Surface Book 2 13-inch review: A good thing made great

The original Surface Book launched in the fall of 2022 to critical acclamation just to be tormented by early commuter bug, random bombardment drains, and other bugs that ruined the experience for many.

Microsoft is giving it another go with the Surface Volume 2 thirteen for 2022. Information technology's a stellar example of why waiting for version two of a new product is probably a good idea. Luckily, this Surface Book is a worthy successor that delivers outstanding performance with all-day battery.

About this Surface Book ii review

Microsoft supplied a loaner Surface Volume 2 13-inch for review purposes. The unit of measurement tested features a Core i7-8650U processor, GTX 1050 GPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It costs $2,999. Starting cost of the 13-inch model begins at $1,499 with a dual-core Core i5, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Other options for the Core i7 model with GTX 1050 GPU include 256GG and 512GB configurations.

Come across at Microsoft

Bank check out our review of the larger xv-inch Surface Volume 2

Large power, small packet

Microsoft Surface Volume ii xiii specifications

The Surface Book 2 13 comes in four configurations. One offers an older Intel Core i5-7300U that is only dual core and has no detached GPU. That model is besides completely fanless.

The other three models all use the newer Intel Core i7-8650U quad-core processor and ranges from eight to 16GB of RAM with varying about of storage. All three of these models have an NVIDIA GTX 1050 GPU with 2GB of video memory.

Category	Surface Book 2 13 inch
Processor	Intel Cadre i5 (iii.2GHz) Intel Cadre i7 (4.2GHz)
Display size	13.5 inch 1600:one contrast ratio
Display resolution	3000 ten 2000 3:2 aspect 267 PPI
RAM	8GB or 16GB
Native graphics	Intel HD Graphics 620 Intel UHD Graphics 620
Detached graphics	i5: None i7: NVIDIA GTX 1050 (2GB)
Storage	256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Weight	i5 full: i,533g (3.38lbs) i7 total: 1,642g (3.62lbs) Tablet: 719g (ane.59lbs)

Full Surface Volume 2 specifications

The big deal here with the Core i7 processor is it is the make-new 8th generation version that goes from a dual-core to quad-cadre. Upwards until now, simply more than massive laptops with 45W processors were quad-core, only now Ultrabooks with 15W motherboards can get double the cores and threads. That matters less for running a spider web browser or Windows Store apps and more for CPU-intensive applications like CAD, video and photo rendering, 3D model makers, or crunching large amounts of data in Excel or engineering applications.

Although the Surface Book 2 15 also has the same Cadre i7-8650U processor it has a higher thermal-design point (TDP) at 20W versus just 15W for this xiii-inch Surface Book 2.

Equally a tradeoff, all the same, the 13-inch model does not have any fan for the CPU in the tablet area, making it very tranquility. At that place is a fan in the base for the NVIDIA GTX 1050 GPU.

For storage, at least with the 1TB version, Microsoft is using a Samsung PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SDD), which is an excellent selection for concerned about functioning.

As summarized, here is how the Surface Book ii 13 with Core i7 differs from the 15-inch variant:

• Core i7 with a thermal design point (TDP) of 15W compared to more powerful 20W in the fifteen-inch.
• No fan for the CPU in the tablet half of the Surface Book 2 13.
• NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 2GB video memory instead of an NVIDIA GTX 1060 with 6GB.
• Smaller brandish (13.five- vs 15-inch) with a lower resolution (3000 x 2000 vs 3240 x 2160), simply a slightly higher dots-per-inch (267 DPI vs 260).
• There is no Xbox Wireless support built-in; must use a Bluetooth controller or wired.
• Smaller battery (70WHr vs. fourscore WHr).
• No Enhanced and sRGB color profiles.
• Magnetic attachment for Surface Pen (optional) only on the left side of the tablet, instead of both sides on the 15.
• Aforementioned bezel size equally original Surface Book; slightly larger than the 15-inch model.

Despite having a typical TDP for the processor and the GTX 1050 (instead of a GTX 1060) the Surface Book 2 xiii is still very performant.

If it ain't broke

Surface Book two 13 design

Microsoft did not deviate from the original Surface Book pattern with the Surface Book 2. The xiii-inch model is a spitting epitome of the original, but it is technically more similar a combination of the beginning Surface Book and the afterwards Surface Volume with Performance Base, merely with better hardware.

The Surface Volume 2 is a spitting prototype of the original

The magnesium chassis of the Surface Volume two fifteen is stable, shine, and very durable. Since there is no paint – unlike the Surface Laptop in various colors – there is only concern over light scuffing rather than pigment scratches. At that place are no creaks or weak points due to the unibody blueprint. That also means, however, there are no entry points for repairs on the Surface Volume 2 nor any way to upgrade internal components.

