The looks and performance of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are two things that no one can deny, but the slightly increased price and the lack of improvements may leave users indifferent.
Surface Laptop Go 3 is the latest model in Microsoft’s series of high-quality low-cost laptops launched in 2023. Compared to the first generation of Surface Laptop Go launched in 2021, this update has set a new standard in quality and appearance, something that any of its competitors in the same segment must dream of. In addition, Microsoft has also changed the default configuration, making the selling price of Laptop Go 3 higher than before.
Specifically, instead of 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, the lowest configuration of Surface Laptop Go 3 will be 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, the higher version has 16GB RAM. Both use Intel Core i5-1235U chipset and integrated Intel Iris Xe card.
Below, readers can join us. Websosanh.vn Let’s learn more about this Surface laptop.
1. Review of the appearance and build quality of Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Overall design of Surface Laptop Go 3 It’s an excellent build for a mid-range laptop. The aluminum back cover and keyboard deck give the device a solid, durable feel, while the sturdy polycarbonate base stands in stark contrast to the soft plastics typically found in this segment.
The appearance of Surface Laptop Go 3 is beautiful, compact, and exudes a high-end look (Photo: SurfaceViet).
The appearance of the device is not sophisticated but very attractive, simple but no less sophisticated. The company is also thoughtful when providing many colors for users to choose according to their style and preferences. It will have 4 colors: Platinum, Sage, Sandstone and Ice Blue.
Surface Laptop Go 3 has 4 colors for users to choose from (Photo: SurfaceViet).
Just like its predecessors, Surface Laptop Go 3 Weighing only 1.13kg, the dimensions of 278 x 206 x 15.7mm are very compact. The hinge of the device can open 135 degrees so users can comfortably use it in any position.
The machine’s hinge can open 135 degrees (Photo: SurfaceViet).
However, the price to pay for the slimness is the limited number of connection ports. On the machine, we will only have a single USB-A port and a USB-C port on the left side, next to the charging port and 3.5mm jack. Although the USB-C port will help the machine have fast data transfer speeds and support DisplayPort, overall it will be less convenient for those who are used to using many peripherals.
2. Keyboard – Touchpad – Webcam
A good keyboard is a hallmark of the entire Surface laptop line, and the Laptop Go 3 shares that legacy. We have a solidly designed keyboard, a great typing feel, a convenient layout, and neatly printed, sharp keycaps. The only downside is that the keyboard still doesn’t have a backlight. Although we usually use the machine during the day, for some specific jobs, like coding, having a light will be more convenient when using it at night.
The keyboard of the machine gives a perfect typing feel, but there is no backlight (Photo: SurfaceViet).
The keyboard also has a power key with an integrated fingerprint scanner, which is a great feature that increases the security of the device, but sadly, it still doesn’t have Windows Hello facial recognition. The device also has a webcam, but the quality hasn’t improved much compared to the previous generation, still 720p, although it’s still fine, but if Microsoft increased it to 1080p, it would be a better value.
3. Screen and sound quality
Technically, the IPS touchscreen of the Surface Laptop Go 3 no different Surface Laptop Go 2. It has the same size of 12.4 inches, resolution of 1,536 x 1,024 pixels, pixel density of 148 ppi. Although the screen is quite small, because it uses a 3: 2 ratio, the display space seems larger than reality without feeling cramped and cramped like a 16: 9 screen of the same size.
However, the screen brightness is not as high as its predecessor, with a maximum of only 351 nits, while the Go 2 is 392 nits. And although the color gamut of the device is quite wide, reaching about 89.8% sRGB, this number is lower than the first generation Surface Laptop Go (93.5%). In return, the color error rate has decreased significantly, with the Delta E index being only 1.23, while the Go 2 is 2.02.
The screen of Surface Laptop Go 3 has high brightness and good color (Photo: SurfaceViet).
From a personal perspective, the screen of Surface Laptop Go 3 The display is quite bright and vivid, the colors are good, watching media content is very satisfying. And although the pixel density is not high in the segment, the sharpness is very high, there is no pixelation when viewed at close range.
The sound aspect also has a significant improvement, the output volume is not only large at 76.3 dB but the overall quality is warm, balanced with lots of bass. With this speaker system, we will have a perfect entertainment experience both in terms of listening and viewing with Laptop Go 3 without the need for bluetooth speakers.
4. Performance and battery life of Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Surface Laptop Go 3 using Intel Core i5-1235U 10-core CPU chipset with a speed of 4.4GHz. Many people may wonder why Microsoft chose the Alder Lake line instead of the 13th generation Raptor Lake, in fact this is a relatively wise choice of the company when the performance difference between the two CPUs Intel Core i5-1235U and Core i5-1335U is not much but the price is cheaper.
Surface Laptop Go 3 uses 12th generation Intel U series chip (Photo: SurfaceViet).
With the Core i5-1235U, it still offers superior performance compared to the Intel Core i5-1135G7 chip on the Surface Laptop Go 2. Through the Geekbench 5 test, the single-core and multi-core scores of the Laptop Go 3 are 1457 and 5988 respectively, while the Laptop Go 2 is 1318 and 4212, the gap is quite large.
In theory, that’s true, but in practice, it’s hard to see the obvious difference between the two generations. The Go 2 itself is still a good Surface laptop, handling everyday tasks smoothly and easily.
And, although this 12th generation Intel U-series chip is not exactly the standard for gaming, we can still play most popular online games such as League of Legends, FIFA Online, CS:GO with high frame rates, and with little lag or delay.
Surface Laptop Go 3 can play most online games today (Photo: SurfaceViet).
Last but not least, it increases performance but battery life of Surface Laptop Go 3 not much change, ranging from 9 – 10 hours. If you need a portable laptop that can work anytime, anywhere, without needing a charger nearby, Laptop Go 3 is more than capable of meeting.
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Few upgrades, but the price increases!
After the above information, surely everyone will think that Surface Laptop Go 3 is a device worth buying without any debate. In fact, it has many strengths in appearance, perfection and configuration, but according to experts, Laptop Go 3 brings more disappointment than expectation.
First, the overall performance has improved, but not much, not creating a breakthrough compared to the previous generation. For Surface laptop fans, what they definitely want is more radical improvements and upgrades.
Surface Laptop Go 3 is good, but still not the top product in the segment (Photo: SurfaceViet).
Second. The increased basic RAM capacity is good because 8GB is currently considered the basic level for a laptop to multitask smoothly. However, 256GB SSD is still too little for those who have the habit of storing personal documents and files.
Third. The starting price of Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 has increased quite a bit. With the same 8GB/256GB configuration, Surface Laptop Go 2 is now only about 17.9 million VNDwhile the Laptop Go 3 is 21.5 million VND. A difference of up to 3.6 million VND but no significant upgrades will make it difficult to convince users to switch. If it were supplemented with more internal memory capacity, a 1080p webcam, a backlit keyboard and an additional USB-C port, users would certainly be more interested in the Laptop Go 3.
But right now, it doesn’t have those things, so it’s not a top-quality compact laptop in its price range. It’s good, but it’s not at the top.
If you want to refer to other options in the same price range, you can consider Macbook Air M1 8GB/256GB version for 24.9 million VND (higher price but everything is outstandingly good). Or if you still want to own a Surface laptop, Laptop Go 2 still offers good value.
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