Microsoft has just announced the Surface Laptop Go 3, the latest refresh of its budget-oriented laptop, which actually isn't as budget-friendly anymore. This new version comes with significantly upgraded specs, and that means the starting price is also much higher. If you want to know everything there is to know about the Surface Laptop Go 3, we're here to help.

Surface Laptop Go 3: Price and availability

The Surface Laptop Go 3 was announced on September 21st, 2023, and it's already available to order. General availability and shipping will start on October 3rd.

The laptop comes with a much higher price tag than before, starting at $799 rather that $599.99. However, the base model is now much better, and considering we wouldn't recommend the base model in the past, that makes a lot of sense. Here's the price for all the configurations available at launch:

Surface Laptop Go 3

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a mid-range laptop with a 12th-generation Intel Core processor and solid specs that delivers a solid experience without breaking the bank. It has a faster processor and more RAM and storage than its predecessor, but it's also more expensive.

$800 at Amazon $800 at Microsoft

Specs

What's new in the Surface Laptop Go 3?

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a relatively small update on the outside, but it does pack some notable under-the-hood improvements.

New processors

One of the big upgrades in the Surface Laptop Go 3 is that it comes with faster processors. That's typically the case with new models, but this upgrade is significant because it's the transition to Intel's new hybrid architecture that started with 12th-generation processors. The Surface Laptop Go 3 comes with an Intel Core i5-1235U, which has 10 cores and 12 threads, whereas the previous model had just four cores and eight threads.

More RAM and storage

Another notable improvement is the RAM and storage, particularly for the base configuration. The old models with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage no longer exist. Instead, Microsoft now offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage by default, making this a much more usable device. That storage also uses UFS technology rather than a typical SSD.

This is what raises the price of the laptop the most, since it used to start at just $599.99 and now costs $799.99.

Not much else

There isn't much more that's new on the hardware front, and most new features on the Surface laptop Go 3 are part of the latest Windows 11 update, which will come to other devices anyway. This new model has the same display, webcam, and design as the previous iteration. And despite the price increase, the base model still doesn't include Windows Hello support, so you'll need to spring for the $1,000 configuration if you want it.

Surface Laptop Go 3: Is it a worthy upgrade?

There aren't a lot of changes here to make this a much better laptop if you already have a Surface Laptop Go 2. However, if you're still rocking the original model, this version definitely delivers some big improvements. The base model is much more expensive, but you get a lot more performance for it, and especially a lot more RAM. It's not competing with the best laptops on the market, but it's a worthwhile addition to the Surface family.

Surface Laptop Go 3

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a mid-range laptop with a 12th-generation Intel Core processor and solid specs that delivers a solid experience without breaking the bank. It has a faster processor and more RAM and storage than its predecessor, but it's also more expensive.

$800 at Amazon $800 at Microsoft