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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Build Quality
    3. Hinge
    4. Portability
    5. Serviceability
    6. In The Box
  5. Display
    1. Screen Specs
    2. Refresh Rate
    3. Contrast
    4. Brightness
    5. Reflections
    6. Black Uniformity
    7. Horizontal Viewing Angle
    8. Vertical Viewing Angle
    9. Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
    10. Color Gamut
    11. Flicker
  6. Interface
    1. Keyboard
    2. Touchpad
    3. Speakers
    4. Webcam & Microphone
  7. Connectivity
    1. Ports
    2. Wireless Communication
  8. Configuration
    1. CPU
    2. GPU
    3. RAM
    4. Storage
  9. Performance
    1. Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
    2. Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
    3. Blender (3D Rendering)
    4. Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
    5. Storage Drive Performance
    6. Battery
    7. Borderlands 3
    8. Civilization VI
    9. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
    10. Counter-Strike 2
    11. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
    12. Thermals And Noise
    13. Performance Over Time
  10. Additional Features And Software
    1. Software
    2. Extra Features
  11. Comments

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) vs Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021)

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Feb 22, 2024 02:44 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Aug 14, 2024 02:30 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Picture

Variants

  • Surface Go 2 (STV-00001) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/4GB/64GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (TGF-00001) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/4GB/64GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (STV-00003) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/4GB/64GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (STQ-00001) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (STQ-00003) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (STR-00001) (Platinum - Pentium Gold 4425Y/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (TFZ-00001) (Platinum - m3-8100Y with LTE/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (STW-00001) (Platinum - m3-8100Y with LTE/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (RRX-00001) (Platinum - m3-8100Y/4GB/64GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (‎TFZ-00003) (Platinum - m3-8100Y/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Go 2 (MHM-00001) (Silver - m3-8100Y/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PT-00017) (Graphite - i5/16GB/256GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PQ-00017) (Graphite - i5/8GB/256GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎EBP-00017) (Graphite - i5/8GB/512GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (8PV-00017) (Graphite - i7/16GB/256GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PX-00017) (Graphite - i7/16GB/512GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PN-00001) (Platinum - i5/8GB/128GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (8PQ-00001) (Platinum - i5/8GB/256GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎EBP-00001) (Platinum - i5/8GB/512GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎EEB-00001) (Platinum - i7/16GB/1TB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PV-00001) (Platinum - i7/16GB/256GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎8PX-00001) (Platinum - i7/16GB/512GB)
  • Surface Pro 8 (‎EFH-00001) (Platinum - i7/32GB/1TB)

Our Verdict

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020)

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021)

The Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) and the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) are both Windows tablets with detachable keyboards. The Surface Pro is better overall, with a sharper, brighter display that goes up to a 120Hz refresh rate, a better-spaced keyboard and larger touchpad, and two USB-C ports that both support Thunderbolt 4. Also, the Surface Pro is available with newer, much more powerful Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs, lasts longer when playing back video, and its SSD is replaceable. On the other hand, the Surface Go is much more lightweight and compact, making it easy to bring around, it lasts longer when browsing the web, and its display is much more color-accurate.

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Read more

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

7.2
7.7

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

2.5
8.1

Portability 
 

9.6
8.9

Ports 
 

2.5
5.5

Touchpad 
 

6.3
7.6

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Style Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Tablet
Tablet
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
8.5

Build Quality Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Build Quality Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

6.9
6.9

Hinge Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Hinge Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

170°
170°

Stability 
 

Good
Good

One Finger Lift 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.6
8.9

Dimensions Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Dimensions Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

10.5"
13"

Thickness 
 

0.5" (1.3 cm)
0.7" (1.8 cm)

Width 
 

9.9" (25.1 cm)
11.5" (29.1 cm)

Depth 
 

7.1" (18.1 cm)
8.5" (21.7 cm)

Volume 
 

35.8 in³ (586.1 cm³)
67.4 in³ (1,105.1 cm³)

Weight 
 

1.2 lbs (0.5 kg)
2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)

Charger Size 
 

6.0 in³ (98.5 cm³)
6.9 in³ (112.5 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

0.0
1.5

Internals Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Internals Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

0
0

RAM Slots 
 

0
0

Storage Slots 
 

0
1

Replaceable Battery 
 

No
No

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

No
No
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) In The Box Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Display Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

1920 x 1280
2880 x 1920

Aspect Ratio 
 

3:2
3:2

Pixel Density 
 

220 PPI
266 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

Yes
Yes

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

77%
80%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

5.9
8.7

Motion Blur  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Motion Blur
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

60 Hz
120 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

No
Dynamic Refresh Rate
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

7.3
7.4

Contrast Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Contrast Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

1,282 : 1
1,375 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness 
 

7.8
8.3

Maximum Brightness 
 

368 cd/m²
432 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

6 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

6.9
7.3

Reflections Photo Off  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Reflections Photo Off
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Reflections Photo Max
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Glossy

Total Reflections 
 

4.798%
4.31%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.291%
0.69%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

4.5%
3.62%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

7.5
7.7

Black Uniformity Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Black Uniformity Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

1.014%
0.933%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

7.2
6.4

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Horizontal Chroma Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Left 
 

28°
25°

Color Washout From Right 
 

26°
26°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Horizontal Hue Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture

Color Shift From Left 
 

60°
28°

Color Shift From Right 
 

60°
35°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Horizontal Lightness Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

29°
26°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

28°
27°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°
60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°
60°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

33°
24°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

32°
26°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

7.1
6.4

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Vertical Chroma Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Below 
 

