Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs MSI Crosshair 17 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Go 4

10.5 inches | October 2023

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MSI Crosshair 17

17.3 inches | January 2022

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Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs MSI Crosshair 17 Comparison Overview

Microsoft Surface Go...

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MSI Crosshair 17

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Microsoft Surface Go...

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MSI Crosshair 17

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Go 4 and Crosshair 17, two laptops from Microsoft and MSI. Microsoft Surface Go 4 was introduced to market in October 2023 and MSI Crosshair 17 was launched in January 2022. There is 21 months difference between Surface Go 4 and Crosshair 17 so it would still give an advantage to younger Surface Go 4.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Microsoft Surface Go 4 and MSI Crosshair 17 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)

MSI Crosshair 17 Key Specs

Launched in January 2022
17.3" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
398 x 273 x 27.2 mm (15.67 x 10.75 x 1.07 inches)
Weight: 2.66 kg (5.87 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Go 4 and Crosshair 17 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 MSI Crosshair 17

Weight	0.52 kg vs 2.66 kg	2.14 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~76.5% vs ~75.9%	Larger screen area ratio
Contrast Rate	1500:1 vs 1000:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	220 ppi vs 127 ppi	More pixels per inch
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
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	3D Surround Sound Support
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Camera
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader

Reasons to choose MSI Crosshair 17 over Microsoft Surface Go 4

Side Bezel Thickness	7.5 mm vs 11.5 mm	4 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	17.3 inches vs 10.5 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Refresh Rate	360 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
GPU Fabrication Process	8 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	13.8 TFLOPS vs 0.74 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	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 2.0 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

Common Strengths of MSI Crosshair 17 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

Launch Dates	October 2023 vs January 2022	Both laptops are recent models
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
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

Common Weaknesses of MSI Crosshair 17 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support
Fingerprint Sensor	No vs No	No fingerprint login feature

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs MSI Crosshair 17: Physical Specs Comparison

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

Physical Specs
Weight	0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)	2.66 kg (5.87 lbs)
Surface Area	429 cm2 (66.5 inches2)	1087 cm2 (168.5 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~76.5%	~75.9%
Side Bezel Thickness	~11.5 mm	~7.5 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.05 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.11 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Black

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and the MSI Crosshair 17 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Go 4 weighs 0.52 kg (1.15 lbs), whereas the Crosshair 17 weighs 2.66 kg (5.87 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

MSI Crosshair 17 2.66 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

MSI Crosshair 17 27.20 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 MSI Crosshair 17 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 MSI Crosshair 17: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Processor N200	Intel Core i7 12700H Intel Core i9 12900H
Base Frequency	0 GHz	2.3 GHz
Number of Cores	4 (0P + 4E)	14
Number of Threads	4	20
L3 Cache	6 MB	24 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	816	1750
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	2142	12242
Cinebench 23 (Single)	697	1800
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	2327	16309

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 MSI Crosshair 17.

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

Laptops with: Intel Processor N200

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 12700H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	900 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1400 MHz	1425 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	45 W	80 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	0.74 TFLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	6 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Speed	4.8 Gbps	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	256	3840
TMUs	16	120
ROPs	8	48

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 MSI Crosshair 17 ' has a FLOPS value of 13.8 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Crosshair 17 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	4800 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5	DDR4
Upgradable	No	Yes
Memory Bus	Custom	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

The Crosshair 17 provides a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Surface Go 4's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

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	53.5 Wh 90 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Left
Charge Power	24 W	240 W

On the other hand, the Crosshair 17 features a higher battery capacity of 54 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

MSI Crosshair 17 54 Wh

Avg: larger than 17.0" 76.88 Wh

STORAGE
The Crosshair 17 offers a larger max storage capacity of 4 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	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 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 MSI Crosshair 17: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and MSI Crosshair 17 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, Crosshair 17 has a larger17.3" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Go 4 is 328cm² / 51inch² whereas the Crosshair 17's total usable screen area is 825cm² / 128inch².

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

MSI Crosshair 17 127 PPI

Avg: larger than 17.0" 141 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Crosshair 17 offers a higher refresh rate of 360 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

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

Brightness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 4 350 nits

Avg: up to 12" 232 nits

MSI Crosshair 17 300 nits

Avg: larger than 17.0" 368 nits

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs MSI Crosshair 17 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
Crosshair 17 is equipped with 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. Surface Go 4 does not have USB-A ports.
Both Surface Go 4 and Crosshair 17 have USB Type-C ports. Surface Go 4 has 1x USB 3.1 USB Type-C ports, while Crosshair 17 has 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 Go 4 nor Crosshair 17 has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Crosshair 17 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.0) 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
Surface Go 4 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Crosshair 17 does not have an SD Card Reader.

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