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Surface Go vs. Surface 3 detailed specs comparison
Surface Go is out now! if you want to know more how the new Surface Go compared to the Surface 3, here we have a detailed specs comparison for you.
A new generation of 10-inch Microsoft Surface has arrived. It’s called Microsoft Surface Go, which looks and feels like a shrunk down version of its big brother, the new Surface Pro. Microsoft has confirmed that it has twice the speed of the Surface 3, including more advanced functionalities and more customizable accessories.
If you are using Surface 3, should you like to upgrade to Surface Go? In this article, we have done a comparison between the Surface Go and Surface 3 to find out whether it’s worth the upgrade or not.
- Surface Go vs Surface 3: Overall Specs Comparison
- Surface Go vs Surface 3: Processor Comparison
- Surface Go vs Surface 3: Graphics Comparison
1Surface Go vs Surface 3: Overall Specs Comparison
| Surface Go | Surface 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced Date | July 10, 2018 Preorder on July 10, 2018 Available on Auguest 2, 2018 | May 05, 2015 |
| Starting Price | $399 - 4 GB | 64 GB eMMC | WiFi$549 - 8 GB | 128 GB SSD | WiFi | $499 - 2 GB | 64 GB eMMC | WiFi$599 - 4 GB | 128 GB eMMC | WiFi $599 - 2 GB | 64 GB eMMC | LTE$699 - 4 GB | 128 GB eMMC | LTE |
| Software | ||
| Operating System | Windows 10 in S-mode | Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 10 Pro |
| Office | Microsoft Office 365 Home 30-day trial | |
| Display | ||
| Display Size | 10 inches | 10.8 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1800 x 1200 (217 PPI), 2.1M Pixels | 1920 x 1280 (213 PPI), 2.46 M Pixels |
| Screen Technology | PixelSense™ Display Aspect ratio: 3:2 Contrast ratio: 1500:1 Touch: 10 points multi-touch Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | ClearType Full HD Plus Display Aspect ratio: 3:2 Touch: 10 point multi-touch Surface Pen support |
| Internal Specs | ||
| CPU | 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor 4415Y dual-core | Intel® Cherry Trail Quad Core Atom x7-Z8700 |
| Graphics | Intel® HD Graphics 615 | Intel® HD Graphic |
| Memory | 4GB, 8GB 1,866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM | 2GB, 4GB 1,600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC or 128GB, 256GB SSD | 64GB, 128GB eMMC |
| Network | Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology Optional LTE | Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) Bluetooth 4.0 low energy Optional LTE |
| Battery | ||
| Battery Size | 26.12 Wh (3,411 mAh, 7.66V) | 27.5 Wh (7,270 mAh, 3.78 V) |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 hours of local video playback | Up to 10 hours of local video playback |
| Power Supply | 24W Surface Connect power supply | 13W Micro USB power supply |
| Exterior | ||
| Dimensions | 9.6” x 6.9” x 0.33” (245 mm x 175 mm x 8.3 mm) | 10.52″ x 7.36″ x 0.34″ (267 mm x 187 mm x 8.7 mm) |
| Weight | 1.15 lbs (522 g) without a keyboard 1.7 lbs (771 g) with a keyboard | 1.37 lbs (621 g) without a keyboard 1.95 lbs (884 g) with a keyboard |
| Casing | - Magnesium - kickstand with full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees | - Magnesium - kickstand with 3 positions |
| Colors | Silver | Silver |
| Keyboard and Trackpad | - Precision trackpad: 101 mm x 56 mm, glass. - Five-finger multitouch gesture - Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1 mm of key travel. | - Three-finger multitouch gesture trackpad - Full-size mechanical backlit keyboard. |
| Ports | - 1 x USB type-C (version 3.1 Gen 1 with USB Power Delivery revision 3.0) - 3.5mm headphone jack - Surface Connect (Compatible with Surface Dock) - MicroSDXC card reader (up to 1TB) - Compatible with Surface Dial* off-screen interaction | - Full-size USB 3.0 - Mini DisplayPort - microSD™ card reader - Micro USB charging port - Headset jack - Cover port - Nano SIM card slot (Surface 3 [4G-LTE] only) |
| Camera & Audio | ||
| Camera | Windows Hello face sign-in camera (front-facing) 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video | 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera 8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus |
| Audio | - Single microphone - 2W Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium | - Single microphone - Stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio-enhanced sound |
| Misc | ||
| Sensors | Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope | Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer Digital compass |
| Security | TPM chip for enterprise security | N/A |
| Surface Dial | Off-screen interaction only | |
| In the box | - Surface Go - Power supply - Quick Start Guide - Safety and warranty documents | - Surface 3 - Power supply - Quick Start Guide - Safety and warranty documents |
2Surface Go vs Surface 3: Processor Comparison
| Surface Go | Surface 3 | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Processor | 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Processor 4415Y | Intel® Cherry Trail Quad Core Atom x7-Z8700 |
| Launch Date | Q2'2017 | Q1'2015 |
| Lithography | 14 nm | |
| Base Frequency | 1.60 GHz | 1.60 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency | Not Supported | 2.40 GHz (Burst Technology) |
| TDP | 6 watt | < 4 watt |
| Level 1 Cache | 128 KB | 128 KB |
| Level 2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
| Level 3 Cache | 2 MB SmartCache | 2 MB |
| # of Cores | 2 | 4 |
| # of Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Bus Speed | 4 GT/s OPI | N/A |
| Max Memory Support | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Max Memory Bandwidth | 29.8 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |
| GEEKBENCH | ||
| Single-Core Score | 1,836 | 945 |
| Multi-Core Score | 3,823 | 3,138 |
3Surface Go vs Surface 3: Graphics Comparison
| Surface Go | Surface 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Graphics | Intel® HD Graphics 615 | Intel® HD Graphics |
| Base Frequency | 300 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Max Dynamic Frequency | 850 MHz | 600 MHz |
| Graphics Max Memory | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Graphics 4K Support | Yes, at 60Hz | Yes, at 30Hz |
| Graphics DirectX | 12 | 11.2 |
| Graphics OpenGL | 4.4 | |
| # Display Supported | 3 | |
| Graphics Technologies | Intel® Quick Sync Video Intel® Clear Video HD TechnologyIntel® Clear Video Technology | Intel® Wireless Display |
More Surface Go Resources
Make sure to check out our tips and tricks for Microsoft Surface Go here:
- Surface Go Type Cover vs. Surface 3 Type Cover
- How to configure Surface Go UEFI/BIOS settings
- How to manage Surface Go sound effects via Realtek Audio Console app
- How to download the official Surface Go recovery image
- How fast you can charge Surface Go with the original charger
