Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) vs. Surface Laptop Go: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) and Surface Laptop Go specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) Pros

Reasons that Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) is better than Surface Laptop Go.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1165G7 inside Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) has a 55% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-1035G1 inside Surface Laptop Go.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) - Intel Core i7-1165G7
4,487
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Laptop Go - Intel Core i5-1035G1
2,878
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Supports faster memory

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Laptop Go. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 3733MHz of system memory on the Surface Laptop Go.

Memory type and speed
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Surface Laptop Go - LPDDR4X
3,733 MHz
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce MX450 2GB GDDR6 vs. integrated

25% larger display

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) has a 15.6-inch screen size 25% larger than the 12.45-inch Surface Laptop Go.

Display size
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)
15.6-inch
Surface Laptop Go
12.45-inch
Has five more ports and slots

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) has more ports and slots count than the Surface Laptop Go. It has nine versus four amount of ports and slots on the Surface Laptop Go.

PortsSamsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesNo
microSD card slotYesNo
nanoSIM card slotYesNo
Surface ConnectNoYes
USB-AYes x2Yes
USB-CYes x2Yes
Total94
More versatile connectivity

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Laptop Go. It has five versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Laptop Go.

PortsSamsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
headphone jackYesYes
USB-AYesYes
USB-CYesYes
HDMIYesNo
microSD card slotYesNo

Surface Laptop Go Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop Go is better than Samsung Galaxy Book (2021).

About 29% lighter

Surface Laptop Go weighed 2.45 pounds, 29% lighter than the 3.41 pounds Samsung Galaxy Book (2021).

WeightSamsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Pound
3.41 lbs.
2.45 lbs.
Kilogram
1.55 kg
1.11 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2021 Price
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Laptop PC Computer Qualcomm 7C Pro 4GB Memory 128GB eUFS Storage 18-Hour Battery Compact Light Shockproof WFH Ready WiFi 5, Silver
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Laptop PC Computer Qualcomm 7C Pro 4GB Memory 128GB eUFS Storage 18-Hour Battery Compact Light Shockproof WFH Ready WiFi 5, Silver
By Samsung Electronics
$229.99
$349.99 34% OFF
SAMSUNG 14" Galaxy Book4 Pro Laptop PC Computer, Intel Core 7 Ultra Processor 512GB, 3K AMOLED (2880 x 1800) Touchscreen, Advanced Security, 2024 Model, NP940XGK-KG1US, Moonstone Gray
SAMSUNG 14" Galaxy Book4 Pro Laptop PC Computer, Intel Core 7 Ultra Processor 512GB, 3K AMOLED (2880 x 1800) Touchscreen, Advanced Security, 2024 Model, NP940XGK-KG1US, Moonstone Gray
By SAMSUNG
$1,449.99
SAMSUNG Galaxy Book Pro Intel Evo Platform Laptop Computer 15.6" AMOLED Screen 11th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor 8GB Memory 512GB SSD Long-Lasting Battery, Mystic Silver
SAMSUNG Galaxy Book Pro Intel Evo Platform Laptop Computer 15.6" AMOLED Screen 11th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor 8GB Memory 512GB SSD Long-Lasting Battery, Mystic Silver
By SAMSUNG
$660.00
Surface Laptop Go Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 (2023) - 12.4" Touchscreen, Thin & Lightweight, Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD SSD, with Windows 11, Sandstone Color Copilot
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 (2023) - 12.4" Touchscreen, Thin & Lightweight, Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD SSD, with Windows 11, Sandstone Color Copilot
By Microsoft
$699.99
$799.99 13% OFF
MICROSOFT Surface Laptop GO 2, 12.4" PIXELSENSE Touchscreen, 11TH GEN Intel: i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD W10H-S Platinum (Renewed Premium),Silver
MICROSOFT Surface Laptop GO 2, 12.4" PIXELSENSE Touchscreen, 11TH GEN Intel: i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD W10H-S Platinum (Renewed Premium),Silver
By Microsoft
$380.99
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2-12.4" Touchscreen - Intel Core i5 8GB Memory - 128 SSD - Ice Blue (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2-12.4" Touchscreen - Intel Core i5 8GB Memory - 128 SSD - Ice Blue (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$508.46

Availability

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Released20212020
Release Date
  • Announced at Samsung Unpack Event (2021)
  • Announced on April 28, 2021
  • Introduced: October 1, 2020
  • Pre-ordered: October 1, 2020
  • Released: October 13, 2020
Pricing-
  • For Consumer (Windows 10 Home):
    • $549.99 - i5 | 4GB | 64GB eMMC | No Fingerprint | Platinum only
    • $699.99 - i5 | 8GB | 128GB SSD
    • $899.99 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB SSD
  • For Commercial (Windows 10 Pro):
    • $799.99 - i5 | 8GB | 128GB SSD
    • $999.99 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB SSD
    • $1,199.99 - i5 | 16GB | 256GB SSD | Platinum Only
Applicable Models
  • Samsung Galaxy Book
  • Samsung Galaxy Book 1
  • Samsung Galaxy Book (1st Gen)
  • Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)
  • Samsung Galaxy Book with 11th Gen Intel G-Series processors
-
Generations-

