Should you buy the Surface Laptop Go or the Surface Laptop 3?

Budget Laptop

Surface Laptop Go

From $549 at Microsoft Store

Pros

• 12.45-inch display
• Premium aluminum chassis
• Multiple colors available
• Full-blown Intel Core i5 processor

Cons

• Low-resolution display
• No Windows Hello facial recognition
• No backlit keyboard

The new Surface Laptop Go features the same great design as the Surface Laptop 3 but in a smaller chassis and at half the price.

Premium Laptop

Surface Laptop 3

From $979 at Microsoft Store

Pros

• Larger 13.5 or 15-inch display
• Windows Hello facial recognition
• Backlit keyboard
• High-resolution display

Cons

• AMD only in the 15-inch model
• No Thunderbolt 3
• Slightly thicker bezels

Surface Laptop 3 features an all-aluminum chassis, large 13.5-inch or 15-inch display, Intel 10th Gen or AMD Ryzen processors for extra power, and great battery life.

Surface Laptop Go vs Surface Laptop 3: tech specs

Comparing the specs side by side, Surface Laptop Go and Surface Laptop 3 are two very similar yet somewhat different devices.

	Surface Laptop Go	Surface Laptop 3
CPU	Intel Core i5-1035G1	Intel 10th Gen i5 or i7 AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 custom CPU
RAM	4GB, 8GB, 16GB	8GB, 16GB 32GB
Storage	64GB eMMC 128GB or 256GB SSD	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD
Display	12.45-inch 1536x1024 touchscreen	13.5-inch 2256x1504 touchscreen 15-inch 2496x1664 touchscreen
Graphics	Intel® UHD Graphics	Intel Iris AMD Vega 9 AMD Vega 11
Security	Windows Hello fingerprint	Windows Hello facial recognition
Pen Support	No	Yes
Ports	1x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect	1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, Surface Connect
Dimensions	278.18 mm x 205.67 mm x 15.69 mm (10.95" x 8.10" x 0.62")	13.5-inch: 12.1" x 8.8" x .57" (308 mm x 223 mm x 14.5 mm) 15-inch: 13.4" x 9.6" x .57" (339.5 mm x 244 mm x 14.69 mm)
OS	Windows 10 Home in S mode	Windows 10 Home
Colors	Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue	Platinum, Sandstone, Black, Cobalt Blue

Beautiful designs all round

Both the Surface Laptop Go and Surface Laptop 3 deliver premium hardware design, but the Surface Laptop Go makes compromises in specific areas to keep costs low. The Surface Laptop 3 features an all-aluminum build, from top to bottom. But the Surface Laptop Go only features aluminum on the lid and keyboard deck. The underside of the laptop is made from polycarbonate plastic. It's a nice plastic, but still plastic.

Surface Laptop Go still feels incredibly premium, especially for the price. Both laptops feature very similar designs, and the Surface Laptop Go comes out ahead in the bezels department. Surface Laptop Go features the thinnest bezels on a Surface, much thinner than those on the Surface Laptop 3, but at the cost of Windows Hello facial recognition.

Power or portability?

An easy way to choose between Surface Laptop Go, and Surface Laptop 3 is whether you need more power or more portability. If you need more power, the Surface Laptop 3 is the one for you, as it features a much more powerful Intel Core i7 or AMR Ryzen 7 processor to boot. The Surface Laptop Go is limited to an Intel Core i5 processor, which is a low-end chip. There are no upgrade options, either.

Not only that, but the Surface Laptop 3 has a more powerful GPU if you opt for the 15-inch variant with an AMD processor, featuring either Vega 9 and Vega 11 graphics. Of course, this does mean sacrificing portability. If you're looking for the best laptop experience in the smallest package, and power isn't much of a concern to you, then the Surface Laptop Go is a much better choice.

If you prefer small and portable

Budget Laptop

Surface Laptop Go

A traditional laptop for less.

From $549 at Microsoft Store

Featuring the same great design as the Surface Laptop 3 but in a smaller chassis and at half the price, the Laptop Go is a great choice for students in need of a stylish PC with a full-size keyboard and trackpad.

If you need more power and a larger display

Premium Laptop

Surface Laptop 3

The premium ultrabook.

From $979 at Microsoft Store

Surface Laptop 3 features an all-aluminum chassis, large 13.5-inch or 15-inch display, Intel 10th Gen or AMD Ryzen processors for extra power, and great battery life.