detachable and it is big enough for Word, browsing, some games and netflix. Since the Go is 10 inch but 3:2 (/enough vertical height), Word and browsing should at least be a similar experience.
The 3:2 screen is better for older/emulation games and older movies, but probably still big enough for newer movies and indie games.

I think what OP should consider if he would use the Go as a tablet, because that is where it really shines with its low weight (while the Pro is fairly heavy as a tablet). If OP is only going to use it on a desk or table or such, I would go for the Pro or go for a Surface Pro clone (like from Dell, Asus, HP or the Thinkpad one).

 

[Bill Leeman]

I have both a Surface Pro 16GB/512GB i7 and the Surface Go 8GB/128GB. I love both form factors. However, if your primary use is going to be the coffee table, definitely get the GO. I LOVE my Surface Pro and it's beefed up as it was my primary computer for work (I'm now retired) and had been my home Tablet when not working. However, as several mentioned it can get fairly heavy when using it as an eReader, casual gaming system, etc.

My Surface GO does a fair amount of coffee table time as we use it for those quick reference questions while watching shows. But I also use it a lot in my recliner for web surfing, email reading, an eReader (With the Nook app), Twitter reader, and casual gaming device (Microsoft Solitaire Collection, Microsoft Mahjong, Microsoft Jigsaw, and Microsoft Ultimate Word Games).

The performance on it has been good and battery life good. I also use it with OneNote as an electronic "piece of paper". I just finished a 6 week course where I started with my Surface Pro for class notes and switched to the GO when I got it. Both did a great job, but the GO was so much easier to use for note taking because the smaller size took up less room on the classroom desk.

I'm a big guy (6'8") and have the big hands to go with it. I'm also a touch typist and it only took about an hour for me to get used to the smaller keyboard. Yes, I wouldn't want to write a novel using the keyboard but it works quite well for a letter to family in Word, or similar.

For me, the GO has been the perfect device. I've left it in Windows 10 S mode as the apps I use are all available via the store. I look at the GO as my "Mini Me" Surface Pro. It's exactly what I wanted. Small, lightweight, and I can do everything I do on my Pro on it. I'm not saying it can do everything my Pro can, just that it can do everything I do with my Pro in a nice small convenient form factor.

In summary, I've always liked the hybrid form factor where I can have a tablet and/or laptop. For me, although the Surface Laptop is nice looking, capable device I have no interest in that form factor. My Surface Pro is my 4th Surface over the years (I did upgrades, not that there were issues with the others) and these two are now my only computers. I do my heavy gaming on my Xbox One X. I started with HP Tablets (With the rotating screens and permanently attached keyboards) back in the mid 2000's with Windows XP Tablet mode, so I'm pretty biased regarding tablets versus laptops.

I hope the above helps you make a choice. Feel free to holler if you have any questions.

 

[Jeffri Tjin]

I think you will appreciate the Go form-factor more if you are going to take it around. My Go accompany me wherever I go without adding much bulk, I only need a small carrying sleeve and it is easily as portable as an iPad 9.7 or 10.5.

However, do note that a 10" screen can be quite small, you might find a need to lean a bit closer or set a larger scaling in exchange of a less screen estate. If you don't really need the portability, I'll personally go with the Surface Pro or Laptop.

The top SKU for the Go is actually quite nice with 8GB of RAM, if you plan for the Pro or Laptop, I think it's better to spend a bit more to get an 8GB version. Your use-case doesn't seem to require much processing power, so even the Pentium Gold should be sufficient.

 

[HeyCori]

While I agree that it can be hard to navigate windows on a small screen, I have a pen and I am quite surprised at how much I don't use it for navigating around the operating system, but instead for every day stuff that wouldn't be good on any small tablet. The Internet is littered with tiny links, small text, or jumbled words that take some finesse to select.

 

[dexman335]

I own a Surface Laptop (16G/512G) as well as a Surface Go (8G/128G). The Go is my daily driver. I use the Laptop for more intensive activities.

The battery's runtime does concern me. Depending upon usage, one might find themselves charging the Go on a daily basis. That could end up shortening the life of the Go.

I used to own an Insignia NS-P08W7100 tablet. The battery had a run time of about 7 to 8 hours. The battery performance began to deteriorate noticeably after about a year. Soon after, the tablet had to remain on the charger at all times. When it got to the point where the tablet had difficulty turning on, I tossed it.

Hopefully the SMP battery inside the Go will be more durable than the Intel branded battery inside the Insignia.

 

[Zeem Frostmaw]

Not really seeing the issue with screen size on the Go. I frequently snap documents half-and-half on the Go and just get on with it without a second thought. If you get eye strain using your cellphone though its probably something to consider.

 

[ClintRo]

I own a Surface Laptop (16G/512G) as well as a Surface Go (8G/128G). The Go is my daily driver. I use the Laptop for more intensive activities.

The battery's runtime does concern me. Depending upon usage, one might find themselves charging the Go on a daily basis. That could end up shortening the life of the Go.

I used to own an Insignia NS-P08W7100 tablet. The battery had a run time of about 7 to 8 hours. The battery performance began to deteriorate noticeably after about a year. Soon after, the tablet had to remain on the charger at all times. When it got to the point where the tablet had difficulty turning on, I tossed it.

Hopefully the SMP battery inside the Go will be more durable than the Intel branded battery inside the Insignia.

I would hope the battery quality of the Surface line VS the Insignia line would be better. Just based on price.