The 2017 Surface Pro 5 comes with the 7th Generation Intel Kaby Lake dual-core Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor, which has a maximum speed boost of up to dual-core Intel Core i7-7660U with a speed of up to 4.00 GHz. The 2020 Surface Go 2, on the other hand, has the 8th Gen Intel Amber Lake dual-core Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y processor, which has a maximum speed boost of up to dual-core Intel Core M3-8100Y with a speed of up to 3.40 GHz.
Suppose you're considering buying a laptop and are unsure about the differences between the Surface Pro 5 and the Surface Go 2. In that case, we have a detailed comparison of both devices for you to review. You can check it out here.
Specs Comparisons
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Key Features |
What's new | - New Design
It now has clean lines and rounded edges.
- Better performance
It’s now 2.5x times faster than Surface Pro 3.
- Better Battery
It has 50% more battery life than Surface Pro 4 up to 13.5 hours.
- Better Inking
It supports a new Surface Pen with 4,096 pressure sensitivity and tilt sensing.
- More
Fanless on Core m3 and i5 models, new deeper 165-degree hinge, on-screen Surface Dial capability.
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Availability | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Released | 2017 | 2020 |
Release Info | - Introduced: May 23, 2017
- Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
- Released: June 15, 2017
| - Introduced: May 6, 2020
- Pre-ordered: May 6, 2020
- Released: May 12, 2020
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Pricing | Starting at 799$ | Surface Go 2 for Consumer- $399 - Intel Pentium | 4 GB | 64 GB | WiFi
- $549 - Intel Pentium | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
- $629 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
- $729 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | LTE
Surface Go 2 for Commercial- $449 - Intel Pentium | 4 GB | 64 GB | WiFi
- $599 - Intel Pentium | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
- $679 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | WiFi
- $779 - Intel Core M3 | 8 GB | 128 GB | LTE
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Surface Pro 5 Price |
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet 12.3in 2K IPS Touchscreen Surface Laptop w/Backlitkey, Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mini DisplayPort, MicroSD XC Card Reader Windows 10 Pro (Renewed) | |
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed) | |
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3" Touchscreen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC, Intel Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Including Keyboard, WiFi, USB 3.0, Camera, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed) | |
Surface Go 2 Price |
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Microsoft Surface Go 2-10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - WiFi - Platinum (Latest Model) (Renewed) | |
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New Microsoft Surface Go 2 - 10.5" Touch-Screen - Intel Pentium - 4GB Memory - 64GB - Wifi - Platinum (Latest Model) | |
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Microsoft Surface Go 2 10.5 inches Touch-Screen Intel Pentium 4GB RAM, 64gb STV-00001 (Renewed) | |
Display | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Size | 12.3 Inches | 10.5 Inches |
Info | - Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
- Density: 267 PPI
- PixelSense™ Display
- Aspect ratio: 3:2
- Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
- Touch: 10 points multi-touch
- Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4
- 10nm Oleophobic Coating
| - Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (2.45M Pixels)
- Density: 220 PPI
- PixelSense™ Display
- Contrast ratio: 1500:1
- Aspect ratio: 3:2
- Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
- Touch: 10 points multi-touch
- Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
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Exterior | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Size Comparison | |
Dimensions | 11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)Width: 11.50” (292 mm) Height: 7.9” (201 mm) Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm) | 9.65” x 6.9” x 0.33” (245 mm x 175 mm x 8.3 mm)Width: 9.65” (245 mm) Height: 6.9” (175 mm) Thickness: 0.33” (8.3 mm) |
Weight | - Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (768 g)
- Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
- Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
| - Surface Go 2: 1.2 lbs (544 g)
- Surface Go 2 with LTE: 1.22 lbs. (553 g)
- Surface Go 2 Keyboard: 0.55 lbs (249 g)
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Colors | Platinum |
Keyboard and Trackpad | - Surface Type Cover
- Not included
- Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
- Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
- Keyboard:
- Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
- Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
- 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
- LED backlighting
- Trackpad:
- Precision glass trackpad.
- Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
- Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
| - Surface Go Type Cover
- Keyboard:
- Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1 mm of key travel.
- Trackpad:
- Precision glass trackpad.
