Lenovo V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 Comparison

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Lenovo V17 Gen 4

17.3 inches | April 2023

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Microsoft Surface Go 4

10.5 inches | October 2023

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Lenovo V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 Comparison Overview

Lenovo V17 Gen 4

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Microsoft Surface Go...

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Lenovo V17 Gen 4

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Microsoft Surface Go...

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In this review, we will be comparing V17 Gen 4 and Surface Go 4, two laptops from Lenovo and Microsoft. Lenovo V17 Gen 4 was introduced to market in April 2023 and Microsoft Surface Go 4 was launched in October 2023. There is only 6 months difference between V17 Gen 4 and Surface Go 4 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Lenovo V17 Gen 4 and Microsoft Surface Go 4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 Key Specs

Launched in April 2023
17.3" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Processor U300
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)
8GB Ram
399 x 274 x 19.9 mm (15.71 x 10.79 x 0.78 inches)
Weight: 2.02 kg (4.45 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 V17 Gen 4 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 V17 Gen 4 over Microsoft Surface Go 4

Side Bezel Thickness	8 mm vs 11.5 mm	3.5 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	17.3 inches vs 10.5 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
GPU FLOPS	0.84 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 Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5.1	Faster USB-C connection
USB-C Port Type	v3.2 vs v3.1	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 1.4 vs No	Fast way to input numbers
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Go 4 over Lenovo V17 Gen 4

Weight	0.52 kg vs 2.02 kg	1.5 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~76.5% vs ~75.5%	Larger screen area ratio
Contrast Rate	1500:1 vs 800:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	220 ppi vs 127 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 1080 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	350 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
RAM Type	LPDDR5 vs DDR4	Faster RAM Type
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Camera

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Lenovo V17 Gen 4

Launch Dates	April 2023 vs October 2023	Both laptops are recent models
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.2 vs v5.1	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
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 V17 Gen 4

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo V17 Gen 4 and the Microsoft Surface Go 4.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.02 kg (4.45 lbs)	0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)
Surface Area	1093 cm2 (169.5 inches2)	429 cm2 (66.5 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~75.5%	~76.5%
Side Bezel Thickness	~8 mm	~11.5 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.12 kg/inch	0.05 kg/inch
	0.264 lbs/inch	0.11 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Gray
Cover Opening Angle	180Â°	360Â°

Comparison of the Lenovo V17 Gen 4 and the Microsoft Surface Go 4 External Dimensions

Weight

V17 Gen 4 weighs 2.02 kg (4.45 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 V17 Gen 4 2.02 kg

Avg: larger than 17.0" 2.74 kg

Microsoft Surface Go 4

0.52 kg

Avg: up to 12" 1.04 kg

Thickness Comparison

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 19.90 mm

Avg: larger than 17.0" 24.26 mm

Microsoft Surface Go 4 8.30 mm

Avg: up to 12" 16.43 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 Lenovo V17 Gen 4 is 0.12 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
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
LG Gram 15 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Processor U300 Intel Core i3 1315U Intel Core i5 1335U Intel Core i5 13420H Intel Core i7 1355U	Intel Processor N200
Base Frequency	1.2 GHz	0 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.4 GHz
Number of Cores	5 (1P + 4E)	4 (0P + 4E)
Number of Threads	6	4
L3 Cache	8 MB	6 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (48EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1583	816
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	4864	2142
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1579	697
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	4101	2327

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 V17 Gen 4 and Microsoft Surface Go 4.

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

Laptops with: Intel Processor U300

Laptops with: Intel Processor N200

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1100 MHz	1400 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W	45 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	0.84 TFLOPS	0.74 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	DDR4	LPDDR5
Memory Speed	3.2 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 V17 Gen 4 has a FLOPS value of 0.84 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 V17 Gen 4 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB	8GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	LPDDR5
Upgradable	Yes	No
Max RAM Size	16 GB
Total Slots	1
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Custom

Both laptops, the V17 Gen 4 and the Surface Go 4, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

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.

Lenovo V17 Gen 4

Microsoft Surface Go 4

Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B

✔Run smoothly.

Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B

✖Not supported.

Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B

✖Not supported.

Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B

✖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.

In addition to RAM capacity, the type of RAM can significantly impact performance, with newer RAM types often offering higher speeds compared to others. Therefore, selecting RAM types with the latest DDR number can be a suitable choice based on your requirements.

BATTERY

BATTERY	45 Wh	29 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	No
Charging Port Position	Left	Right
Charge Power	65 W	24 W

Moreover, the V17 Gen 4 boasts a larger battery capacity of 45 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Surface Go 4's29 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 45 Wh

Avg: larger than 17.0" 76.88 Wh

Microsoft Surface Go 4 29 Wh

Avg: up to 12" 38 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 1 TB, the V17 Gen 4 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	256 GB
Upgradable	Yes	No
Storage type	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	No

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 V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo V17 Gen 4 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. V17 Gen 4 has a display size of 17.3".On the other hand, Surface Go 4 has a smaller 10.5" display.The total usable screen area of the V17 Gen 4 is 825cm² / 128inch² 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 V17 Gen 4 127 PPI

Avg: larger than 17.0" 141 PPI

Microsoft Surface Go 4 220 PPI

Avg: up to 12" 139 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both V17 Gen 4 and Surface Go 4 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The Surface Go 4 offers a higher maximum brightness of 350 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 300 nits

Avg: larger than 17.0" 368 nits

Microsoft Surface Go 4 350 nits

Avg: up to 12" 232 nits

Lenovo V17 Gen 4 vs Microsoft Surface Go 4 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
V17 Gen 4 is equipped with 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. Surface Go 4 does not have USB-A ports.
Both V17 Gen 4 and Surface Go 4 have USB Type-C ports. V17 Gen 4 has 1x USB 3.2 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
Neither V17 Gen 4 nor Surface Go 4 has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
V17 Gen 4 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 1.4) 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 V17 Gen 4 and Surface Go 4 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both V17 Gen 4 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)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.1
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 1.4	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Optional	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes