Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Surface Book 2: Which one should you buy?

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Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Surface Volume 2: Which one should you buy?

Next in the Pro line

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Powerful modular notebook

Microsoft Surface Book 2

The Surface Pro 7 brings 10th Gen Intel Core "Ice Lake" processor (CPU) options for excellent performance and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility. Information technology at present has a USB-C port for better connectivity, and information technology comes in a couple of colors at a lower starting price. However, there's no dedicated graphics card (GPU) option, battery life won't quite lucifer upwardly, and you'll pay extra for a Type Comprehend.

From $749 at Microsoft

Pros

• 10th Gen Intel Core "Water ice Lake" CPUs
• Now includes USB-C port
• Set up for Wi-Fi 6
• Bachelor in Matte Black and Platinum colors
• Lower starting price

Cons

• No dedicated GPU options
• Pay extra for Blazon Cover
• Bombardment not as large

The Surface Book 2, available in two sizes, is starting to show its historic period, but it's nonetheless a powerhouse modular notebook. You get a dedicated GPU for specialized work, can use the display portion equally a tablet when not connected to the base, and enjoy a better port selection, including total-size SD card reader. Information technology'south not as portable, and you don't get Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, but it's a better option for power users.

From $999 at Amazon (xiii.5-inch)

Pros

• Dedicated GPU available
• Versatile modular design
• Available in 13.5- and 15-inch models
• Amend port selection, including full-size SD reader
• Larger battery for longer life

Cons

• Using 8th Gen Intel Core CPUs
• Not as portable
• No Wi-Fi half dozen compatibility

The Surface Pro seven and the Surface Book 2 are both built to a premium standard, merely they're made for slightly different utilise cases. Thank you to the dedicated GPU and larger display options, the Volume ii is better cut out for specialized work or gaming, and the larger batteries (70Wh and 80Wh) volition ultimately evangelize longer life when going about regular productivity tasks. The Pro 7 is the more than portable option, only a lack of dedicated graphics cards might exist a bargain-breaker for some. Even so, it's using tenth Gen Intel Core "Ice Lake" CPUs for impressive performance and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Let'due south take a shut look at the specs that make upwards these two PCs.

Microsoft Surface Pro vii vs. Surface Book 2: tech specs

	Surface Pro 7	Surface Book 2
Bone	Windows ten	Windows 10
Processor	10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Core i5-1035G4 Cadre i7-1065G7	seventh Gen Intel Cadre i5-7300U 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8350U Cadre i7-8650U
RAM	4GB, 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x	8GB, 16GB LPDDR3
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD	256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD
Brandish size	12.3 inches Touch	xiii.five inches fifteen inches Touch
Display resolution	2736x1824 267 PPI	3000x2000 (267 PPI) 3240x2160 (260 PPI)
Attribute ratio	iii:ii	3:two
Graphics	Intel UHD (i3) Intel Iris Plus (i5, i7)	Intel HD 620 (i5) NVIDIA GTX 1050 (i7) NVIDIA GTX 1060 (i7)
Ports	USB-C 3.one USB-A 3.5mm audio Surface Connect microSD card reader	Two USB-A iii.1 USB-C iii.1 iii.5mm sound Two Surface Connect SD card reader
LTE	No	No
Photographic camera	Front-facing 5MP (1080p) Rear-facing 8MP (1080p)	Front-facing 5MP (1080p) Rear-facing 8MP (1080p)
Biometrics	IR camera	IR camera
Bombardment	Up to 10.5 hours	70Wh (13.5-inch), 80Wh (15-inch) Upwards to 17 hours
Dimensions	eleven.5 x vii.9 ten 0.33 inches (292mm x 201mm ten 8.5mm)	thirteen.5-inch Book ii 12.3 ten nine.14 x 0.51 - 0.90 inches (i5) 12.3 x 9.xiv x 0.59 - 0.ninety inches (i7) 15-inch Book 2 13.v 10 9.87 10 0.568 - 0.90 inches
Weight	From 1.7 pounds (775g)	13.5-inch from 3.38 pounds (1.53kg) 15-inch from iv.2 pounds (1.9kg)

Features and design

The Surface Pro seven hasn't seen much of a concrete alter compared to the Pro 6, though it does now have a single USB-C three.one port instead of Mini DisplayPort. This change adds some versatility to the accessories you tin can connect, including external monitors. The Pro seven also has USB-A for your older devices, a three.5mm audio jack, Surface Connect, and a microSD carte du jour reader. The larger Surface Book ii has more than room for ports and makes good on the space with two USB-A 3.ane, USB-C, 2 Surface Connect ports, 3.5mm audio, and a full-size SD card reader.

Whereas the Pro 7 is sold as a tablet to which you tin add a Type Comprehend for a total notebook experience, the Surface Book two comes every bit a consummate notebook with a display, keyboard, and touchpad. The display portion contains everything it needs within to work on its ain, and information technology tin can be detached from the base of operations. You tin can utilise it as a tablet to scan the internet, picket a motion picture, or sketch with a Surface Pen, then connect it back to the base to accept advantage of actress battery and a dedicated GPU for maximum productivity. The tablet can even reattach backward to face out, effectively creating a stand with which you lot can bending the display.

Both devices utilize an IR camera for secure logins through Windows Hi, and both take like standard camera hardware for shooting FHD video and stills. The primary pattern conclusion betwixt these 2 will come down to whether or not y'all want a tablet first, notebook second (in the instance of the Pro 7), or a notebook starting time and tablet 2nd (in the case of the Book 2). Keep in mind that the Pro seven will show to be more portable than even the 13.five-inch Volume 2, making information technology an fantabulous option for those always on the move.

