As you read this, dear reader, you should know that I have typed this entire review on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. Now, do I usually do this? No. Why? Because keyboards typically don’t beat the one on my 14-inch MacBook Pro.
However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is different. The keyboard on this 12.5-inch notebook is one of the best I’ve ever used during my entire career as a laptop reviewer. I’ll dive into this later because, of course, this is the intro – I have to tease you a little before I reveal more.
One thing you need to understand about the Surface Laptop Go 3, though, is that it’s not for everyone. If you need a laptop with au courant specs that can handle CPU and GPU intensive tasks, this ain’t for you. However, if you’re a student who needs a snappy keyboard that can keep up with you while typing notes – this is “the one”.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 price and specs
Microsoft sent me the Surface Laptop Go 3 with the following specs:
- 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U CPU
- Intel Iris Xe graphics (integrated with the CPU)
- 16GB of RAM
- 256GB of SSD storage
- 12.4-inch touchscreen
- Windows 11 Home
This bad boy costs $999, but there’s a cheaper option. There’s a variant that costs $799, which downgrades your specs to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can buy it here at Microsoft.com.
What I love about the Surface Laptop Go 3
The Surface Laptop Go 3, the successor to the Laptop Go 2, is one sleek, stylish laptop. However, nothing grinds my gears more than when those sophisticated vibes get ruined by a smudgy chassis. Luckily, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is a grime repellent.
The design is chef’s kiss
One thing I absolutely adore about this laptop is that it doesn’t attract fingerprints. As much as I love my 15-inch MacBook Air, it’d betray me to criminal investigators in a heartbeat.
For a notebook that starts at $800, the Surface Laptop Go 3 feels like a $1,200 laptop. The build quality is excellent. Applying pressure to the deck yields little to no give, and the keys don’t have that gross plasticky feel of other laptops in this budget. This isn’t to say that there isn’t plastic in this laptop at all. The base, for example, blends aluminum and recycled plastic in its material. The lid, on the other hand, is made of anodized aluminum. Microsoft was strategic in where it placed its cheaper materials in the laptop. After all, we rarely touch the laptop’s underside.
The Surface Laptop Go 3 I have comes in Sage and it is stunning. It just has a hint of green, giving it a seaweed-esque tint. The reflective Microsoft logo adds to the laptop’s subtle sophistication; it has a professional, polished, classic appearance. The Surface Laptop Go 3 also comes in Sandstone, Platinum, and Ice Blue. No, the Surface Laptop Go 3 does not come in black. Microsoft says it did research and development, and people didn’t care for black. And I agree. Black is boring!
Overall, the Surface Laptop Go 3 has a sturdy, well-built design for a sub-$800 laptop, but it may not appeal to those who have larger hands. It may feel too cramped.
The keyboard is one of the best I’ve ever used
Snap, click and clack! This keyboard is all that! When I tested the keyboard at the Surface event in late September, my eyes widened in surprise. This keyboard is one of the snappiest that I’ve ever tested. The tactile feedback is top notch. My fingers leap from one letter to another like a graceful piano player. It’s as if the keys immediately bounce back after hitting its point of actuation, making my fingers fly off to the next letter quickly and efficiently.
The keys are perfectly spaced and the contrast of the shale-gray keys and the white symbols make the letters easy to see.
I’m a keyboard snob, so take it from me when I say this island-style keyboard is exquisite. On one of my daily driver laptops, the 15-inch MacBook Air, I hit 83 words per minute with an accuracy rate of 98% on the Live Chat’s typing speed test.
I tried the same test on the Surface Laptop Go 3, and I hit 87 words per minute with the same accuracy rate.
The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader
If you love having a passwordless sign-in with Windows Hello, you’ll likely be elated to know that the Surface Laptop Go 3 has a fingerprint reader. No, it’s not a dedicated fingerprint reader – it’s integrated into the power button. However, I had a seamless, smooth experience with the fingerprint sensor setup.
What I dislike about the Surface Laptop Go 3
One of the compromises you’ll have to settle with is that the Surface Laptop Go 3 is packed with an old-generation Intel Core i5 processor. In other words, the CPU inside the Surface Laptop Go 3 ain’t hot anymore. It’s got a 12th Gen processor while most laptops are rocking more au courant 13th Gen CPUs.