Exterior

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Dimensions14.04" x 9.02" x 0.60" (356.6 x 229.1 x 15.4 mm)10.95” x 8.1” x 0.62” (278.18mm x 205.67 mm x 15.69 mm)
Weight3.41 lbs (1.55 kg)
  • 2.45 lb (1,110 g)
Colors
Mystic Silver Mystic Blue
Ice Blue Sandstone Platium
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard with Numpad
    Optional fingerprint sensor on Power key.
  • Precise Touchpad
    Microsoft Precision Touchpad support.
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Size15.6 Inches12.45 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Panel Type: TFT LCD
  • Resolution: 1536 x 1024 (148 PPI)
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) Ports
Image Source: Samsung
Left (4)
  • 2 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort
  • 1 x HDMI
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
Right (5)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
    UFS, SDXC
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
    Optional
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x lock slot
Surface Laptop Go Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (1)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Magnet Charging, Docking

Internal Specs

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.00 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
  • 4GB
    3733 LPDDR4X onboard memory.
  • 8GB 16GB
    4267 LPDDR4X onboard memory.
4GB 8GB 16GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Discrete GraphicsOptional NVIDIA® GeForce® MX450 Graphics-
Storage
256GB 512GB
NVMe SSD
2 x M.2 2230/2280 PCIe SSD slot.
  • 64GB
    eMMC
  • 128 GB 256 GB
    SSD

Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax 2X2)
  • Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth® v5.1
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
MoreOptional LTE-

Battery

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Size54 Wh39.7 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 10.9 hours
Local video playback.
Up to 13 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply65W Power Adapter
  • 39W power supply
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in just over one hour)

Software

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
OS
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home in S-mode
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
  • Link Sharing
  • Live Message
  • Live Wallpaper
  • McAfee Live Safe (60 days trial)
  • Samsung Gallery
  • Quick Search
  • Samsung DeX
  • Samsung Flow
  • Samsung Notes
  • Samsung Recovery
  • Samsung Settings
  • Studio Plus
  • Samsung Update
  • teamPL
Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial

Camera & Audio

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
CameraHD front-facing camera
  • 720p HD f2.0 front-facing video camera
Audio
  • Dolby Atmos® Speakers
  • Dual Array Mic
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
Inking-Not Support
Sensors
  • Fingerprint sensor on power key
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • TPM
  • Fingerprint Reader
  • Security Lock slot
  • Firmware TPM
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello sign-in
  • One-Touch sign in with FingerPrint Reader Power button
Note Surface Laptop Go i5/4GB/64GB does not include Fingerprint Power Button.
In the box
  • Galaxy Book
  • USB-C Data Cable
  • Travel Adapter
  • Surface Laptop Go
  • 39W Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More-
Best-in-class support from Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store Promise for Surface:
  • 60-day return policy
  • 90 days of free technical phone support
  • Free virtual workshops and training
  • Surface price promise

Key Features

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go
At Glance
Released in Mid
2021
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
3.41 lb
1.55 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,374
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,487
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) Ports
Nvidia GeForce
MX450
2GB GDDR6
Released in Late
2020
3:2 1.5K
12.45”
1024p 60Hz
Weight
2.45 lb
1.11 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4C/8T, 1.00 → 3.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
979
Single Core
Geekbench 5
2,878
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop Go Ports
Starting at
$550
i5, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, No Fingerprint
Up to
13 Hours
Battery Life
Optional
Fingerprint Reader
On Power Button
Single
USB-A
USB 3.0
Single
USB-C
w/ DP & PD
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0

Comparison Summary

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) vs. Surface Laptop Go

Samsung has released the Galaxy Book , a 15.6-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce MX450 with 2GB GDDR6.

On the other hand, we have the 12.45-inch Surface Laptop Go was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in late-2020. It comes with a quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G1 with a boost clock speed up to 3.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics (32 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G41,16384.64%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G71,19586.97%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G71,374100.00%
Surface Laptop Go1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G197971.25%
01,374

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G42,44554.49%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G73,98088.70%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G74,487100.00%
Surface Laptop Go1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G12,87864.14%
04,487

The Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) has a 15.6-inch display which is considerably larger than the 12.45-inch Surface Laptop Go. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) weighs 3.41 lbs. about 39% heavier than the 2.45 lbs. Surface Laptop Go. Moreover, measured at 14.04” x 9.02” x 0.60”, the Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) is much bulkier than the Surface Laptop Go at 10.95” x 8.1” x 0.62”.

Samsung Galaxy Book (2021)Surface Laptop Go

There are a toal number of 9 ports and slots available on Samsung Galaxy Book (2021). That includes a USB-C port, an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, a microSD card slot, a nanoSIM card slot, a headphone jack, and a lock slot. With that said, it has five ports and slots more than the Surface Laptop Go that has a USB-C port, a USB-A port, a headphone jack, and a Surface Connect.

Moving over to upgradability, Samsung claims that the Samsung Galaxy Book (2021) . However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

For Surface Laptop Go, it supports up to 16GB 3733 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Like Samsung Galaxy Book (2021), it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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