Brandish and inking

The Surface Book 2 comes in both 13.v-inch and fifteen-inch brandish options. The smaller display has the same 267 pixels-per-inch (PPI) as the 12.3-inch Pro vii brandish, while the larger Volume 2 brandish sits at 260 PPI. The Book 2'due south resolution indeed appears higher in the stat canvas due to the larger concrete size, but know that you're going to get a knockout touch display no matter which device yous end upward taking home.

The Pro 7 and both models of the Book 2 have a 3:2 aspect ratio for a boxy wait with lots of real estate, and all displays are compatible with a Surface Pen for a natural inking feel. Y'all go 4,096 levels of force per unit area sensitivity and tilt back up, and it can be combined with a Surface Punch for improved handling and productivity. Note that only with the Book ii tin you utilise the Surface Dial direct on the display, while the Pro 7 is compatible with off-screen interactions but.

Performance and price

The Surface Book two, forth with two bachelor sizes, tin can be had in a broad multifariousness of configurations. The thirteen.5-inch model is still available with a 7th Gen Intel CPU, just in that location are also 8th Gen i5 and i7 options available for improved operation. These are 8th Gen "Kaby Lake R" chips, so do not benefit from the performance boost nosotros saw with the later "Whiskey Lake" CPUs, just they're nevertheless able performers. The smaller Book 2 has an NVIDIA GTX 1050 dedicated GPU available if you lot opt for the Cadre i7 CPU, and you tin become up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD.

The fifteen-inch Volume 2 has bachelor 8th Gen Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, and it can exist had with an NVIDIA GTX 1060 dedicated GPU with 6GB of VRAM if you opt for the speedier CPU. It can also be configured with up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Prices for the 13.v-inch Book 2 start at about $999, while the larger model starts at nearly $1,699.

The Surface Book two models have larger batteries than bachelor in the Pro vii, and you should exist able to button a total workday if you're simply going well-nigh standard productivity work. However, if yous're frequently using a defended GPU, battery life will no dubiety fall beneath what's bachelor in the Pro. Note that the tablet portion of the Book ii, when detached, doesn't have admission to the full battery, so you won't get nearly as much life as in the Pro 7, which has all hardware contained inside the tablet. On that note, the defended GPUs are also included in the base of the Book 2, and then using it every bit a tablet without the keyboard attached will leave yous with just integrated Intel graphics.

The main update to the Pro 7 is 10th Gen Intel "Ice Lake" CPUs. Yous can get Core i3, Cadre i5, and Cadre i7 chips depending on how much performance you demand, and yous'll enjoy relatively powerful integrated Iris Plus graphics from the Core i5 and Core i7. It won't match dedicated GPU power, particularly the NVIDIA GTX 1060, but yous'll still be able to enjoy some light and medium gaming. We volition take to expect to exam on our ain, merely Microsoft is claiming about 10.v hours of battery life from a charge.

Along with improved raw CPU performance compared to 8th Gen Intel chips, you accept a device that'due south ready for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, whereas the Book two is stuck on the familiar Wi-Fi 5. If yous value blazing wireless speeds, the Pro seven is undoubtedly the better option, though you'll likely need to invest in a new router.

Surface Pro 7 models start at a lower $749 price, though baseline configurations have within a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. You also have to keep in mind that Blazon Covers are sold separately; adding a Signature Type Cover to your Pro 7 can tack on up to about $160 to the total cost.

Stick the with Surface Pro 7 for a more than portable, versatile PC

The Pro 7 doesn't take a dedicated GPU option, but 10th Gen Intel Cadre CPUs volition offer more than raw functioning than 8th Gen CPUs in the Book ii. You also get Wi-Fi half-dozen connectivity for blazing wireless speeds, as well as a USB-C port for improved connectivity. If you value mobility and prefer a tablet start, notebook 2d blazon experience, the Pro seven should exist your first option.

Adjacent in the Pro line

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

10th Gen Intel CPUs and Wi-Fi 6

The Surface Pro 7 has been refreshed with new CPUs and a USB-C port. Information technology'southward an ideal device if you want to stay mobile yet take the performance to trounce a day's work.

The Surface Book 2 is a powerhouse for ability users

With dedicated GPU and upwards to a 15-inch size, the Book 2 is better cut out for ability users. The eighth Gen Intel Core CPUs are starting to show their age, peculiarly in the confront of 10th Gen fries, just they will still perform. You'll get longer bombardment life as long as you're not pushing the GPU, and you can remove the brandish from the keyboard and touchpad base when you lot just need a tablet. If you like the idea of a powerful notebook get-go, tablet second, the Book 2 should make a nifty choice.

Powerful modular notebook

Microsoft Surface Book 2

Dedicated GPU, two sizes to cull from

You lot become more rounded performance from the Book 2 thanks to a dedicated GPU, and information technology'south bachelor with a larger 15-inch display. It'due south the right selection for ability users, especially if you're interested in a ameliorate gaming feel.

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Heir-apparent's guide

Protect your Surface Pro with 1 of these cracking cases

You have a Surface Pro in your hands and you want to protect it. This roundup of cases uniform with Pro 4, Pro (2017), Pro 6, Pro 7, and Pro seven Plus covers rugged and fashionable options so that you find something y'all similar.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-surface-pro-7-vs-surface-book-2

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