Microsoft Surface Go 3 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Microsoft Surface Go 3 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Surface Go 3 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

compact and lightweight

affordable price point

responsive touchscreen display

versatile form factor

solid build quality

modest battery life

limited storage capacity

average performance

fewer connectivity options

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

lightweight and portable

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

impressive battery life

bright, vivid display

higher price point

limited port selection

average graphics performance

no touchscreen option

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Microsoft Surface Go 3 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
85 % - Design
72 % - Display
65 % - Performance
72 % - Connectivity
65 % - Battery
87 % - Design
85 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Microsoft Surface Go 3 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Product Type Tablet - no keyboard Ultrabook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 24.5 cm x 17.5 cm x 0.83 cm 31.5 cm x 22.16 cm x 1.49 cm
Weight 553 g 1.133 kg
Case Material Magnesium alloy Carbon fibre, magnesium alloy
Colour Platinum Black paint
DISPLAY Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Screen Size (Type) 10.5" 14" - IPS
Touchscreen Yes (10-point multi-touch) -
LCD Backlight Technology - LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1280 1920 x 1200 (Full HD Plus)
Pixel Density (ppi) 220 -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 3:2 16:10
Image Brightness - 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features Corning Gorilla glass 3, PixelSense Anti-glare, Low Blue Light technology, 170° viewing angle, Low Power
PROCESSOR Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
CPU Intel Core i3 (10th Gen) 10100Y / 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 (11th Gen) 1135G7 / 2.4 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.9 GHz 4.2 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Quad-Core
Cache 4 MB 8 MB
Platform Technology - Intel Evo
Features - Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
RAM 4 GB 8 GB (provided memory is soldered)
RAM Type LPDDR3 SDRAM LPDDR4X SDRAM
Speed - 4266 MHz
Rated Speed - 4266 MHz
STORAGE Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 64 GB eMMC 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 615 Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory Allocation Technology - Shared Video Memory (UMA)
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes - 720p
Resolution 8 Megapixel (rear), 5 Megapixel (front) -
Camera Features Rear camera auto focus, Windows Hello IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus, ThinkShutter camera privacy
Sound Stereo speakers, two microphones Four speakers, quad array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards Dolby Audio High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos
COMMUNICATIONS Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Wireless NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax NFC, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2
Wireless Controller - Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201
Features - Gigabit Ethernet via optional Ethernet (RJ-45) adapter, dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation 4G WWAN upgradable
Technology LTE Advanced -
BATTERY Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Technology - Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 28 Wh 57 Wh
Battery Life Up to 11 hours Up to 26 hours
AC ADAPTER Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Input - AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 65 Watt
INPUT Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Type - Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features - Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) -
Interfaces USB-C
SurfaceConnect
Headphone output
Dock
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSDXC) -
SOFTWARE Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition - English
Software Included Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription) -
MISCELLANEOUS Microsoft Surface Go 3 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (20XW)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C power adapter
Integrated Options Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, gyro sensor -
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type - Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features Volume control, built-in kickstand Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password, RapidCharge, self-healing BIOS
Compliant Standards - RoHS
ENERGY STAR Certified - Yes
EPEAT Compliant - EPEAT Gold
TCO Certified - TCO Certified Notebooks 8
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year Limited warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
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