Microsoft Surface Go 3 Review: My New Favorite! 

Finally, someone who actually tested the office apps! All the other tablets in the same price range have better specs and performance. But I need something that is portable with which I can make use most of the microsoft office programs. For me, this is the only selling point to consider this device.

I just happened to have bought a Surface Go 3 a day ago! l am still in the honeymoon phase so can't really be objective. What led me to it was owning a Surface Pro and not really using it as a tablet (too big) switching to a low end chassis with i7 laptop (more power than I need, poor display and sound.), then a 2 in 1 Chromebook (a great choice) Then I lost my job and found using MS Office is the safest choice for good formatting when sending out resumes or cover letters. Chrome OS you only get the android app version of Office even with my paid Office 365 sub. So I needed something small, running Windows, with a nice display and sound for media consumption. Surface Go 3 was it. I have the i3 model. All in with keyboard and pen it was $850usd. So iPad Pro Samsung S8 territory but a full PC. Oh and yes I am working! The Go is my gift to me!

0:35 I was an early adopter of the original Surface (bought it on launch day), and really liked it. I prefer desktops and laptops over tablets and phones, and having a laptop-style computer that's light and small was quite important to me. I also really fell in love with Windows 8, to the point where I installed it on my desktop computer and continue to use it to this day, especially given the extra bloat Windows 10 introduced. Sadly, Microsoft hasn't been really keeping up its functionality, so it's less useful to me given that websites are retiring IE11 support and there's no way to install another browser on it, but it was really good while it lasted and still remains useful for creating Office apps while on the go. The earlier Surface Pro models (1 and 2) weren't that good, the Surface 2 wasn't much of an upgrade, and Microsoft had essentially pulled out of the 10-inch mini-computer market for a while, which is part of why I held onto my original model for so long. I was glad they re-entered it with their first Surface Go, but I wasn't impressed with its implementation or that of the Go 2. Now I finally have a good replacement for my original model and will likely buy one.

You just got a new subscriber, I really enjoy your content and your style!

Excellent review! Thank you!

I am not surprised by the speed improvement. The pentium in the go 3 is a rebranded chip that was offered as m3 in the go 2. Personally I have never managed to make that keyboard work for me (it feels too cramped, not even close to the Magic Keyboard... but maybe it's just me...). Hope MS will make an ARM version of this with a powerful enough chip, not one that is no better that what intel offers. At present, I think I have found my ideal tablet solution, at least at home. I am using the S7FE as a thin client for my desktop via Superdisplay, it gives me the best of every world. The screen size of a Surface pro 7 with thin bezels and barely more weight than a go 3, the power of a full desktop, great speakers, great battery life (not impacted by how hard I stress the system). Compared to a remote desktop solution this is miles better (full framerate, full gestures, not resource intensive, zero spen lag), and I can both replace the desktop and the tablet if I want (when I need a larger tablet I can use the S8 ultra instead, but I tend to avoid using an OLED tablet as a permanent monitor which never goes to sleep). My iPads get much less use now that I have what is basically a light 12.4 Windows 10 tablet with a quad core i7, 32GB RAM and an RTX 2070 super that lasts over 10 hours even under load and is connected to a 4k+ monitor most of the time (but the primary monitor is indeed the S7FE)

As a owner of a MBP 16 the go i3 is perfect for me…it does exactly what I want …run full browser with extensions at a really small package….and I do use it sometimes on my external monitor instead of my MacBook ….great little device might update later on since the form factor it is incredible

I have the 8gb ram surface go 1. I’ve done just about everything I want to do on it. I don’t have a tech background by the way. So the power from the pro series isn’t really missed. I was able to pass my real estate course and exam on it. My wife had a MacBook Air. That was not powerful enough, to run the application to be able to take the exam remotely. Which is why I had to buy my own. It was also way more affordable than the pro series. Which is what drew me in. A lot of the reviews warn about downloading outside web applications. I’ve done so and have had no issues. And if there ever was an issue you could always restore to original settings.

great review!

