Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 Comparison

Laptop to replace

 Change

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

16 inches | September 2025

Speed 6.5

Size 4

Display 3.5

Gaming 3.5

CHECK AT AMAZON

 Change

Microsoft Surface Go 4

10.5 inches | October 2023

Speed 2

Size 10

Display 5

Gaming 1

CHECK AT AMAZON

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 Comparison Overview

Lenovo ThinkPad P16...

See at AMAZON

Microsoft Surface Go...

See at AMAZON

Lenovo ThinkPad P16...

See at AMAZON

Microsoft Surface Go...

See at AMAZON

In this review, we will be comparing ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4, two laptops from Lenovo and Microsoft. Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 was introduced to market in January and Microsoft Surface Go 4 was launched in October 2023. As you can see, ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is 53 years older than Surface Go 4. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Microsoft Surface Go 4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 Key Specs

Launched in January 1970
16.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)
16GB Ram
362 x 252 x 15.8 mm (14.25 x 9.92 x 0.62 inches)
Weight: 2.54 kg (5.6 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Go 4 Key Specs

Launched in October 2023
10.5" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Processor N200
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
8GB Ram
245 x 175 x 8.3 mm (9.65 x 6.89 x 0.33 inches)
Weight: 0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4 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 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 over Microsoft Surface Go 4

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~81.4% vs ~76.5%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	8.7 mm vs 11.5 mm	2.8 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	16 inches vs 10.5 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Max Brightness	400 nits vs 350 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	3 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU FLOPS	1.5 TFLOPS vs 0.74 TFLOPS	More RAM Options
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs No	Easily increase the Storage when needed
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs No	Faster data transfers
NVMe Type SSD	Yes vs No	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
WiFi Standard	v7 vs v6	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.4 vs v5.1	Easy login with fingerprint
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Higher Resolution Camera
Webcam Resolution	2560 x 1440 vs 1920 x 1080	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	3x USB 4.0 vs 1x USB 3.1	Faster USB-C connection
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.1	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
Thunderbolt	v5 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 2.1 vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No	Easily see the keys under low light
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Go 4 over Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Weight	0.52 kg vs 2.54 kg	2.02 kg lighter
Contrast Rate	1500:1 vs 1200:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	220 ppi vs 142 ppi	More pixels per inch
2-in-1 Design	Yes vs No	Use like a tablet
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Interact with your fingers
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1280 pixels vs 1920 x 1200 pixels	Higher pixel count screen

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards

Common Weaknesses of Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and the Microsoft Surface Go 4.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.54 kg (5.6 lbs)	0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)
Surface Area	912 cm2 (141.4 inches2)	429 cm2 (66.5 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~81.4%	~76.5%
Side Bezel Thickness	~8.7 mm	~11.5 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.16 kg/inch	0.05 kg/inch
	0.352 lbs/inch	0.11 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Gray
Cover Opening Angle	180°	360Â°

Comparison of the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and the Microsoft Surface Go 4 External Dimensions

Weight

ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 weighs 2.54 kg (5.6 lbs), whereas the Surface Go 4 weighs 0.52 kg (1.15 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

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Avg: 16.0-16.9"

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Avg: up to 12"

Thickness Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Avg: 16.0-16.9"

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Avg: up to 12"

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 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is 0.16 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Microsoft Surface Go 4 is 0.05 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

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
Microsoft Surface Pro 12: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ14 HT7407: 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

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Internals Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX	Intel Processor N200
Base Frequency	3.1 GHz	0 GHz
Turbo Frequency	5.1 GHz
Number of Cores	14 (6P + 8E)	4 (0P + 4E)
Number of Threads	14	4
L3 Cache	24 MB	6 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	3 nm	10 nm

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 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Microsoft Surface Go 4.

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

Laptops with: Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX

Laptops with: Intel Processor N200

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
Base Clock Frequency	400 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1900 MHz	1400 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W	45 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	1.5 TFLOPS	0.74 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	DDR5	LPDDR5
Memory Speed	5.6 Gbps	4.8 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	384	256
TMUs	24	16
ROPs	12	8

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. Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 has a FLOPS value of 1.5 TFLOPS whereas the Microsoft Surface Go 4 ' has a FLOPS value of 0.74 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB 48GB 64GB 96GB 128GB 192GB	8GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	5600 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR5	LPDDR5
Upgradable	Yes	No
Max RAM Size	192 GB
Total Slots	4

