Surface 3 vs. Surface Go 2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface 3 and Surface Go 2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface 3 is better than Surface Go 2.

Has two more ports and slots

Surface 3 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Go 2. It has seven versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Go 2.

PortsSurface 3Surface Go 2
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesYes
Micro USBYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
nanoSIM card slotYesNo
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Go Type Cover ConnectorNoYes
Type CoverYesNo
USB-AYesNo
USB-CNoYes
Total75
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Surface 3 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Go 2. It has four versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Go 2.

PortsSurface 3Surface Go 2
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesYes
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
USB-AYesNo
USB-CNoYes

Surface Go 2 Pros

Reasons that Surface Go 2 is better than Surface 3.

Much newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2015

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core M3-8100Y inside Surface Go 2 has a 69% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Atom x7-Z8700 inside Surface 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Go 2 - Intel Core M3-8100Y
1,313
Surface Go 2 - Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y
922
Surface 3 - Intel Atom x7-Z8700
776
Supports larger memory

Surface Go 2 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface 3. It supports up to 8GB versus 4GB of system memory on the Surface 3.

Max system memory size
Surface Go 2
8 GB
Surface 3
4 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Go 2 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface 3. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the Surface 3.

Memory type and speed
Surface Go 2 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface 3 - DDR3
1,600 MHz
About 13% lighter

Surface Go 2 weighed 1.2 pounds, 13% lighter than the 1.37 pounds Surface 3.

WeightSurface 3Surface Go 2
Pound
1.37 lbs.
1.2 lbs.
Kilogram
0.62 kg
0.54 kg

Prices

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

Surface 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
$319.00 6% OFF
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$518.03
$629.99 18% OFF
Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$199.94
$215.93 7% OFF
Surface Go 2 Price
New Microsoft Surface Go 2 - 10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 4GB Memory - 64GB - Wifi - Platinum (Latest Model)
New Microsoft Surface Go 2 - 10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 4GB Memory - 64GB - Wifi - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$282.03
Microsoft Surface Go 2-10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - WiFi - Platinum (Latest Model) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Go 2-10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - WiFi - Platinum (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$279.00
Microsoft Surface Go 2 10.5 inches Touch-Screen Intel Pentium 4GB RAM, 64gb STV-00001 (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Go 2 10.5 inches Touch-Screen Intel Pentium 4GB RAM, 64gb STV-00001 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$165.00

Availability

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Released20152020
Release Date
  • Introduced: March 21, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: March 21, 2015
  • Released: May 5, 2015
  • Introduced: May 6, 2020
  • Pre-ordered: May 6, 2020
  • Released: May 12, 2020
PricingSurface 3 Wi-Fi
  • $499 - 2 GB | 64 GB
  • $599 - 4 GB | 128 GB
Surface 3 4G LTE
  • $599 - 2 GB | 64 GB
  • $699 - 4 GB | 128 GB
Surface Go 2 for Consumer
  • $399 - Intel Pentium | 4 GB | 64 GB | WiFi
  • $549 - Intel Pentium | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
  • $629 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
  • $729 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | LTE
Surface Go 2 for Commercial
  • $449 - Intel Pentium | 4 GB | 64 GB | WiFi
  • $599 - Intel Pentium | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
  • $679 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
  • $779 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | LTE
Generations

Exterior

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Dimensions10.52” x 7.36” x 0.34” (267 mm x 187 mm x 8.7 mm)
Width: 10.52” (267 mm)
Height: 7.36” (187 mm)
Thickness: 0.34” (8.7 mm)
9.65” x 6.9” x 0.33” (245 mm x 175  mm x 8.3 mm)
Width: 9.65” (245 mm)
Height: 6.9” (175 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.3 mm)
Weight
  • Surface 3: 1.37 lbs (621 g)
  • Surface 3 with Keyboard: 1.95 lbs (884 g)
  • Surface Go 2: 1.2 lbs (544 g)
  • Surface Go 2 with LTE: 1.22 lbs. (553 g)
  • Surface Go 2 Keyboard: 0.55 lbs (249 g)
Colors
Silver
Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Supports up to three-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Go Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1 mm of key travel.
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 101 mm x 56 mm
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Size10.8 Inches10.5 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (2.4M Pixels)
  • Density: 214 PPI
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: supports Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (2.45M Pixels)
  • Density: 220 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Contrast ratio: 1500:1
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Ports

