Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Go 4

10.5 inches | October 2023

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Dell XPS 17 9700

17 inches | May 2020

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Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700 Comparison Overview

Microsoft Surface Go...

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Dell XPS 17 9700

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Microsoft Surface Go...

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Dell XPS 17 9700

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700, two laptops from Microsoft and Dell. Microsoft Surface Go 4 was introduced to market in October 2023 and Dell XPS 17 9700 was launched in May 2020. As you can see, XPS 17 9700 is 3 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 Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Dell XPS 17 9700 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

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)

Dell XPS 17 9700 Key Specs

Launched in May 2020
17.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 10300H
GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile 4GB
8GB Ram
375 x 248 x 20 mm (14.76 x 9.76 x 0.79 inches)
Weight: 2.51 kg (5.53 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700 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 Go 4 over Dell XPS 17 9700

Weight	0.52 kg vs 2.51 kg	1.99 kg lighter
Screen PPI	220 ppi vs 133 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
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm vs 14 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	10 nm vs 12 nm	Newer Generation GPU
RAM Type	LPDDR5 vs DDR4	Faster RAM Type
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	3D Surround Sound Support
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Camera

Reasons to choose Dell XPS 17 9700 over Microsoft Surface Go 4

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~90.1% vs ~76.5%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	4.4 mm vs 11.5 mm	7.1 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	17 inches vs 10.5 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Contrast Rate	1686:1 vs 1500:1	more pleasing colors
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 350 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	3.041 TFLOPS vs 0.74 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Flexible cable positions
Charging Port Position	Left, Right vs Right	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	Easy login with fingerprint
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	4x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.1	Faster USB-C connection
USB-C Port Type	v3.2 vs v3.1	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
Thunderbolt	v3 vs No	Easily see the keys under low light
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs No

Common Strengths of Dell XPS 17 9700 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.1 vs v5.2	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 Dell XPS 17 9700 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

HDMI Output	No vs No	Need an adapter to connect to HDMI displays

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and the Dell XPS 17 9700.

Physical Specs
Weight	0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)	2.51 kg (5.53 lbs)
Surface Area	429 cm2 (66.5 inches2)	930 cm2 (144.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~76.5%	~90.1%
Side Bezel Thickness	~11.5 mm	~4.4 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.05 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.11 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Silver
Cover Opening Angle	360Â°	150Â°

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and the Dell XPS 17 9700 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Go 4 weighs 0.52 kg (1.15 lbs), whereas the XPS 17 9700 weighs 2.51 kg (5.53 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 Go 4

0.52 kg

Avg: up to 12" 1.04 kg

Dell XPS 17 9700 2.51 kg

Avg: larger than 17.0" 2.74 kg

Thickness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 4 8.30 mm

Avg: up to 12" 16.43 mm

Dell XPS 17 9700 20.00 mm

Avg: larger than 17.0" 24.26 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 Go 4 is 0.05 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Dell XPS 17 9700 is 0.15 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

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Processor N200	Intel Core i5 10300H Intel Core i7 10750H Intel Core i7 10875H Intel Core i9 10885H
Base Frequency	0 GHz	2.5 GHz
Number of Cores	4 (0P + 4E)	4
Number of Threads	4	8
L3 Cache	6 MB	8 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	Intel UHD Graphics 630
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	14 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	816	1186
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	2142	3813
Cinebench 23 (Single)	697	1128
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	2327	4906

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 Go 4 and Dell XPS 17 9700.

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

Laptops with: Intel Processor N200

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 10300H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	1350 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1400 MHz	1485 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	45 W	50 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	0.74 TFLOPS	3.041 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	4 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Speed	4.8 Gbps	~12 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	256	1024
TMUs	16	64
ROPs	8	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 Go 4 has a FLOPS value of 0.74 TFLOPS whereas the Dell XPS 17 9700 ' has a FLOPS value of 3.041 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Dell XPS 17 9700 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	4800 MHz	2933 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5	DDR4
Upgradable	No	Yes
Memory Bus	Custom	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Surface Go 4 and the XPS 17 9700, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

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	29 Wh	97 Wh 56 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Left, Right
Charge Power	24 W	90 / 130 W

On the other hand, the XPS 17 9700 features a higher battery capacity of 97 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Surface Go 4's 29 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 4 29 Wh

Avg: up to 12" 38 Wh

Dell XPS 17 9700 97 Wh

Avg: larger than 17.0" 76.88 Wh

STORAGE
The XPS 17 9700 offers a larger max storage capacity of 2 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Surface Go 4's storage capacity of 256 GB.

Storage Options	256 GB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Upgradable	No	Yes
NVMe	No	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 Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Dell XPS 17 9700 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 Go 4 has a display size of 10.5".On the other hand, XPS 17 9700 has a larger17.0" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Go 4 is 328cm² / 51inch² whereas the XPS 17 9700's total usable screen area is 838cm² / 130inch².

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

Microsoft Surface Go 4 220 PPI

Avg: up to 12" 139 PPI

Dell XPS 17 9700 133 PPI

Avg: larger than 17.0" 141 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The XPS 17 9700 offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 4 350 nits

Avg: up to 12" 232 nits

Dell XPS 17 9700 500 nits

Avg: larger than 17.0" 368 nits

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Dell XPS 17 9700 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
Neither Surface Go 4 nor XPS 17 9700 has USB-A ports.
Both Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700 have USB Type-C ports. Surface Go 4 has 1x USB 3.1 USB Type-C ports, while XPS 17 9700 has 4x 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
XPS 17 9700 is equipped with Thunderbolt 3 port. Surface Go 4 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Neither Surface Go 4 nor XPS 17 9700 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors. Neither Surface Go 4 nor XPS 17 9700 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
Both Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Go 4 and XPS 17 9700 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	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	No	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.1	4x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	Thunderbolt 3
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	No