Do you need the more expensive Surface Go? Probably not.

Near major media outlets published their Surface Get reviews based on the more expensive version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Many accept also outright dismissed the entry-level $399 model with just 4GB of RAM and slower 64GB of eMMC storage.

Merely how much do the higher-end specs affair? In our initial examination of storage speeds the 128GB model has the speed reward (1,100 MB/southward) over the 64GB model (260 MB/s), but what is the real-world touch?

Over the last few days, I've been using the 4GB model just every bit I did with the 8GB 1, and my conclusion is this: There's just not that much difference.

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Is Surface Go dull?

In an earlier writeup, I compared both Surface Get models for storage read and write speeds. Below is the comparison tabular array along with a 7,200 RPM hard-disk drive for comparison, along with another devices for context.

Surface Go (128 SSD) vs Surface Go (64 eMMC)

CrystalDiskMark (higher is meliorate)

Device	Read	Write
Surface Get (eMMC)	260 MB/s	145 MB/s
Surface Get (SSD)	1,185 MB/south	133 MB/south
Surface 3 (eMMC)	149 MB/s	33 MB/south
Dell XPS Belfry (HDD)	133 MB/s	150 MB/south
Surface Laptop	648 MB/south	244 MB/s
Surface Pro 4	758 MB/southward	159 MB/s
Surface Pro 2022	847MB/s	801 MB/southward
Surface Book	ane,018 MB/s	967 MB/s
Surface Pro 2022	1,284 MB/s	963 MB/southward
Surface Book 2	1,411 MB/southward	1,202 MB/s

On newspaper, the SSD in the 128GB model is quite impressive even compared to more expensive Surface devices.

The Surface Go'southward 64GB memory is about 1 and one-half times as fast equally the Surface 3'due south for read speed, while it'due south most a iv times comeback in our sequential write results. (For those harping on the why eMMC is faster than SSD, it's just testing variation - these are the same speeds).

Related: eMMC vs. SSD storage: What's the deviation?

How you use information technology matters

Function of the problem with Surface Go – and any PC, for that matter – is figuring out how a person intends to employ the device. Surface Go is aimed at education markets (Thousand-12), firstline workers (FLWs), full general consumers, and families. Nevertheless, I take had people ask Does Surface Go run AutoCAD? And, What nearly Adobe Lightroom? Or, Is it any skillful for editing video?

In my usage with Surface Go, I used it as how I thought it is intended: for light computing. Here'south a listing of what exactly that includes:

Watching videos.
Word processing.
E-mail.
Lite gaming (Ten-Morph: Defence, Little Triangle, and Die for Valhalla!).
Social media.
News and web surfing.
Photo editing via Adobe Elements 2022.
Listening to music.

For all these tasks, the Surface Become with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage performed only fine. In fact, telling the difference betwixt the entry-level model and the more expensive one was hard.

One user on Reddit asked if Surface Go was correct for them. Here is what they were looking for:

I'm not a huge gamer anymore and any serious data crunching I do is handled on my dwelling house server or desktop, and so information technology's less nearly ability for me and more about having a Netflix auto/eReader in bed/on flights that's also able to pop over and respond to a quick e-mail or handle some document reading/annotating when needed or light browsing when desired … I'm basically looking for an iPad Pro that doesn't lock me into iOS and gives me the functionality to apply the software I similar inside an open filesystem I'g familiar with.

If your computing needs and expectations are like, Surface Go – either version – will be just fine.

Surface Become RAM management handles itself

Pro PC users tend to bask micromanaging their devices, including paying attention to RAM usage. But this is mostly an unnecessary step for a coincidental-use PC like the Surface Get. Windows 10 does an admirable chore of managing RAM without being a detriment to performance. Windows x at 4GB of RAM is more optimized to use that retentivity if you lot set it and forget it.

Where more RAM matters is taking Surface Become out of S-mode and proceeding to install apps like Chrome, Steam, iTunes (out of the Shop), Battle.net, and Razer Synapse. Those apps tend to install "helper" apps that run in the groundwork and chew up resources over time. While they offer some benefit to the user, PC performance will likely degrade over time. Throwing more than RAM at it is one solution, but it's a costly one. Limiting yourself to just apps from the Microsoft Store is another choice, simply that as well has tradeoffs, like non being able to use an app you really need.

Don't dismiss the entry-level Surface Become

The takeaway from my experience in using the $399 Surface Go is that if you are using this every bit secondary PC for the couch, bed, on a flight, the coffee shop, or to go along the kids busy in the automobile, at that place's no discernable difference in operation betwixt information technology and the more expensive $550 model. And then buy the cheaper version and save some money.

For students looking for a low-cal estimator for the grade to have notes, respond to emails, handle social, or run Microsoft Word, in that location is no existent demand to get the more than expensive one unless you lot can afford it or need that storage infinite. In other words, buy the cheaper version and relieve some money.

In that location are 40GB of usable storage on the 64GB Surface Leave of the box with total Microsoft Role already preinstalled. Combine that with microSD expansion and the cocky-limiting nature of a ten-inch PC, and I call back users volition be surprised that they're non cramming it full of high-volume games or apps.

The whole "slow" eMMC versus "fast" SSD matters, simply just for loading huge games or applications – and even there, information technology'south however much faster than a hard disk drive drive.

But, if you practise need 8GB of RAM – and to be clear, some of you volition – or yous want more internal storage, take hold of the Surface Get $550 model.

Here are a couple of heir-apparent's tips:

If you're Surface Go will be employ equally a full-time PC, go for the 8GB model.
If Surface Go volition be a secondary PC for light computing, the 4GB model should be perfectly fine.

The negative hype related to the 4GB of RAM and eMMC storage is mostly coming from people who take never used information technology. Endeavour it and gauge for yourself, because you may realize information technology's ameliorate than what you've been told.

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