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Surface 3 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Right (4)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x Micro USB
    Charging Port
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover
Under Kickstand (2)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
    Surface 3 with LTE only, Optional
Surface Go 2 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Right (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Go Type Cover Connector
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Processor
  1. Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700
    4 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 2.40 GHz, 2MB Cache, 2W
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 GHz, 2MB, 6W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 5W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700
    Intel® HD Graphics
    16 Execution Units, 20 → 600 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
Memory
2GB 4GB
1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM.
4GB 8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
  • 64GB 128GB
    eMMC
  • 64GB
    eMMC
  • 128GB 256GB
    SSD

Connectivity

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
MoreOptional LTE
  • Nano SIM Tray
  • GPS
  • Assisted GPS
  • GLONASS
Optional LTE
  • Nano SIM Tray
  • 4G LTE Advanced (22 Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66)
  • GPS/GLONASS: Standalone and Assiste
  • GNSS, accuracy up to 3 meters

Battery

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Size27.5 Wh26.81 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 10 hours of video playback
  • WiFi: Up to 10 hours of typical device usage
  • LTE Advanced: Up to 10 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 13W Micro USB power supply
  • 24W proprietary Surface Connect power supply

Software

Surface 3Surface Go 2
OS
  • Windows 8.1 Pro
  • Upgradable to Windows 10 Pro
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home in S-mode
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in Apps1-Year Microsoft Office 365 Personal
  • For Consumer
    Microsoft 365 Family one month trial
  • For Commercial
    1 month trial for new Microsoft Office 365 customers

Camera & Audio

Surface 3Surface Go 2
Camera
  • 3.5MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Single microphone
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound
  • Dual Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™

Misc

Surface 3Surface Go 2
InkingSupports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Digital compass
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • NFC
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface 3
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Go 2
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More
  • Casing: Magnesium
  • Kickstand: 3 positions
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
  • Casing: Magnesium

Key Features

Surface 3Surface Go 2
At Glance
Released in Early
2015
3:2 FHD+
10.8”
1280p 60Hz
Weight
1.37 lb
0.62 kg
Powered By
Intel Atom x7-Z8700
4C/4T, 1.60 → 2.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
224
Single Core
Geekbench 5
776
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics
16 Execution Units, 20 → 600 MHz
Configurable up to
4GB
1600 MHz DDR3
Surface 3 Ports
Released in Mid
2020
3:2 FHD+
10.5”
1280p 60Hz
Weight
1.2 lb
0.54 kg
Up to
Intel Core M3-8100Y
2C/4T, 1.10 → 3.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
660
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,313
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 615
24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
Configurable up to
8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Go 2 Ports

Comparison Summary

Surface 3 vs. Surface Go 2

Microsoft has released the Surface 3, a 10.8-inch machine, in early-2015. It is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 with a boost clock speed up to 2.40 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics (16 Execution Units, 20 → 600 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 10.5-inch Surface Go 2 was introduced by Microsoft about five years later in mid-2020. It comes with up to a dual-core Intel Core M3-8100Y with a boost clock speed up to 3.40 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 615 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface 31
Intel® Atom™ x7-Z870022433.94%
Surface Go 21
8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y38458.18%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y660100.00%
0660

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface 31
Intel® Atom™ x7-Z870077659.10%
Surface Go 21
8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y92270.22%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y1,313100.00%
01,313

The Surface 3 has a 10.8-inch display which is quite similar size to the 10.5-inch Surface Go 2. In addition, the Surface 3 weighs 1.37 lbs. about 14% heavier than the 1.2 lbs. Surface Go 2. Moreover, measured at 10.52” x 7.36” x 0.34”, the Surface 3 is slightly bulkier than the Surface Go 2 at 9.65” x 6.9” x 0.33”.

Surface 3Surface Go 2

There are a toal number of 7 ports and slots available on Surface 3. That includes a USB-A port, a Mini DisplayPort, a Micro USB, a headphone jack, a Type Cover, a microSD card slot, and a nanoSIM card slot. With that said, it has two ports and slots more than the Surface Go 2 that has a USB-C port, a Surface Connect, a headphone jack, a Surface Go Type Cover Connector, and a microSD card slot.

Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.

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