Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

12.4 inches | June 2022

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Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

13.5 inches | May 2020

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5, two laptops by Microsoft. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 was introduced to market in June 2022 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 was launched in May 2020. As you can see, Surface Book 3 13.5 is 2 years older than Surface Laptop Go 2. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Key Specs

Launched in June 2022
12.4" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
4GB Ram
278.2 x 206.2 x 15.7 mm (10.95 x 8.12 x 0.62 inches)
Weight: 1.24 kg (2.73 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Key Specs

Launched in May 2020
13.5" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1035G1
GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
8GB Ram
312 x 232 x 15-23 mm (12.28 x 9.13 x 0.59-0.91 inches)
Weight: 1.64 kg (3.62 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 was replaced by Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 over Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

Weight	1.24 kg vs 1.64 kg	0.4 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~79.8% vs ~75%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	8 mm vs 13.3 mm	5.3 mm thinner bezels
Adobe RGB Profile	65% vs 61%	Wider Adobe RGB Coverage
Response Time	33 ms vs 35 ms	Faster Response screen
GPU Fabrication Process	10 nm vs 12 nm	Newer Generation GPU
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs No	Easily increase the Storage when needed
Speaker Loudness	77.5 dB vs 61.8 dB	Generates higher sound levels
Bluetooth	v5.1 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 over Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Display Size	13.5 inches vs 12.4 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Noise Level	33.6 dB vs 41.8 dB	Less fan noise
Contrast Rate	1600:1 vs 990:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	267 ppi vs 149 ppi	More pixels per inch
2-in-1 Design	Yes vs No	Use like a tablet
Screen Resolution	3000 x 2000 pixels vs 1536 x 1024 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
sRGB Color Space	95% vs 93.8%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
Max Brightness	400 nits vs 330 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	3.195 TFLOPS vs 1.41 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Charges via USB-C type cable
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Easily see the keys under low light
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs No

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Screen Type	Touch Screen vs Touch Screen	Interact with your fingers
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs Yes	Easy Login with Fingerprint Sensor
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable

Common Weaknesses of Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support
Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size
HDMI Output	No vs No	Need an adapter to connect to HDMI displays

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.24 kg (2.73 lbs)	1.64 kg (3.62 lbs)
Surface Area	574 cm2 (88.9 inches2)	724 cm2 (112.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~79.8%	~75%
Side Bezel Thickness	~8 mm	~13.3 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.10 kg/inch	0.12 kg/inch
	0.22 lbs/inch	0.264 lbs/inch
Colors	Silver, Blue, Green, Yellow	Silver
Cover Opening Angle	135Â°	360Â°

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Laptop Go 2 weighs 1.24 kg (2.73 lbs), whereas the Surface Book 3 13.5 weighs 1.64 kg (3.62 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 1.24 kg

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 1.11 kg

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 1.64 kg

Avg: 13.0-13.9" 1.22 kg

Thickness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 15.70 mm

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 14.24 mm

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 15.00 mm

Avg: 13.0-13.9" 15.38 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is 0.10 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 is 0.12 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 1135G7	Intel Core i5 1035G1 Intel Core i7 1065G7
Base Frequency	0.9-2.4 GHz	1.1 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.2 GHz	3.7 GHz
Number of Cores	4	4
Number of Threads	8	8
L3 Cache	8 MB	6 MB
Integrated GPU	Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU	Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1324	1100
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	4633	2924
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1355	1079
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	5087	4263

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1135G7

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1035G1

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)	GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile GeForce GTX 1660 TI Max-Q
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	1380 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1100 MHz	1560 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	1,408 GFLOPS	3.195 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	4 GB
Memory Type	System Shared	GDDR6
Memory Bus	System Shared	128 bit
Memory Speed	System Shared	~12 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	640	1024
TMUs	40	64
ROPs	20	32

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a FLOPS value of 1.41 TFLOPS whereas the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 ' has a FLOPS value of 3.195 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	4GB 8GB	8GB 16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	2x2 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	4266 MHz	3733 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR4X	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	No	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

The Surface Book 3 13.5 provides a larger RAM capacity of 8 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Surface Laptop Go 2's RAM capacity of 4 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2	Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✖ Not supported.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	41 Wh	69 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Ion	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	No	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Left
Charge Power	39 W	65 / 102 W
AC Adapter Weight	209 gramm

On the other hand, the Surface Book 3 13.5 features a higher battery capacity of 69 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Surface Laptop Go 2's 41 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 41 Wh

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 43.28 Wh

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 69 Wh

Avg: 13.0-13.9" 53.1 Wh

STORAGE
The Surface Book 3 13.5 offers a larger max storage capacity of 1 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Surface Laptop Go 2's storage capacity of 256 GB.

Storage Options	128 GB, 256 GB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	No
Total Slots	1	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Surface Laptop Go 2 has a display size of 12.4".On the other hand, Surface Book 3 13.5 has a larger13.5" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Laptop Go 2 is 458cm² / 71inch² whereas the Surface Book 3 13.5's total usable screen area is 543cm² / 84inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Surface Book 3 13.5 features a higher pixel density with 267 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 149 PPI

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 199 PPI

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 267 PPI

Avg: 13.0-13.9" 186 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Furthermore, the Surface Laptop Go 2 boasts a faster response time of 33.0 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
The Surface Book 3 13.5 offers a higher maximum brightness of 400 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 330 nits

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 370 nits

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 400 nits

Avg: 13.0-13.9" 438 nits

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5 feature 1x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5 feature 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Neither Surface Laptop Go 2 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Neither Surface Laptop Go 2 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors. Neither Surface Laptop Go 2 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Surface Book 3 13.5 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Surface Laptop Go 2 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Laptop Go 2 and Surface Book 3 13.5 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.1	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	No