With a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 offers an advantage for multitasking and resource-intensive applications compared to the Surface Go 4's RAM capacity of 8 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	Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3	Microsoft Surface Go 4
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (NPU - 13 TOPS)	Intel Processor N200
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
Memory	16 GB	8 GB
Available for LLM total	~10.5 GB (10.5 GB RAM)	~3.5 GB (3.5 GB RAM)
Small Models (1-3B): Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B Requires ~2 GB memory	✔ Modest Speed fits in your 10.5 GB RAM	⚠ Borderline / Slow fits in your 3.5 GB RAM
Medium Models (7-8B): Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B Requires ~5 GB memory	✔ Modest Speed fits in your 10.5 GB RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM
Large Models
13-15B Models (e.g., Llama 3 14B, Qwen1.5 14B) Requires ~9 GB memory	⚠ Borderline / Slow fits in your 10.5 GB RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM
16-24B Models (e.g., Dense 20B Q4 ~15.5GB) Requires ~14 GB memory	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM
24-30B Models (e.g., Dense 30B Q4) Requires ~18 GB memory	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM
MoE Models (Mixture-of-Experts) (e.g., Mixtral 8x7B - total ~47B, active ~12-13B) Requires ~24 GB memory	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM
Extra-Large Models (65B+): Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B Requires ~42 GB memory	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM	✖ Not Supported exceeds available RAM

For more detailed LLM evaluation (subcategories, performance ranges, memory breakdown)

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3|Microsoft Surface Go 4

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

📌 Model Types: Dense 30B Q4 models typically require around 19–22 GB of total VRAM, so they run best on systems with ≥24 GB VRAM. MoE models like Mixtral 8x7B (≈47B total parameters, usually ≈23–26 GB in 4-bit) also need high memory because all experts must be loaded, even though only a few are active per token. They reduce compute cost per token (similar to a ~12–13B dense model), but not memory usage, so they are not practical on 14–16 GB systems.

🚀 Modern NPU (Neural Processing Unit): Modern processors like AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra feature NPU and unified memory architecture. NPUs provide modest performance gains (0-30% faster) with better power efficiency compared to iGPU-only execution. Real-world tests show ~3-10 tok/s range on 13B models with 32GB RAM (varies by runtime, quantization, and context), comparable to iGPU but more power-efficient. Note: These figures are examples from various NPU systems; actual performance depends on your specific hardware configuration.

Understanding Performance Categories

The performance descriptions use general categories because actual speed varies greatly based on your specific hardware, model optimization, context length, and runtime software.

Performance Level	Typical Range	User Experience
Runs Smoothly (High-end dGPU)	50+ tok/s	Real-time response. Feels instant, like ChatGPT.
Runs Well (Mid-range dGPU)	20-50 tok/s	Good interactive performance. Slight delay, but usable.
Modest Speed (iGPU/NPU/CPU)	5-20 tok/s	Usable for tasks that don't need instant responses. Noticeable typing delay.
Borderline / Slow (Limited hardware)	2-5 tok/s	Slow-Very slow. Patience required. Better for batch processing.
Not Practical	<2 tok/s	Too slow for regular use. May cause system hangs or instability.

💡 Tip: Your actual results may be higher or lower than these ranges. Test with your specific hardware to know for sure!

⚠️ Note: Performance categorization is based on VRAM capacity and RAM fallback status. GPU type (memory bandwidth, compute power) can also affect actual performance. Currently, we prioritize whether the model fits in VRAM or requires RAM fallback for classification. We may refine this categorization in future updates based on more detailed benchmarks.

BATTERY

BATTERY	99.9 Wh	29 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	No
Charging Port Position	Left	Right
Charge Power	180 W	24 W

Moreover, the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 boasts a larger battery capacity of 100 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Surface Go 4's29 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Avg: 16.0-16.9"

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Avg: up to 12"

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 6 TB, the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the Surface Go 4's max. storage capacity of 256 GB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB, 6 TB	256 GB
Upgradable	Yes	No
Storage type	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Custom

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.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Microsoft Surface Go 4 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. ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 has a display size of 16.0".On the other hand, Surface Go 4 has a smaller 10.5" display.The total usable screen area of the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is 742cm² / 115inch² whereas the Surface Go 4's total usable screen area is 328cm² / 51inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Surface Go 4 features a higher pixel density with 220 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Avg: 16.0-16.9"

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Avg: up to 12"

Refresh Rate
Both ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 offers a higher maximum brightness of 400 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3

Avg: 16.0-16.9"

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Avg: up to 12"

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v7, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Surface Go 4 (v6).

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
ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is equipped with 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. Surface Go 4 does not have USB-A ports.
Both ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4 have USB Type-C ports. ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 has 3x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while Surface Go 4 has 1x USB 3.1 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
ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is equipped with Thunderbolt 5 port. Surface Go 4 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.1) for connecting to external monitors. Surface Go 4 does not have an HDMI port.

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
Both ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 and Surface Go 4 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)	v7	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v6.2)	v5.4	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	3x USB 4.0	1x USB 3.1
Thunderbolt (latest: 5)	Thunderbolt 5	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	Yes