The claim to fame with Surface Book 1 and 2 is the ability to press a release button on the keyboard that separates the brandish from the main laptop trunk. Microsoft achieved this past putting all the PC innards – CPU, RAM, storage, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and some battery – into the display, while the base of operations acts as a larger battery and houses the full NVIDIA GPU. It's a fantastic feat of technology.

The display removed from the base can act equally a standalone PC tablet with multiple hours of battery life. It can besides be reversed to bring the screen closer to the user (e.g., when watching a movie) or lay down flat ("studio fashion"), which simulates a drafting table.

For 2022, the fulcrum hinge, which expands the base of the laptop when opened, has not changed from its predecessor. There is still the iconic "gap" when the Surface Volume is closed giving the device its book-like shape. Notwithstanding, the musculus wire mechanism that releases the tablet from the base and the tabs that hold it secure have been rebuilt and simplified internally. The release is now much quieter when engaging, and the larger tabs reduced any screen wobble when using it as a laptop. The brandish tin too be opened i-handed and is easy to do with the massive front notch.

At iii.62lbs (1,642g) the Surface Book 2 13 is a smidge lighter than the Surface Volume with Functioning Base of operations (three.63lbs, or 1,647g) simply it is more substantial than the original Surface Book at three.34lbs (1,515g).

As a tablet, the Surface Volume 2 xiii weighs simply one.6lbs (719 grams). Giving the tablet portion to friends and everyone remarks how much lighter it is than expected. Considering there is a full, quad-core Core i7 processor with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM in the brandish the tablet is quite remarkable for its size and weight.

3:2 is where information technology'southward at

Surface Volume 2 brandish and inking

Featuring a 3000 x 2000 PixelSense LCD bear on display with a 1600:1 contrast ratio and iii:2 aspect the screen in the Surface Volume ii 13 is superb.

A calibration examination revealed 99 percent sRGB and 80 pct Adobe RGB coverage, which is nearly perfect for sRGB. The thirteen-inch model also edges out the bigger fifteen-inch Surface Book 2, which had 98 percent sRGB and 75 percent Adobe RGB.

Colors looked bright, contrasty, and the backlight is evenly distributed. Glare is as well non an issue, though information technology is a sleeky display. While the bezels on the fifteen-inch model are slightly narrower, the 13.5-inch Surface Volume 2 matches the original Surface Volume and looks proportional.

Brandish brightness is also excellent, though not extraordinary, compared to some newer laptops with an outdoor mode. In that location is an auto-adjust sensor to manipulate brandish effulgence based on ambience room low-cal. It works well and evidently uses direct current to reduce some subtle screen flickering that cheaper displays exhibit.

Unfortunately, unlike the Surface Book 2 15, the 13-inch does not have native colour profiles for Enhanced or sRGB. It's not clear why the new Surface Pro has these color profiles, which are also found in Surface Studio, but not the 13-inch Surface Book 2.

There is some small-scale light bleed institute in all LCD type displays, but it is only noticeable during initial boot when the display brightness is maxed on a greyness background and non during usage.

Microsoft no longer includes a Surface Pen with the Surface Book – just like with Surface Pro – so users will demand to pay some other $99 (or use an older Surface Pen). The Surface Volume 2 supports iv,096 levels of pressure and tilt support, and offers a mere 21-millisecond latency cheers to Microsoft's custom PixelSense Accelerator bit — though that'south just with the new Surface Pen.

While I'yard no artist, I enjoyed using the Surface Pen specially with the display in "studio fashion" (reversed display). For taking notes, signing a PDF document, or drawing the Surface Book 2 appears to deliver the aforementioned level of digital inking as the new Surface Pro.

In the upper bezel of the brandish sits a 5MP forepart-facing photographic camera with dual microphones capable of 1080P video for Skype calls. Video quality is excellent; the Surface team worked with their Microsoft cohorts on the Skype team to make sure viewing angles, width, and color were optimized for the video phone service.

That camera area also houses the Windows Hello infrared facial recognition arrangement. Matching Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, the Surface Book ii now has an instant-on mode for quicker resume times from standby. With Windows Hello, biometric login times are significantly faster than the original Surface Book due to improved hardware.

