Microsoft Surface Go 2 appears on 3DMark again with Intel Core m3-8100Y and Pentium Gold 4425Y processors
The Surface Go 2 has reared its head again as we move ever closer to Microsoft's expected Spring hardware event. While Microsoft will probably cancel a physical launch, it may livestream an event or even quietly launch products as Apple did this week with the iPad Pro and MacBook Air.
Spotted by @_rogame on 3DMark, this is not the first time that we have seen the Surface Go 2 appearing on the popular benchmarking website. However, these new sightings confirm other rumours on which we reported last month.
As expected, the Surface Go 2 will come in at least Core m3-8100Y and Pentium Gold 4425Y SKUs. According to 3DMark, both will be paired with 8 GB of RAM, but we would not rule out Microsoft releasing a 4 GB model too. The two models brought to our attention by @_rogame are as follows:
Model | Surface Go 2 - Entry SKU | Surface Go 2 - Premium SKU |
---|---|---|
CPU | Pentium Gold 4425Y | Core m3-8100Y |
Cores/Threads | 2/4 | 2/4 |
Base clock | 1.7 GHz | 1.1 GHz(1.6 GHz on 3DMark) |
Peak clock | N/A | 3.4 GHz |
GPU | UHD Graphics 615 | UHD Graphics 615 |
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB |
@_rogame also reports that both models feature SSDs that Microsoft has used in the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X. Nonetheless, this does not counter the fact that Microsoft may release new hardware powered by outdated processors. @_rogame adds that the two models scored the following in 3DMark Time Spy:
Core m3-8100Y model
- CPU score: 1,380 (127%)
- Graphics score: 303 (104%)
Pentium Gold 4425Y model
- CPU score: 1,089 (100%)
- Graphics score: 292 (100%)
Anecdotally, the original Surface Go is underpowered and struggles by today's standards. The Pentium Gold 4425Y is only clocked 100 MHz higher than the Pentium Gold 4415Y powering the original Surface Go, for reference.
In short, we hope that Microsoft has more up its sleeve for the Surface Go 2 than this. While the Core m3-8100Y model would represent a decent uplift in processor performance from the Pentium Gold 4415Y, the Pentium Gold 4425Y would not.