I purchased the SG3 soon after its release but after a month of testing it I had to send it back; the battery life was terrible lasting c4-5 hours when the advertising said it would be 11 hours or so, and yes, all power hungry options were tuned off. Other than that it was a great device so I'm hoping the SG4 when it gets released will have corrected the battery issues as I sure do miss it.

Thank you for a fabulous video. Iam buying the tablet this week. Just subscribed 👍👍👍👍🥂🤗🥰🥳

looking forward for Surface Go 4

Great thought!

Bought this yesterday, gonna see how it it

I’ve had the surface go and go 2 in the past and ended up returning or selling them both. I’m currently rocking an i5 16GB pro 8 which has exactly the horsepower that I want and need. I just want that horsepower in the surface go form factor. I really wish Microsoft would take a note from Apple and Samsung and offer the pro line in all the form factors. Your point about the 10” screen being the perfect tablet size is 100% on mark. When I want that one device to do it all I’m looking for a comfortable tablet that I can dock to a full desktop. As it is the pro 8 is a good laptop and barely passable as a tablet. Here’s to hoping for a higher performing Surface Go 4 in the future.

Really interesting review, I hope you'll have more subscribers

Been trying to decide on this or the Pro 9 for remote development, OneNote and Visio, you've sold me on the Surface Go3 thanks CB

Just bought one if these, 8gb, Hugely underrated. Agree with many points made here.

nice review..hopefully Go4 is a redesign 11' inch display with slimmer bezel, different cpu and 8gb/ssd standard, no emmc. i like this device form factor so much

well done man! so many hopeless reviews out there from ppl who don't actually use the stuff! I have an XPS17 which is a bad ass but sometimes i just need something small to use on the plane, uber, quick cafe set/meeting. If i need a tablet, that is my PHONE.. which used to be called "phalets" because they were so "big", now the norm... again, great break down.

I'm just looking for a tablet that will act as a Windows machine for taking notes, that I can use to read Adobe and Kindle books, and view Windows versions of websites. That's it. Take notes, read stuff, and browse. I was hoping Surface Pro 7 was going to be my Holy Grail for that, but it's just too heavy and big So I never use it as I intended. It's essentially just a small laptop for me. Crossing my fingers with this one.

Thanks for a great review. I am still rocking my Surface Go from 2019. Even slapped Windows 11 on it. I have not had any issues with it at all. I am waiting to see what the Surface Go 4 will bring and if they slim the bezels down a tad bit more. The Go would be great on ARM. I know many would disagree.

Just got the Go 3 middle model, Pentium processor with 8 GB ram and 128 GB storage. I just need a flexible mobile device for presentations, Zoom, Office 365, and general productivity. I'm really enjoying using it. Having full Windows is really handy in the small form factor. I've installed Dragon Naturally Speaking 15 voice dictation software on it, and it runs great with the built in mic. The front facing camera is great quality! I'm going need a dock however. I'm assuming the Microsoft Dock 2 is a bit of an overkill for the surface Go 3, so I'm considering the Microsoft Travel Dock. Thanks for the video, you cover the device well.

I gave up my Samsung tablet for the Surface Go 3 because I needed my tablet to run window programs. I got the i3 version. Thus far it is serving me well, although I really wish that it has better battery life and at least 256Gb of HD space.

I wanted a tablet and I got the surface pro 8. I found it too big to be a tablet, in fact it was so big I felt I should have just gotten a small laptop instead. Especially since other manufacturers offer laptops with similar specs, same size and slightly cheaper. I am going to hold out for the surface go 4 and see what processor they offer. It would be a great upgrade to my original low tier surface go.

Thanks for the excellent review. This is an interesting option next to a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. Personally I'm more of a tablet guy so I think the draw backs of Windows I'm tablet form would be more than the gains of having full windows for me that I don't really need.

thanks

Any comment on the battery life? Thank you.

I use my Go as a remote access tablet when I need desktop class performance while on the move and sometimes when I just don't want to be in front of my desktop. Having the LTE version is a must for me, so I have no experience with the lower performance models, but the portability of the Go makes the Pro models feel chunky and at times a bit hot by comparison. The Go 2 has issues with charging via portable battery while in use and I was hoping that the Go 3 fixes this using the USB-C port. Anyone test this yet? Are there portable batteries that can keep a Go 3 fully charged while in use?

How does it do with large pdf files? I work in construction and need something portable that can handle Bluebeam Revu, or similar programs, for looking at blueprints.

I believe it's a shift + f10 if you want to bring up the right click menu. Also Ctrl + ESC brings up the start screen.

Can't agree more! My Surface Go 2 LTE follows me anywhere I go for my everyday usage. Unfortunately my country doesn't offer the Go 3 LTE version, so I'll stick with the Go 2 LTE until the next generation... 👍🏽

Its help me to buy mine. I have the entry model 4gb and it works fine. Faster than S2 8gb that and I have it in full W11 (not w11S) and full perfomance in batery mode.

I love your reviews. I just bought the Microsoft Surface Go 3 but Im wondernig if I will be able to do any upgrade in the future. Can I replace the 64gb store or increase the 4gb ram? Thank you. Best regards from Brazil.

How's battery life? I keep seeing reviews bashing on battery life of the Go3. I have a few Windows-only apps that I have to use (and cannot be run with Wine on my mac).. Say, how long would the Go3 last if you are just reading using the kindle app (just for reference)?

will it works with coreldraw and adobe products? wanna see some reviews of it before buying.

Something not mentioned here is the Surface Go series are still one of the cheapest entry options into the LTE laptop market for those that require that functionality. The fact that it's cheap and only really powered for work-related functions might be pros for any business executives looking to equip their staff with LTE laptops for workflow.

Oh quick question, how much performance does the Go 3 lose would you say when it's unplugged? Is it a noticeable dip in how fluid it is to use? Thanks again!

what SG2 processor is this being compared with? Are you comparing SG3 with the 6500y processor to yhe SG2 4425y processor or m3?

The trackpad on the keyboard is bigger than the one on my Surface 3.

I'm waiting for a 4 core surface go. Love the portability of the surface go though. The surface pro 8 is great but way too expensive and poor lapability when keyboard is attached.

Hey! Quick question.. can we use the alt key shortcuts for excel on the surface pro/go devices ?

where is the digital pen?

Would you say it's worth upgrading from the 1st gen 8gb?

I just bought used go 2, got m3 model which is pretty snappy

Hi , I'd like to purchase surface go 3 i3/8gb ram/128gb.. but have some doubts, wondering if it runs well if operates outlook and Ms teams at the same time (multitasking) ?

Nice review. I'm thinking of purchasing the 4gb version of his laptop for basic text documents and storyboarding for University and recording midi on a DAW. I already have a desktop PC for everything else but I'd like something that's more portable with a detachable keyboard. Would this device be right for what I want to use it for?

The reason the Surface RT got so much hate was because you couldn't install regular programs and only stuff from the Microsoft store with the surface go line you can still install regular apps even if they're going to chug. Sometimes my classes in school require a Windows app and it's nice to be able to just carry one device around then have to try and load my saved file on multiple computers however I do load my save out on my desktop at home so I'm like in between of the two types you mentioned.

I actually have a laptop but i want a portability tablet/lap to use office, mails and multimedia, so...between this and pro 8 which is better? Thanks a lot

I have been using my og Surface Go 8GB/128GB for years. Looking forward to upgrading to Go 4 i3 when it comes out. Any idea when that is?

