Surface Go Standard USB Charger

Our previous article benchmarked the Surface Go charging speed using the original charger, which uses the Surface Connect port. But Surface Go has another option to charge via USB-C port. Generally, charging over USB-C on a modern portable computer requires a charger and cable that supports USB Power Delivery or USB-PD technology to deliver more power throughput for fast charging.

However, if you don’t have a USB-PD charger or didn’t take it while on the go, can you use a standard USB charger to charge your Surface Go instead? This article will benchmark the Surface Go charging speed using a standard USB charger.

Standard USB Charger Specification

In this test, we chose the original charger for the Sony Xperia XA, which is included in the phone box. It’s a simple charger with only 1500mA power output and has no Quick Charge or Power Delivery support.

ChargerSony Standard USB Charger
Input100-240V@200mA
Output7.5W (5V@1500mA)
InterfaceFull Size USB-A to USB-C

Sony Standard 1500mA USB Charger

Standard USB Charging Speed on Surface Go

We can see from the testing that the charger can charge Surface Go not only while it’s off but also while it’s in use. But it takes quite a long time (about 6 hours) to charge Surface Go from 20% to 100% in our test scenario.

The following table summarizes the charger’s speed, duration, and charging rate.

Note The following results are measured using a particular condition specified in this article’s Experiment Condition section.

Battery Capacity (%)Average Charging Rate (W)Duration (Minutes)
20% - 80%3.68 W265 Minutes
80% - 90%3.50 W47 Minutes
90% - 95%3.42 W23 Minutes
95% - 100%3.18 W25 Minutes
20% - 100%3.68 W - 3.18 W6 Hours or 360 Minutes

Below is a graph detailing the charging behavior using a standard USB charger over a USB-A to USB-C port:

Sony 1500mA charging rate

The Surface Go charging speed graph using the original charger over the Surface Connect port is below for a quick comparison.

Original Surface Go Charger

Don’t forget to check our comparison between three USB-C PD chargers here:

Experiment Condition

Of course, the actual charging speed depends on your device’s settings and usage. Charging your device when it’s off and slow as you play games or use any heavy software will be much faster.

Below is a condition that we used and think most people would use in the general situation:

  • Turn off the display: Never (Always-on display)
  • Display brightness: 50%
  • Auto brightness: No
  • Bluetooth: On
  • WiFi: On (connected to the internet)

Recording Tools

Charging Speed Testing Tools

The tool we used to record the battery capacity, speed, and duration of the charging is BatteryInfoView. Besides that, this tool can also display more detailed information about your device’s battery.

We also use our favorite tool, BatteryBar, to view real-time charging stats from the taskbar. You can download both tools for free from the links below:

Since Surface Go is compatible with the Surface Connect and the USB-C charging interface, you have many options when you want additional chargers to be used on the go, at home, or at the office.

More powerful chargers for Surface Go

The following Surface Connect chargers are more powerful than the 24W original Surface Go charger. If you want a better charging speed, it's a good choice for you.

USB-C chargers with Power Delivery for Surface Go

The chargers here are relatively small in size, easy to carry around, and powerful enough to fast charge your Surface Go. Significantly, since they're using USB-C interface, you can charge all your USB-C devices without carrying additional chargers.

Anker USB C Charger 30W with Power Delivery, PowerPort Speed PD 30 for MacBook Pro/Air (2018), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone XS/XS Max/XR/X/8/Plus, Nexus, LG G5, Pixel, MateBook, and More.
1. Anker USB C Charger 30W with Power Delivery, PowerPort Speed PD 30 for MacBook Pro/Air (2018), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone XS/XS Max/XR/X/8/Plus, Nexus, LG G5, Pixel, MateBook, and More.
By Anker
Not Available
- iClever 45W USB Type-C Wall Charger with Power Delivery Adapter for Nintendo Switch, Samsung Note 8, Pixel C, Nexus 5X/6P, Apple MacBook 2015/2016 and More[Contains a 6.6ft USB C to C Cable]
2. - iClever 45W USB Type-C Wall Charger with Power Delivery Adapter for Nintendo Switch, Samsung Note 8, Pixel C, Nexus 5X/6P, Apple MacBook 2015/2016 and More[Contains a 6.6ft USB C to C Cable]
By iClever
Not Available
- [NOT Ideal for Note10+, which Calls for a PPS Enabled Charger] ZMI Turbo 45W Wall Charger USB-C PD AC Adapter Laptop Charger for New MacBook Pixelbook/Pixel XL Fast Charging Galaxy S10/S9/S8/Note9
3. - [NOT Ideal for Note10+, which Calls for a PPS Enabled Charger] ZMI Turbo 45W Wall Charger USB-C PD AC Adapter Laptop Charger for New MacBook Pixelbook/Pixel XL Fast Charging Galaxy S10/S9/S8/Note9
By ZMI
$13.99
$16.99 18% OFF
Portable power bank with Power Delivery for Surface Go

Chargers require an electrical outlet, but it isn't always easy to find one. So, if you are a student or a person that needs to stay in class or attend a long hours meeting, you should pick a portable power bank.

- ZMI PowerPack 20K Pro USB PD Backup Battery & Hub (USB 2.0 Data) 65W 20000 mAh Power Bank with PPS
1. - ZMI PowerPack 20K Pro USB PD Backup Battery & Hub (USB 2.0 Data) 65W 20000 mAh Power Bank with PPS
By ZMI
Not Available
Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 Pd, 20100mAh Portable Charger & 30W Power Delivery Charger Bundle, Input & Output Type C Power Bank for MacBook Air/Ipad Pro 2018, iPhone 11/ Pro/X, Macbooks, S10
2. Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 Pd, 20100mAh Portable Charger & 30W Power Delivery Charger Bundle, Input & Output Type C Power Bank for MacBook Air/Ipad Pro 2018, iPhone 11/ Pro/X, Macbooks, S10
By Anker
Not Available

More Surface Go Resources

Make sure to check out our tips and tricks for Microsoft Surface Go here: