Surface Go vs. MacBook 12” 2017: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Go and MacBook 12” 2017 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Go Pros

Reasons that Surface Go is better than MacBook 12” 2017.

Newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2017

About 44% lighter

Surface Go weighed 1.15 pounds, 44% lighter than the 2.03 pounds MacBook 12” 2017.

WeightSurface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Pound
1.15 lbs.
2.03 lbs.
Kilogram
0.52 kg
0.92 kg

MacBook 12” 2017 Pros

Reasons that MacBook 12” 2017 is better than Surface Go.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-7Y75 inside MacBook 12” 2017 has a 71% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y inside Surface Go.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core i7-7Y75
1,470
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core i5-7Y54
1,457
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core m3-7Y32
1,423
Surface Go - Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y
855
Supports larger memory

MacBook 12” 2017 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Go. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the Surface Go.

Max system memory size
MacBook 12” 2017
16 GB
Surface Go
8 GB
19% larger display

MacBook 12” 2017 has a 12-inch screen size 19% larger than the 10-inch Surface Go.

Display size
MacBook 12” 2017
12-inch
Surface Go
10-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Go and MacBook 12” 2017.

Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 1866MHz LPDDR3 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Surface Go - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
MacBook 12” 2017 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz

Prices

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

Surface Go 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
$285.03
Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM, 128GB) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM, 128GB) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$197.99
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
$256.09
$269.00 5% OFF
MacBook 12” 2017 Price
2017 Apple Macbook with 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 (12-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2017 Apple Macbook with 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 (12-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$352.69
2017 Apple MacBook Laptop with Intel Core m3, 1.2GHz (MNYH2LL/A, 12in, Retina Display, Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB, Intel HD Graphics, Mac OS) - Silver (Renewed)
2017 Apple MacBook Laptop with Intel Core m3, 1.2GHz (MNYH2LL/A, 12in, Retina Display, Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB, Intel HD Graphics, Mac OS) - Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.99
Apple MacBook 12in Retina 2017 (Newest Version) 256GB SSD / 8GB RAM - Space Gray (Renewed)
Apple MacBook 12in Retina 2017 (Newest Version) 256GB SSD / 8GB RAM - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$379.97

Availability

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Released20182017
Release Date
  • Introduced: July 10, 2018
  • Pre-ordered: July 10, 2018
  • Released: August 2, 2018
  • Announced on June 5, 2017
  • Available on June 7, 2017
PricingSurface Go for Consumer
  • $399 - 4 GB | 64 GB | W10 S-mode
  • $549 - 8 GB | 128 GB | W10 S-mode
Surface go for Commercial
  • $449 - 4 GB | 64 GB | W10 Pro
  • $599 - 8 GB | 128 GB | W10 Pro
  • $1,299
    Intel Core m3-7Y32 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,599
    Intel Core m5-7Y54 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations-

Exterior

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Dimensions9.6” x 6.9” x 0.33” (245 mm x 175  mm x 8.3 mm)
Width: 9.6” (245 mm)
Height: 6.9” (175 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.3 mm)
11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm)
Weight
  • Surface Go: 1.15 lbs (522 g)
  • Surface Go with LTE: 1.17 lbs. (532 g)
  • Surface Go Keyboard: 0.55 lbs (249 g)
Starting at 2.03 pounds (920 g)
Colors
Platinum
Silver Space Gray Gold Rose Gold
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface 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.
Full-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Size10 Inches12 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1800 x 1200 (2.1M Pixels)
  • Density: 217 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
Retina display
  • 12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
  • 2304-by-1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640

Ports

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Surface Go Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 1 x Surface Connect™
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x microSD™ card reader
  • 1 x Type Cover port
One USB Type-C port with support for:
  • Charging
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
  • Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
  • VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)

Internal Specs

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Processor
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 GHz, 2MB SmartCache, 6W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 3.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 950 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage
  • 64GB
    eMMC
  • 128GB 256GB
    SSD
256GB 512GB
PCIe-based onboard SSD.

Connectivity

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
MoreOptional 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 GoMacBook 12” 2017
Size26.12 Wh41.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery LifeUp to 9 hours of video playback
  • Up to 10 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply
  • 24W proprietary Surface Connect power supply
29W USB-C Power Adapter

Software

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 in S-mode
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Shipped with macOS High Sierra
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes Books App Store Time Machine

Camera & Audio

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
Camera
  • 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
480p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Single microphone
  • 2W Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
magnetic storage
-
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
-
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
-
In the box
  • Surface Go
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • MacBook
  • 29W USB-C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
Limited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2275. 
More
  • 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
Video Support
  • Intel HD Graphics 615
  • Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors

Key Features

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017
At Glance
Released in Mid
2018
3:2 1.8K
10”
1200p 60Hz
Weight
1.15 lb
0.52 kg
Powered By
Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y
2C/4T, 1.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
356
Single Core
Geekbench 5
855
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 615
24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
Configurable up to
8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Go Ports
Released in Mid
2017
16:10 QHD
12”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.03 lb
0.92 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7Y75
2C/4T, 1.30 → 3.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
714
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,470
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 615
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3

Comparison Summary

Surface Go vs. MacBook 12” 2017

Microsoft has released the Surface Go, a 10-inch machine, in mid-2018. It is powered by a dual-core Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 615 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 12-inch MacBook 12” 2017 was introduced by Apple about a year earlier in mid-2017. It comes with up to a dual-core Intel Core i7-7Y75 with a boost clock speed up to 3.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 615 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Go1
7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y35649.86%
MacBook 12” 20171
7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y3265892.16%
2
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y5467193.98%
3
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75714100.00%
0714

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Go1
7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4415Y85558.16%
MacBook 12” 20171
7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y321,42396.80%
2
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y541,45799.12%
3
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y751,470100.00%
01,470

The Surface Go has a 10-inch display which is considerably smaller than the 12-inch MacBook 12” 2017. In addition, The Surface Go weighs 1.15 lbs. about 76% lighter than the 2.03 lbs. MacBook 12” 2017. Moreover, measured at 9.6” x 6.9” x 0.33”, the Surface Go is much more portable than the MacBook 12” 2017 at 11.04” x 7.74” x 0.52”.

Surface GoMacBook 12” 2017

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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