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Surface Laptop Go 2
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Surface Laptop Go 3
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

Choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the Surface Laptop Go 3, consider that the Go 3 offers double the storage and a slightly improved processor, which means better performance for tasks that require more resources like engineering software or multitasking. Both have the same display size, but the Go 3 achieves slightly better screen color accuracy. Each model has a similar build quality, battery life, as well as size and weight, making them both highly portable. If having more built-in storage and a small boost in processing power is important for your workflow, then the Surface Laptop Go 3 may be the more suitable option. However, if budget constraints are a primary concern, the Surface Laptop Go 2 still provides good performance and portability for everyday tasks. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
  • The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
  • The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.

Key differences

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Screen Quality

6.9
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.8
12.4in
SIZE
12.4in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 have similar screen quality.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.2
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.1
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

6.5
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.8
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.1
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.3
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.0
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.1
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development.

Battery

8.0 Hours
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has 8 hours of battery life.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent
12.4in
SIZE
12.4in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 both have good build quality.

Cost

$774
Surface Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3
$788
Product imageProduct image

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $788.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

GENERAL

Price
$774
$788
Release Date
June 1, 2022October 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''
Weight
2.48 lbs2.49 lbs
Width
10.95"10.95"
Depth
8.12"8.12"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i5-1135G7Intel i5-1235U
RAM
8 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
00
Storage
128 GB256 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
41 Wh41 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
12.4"12.4"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1536 x 10241536 x 1024
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
401 nits337 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.8/10
Portability Score
9.3/109.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.4/108.4/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
YesYes
Backlit Keyboard
NoNo
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
11
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
NoNo
Display Outputs
11
Thunderbolt Ports
00

Shopping

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

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Dig into reviews and images

PCMag

Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."

Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

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Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
Consumer hours saved

About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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