the Surface Go is a small milestone for Intel

[willfr]

The Surface 3 was a 'sealed' fanless tablet, like a phone or an iPad, but it had an Atom chip. The Surface Pro 4 had a fanless Core m3 model, but there was venting all around the perimeter of the device (not exactly waterproof haha) and people rightly pointed out that iPads don't have vents at all. But the Surface Go that was just announced has a Pentium Gold 4415Y and it is fanless and sealed, just like an iPad. This is a first! I didn't think this was possible for 14nm. It's also not that large a device, a 10" display at 3:2 aspect ratio. It's pretty impressive especially when you consider it's running full Windows. Congrats to Intel on a small milestone, they've come a long way.

 

[whm1974]

And what is the performance, power usage, and price? Why would I want one?

 

[JB24]

"Full Windows"? You mean "too damn slow to run real Windows apps"?

It will *have* to run customized apps to have any performance.

 

[vinhom]

This 4415Y Pentium is probably slower than their more recent Atom-based N5100 Pentium on similar TDP.

 

[scannall]

And what is the performance, power usage, and price? Why would I want one?

Roughly half the speed of an Apple A11.

 

[whm1974]

This 4415Y Pentium is probably slower than their more recent Atom-based N5100 Pentium on similar TDP.

Why didn't Microsoft use the N5100 instead?

Roughly half the speed of an Apple A11.

And costs just as much as Apple's iPad?

 

[scannall]

Why didn't Microsoft use the N5100 instead?

And costs just as much as Apple's iPad?

The base iPad is $329, which is $70 less. The A10 it uses is about %50 faster. Apple also has the software advantage, as most Win10 apps really aren't mobile friendly.

 

[whm1974]

The base iPad is $329, which is $70 less. The A10 it uses is about %50 faster. Apple also has the software advantage, as most Win10 apps really aren't mobile friendly.

So the Surface Go is basically almost useless?

 

[scannall]

So the Surface Go is basically almost useless?

I wouldn't go quite that far. If there is a Win10 app, that is a MUST HAVE and that doesn't suck as mobile it's OK. But it's not some leap of engineering.

 

[whm1974]

I wouldn't go quite that far. If there is a Win10 app, that is a MUST HAVE and that doesn't suck as mobile it's OK. But it's not some leap of engineering.

I would be more impressed if someone came out with a tablet that is basically a standard X86 PC that has no issues with running Linux, and uses the N5100 SoC.

 

[ZGR]

I often underclock my old laptop down to 2ghz. The 1.6GHz clock in the surface go is still plenty quick for a lot of things.

I see a lot of surfaces and they are always attached to the keyboard with a mouse. Way more usable than an iPad in a lot of ways. I really feel like I can do a lot of work on Surface that I can't on an iPad. Look at all the ultra low clocked Macbook Airs. Those are still fast enough.

 

[paperfist]

Roughly half the speed of an Apple A11.

Do the iPads have keyboards yet?

My 2nd gen iPad is starting to get long in the tooth and this Surface *seems* appealing in that is has a KB and the possibility of streaming my games from the desktop and not sucking....?

 

[ZGR]

Do the iPads have keyboards yet?

My 2nd gen iPad is starting to get long in the tooth and this Surface *seems* appealing in that is has a KB and the possibility of streaming my games from the desktop and not sucking....?

Only problem I see is the 3:2 aspect ratio being a problem for streaming out of the box. But that is an easy fix. This Go will be great for it.

 

[Thala]

Wow, they have the guts to put an 1.6GHz CPU in this thing in 2018? Is Microsoft really thinking taking tablet share away from Apple with this turd - at higher price and lower performance?

 

[jpiniero]

Why didn't Microsoft use the N5100 instead?

There were rumors that MS was going to use the 8114Y (Cannonlake-Y). Maybe this is the only chip Intel would give them for around the price of that.