- Trackpad size: 101 mm x 56 mm
- Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
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Ports | | |
Internal Specs | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Processor | - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
2 cores, 4 threads, 1.00 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
| - 8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y
2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 GHz, 2MB, 6W - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y
2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 5W
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Integrated Graphics | - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
Intel® HD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
Intel® HD Graphics 620 24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz - 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640 48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
| - 8th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 4425Y
Intel® UHD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ M3-8100Y
Intel® UHD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
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Memory | 4GB 8GB 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM | 4GB 8GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM |
Storage | 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD | |
Connectivity | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Wi-Fi | - Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
| - Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
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Bluetooth | - Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
| - Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
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| | Optional LTE- Nano SIM Tray
- 4G LTE Advanced (22 Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66)
- GPS/GLONASS: Standalone and Assiste
- GNSS, accuracy up to 3 meters
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Battery | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Size | 45 Wh | 26.81 Wh |
Battery Life | Up to 13.5 hours of video playback | - WiFi: Up to 10 hours of typical device usage
- LTE Advanced: Up to 10 hours of typical device usage
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Power Supply | - 44W power supply
- USB-A output: 5W
- Surface Connect: 39W
| - 24W proprietary Surface Connect power supply
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Software | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
OS | Windows 10 Pro (Creators Update) | - For Consumer: Windows 10 Home in S-mode
- For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11 |
Built-in Apps | Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial | |
Camera & Audio | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Camera | - Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
- 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
- 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
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Audio | - Dual microphones
- 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
| - Dual Studio Mics
- 2W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™
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Misc | Surface Pro 5 | Surface Go 2 |
Inking | Supports Surface Pen4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage | Supports Surface Pen4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel magnetic storage |
Sensors | - Ambient light sensor
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
| - Ambient light sensor
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
- Magnetometer
- NFC
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Security | - HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
- Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
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In the box | - Surface Pro (5th Gen)
- Power supply
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety and warranty documents
| - Surface Go 2
- Power supply
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety and warranty documents
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Warranty | - One-year limited hardware warranty
- Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
| - One-year limited hardware warranty
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More | - Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
- Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
- Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
- Physical buttons: volumes, power
| - Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
- Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
- Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
- Physical buttons: volumes, power
- Casing: Magnesium
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Performance
In terms of performance, the Surface Pro 5 is more powerful than the Surface Go 2 due to its design and better thermal system. The Surface Pro 5 features a 7th-generation Intel Core processor, which offers faster performance than the 8th-generation Intel Pentium Gold CPU found in the Surface Go 2. Additionally, the Surface Pro 5 has a higher maximum RAM capacity of 16GB than the Surface Go 2's maximum RAM capacity of 8 GB.
Surface Pro 5 Processor Options
However, the Surface Go 2 can still handle most basic tasks well. It's worth noting that the Surface Go 2 is cheaper and designed more for on-the-go productivity and portability. At the same time, the Surface Pro 5 is a more powerful device intended for heavier workloads.
Surface Go 2 Processor Options
Portability
Regarding portability, the Surface Go 2 is more portable than the Surface Pro 5 due to its smaller size and lighter weight. The Surface Go 2 has a 10.5-inch display and weighs just 1.2 pounds, while the Surface Pro 5 has a 12.3-inch display and weighs 1.69 pounds without the keyboard. So, the Surface Go is more accessible to carry and more comfortable to use as a tablet.
However, the larger screen of the Surface Pro may be more convenient for specific tasks, such as editing documents or watching videos. Ultimately, the choice between the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Go 2 depends on your needs and preferences.
Ports
The Surface Pro 5 has more port options than the Surface Go 2. The Surface Pro 5 has a full-size USB-A port, a mini DisplayPort, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It also includes a proprietary Surface Connect port that you can use to connect to the Surface Dock for additional ports.
Surface Pro 5 Ports (Right)
Surface Pro 5 Ports (Left)
On the other hand, the Surface Go 2 has only one USB-C port, a headphone jack, a microSDXC card slot, and a Surface Connect port for charging and docking. While lacking a full-size USB port and a mini DisplayPort, the USB-C port offers an all-in-one solution for charging, video output, and data transfer.
Surface Go 2 Ports
Choosing between the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Go 2 regarding ports depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you require a variety of ports for your daily use, the Surface Pro 5 may be the better option. However, if you prioritize portability and are willing to use a USB-C hub, the Surface Go 2 can still offer a great computing experience.
Our Verdict
The Surface Go line-up is excellent for portability and working on the go. However, its low-powered processors hold it back in terms of performance, especially compared to the Surface Pro 5. Surface Go 2 is an excellent choice as a secondary computer. The Surface Pro 5 is great on its own, and you can have it as your primary computer despite being less portable. It has all the performance you need for daily activities.
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