@Innoiso, hey nice review. But I have read there is heating issue in some versions of SG2 and SG3. Would you pls specify about it? I am planning to buy either SG2 (Refurbished) or SG3 (New) for basic use like word/excel/you tube viewing as a secondary option but don’t want a roaster. Which version should I opt for basic use? 4GB/64 or 8GB/128? M3 or Pentium? Will appreciate your input. Thanks..

I wish there's keyboard acc for surface go similar to the magic keyboard

price is still hard to swallow but its definitely a tempting device

Feel like using my ASUS Vivobook Max Laptop. Maybe this Device is suit for my Mom and Me who sometimes need Screenshot something with ease

Wonder if Android Apps on Windows will change your issues with the Go.

Hi, it can't project to external monitor? I saw in the video that it crashed.

I have an i3 Lte advanced model and the two things that annoy me is heating up issue(too hot) and low resolution compared to pro.

I am currently thinking of getting a 4G version of the surface go 3 for when my home internet is playing up or decides to go down completely (or a thunderstorm blows up the router, i am not joking, the router smelt of smoke afterwards)

Hello sir, do you recommend icore-3 over Pentium gold? Thank you

What do you choose? Surface go 2 pentium 8/128 or go 3 pentium 4/64?

Could I use this for running Microsoft 365, internet browsing, basic games from the Microsoft store, listening to music, and streaming?

I might have missed it. Is this the base model with the pentium chip in it?

Does it support outlook....

I'm considering the GO 3 with 8/128 GB for taking hand writing notes during meetings. Anybody is doing that ? What is the outcome? Pro and cons ? What app to use to store and file the files? Or a Tab S8+ is better? All comments welcome. Tks

Theres a Version of it with 128gb emc, 8GB and a i3

5:05 😂😂

I want to know if its better galaxy tab s8 or this surface go, anyone can help me¿

I loved the Surface RT!

Any feedback on stylus?

Asking you buy 8gb ram as minimum. Everything. Is amazing

220 ppi isn't very good unfortunately.

its a big solid no for me. Think a stick with a real 2 in 1.

Finally, after 5 minutes of blathering he gets back to #reality - only have 2 Office apps open and one browser tab and the device works fine. For less than $600 (now for the 8 GB memory) to run all this stuff with a case/keyboard is a wonderful device. As usual, any new Microsoft OS is problematic. Windows 11 is best to be avoided for non touchscreen devices imo.

Galaxy Tab s8 much better

My review after over 5 years and 4 Surface tablets. Be prepared for hardware failures. Each of the 4 Surface tablets has had hardware failure. Some multiple hardware failures. So poor quality components is a major problem with Microsoft tablets. And of course the usual operating systems bugs. And to make things worse expect long turn around time for warranty repairs. 3 to 4 weeks. Yeah, you are going to need two computers. One in for repairs and one for use. Recommend non Microsoft tablets. Apple or Android. One can likely find far better quality for just a little more money. Unfortunately, neither can run desktop apps. But the upside is that they are more responsive and less buggy. It took Microsoft over 3 years just to make the touch screen keyboard work on the Surfaces. And even now detaching the physical keyboard and reattaching it often means having to do a reboot before the keyboard will work. So even the most basic functions are still buggy in Windows. My theory is that Microsoft is drowning in bugs and poor quality because of disgruntled employees. And the poor management skills of CEOs (currently Nadella). Never ever heard from a single employee praising the company or their bosses. It's been like this since the days of Windows 1.0.

You seemed to totally miss the point of the Surface Go 3 - it is a windows tablet/laptop combo - don't compare it to an iPad or Android tablet as they do not run Windows 11 - if you need to run Windows apps and programs on a highly portable and lightweight device the Surface line is the way to go. The entire Windows surface line is designed for people that NEED to run Windows. Throughout this video you keep comparing this device to ipads and Android tablets - no comparison here - they DO NOT run windows.

Anything Microsoft surface is garbage. How anybody can say anything different is simply a shill.