 

[mikk]

Pentium Gold 4415Y is slower than the Atom based N5000 I would say. Multithread no chance of course with only 2 cores for the core based CPU but even Singlethread with only 1.6 Ghz against 2.7 Ghz with Turbo on the N5000 - in most cases likely slower. Only the GPU should be faster.

 

[NTMBK]

It's a weirdly compromised device. That processor is just so slow.

Personal conspiracy theory- Microsoft designed this device around 10nm Cannonlake parts, but Intel have been unable to deliver and so they've had to ship with a low clocked 14nm part instead.

 

[PeterScott]

Do the iPads have keyboards yet?

My 2nd gen iPad is starting to get long in the tooth and this Surface *seems* appealing in that is has a KB and the possibility of streaming my games from the desktop and not sucking....?

Neither this, nor iPads include the keyboard.

Both this and iPads, have separately sold keyboard covers, but I wouldn't bother on a ~10" device, because you end up with a non standard keyboard spacing that can be irritating to type on (very irritating for me).

If you actually want an attached keyboard, you are MUCH better off considering a Surface pro, for not much higher price than a reasonably configured Surface Go with keyboard, you can get a decent Surface Pro Bundle mentioned in this article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/10/microsoft-surface-go-is-nice-but-you-should-buy-the-surface-pro.html

 

[TheGiant]

I have a Surface Pro 4 (i5 6300U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) and I wouldn't definitely recomment anything slower CPU wise.
But I definitely CAN recommend surface pro 4. The best portable device I ever had.

On topic: the CPU is the killer of this device.

 

[PeterScott]

I have a Surface Pro 4 (i5 6300U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) and I wouldn't definitely recomment anything slower CPU wise.
But I definitely CAN recommend surface pro 4. The best portable device I ever had.

On topic: the CPU is the killer of this device.

For me an even bigger killer would be the size. The strength of the Microsoft ecosystem is in tradition Desktop/Laptop oriented software, which is why most Surface devices are primarily used as a laptops.

A ten inch screen, with cramped 10" sized keyboard, make for a really bad experience all around for laptop software usage IMO.

 

[Thala]

Pentium Gold 4415Y is slower than the Atom based N5000 I would say. Multithread no chance of course with only 2 cores for the core based CPU but even Singlethread with only 1.6 Ghz against 2.7 Ghz with Turbo on the N5000 - in most cases likely slower. Only the GPU should be faster.

On single core this should be a wash. I guess around 2000 Geekbench single core score for both options. On multicore i assume that depends on how much the N5000 would have to throttle due to thermal budget. I am sure it would not sustain 2.7 GHz turbo when all cores are active - could again be a wash.
But yeah, GPU is faster for 4415Y ---- should be 12 or 18 EUs for N5000 vs 24 EUs 4415Y. Again thermal budget will determine the clockrate when running a game.

In any case, we are looking at a performance level, where latest smartphones running circles around both CPU and GPU.

 

[jpiniero]

I am sure it would not sustain 2.7 GHz turbo when all cores are active - could again be a wash.

But the N5000 has double the cores.

 

[mikk]

On single core this should be a wash. I guess around 2000 Geekbench single core score for both options. On multicore i assume that depends on how much the N5000 would have to throttle due to thermal budget. I am sure it would not sustain 2.7 GHz turbo when all cores are active - could again be a wash.

N5000 don't need 2.7 Ghz to be faster in multithread because it has twice the cores. In a typical fanless N5000 device it already goes down to 2 Ghz under full load and it is much faster. N5000 scores 230 in CB R15 whereas with a 1.6 Ghz 2/4 KBL-Y it would get roughly 175 points, a 30% deficit.

 

[evident]

maybe MS made a business decision that a faster CPU would cannibalize their more expensive surface pro lines? Surprising they would use such a shitty CPU when reports that the Atom 5000 would be faster.

 

[StinkyPinky]

It's a weird device. I can only assume it is aimed at high school and younger school kids. Otherwise you're better off spending a bit more for the Surface Pro 4 cheapest config.