Surface Laptop Go vs. M1 Mac mini: Full specs comparison

Here is a comparison of the specs between Surface Laptop Go and M1 Mac mini, including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Laptop Go Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop Go is better than M1 Mac mini.

Upgradable storage

Surface Laptop Go comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsSurface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard
About 6% lighter

Surface Laptop Go weighed 2.45 pounds, 6% lighter than the 2.6 pounds M1 Mac mini.

WeightSurface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Pound
2.45 lbs.
2.6 lbs.
Kilogram
1.11 kg
1.18 kg

M1 Mac mini Pros

Reasons that M1 Mac mini is better than Surface Laptop Go.

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 Mac mini has a 157% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-1035G1 inside Surface Laptop Go.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 Mac mini - Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
7,414
Surface Laptop Go - Intel Core i5-1035G1
2,878
Has four more ports and slots

M1 Mac mini has more ports and slots count than the Surface Laptop Go. It has eight versus four amount of ports and slots on the Surface Laptop Go.

PortsSurface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
HDMINoYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portNoYes
RJ-45NoYes
Surface ConnectYesNo
Thunderbolt 3NoYes x2
USB-AYesYes x2
USB-CYesNo
Total48
More versatile connectivity

M1 Mac mini has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Laptop Go. It has six versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Laptop Go.

PortsSurface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
headphone jackYesYes
USB-AYesYes
HDMINoYes
power portNoYes
RJ-45NoYes
Thunderbolt 3NoYes
USB-CYesNo

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Laptop Go and M1 Mac mini.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Surface Laptop Go
16 GB
M1 Mac mini
16 GB

Prices

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

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, Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Iris Xe Graphics, 12.4" Touchscreen Display, Windows 10 Home S Mode Laptop Computer, KMM-00001, Sage (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Iris Xe Graphics, 12.4" Touchscreen Display, Windows 10 Home S Mode Laptop Computer, KMM-00001, Sage (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$339.00
$378.00 10% OFF
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
$474.00
$519.99 9% OFF
M1 Mac mini Price
Mac mini Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 256GB SSD MGNR3LL/A (Renewed)
Mac mini Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 256GB SSD MGNR3LL/A (Renewed)
By Apple
$384.95
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
By Apple
$499.00
$599.00 17% OFF
Mac mini Desktop Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 512GB SSD (Renewed)
Mac mini Desktop Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 512GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$409.94
$719.95 43% OFF

Availability

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Released20202020
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 1, 2020
  • Pre-ordered: October 1, 2020
  • Released: October 13, 2020
Announced on November 10th, 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
  • $699
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $899
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Dimensions10.95” x 8.1” x 0.62” (278.18mm x 205.67 mm x 15.69 mm)7.7” x 7.7” x 1.4” (197 mm x 197 mm x 36 mm)
Weight
  • 2.45 lb (1,110 g)
2.6 lb (1.2 kg)
Colors
Ice Blue Sandstone Platium
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • 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

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Size12.45 Inches-
Info
  • Resolution: 1536 x 1024 (148 PPI)
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
-

Ports

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
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
M1 Mac mini Ports
Image Source: Apple
Back (8)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone

Internal Specs

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.00 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  1. Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
  • 8GB
    4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
Storage
  • 64GB
    eMMC
  • 128 GB 256 GB
    SSD
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB

Connectivity

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Ethernet-
10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Battery

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Size39.7 Wh-
Battery LifeUp to 13 hours of typical device usage-
Power Supply
  • 39W power supply
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in just over one hour)
150W built-in power supply

Software

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home in S-mode
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Shipped with macOS Catalina
Built-in AppsMicrosoft 365 Family 30-day 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 Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
Camera
  • 720p HD f2.0 front-facing video camera
-
Audio
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output

Misc

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
InkingNot Support-
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
-
Security
  • 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
  • Surface Laptop Go
  • 39W Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Mac mini
  • Power cord
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
Your Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
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
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
    • One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI 2.0 display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Key Features

Surface Laptop GoM1 Mac mini
At Glance
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
Released in Late
2020
Weight
2.6 lb
1.18 kg
Powered By
Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
8C/8T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,705
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,414
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 iGPU
8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
Unified Memory
M1 Mac mini Ports

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