Surface Laptop Go 2 vs. Laptop Go
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is here. Check out how it compares to its predecessor.
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The Surface Laptop Go 2 gets a glow-up with 11th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, new serviceable parts, Secured-core designation, and new Sage color.
The original Surface Laptop Go is getting hard to find as Microsoft makes way for the LG2, but that also means you might be able to find a discounted model. It’s still a great PC, if not quite as fast due to the older CPU.
Tech specifications
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The Surface Laptop Go 2 has mostly seen changes on the inside. Here’s a look at the specifications that make up the new PC and the original Laptop Go.
Comparing the Surface Laptop Go 2 with the Laptop Go
The Surface Laptop Go, as we’ve come to expect from Surface devices, has a nearly flawless design. The Laptop Go 2 continues exactly where its predecessor left off. It has an aluminum lid and a mix of aluminum and polycarbonate composite resin for the base, weighing in altogether at just 2.48 pounds (1.13kg) and measuring just 0.62 inches (15.7mm) thin. In hisSurface Laptop Go review, Executive Editor Daniel Rubino said “it looks good and feels even better, especially for this price point.”
New for the Laptop Go 2 is a Sage color. It joins the existing Platinum, Sandstone, and Ice Blue colors that the Laptop Go comes with. Ports are exactly the same, with USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio, and a Surface Connect port. Thankfully, Microsoft didn’t mess with the comfortable keyboard and sizable Precision touchpad. According to Microsoft, you still get 30% more key travel than a MacBook Air.
The 12.4-inch touch display still has a 1536x1024 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, and no inking capabilities. The front-facing camera has a 720p resolution, there’s a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello, and you still get quality speakers withDolby Atmos. Note that the Laptop Go model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD does not include a fingerprint reader.
The Laptop Go 2 has mostly seen improvements on the inside. It’s now equipped with a newer 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, putting up better performance. It still has four cores and eight threads, but it has a larger 8MB cache, higher 4.20GHz Turbo frequency, and a higher 28W TDP. You also get improved Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics with the newer CPU.
Both laptops are available with 4GB or 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM. Whereas the original Laptop Go had the option for slow eMMC storage, the Laptop Go 2 is sticking exclusively with M.2 SSDs. You can get 128GB or 256GB of storage, and the SSD is still user upgradeable (though the keyboard still has to be removed). Microsoft has made further strides toward serviceability, offering replaceable display, feet, battery, Surflink cable, and keyboard/touchpad to help keep its PCs running.
Microsoft quotes about 30 minutes of extra battery runtime with the Laptop Go 2, though we’ll have to test that ourselves. In our testing, the original Laptop Go managed more than eight hours from a charge.
Bluetooth in the Laptop Go 2 got a bump up to 5.1, and both laptops still come withWi-Fi 6. On the security front, the Laptop Go 2 is now classified as aSecured-core PC, helping protect your data at hardware, firmware, and software levels.
The Surface Laptop is still available to buy at some third-party retailers; Microsoft has stopped stocking it. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is now available to preorder, with models expected to start shipping on June 7, 2022. Check out more of thebest Windows laptopsto see how these PCs compare.
The new Surface Laptop Go 2 gets a fresh CPU, more serviceable parts, Secured-core designation, and new Sage color. It’s the PC to get, especially since the original Laptop Go is becoming hard to find.
The Laptop Go laid the foundation for the Go 2, and it’s still a great PC. It’s not as fast and lacks some new features, but you might be able to find it for a great price as stock is blown out.
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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.