25°
26°

Color Washout From Above 
 

26°
27°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Vertical Hue Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture

Color Shift From Below 
 

45°
30°

Color Shift From Above 
 

45°
36°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Vertical Lightness Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

29°
28°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

30°
29°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°
45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

45°
45°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

29°
22°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

28°
25°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

8.2
7.6

White Balance Screencap  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) White Balance Screencap
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Gamma Curve Screencap
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Color Screencap
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

3.15
3.06

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.18
2.09

Avg. Color dE 
 

1.97
2.87

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,583 K
6,150 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

8.6
8.8

Gamut SDR  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Gamut SDR
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

105.88%
99.89%

sRGB uv 
 

105.34%
99.62%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

77.7%
80.08%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

88.3%
88.07%

Gamut HDR  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Gamut HDR
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

78%
84.95%

DCI P3 uv 
 

83.7%
88.99%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

56%
60.96%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

61.13%
64.85%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Flicker Graph
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
Yes

Flicker Frequency 
 

No Flicker
No Flicker

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
N/A
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

7.8
8.2

Keyboard Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Keyboard Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

7.5
8.0

Numpad 
 

No
No

Backlighting 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Operating Force 
 

66 gf
65 gf

Actuation Force 
 

43 gf
38 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

0.95 mm
1.05 mm

Total Travel 
 

1.41 mm
1.56 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

6.3
7.6

Touchpad Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Touchpad Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

6.5
8.0

Size 
 

8.2 in² (53.0 cm²)
10.1 in² (65.0 cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Glass

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

7.4
7.5

Frequency Response Plot  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Max Volume 
 

70 dB SPL
72 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

4.5 dB
5.8 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

1.2
2.3

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

250 Hz
143 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

13 kHz
20 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

1.8 dB
1.7 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

8.7
8.7

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

9.0
9.0

Resolution 
 

1080p
1080p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
No

Face Unlock 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

2.5
5.5

Ports Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Ports Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

0
0

USB-C Ports 
 

1
2

Thunderbolt 
 

No
Thunderbolt 4

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

No
No

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

MicroSD UHS 2
No

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Proprietary Port 
 

Surface Connect
Surface Connect

Security Lock 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.0
5.1
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Intel

Model 
 

Pentium Gold 4425Y
Core i7-1185G7

Core Count 
 

2
4

Thread Count 
 

4
8
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Intel

Model 
 

UHD Graphics 615
Iris Xe Graphics G7

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Integrated

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

8 GB
16 GB

Modules 
 

2 (Soldered)
8 (Soldered)

Type 
 

LP-DDR3
LP-DDR4X

Speed 
 

1,866 MHz
4,267 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

128 GB
256 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

91 GB
208 GB

Drive 1 
 

KBG40ZPZ128G TOSHIBA MEMORY
SK Hynix HFM256GD3GX013N

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

2.5
8.1

Geekbench Image  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Geekbench Image
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

420 points
1,317 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

962 points
5,089 points

GPU Compute 
 

3,858 points
19,125 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

2.5
8.2

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Cinebench R23 Photo
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

385 points
1,243 points

Multi-Thread 
 

970 points
5,213 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

0.0
5.8

Blender Image  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Blender Image
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

42.3 min
7.8 min

GPU Render Time 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

1.6
5.4

Basemark Image  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Basemark Image
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

3,603
19,134
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

7.9
9.2

Storage Performance Image  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Storage Performance Image
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

422.9 MB/s
1,195.4 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

1,181.1 MB/s
2,262.0 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

32.0 MB/s
76.9 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

27.2 MB/s
56.5 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

6.2
6.3

Capacity 
 

27 Wh
50 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

8.4 hrs
7.3 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

3.9 hrs
5.7 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

1.6 hrs
2.4 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.5 hrs
2.5 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

0.0
1.9

Borderlands 3 Graph  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Borderlands 3 Graph
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A
12 fps

1% Low 
 

N/A
6 fps

0.1% Low 
 

N/A
2 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
94 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
341 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

N/A
25 fps
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

0.4
4.8

Civilization VI Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

3 fps
24 fps

1% Low 
 

2 fps
17 fps

0.1% Low 
 

2 fps
16 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

103 ms
18 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

107 ms
21 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

12 fps
93 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

28.49 s
8.31 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

2.2
7.7

CS:GO graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

14 fps
93 fps

1% Low 
 

3 fps
51 fps

0.1% Low 
 

1 fps
42 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

323 ms
9 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

1,744 ms
13 ms

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

34 fps
161 fps
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

CS2 Graph  

Avg. FPS 
 

1% Low 
 

0.1% Low 
 

1% Low Delta 
 

0.1% Low Delta 
 

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

0.4
3.4

SOTTR Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

3 fps
22 fps

1% Low 
 

1 fps
12 fps

0.1% Low 
 

1 fps
4 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

505 ms
41 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

1,113 ms
180 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

5 fps
40 fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

9.9
9.5

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Keyboard Temps Picture
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

24 °C (74 °F)
32 °C (90 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

28 °C (82 °F)
32 °C (90 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

N/A
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

N/A
25.0 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

7.4
7.9

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details on graph tool

Performance Over Time Image  

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) Performance Over Time Image

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

54 °C
63 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

0% loss
10% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

63 °C
61 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

17% loss
2% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Windows 10
Windows 11

Additional Software 
 

None
None
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

RGB Illumination 
 

No
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
No

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Biometrics 
 

Face Recognition
Face Recognition
Show Text 

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020)

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021)

Comments

  1. Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 2 (2020) vs Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021): Main Discussion

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