Performance is middle-of-the-road
The Surface Laptop Go 3 is packed with an Intel Core i5-1235U. The “U” stands for ultra-low power, which implies that it’s not a beastly chip by any means, but it’s designed to be energy efficient. Still, the performance on the Surface Laptop Go 3 should be sufficient enough for its intended audience: students and on-the-go busy bees who need a laptop for casual usage. If you plan to simply browse the web, use some productivity apps, and stream your favorite shows, I found that the Surface Laptop Go 3 managed this workflow just fine.
However, if you run tasks that test the limits of the CPU and GPU, consider getting the Surface Laptop Studio 2 instead (if you insist on getting a Microsoft laptop).
My gripe with the Surface Laptop Go 3 isn’t its middling performance per se – it’s its performance compared to other similarly priced laptops that gives me pause. On the Geekbench 6 benchmark, the Surface Laptop Go 3 delivered a score of 6,043. Based on my prior testing experience, you can squeeze out more performance from the likes of the MSI Prestige 14 Evo and the Asus ZenBook 14, which are packed with 12th-gen Intel Core i5-1240P processors – and they’re both under $800. But keep in mind that you won’t get the same premium build quality from these two laptops as the Surface Laptop Go 3.
No backlit keyboard
In dark areas or low-lit rooms, you may find it difficult to see the keyboard because, unfortunately, the Surface Laptop Go 3 does not have any backlighting.
Thick bezels
The Surface Laptop Go 3 comes with a touchscreen, which I don’t use often. (I’m afraid to leave fingerprint smears on the display.) However, whether I was pinching the panel to zoom in or dragging it down to scroll, the 12.4-inch notebook zippily responded to my touch gestures
I watched the “Argylle” trailer on YouTube to see how I like the display, and it’s not half bad. No, it won’t win any awards (e.g., it’s not full of rich color), but it’s crisp enough that I could spot the tiny, subtle freckles that populate Bryce Dallas Howard’s eyes and nose. What I could do without, however, are the thick bezels – and the bottom bezel is even larger. It’s so 2018!
What’s ‘eh’ about the Surface Laptop Go 3?
Sometimes, there are aspects about laptops that I neither love nor dislike – I’m just indifferent to them. In the Surface Laptop Go 3’s case, it’s the touchpad. It’s simply OK.
It’s a decent mix of resistant and smooth, plus it responds well to Windows 11 gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling. The only thing that I don’t like is, unlike the chassis, it attracts fingerprints.
Mix of legacy and modern ports
Sadly, the Surface Laptop Go 3 doesn’t come with a Thunderbolt 4 port (which means you won’t get ultra-fast transfer rates), but it offers one USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Still, you can use the USB-C port to charge the Surface Laptop Go 3; you can also use it to connect to an external display.
On the right side of the Surface Laptop Go 3, you’ll find Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connector port, allowing you to charge the notebook while still keeping your USB-C port free for other peripherals.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 battery life
On the PCMark 10 battery life test, with the Surface Laptop Go 3’s brightness set to the max, the Surface Laptop Go 3 lasted 7 hours and 51 minutes. Keep in mind that, according to my experience, the average laptop in this price range lasts between 9 and 10 hours.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 webcam
The Surface Laptop Go 3 comes with a 720p HD webcam. Videoconferencing on this shooter will make you look like a Georgia O’Keeffe painting (and not in a good way) – I hope the people on the other end love watercolor art.
Final thoughts
This laptop is tiny. If Jason Momoa carried this laptop in his hands, I’m pretty sure it’d look like the Surface Duo (a foldable phone Microsoft released in 2020). To put things into perspective, the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro has more screen real estate than the display on this 12.4-inch machine – and it’s a tablet.
However, for those who prefer compact, portable laptops that can easily slip into their backpacks and travel bags, the Surface Laptop Go 3 should be on your shortlist. I can see this being the daily driver of young students or Gen Z users seeking a laptop that can handle casual usage with style and sophistication.
And most importantly, if you’re seeking a sub-$800 laptop with arguably the best keyboard on the market (in this price range), this Surface Laptop Go 3 is the one for you.
