Comparison of Surface Pro 7 and Surface Go 3
Comparison of Surface Pro 7 and Surface Go 3
I recently bought a used Surface Pro 4, and it turned out to have the "flickergate" issue with its display. It limits me to using it for no more than 4-5 hours (with fan or AC cooling) or just 2 hours without them. That’s why I’m considering a replacement. I’m torn between the Surface Pro 7 (used, $479) and the Surface Go 3 (new, starting at $500).
My main goals for using the Surface are:
(a) For reading e-books, I prefer not to rely on e-ink or the restrictions of e-readers.
(b) I don’t require high-speed storage; I already store my books, magazines, and comics on One Drive, so I can download what I need from the cloud whenever required.
© For content that isn’t streaming-friendly, I want the ability to play Blu-ray and DVD files so I can manage my media library without relying on services like Plex.
The Surface Go comes with Windows S, which I’m unsure will support image mounting. I’ll likely stick to the standard Home version instead. But could S enhance its performance with these specs?
Will I be comfortable using eMMC storage? Is there a noticeable benefit to paying more for the i3 model? Should I opt for the 8GB version?
I’m aware that Windows 10 can run smoothly even on 4GB, but the Surface Go 3 is released with 11GB. Battery life for the 8GB RAM model is reportedly better, possibly due to less cache data to load.
Typically I’d choose the Pro over the Go based on specs, but two factors worry me:
(a) Amazon allows installment payments for the Go.
(b) The Go is half the weight of the Pro, which could matter if I use it as an e-reader.
Finally, there’s one thing to think about: resolution. The Surface Pros (including the faulty 4 I own and the one I might buy) feature a stunning 12.3-inch display with a 267 PPI. My Samsung Tab S6 (10.5 inches, 288 PPI) looks good too, but the Surface screen seems superior. While watching videos, it streams at exactly 24fps, whereas the Tab S6 probably runs at 30fps.
The Surface Go 3 offers a 10.5-inch display with 1920 x 1280 resolution (220 PPI). I’m a bit worried that the higher pixel density might cause an upscaling effect, making the video quality feel less sharp compared to the Pro’s higher resolution.
Even though some reviews criticize the Go, they still praise its display quality for its price.
There's a general critical consensus about the SG3 among the professional tech reviewers ("it's overpriced and underpowered") but it is interesting to read the consensus in the aggregated consumer reviews from Google:
First, the battery, which will probably last me only 4 hours of streaming because I like to crank the screen to full brightness:
"The panel runs at 60Hz by default but also has a 48Hz option, great for movies (24FPS) or just extending the battery life through less GPU usage."
"Battery Saver isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do to see close to the 11 hour estimate that Microsoft touts for this device. At full power and medium screen brightness I was seeing about 4 hours of runtime under casual use (web browsing, videos) before reaching critically low levels."
"On my system with the power mode set at the Windows 11 “recommended” setting battery drain is 10% an hour while web streaming video from Hulu or Netflix. This setting yields 8 hours of runtime until “battery saver mode” engages at the 20% battery level. "
"I was able to stream Netflix for about 6.5 hours before the device wanted to go into power saving mode at 20% battery life. I was streaming at the Recommended power setting with screen brightness at 50%."
And as I'm told that batteries are no longer are in danger of getting overcharged, when streaming for hours I'll keep it plugged in, I'll take it off battery for reading or watching a single title.
Second, the processer, one reviewer got very specific:
"the $399 SG3 is for kids and pre-teens. Anyone who complains about the amount of RAM, store, and/or processor power should not be taken seriously because it means they have not bothered to do any research on this device. You don't buy a moped and then turn around complain it ain't a motorcycle.
The $549 SG3 has a Pentium Gold 65004 processor and the $629 SG3 has an i3-10100Y processor. The single-core average Geekbench 5.4 score for the $549 SG3 862, while the average score for the $629 SG3 is 986 (multi-core scores are for things like video editing, photo editing, 3D modeling, etc.; things the SG3 was not designed to do).
The put that into perspective, the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 with i5-8250U processors also have single-core Geekbench 5.4 scores in the high 900s. Microsoft is selling the SP6 with an i5 processor for a little under $1,000. Amazon is selling the Surface Laptop 2 with an i5 processor also at a little under $1,000. Finally, the 2020 SPX and 2021 SPX wifi-only single-core Geekbench 5.4 scores are also just below 1,000.
...anyone who states that either the $549 or $629 SG3 are underpowered does not know what they are talking about. Both computer-tablets have more than enough processing power to do what they are designed to do (simultaneously run open MS Office applications on the Go).
If you own a SG2 with an m3-8100Y process (which I did), you will not experience much of an upgrade by purchasing a SG3. Processors have pretty much the same single-core Geekbench 5.4 scores (mid-800s). If, on the other hand, you own a SG2 with a Pentium processor, upgrading to the SG3 will yield a substantial improvement in processing power (around 50% per Windows Central).
Because you will only experience about a 12% decrease in processing power, there really isn't a compelling reason to select the $629 SG3 over the $549 SG3. The $80 you save can go towards the purchase of a keyboard or pen."
So then, less battery life without a commensurate trade-off in increased processing? But will the i3 maybe run an old game better than the Pentium?
I got the Surface Go 3 this week, so far, so good. I got the i3/8GB RAM model. Despite lower resolution than the standard Surface screen, it does retain that "play at 24fps" sheen. It seems to run at about 30% CPU usage (when I play a media file or streaming) and 50% RAM usage. (This makes me wonder how the 4GB version runs at all, but it seems as if Windows scales down its RAM demand when it has to.) I am not using Chrome. I don't really need it (Chrome or the Surface) for web browsing, but I am considering to import my bookmarks from Chrome into Edge. I have not installed an anti-virus program. Since I don't plan to browse, I am considering the trade off I might get because Norton always is doing something in the background. It does not get overly hot. The battery life is bad, as has been noted by others. The pen from old Surface works. It works well enough with a Logitech K480 keyboard and M720 Bluetooth mouse. I have not used it as an e-reader yet, as I am waiting on the Otterbox case to arrive.