Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Framework Laptop 16 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Go 4

10.5 inches | October 2023

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Framework Laptop 16

16 inches | March 2023

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Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Framework Laptop 16 Comparison Overview

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Framework Laptop 16

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Framework Laptop 16

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16, two laptops from Microsoft and Framework. Microsoft Surface Go 4 was introduced to market in October 2023 and Framework Laptop 16 was launched in March 2023. There is only 7 months difference between Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16 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 Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Framework Laptop 16 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)

Framework Laptop 16 Key Specs

Launched in March 2023
16.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
GPU: Radeon RX 7700S 8GB
8GB Ram
356.58 x 290.2 x 17.95 mm (14.04 x 11.43 x 0.71 inches)
Weight: 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16 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 Framework Laptop 16

Weight	0.52 kg vs 2.10 kg	1.58 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~76.5% vs ~71.7%	Larger screen area ratio
Screen PPI	220 ppi vs 189 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
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	3D Surround Sound Support

Reasons to choose Framework Laptop 16 over Microsoft Surface Go 4

Side Bezel Thickness	6 mm vs 11.5 mm	5.5 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	16 inches vs 10.5 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Refresh Rate	165 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Screen Resolution	2560 x 1600 pixels vs 1920 x 1280 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 350 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	6 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	20.4 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	Easy login with fingerprint
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	4x 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	v4 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 2.0 vs No	Option to use Display port to connect to external monitors
Display Port	Yes 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 Framework Laptop 16 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

Launch Dates	October 2023 vs March 2023	Both laptops are recent models
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 v6E	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 Framework Laptop 16 and Microsoft Surface Go 4

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Framework Laptop 16: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and the Framework Laptop 16.

Physical Specs
Weight	0.52 kg (1.15 lbs)	2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)
Surface Area	429 cm2 (66.5 inches2)	1035 cm2 (160.5 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~76.5%	~71.7%
Side Bezel Thickness	~11.5 mm	~6 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.05 kg/inch	0.13 kg/inch
	0.11 lbs/inch	0.286 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Black, Gray, Orange, Purple
Cover Opening Angle	360Â°	180Â°

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and the Framework Laptop 16 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Go 4 weighs 0.52 kg (1.15 lbs), whereas the Laptop 16 weighs 2.1 kg (4.63 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

Framework Laptop 16 2.10 kg

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 2.07 kg

Thickness Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 4 8.30 mm

Avg: up to 12" 16.43 mm

Framework Laptop 16 17.95 mm

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 20.35 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 Framework Laptop 16 is 0.13 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 Framework Laptop 16: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Processor N200	AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
Base Frequency	0 GHz	3.8 GHz
Number of Cores	4 (0P + 4E)	8
Number of Threads	4	16
L3 Cache	6 MB	16 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	Radeon 780M
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	4 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	816	1895
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	2142	13737
Cinebench 23 (Single)	697	1689
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	2327	16906

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 Framework Laptop 16.

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

Laptops with: Intel Processor N200

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics (32 EU)	Radeon RX 7700S 8GB
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	1500 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1400 MHz	2500 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	45 W	100 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	0.74 TFLOPS	20.48 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	8 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Speed	4.8 Gbps	2250 MHz 18 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	256	2048
TMUs	16	128
ROPs	8	64

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 Framework Laptop 16 ' has a FLOPS value of 20.4 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Framework Laptop 16 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	4800 MHz	5600 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5	DDR5
Upgradable	No	Yes
Memory Bus	Custom	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Surface Go 4 and the Laptop 16, 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.

LLM Category	Microsoft Surface Go 4	Framework Laptop 16
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ 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	29 Wh	85 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	-
Charge Power	24 W	180 W

On the other hand, the Laptop 16 features a higher battery capacity of 85 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

Framework Laptop 16 85 Wh

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 74.15 Wh

STORAGE
The Laptop 16 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	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 Framework Laptop 16: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Go 4 and Framework Laptop 16 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, Laptop 16 has a larger16.0" display.The total usable screen area of the Surface Go 4 is 328cm² / 51inch² whereas the Laptop 16's total usable screen area is 742cm² / 115inch².

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

Framework Laptop 16 189 PPI

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 169 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Laptop 16 offers a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Laptop 16 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

Framework Laptop 16 500 nits

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 413 nits

Microsoft Surface Go 4 vs Framework Laptop 16 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Laptop 16 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, 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
Neither Surface Go 4 nor Laptop 16 has USB-A ports.
Both Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16 have USB Type-C ports. Surface Go 4 has 1x USB 3.1 USB Type-C ports, while Laptop 16 has 4x USB 4.0 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
Laptop 16 is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. Surface Go 4 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Laptop 16 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
Both Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Go 4 and Laptop 16 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	v6E
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 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	1x v1.4
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	Yes
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes