Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Core i5
Specifications

Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Pricecompare
Average of 16 scores (from 25 reviews)
Reviews for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Core i5
Are you happy with just 4 GB of soldered RAM and 64 GB of storage? If so, then the $550 USD Surface Laptop Go might be worthwhile. For everyone else, look elsewhere and don't turn back.
Source: Tech Advisor

The Surface Laptop Go is an enjoyable device to use, but sub-par battery life and a lack of competitive specs mean most people will find better value for money elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/16/2020
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Stuff TV

The middle-ground model seems like the best value, but even then there's no shortage of keenly-priced alternatives. Still, if you don't mind paying a premium for good design, even when on a mid-range budget, the Go's styling is tough to beat.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/14/2020
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Laptop Media

Before saying anything, we want to address something. The “Education” version of this notebook has a model, equipped with only 4GB of memory and 64GB of eMMC storage. If you want our advice – stay away from this configuration. 4GB is not nearly enough for a Windows 10 system, and you will be stuck with the S version, because of the lack of RAM upgradeability. Also, the eMMC storage is multiple times slower than the SSD inside of our unit, which reached Read/Write speeds of 2028/822 MB/s – something respectable for a laptop of this caliber.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 12/09/2020
Source: Trusted Reviews

The Surface Laptop Go is a fantastic device at a super-affordable price. It offers decent performance and comfortable keyboard that's ideal for students, office workers and social media addicts alike. The low-resolution display means it isn't the best for streaming Netflix, but it will be tough to find better value elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/02/2020
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: On MSFT

Thankfully, because of consolidation on I/O peripherals, I was able to power an entire workstation that included a secondary monitor, microphones, speakers, webcam, external hard drives, and wireless chargers, all without a hitch using a single USB-C dongle. If you’re looking to replace or build a workstation at home for anything shy of production or engineering level workflows, the Surface Laptop Go is a decent alternative and helps to fill in the gaps in Microsoft’s personal computing ethos that emphasizes ‘surfaces everywhere.’
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/25/2020
Source: Reviewed.com

If you want a premium-looking laptop with insane battery life and you have toddler-sized hands, this is a good laptop for you. Despite its humble sub $600 price tag, it drips of the same premium build quality that the rest of the Surface lineup has had since its inception. Beyond the (ahem) surface, the Surface Laptop Go has a reasonably powered Intel Core i5 mobile processor that will do for emails, social media, and some video streaming. It's a shame that you'll have to settle for watching your videos in less than 1080P, with the fans blowing at full speed for little reason.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/04/2020
Source: It Pro

We think Microsoft can chalk this up as another successful downsizing: although the Surface Laptop Go’s cutbacks are more frequently felt than on the Surface Go 2, it’s still clearly a laptop that’s been crafted with care. That said, it’s important not to get carried away thinking the Surface Laptop Go is a budget masterpiece; with this model’s For Business bonuses, it’s only a few notes less expensive than a mid-spec Surface Laptop 3. Personally, we’d be more tempted by the next model down from this, which is identical save for having 8GB of RAM, yet represents a hefty £168 saving before VAT.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/03/2020
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Mobile Syrup

Frankly, the pricing is the most disappointing part of the Laptop Go. There is almost no reason to spend this much money on what the Laptop Go offers. Anyone looking to get something similar can find a cheaper, better version from another PC-maker like Acer.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/22/2020
Source: Good Gear Guide

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go is a solid budget laptop reaching for good rather than great. Until Intel and its partners manage to push its 11th-gen Tiger Lake notebooks out the door, this really is the time of AMD’s mobile Ryzen. A laptop like our Editor’s Choice-winning $655 Acer Swift 3-SF314-42-R9YN is still available, and even some grumbling about thermals on Amazon’s product page shouldn’t turn you off. Walmart’s Motile M142, at $500, was also surprisingly good. Acer’s Spin 3 offers a third choice, which you can buy from Costco for $650. It too, outperforms the Surface Laptop Go, and for a lower price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/14/2020
Source: Engadget

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go is the newest in their smaller, cheaper "Go" line. The Surface Laptop is impressively light, though this is partly due to a plastic base. It feel sturdy, but less premium than the all-aluminum laptops many folks are used it.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/14/2020
Source: Engadget

As a stab at a budget machine with decent performance, the Surface Laptop Go is a success. It delivers premium-feeling style with hardware that’ll be fast enough for general users. But if you dig a bit closer, compromises abound.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 81%
Source: Hot Hardware

For $100 less, the 256 GB version of the Surface Laptop Go could have been a huge win for Microsoft, but in the end we think most users would be better off saving some cash and getting the 128 GB model at $699. There's enough performance on tap and storage for the apps most people need without breaking the bank on a high-end portable. For that reason, we'll tip the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go with our Recommended Award. Just keep in mind that we think its midrange configuration is the best value in the Surface Laptop Go line-up, for most people other than power users.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Source: The Verge

