Recent updates
March 19, 2024 at 8:40 AM: The clearance deal once available through Best Buy now appears as "unavailable nearby" for many people. There's a chance that the deal may be in stock in some locations, but it seems that for many users the sale is no longer available. I've added details for a certified refurbished version of the Surface Laptop Go 2 that's available through Microsoft.
For a glorious short period, Best Buy had a clearance sale on the Surface Laptop Go 2 that brought the PC to a ludicrously low price. Sadly, that deal has since ended. While I haven't been able to find a deal as good as the clearance sale, you can save big on a Surface Laptop 2 if you're willing to buy a certified refurbished one from Microsoft. Deals start at $441.35 for the model with an Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
Microsoft released a Surface Laptop Go 3 in 2023 but the Surface Laptop Go 2 is still a solid laptop for light computing. When considering the value created by the Surface Laptop Go 2 sale and the fact that the Surface Laptop 2 received better review scores than the Surface Laptop Go 3, the older PC is a better bargain.
Portable and affordable
Even at full price, Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 was always a bargain. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is a smaller and lighter PC than the more premium Surface Laptop. It keeps the traditional clamshell design of its more expensive sibling but drops some of the pricier features. The end result is a laptop that isn't as premium but that still delivers a solid experience, especially when considering the price.
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is now almost two years old. The discounted PC runs on an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, has 8GB of RAM, and has 256GB of storage. Those are modest specs, but notably this is not the entry-level Surface Laptop Go 2. That means you get a fingerprint reader integrated in the power button (the entry-level 4GB of RAM model does not have a fingerprint reader).
Surface Laptop Go 2 review highlights
While the Surface Laptop Go 2 is not as premium or powerful as some of Microsoft's other PCs, it fills a niche as a laptop at an excellent value. In our Surface Laptop Go 2 review, our Senior Editor Zac Bowden explained who the PC is aimed at. "Who is this laptop for? Students, kids, as a family computer, or any adult who wants a small notebook for casual usage focusing on email, web, Office, light gaming, photo editing, or video meetings," said Bowden.
"While you could opt for a Google Chromebook instead with Surface Laptop Go 2, you still get the entire library of PC apps from the last 25 years. You could even use it on the go, then bring it home and plug in an external display (or three) to use it as your desktop PC."
The Surface Laptop Go 2 was the best budget laptop already, even at full price. You can get the 8GB RAM model, which includes a fingerprint censor in the power button, for $441.35. That's a ludicrous value for a PC as good as the Surface Laptop Go 2, though the PC is refurbished.
While the recommendation comes from a review in 2022, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is still a nice PC, especially when considering its clearance price. Bowden concluded his review by saying:
"Microsoft has done just enough for Surface Laptop Go 2 to make it easy to recommend, which is a common theme with the Surface brand. Something about the overall quality makes Surface Laptop Go 2 enjoyable to use and a desirable laptop for those who like its design and features."
What is Microsoft Certified Refurbished?
Buying a certified refurbished PC from Microsoft means you're purchasing a device that was bought by someone else, unboxed, and then returned. Microsoft inspects the device to ensure that it is in "like new" condition and that there are not any faults or hardware defects.
Since Microsoft is the one certifying the refurbishment, you get the full 12-month warranty and 60-day return period that you'd normally get with a new device.
Microsoft has a full section of its store reserved for certified refurbished devices. There, you'll see deals on the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Pro 9, and many other devices.