It’s understandable to cut corners for a good price. Some (like the lack of facial recognition) are understandable at $900. But this laptop doesn’t fit into today’s market. It’s too expensive to compete in the budget space, and it makes too many compromises to rise to the top of the midrange. When it goes on sale, maybe take another look.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Laptop Mag

I admire the concept behind the Surface Laptop Go. We too often shine the spotlight on the most expensive products when most consumers can get a perfectly capable laptop for under $1,000. What the Surface Laptop Go brings to the table is one of, if not the most, elegant designs in this price range. A few trade-offs were made to keep the price down, but those don't prevent the Surface Laptop Go from feeling any less expensive than the MacBooks and XPSs of the laptop world.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Slashgear

If, however, you’re willing to spend a little extra to treat your fingertips to a fantastic keyboard and trackpad, or on elevated industrial design that looks and feels a cut above that of most similarly-priced notebooks, the Surface Laptop Go makes more sense. Like other members of the Surface family, this newest model isn’t necessarily for everyone. Instead, it’s for those who can afford to budget for the areas where Microsoft has clearly focused the most.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: PC Mag

That said, you can find other potentially better budget-friendly options out there. We especially like the Editors-Choice-winning IdeaPad Flex 5 for its extraordinary blend of value and computing power. Meanwhile, if you can spend just $300 or so more than the asking price of the Surface Laptop Go configuration reviewed here, you can consider a cornucopia of excellent midrange ultraportables, including the 13-inch Surface Laptop 3 and the lowest-end MacBook Air.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Source: Techradar

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is without a doubt the standout in the entire Surface lineup, thanks to the ultra-approachable price, excellent build quality and gorgeous display. This laptop will redefine what budget laptops should look like.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: CNet

So, should you buy one? I like the Surface Laptop Go, but it's not for everyone. Here's my advice. The $550 model has pitiable storage. Just 64GB, soldered onto the motherboard, and even less after accounting for the OS. Also, running Windows 10 with 4GB of RAM can make a $500 laptop feel like a $400 laptop. I'm surmising that, because I haven't actually tested the $550 version.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 79%
Source: Neowin

The Surface Laptop Go is a really nice little laptop, little being part of the value proposition. It's not just lightweight, but it's compact. I kind of love it. I called it my 'couch PC' earlier, and that's actually significant to me. I review PCs by using them to work. If I grab a laptop to use on the couch, that's all up to what I prefer in the moment.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Tom's Guide

I love the Surface Laptop Go as the sleek mid-range laptop that it almost is. You can get its great keyboard, elegant chassis and decent performance at a respectable price — if you choose the $699 model. Its display isn't bright enough, nor does its battery last as long, though, for the $900 model to make sense for most folks.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/13/2020
Rating: Total score: 770%
Source: CNet

With a touchscreen, sharp design and $549 starting price, this may be the new go-to budget laptop for remote learning or working from home. The Arm-powered Surface Pro X is also getting an upgrade.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/01/2020
Foreign Reviews
Source: Computer Totaal

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/24/2020
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: CNet France

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/29/2020
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Antyweb

Positive: Elegant design; high performance; rich set of ports; flexible fingerprint sensor. Negative: Poor display; no backlit keys; high price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/06/2020
Source: Smartmania.cz

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/26/2020
Rating: Total score: 77% features: 65% display: 80% mobility: 75% workmanship: 90% ergonomy: 75%
Comment
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU): Integrated graphics card in Intel Ice-Lake G1 SoCs based on the new Gen. 11 architecture with 32 of the 64 EUs (Execution Units / Shader Cluster). The clock rate depends on the processor model ranging from 300 MHz base to 1050 - 1100 MHz boost. The Ice-Lake chips are produced in the modern 10nm process at Intel produced.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
i5-1035G1: Ice-Lake based low power quad core processor for thin and light laptops. Integrated four Sunnycove cores clocked at 1.2 - 3.7 GHz that support Hyperthreading (8 threads). Furthermore, the SoC integrates a Intel UHD Graphics G1 graphics card and Wifi 6 / Thunderbolt partly integrated. The chip is manufactured in the modern 10nm process at Intel.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.40":
This screen diagoal is quite large for tablets but small for subnotebooks. Some convertibles are also represented with that size.
Large display-sizes allow higher resolutions. So, details like letters are bigger. On the other hand, the power consumption is lower with small screen diagonals and the devices are smaller, more lightweight and cheaper.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.1.11 kg:
This weight is typical for big tablets, small subnotebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles with a 10-11 inch display-diagonal.
Microsoft:
Microsoft smartphones and tablets have been tested since 2012. There are many reviews with average ratings. The reader's interest is quite given, but the market share is not big enough for the Top 5 smartphone manufacturers (as of 2016).
120.1%: This notebook model is regarded by the reviewers to be exceptionally good. There hardly exist laptops, which are rated so good. If this rating can be taken seriously, this is a clear recommendation for purchase.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.