Surface Book 2 13 trackpad and keyboard

In that location are a few subtle changes in the new Surface Book 2 keyboard. Key travel was marginally reduced from 1.6mm to 1.55mm (that difference is less than the width of a human hair). The response curve for fundamental return now matches the tuning of Surface Laptop. The F1 and F2 secondary functions at present command display backlight (instead of FN + Backspace).

The Surface Book 2 typing experience is meliorate than the original Surface Book. Fundamental clicking is also now quieter, cartoon less attending when y'all're mashing away at that term paper in a silent library.

At that place is still a three-phase backlight for the keyboard. Information technology works well, only you'll have to enable it through the F7 key manually.

The new trackpad is amend for clicking and polish for tracking.

The trackpad is glass-covered, very smooth and broad, but is otherwise the aforementioned size every bit the original. Microsoft, of class, uses its Precision drivers, so all Windows 10 gestures, tracking, and tapping are perfected.

Compared to the final Surface Volume the new trackpad is meliorate for clicking and smooth for tracking. It is subtle, but Microsoft tuned the Surface Book 2 to the Surface Laptop's trackpad. These are all excellent modifications.

I have no qualms about claiming – like the Surface Volume 2 xv – the Surface Book 2 13 hands has the best keyboard and trackpad of any Windows device I take always tested. It's no contest.

A footstep into the future of USB

Surface Book ii 13 ports

Whereas the Surface Laptop is at present the "true" Surface Ultrabook, the Surface Book 2 is now a total-fledged workstation. That is reflected in performance also port pick.

Microsoft kept the two USB Type-A iii.1 ports on the left side with a full SD carte slot for photographers. On the right is the proprietary Surface Connect port used for the modestly-sized 102W charger. That port also doubles as a connector for the Surface Dock port expander.

Instead of a DisplayPort, nevertheless, Microsoft chose a USB Type-C 3.1 port, bringing the Surface Book 2 a scrap more into the hereafter compared to Surface Laptop and Surface Pro. The port can charge Surface Book two – if the wall charger is high plenty – charge other devices, act as a display-out or tin can be used for data, e.thousand., a Type-C hub.

When splitting it between ability, data, and display, such as through a port hub, users will become only ii information lanes for the screen. That results in a maximum secondary brandish resolution of 2880 ten 1800 at 60Hz allowing the well-nigh pop resolution today — QHD (2560 x 1440) — to exist used.

Alternatively, if you are only using a secondary display through USB Type-C (using all four information lanes), the Surface Book 2 supports up to a 4K output resolution at 60Hz.

It's not articulate why Microsoft went with USB Type-C, but didn't go all the way with Thunderbolt iii

What is defective is Thunderbolt 3 – a variant and superior specification of USB Type-C. That ways users volition not be able to utilize an external GPU (eGPU) with the Surface Volume 2 nor power multiple 4K displays at 60Hz through a single port. Information technology's not articulate why Microsoft went with USB Blazon-C iii.one – which lays the groundwork for Thunderbolt 3 – merely did not go all the manner. This is especially true with the GTX 1050, which is an excellent GPU, would benefit from an eGPU with a GTX 1080Ti for gamers, or video editors.

Otherwise, the port pick on Surface Book 2 is splendid. Many professionals still need the SD card slot and USB Type-C iii.1 is notwithstanding much more useful and flexible than a DisplayPort going into 2022.

In your face

Surface Volume ii audio

There are ii front end-firing speakers located in the upper side area of the brandish. Microsoft had to precision cutting the drinking glass for the barely visible speakers.

Sound quality is fantabulous despite the pocket-sized size. The speakers are improved for 2022 and are aimed right at the user'due south ears. The sound was loud, crisp, and overall just fantabulous. Audio separation is excellent delivering a substantial stereo effect.

Dolby Audio is supported out the box and users can use Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos for headphones to enhance the audio further.

We're going to need a bigger chart

Surface Book 2 13 functioning

Although the Surface Book 2 fifteen will hands trounce the Surface Book two 13-inch, that does non make the smaller version any less impressive.

A more natural style of maxim this is even the Surface Book 2 13 beats last year'south Dell XPS fifteen (9560), which is a beastly 45W Core i7 machine. That extra edge lets those who opt for the Core i7 Surface Book ii thirteen do some serious and existent gaming too.

CPU GPU PCMark SSD

CPU

Geekbench 4.0 benchmarks (college is amend)

Device	CPU	Single core	Multi core
Surface Volume 2 15	i7-8650U	five,036	14,237
Surface Volume ii 13	i7-8650U	4,862	14,694
XPS 15 (9560)	i7-7700HQ	4,503	13,587
Razer Bract 2022	i7-7700HQ	iv,277	xiii,597
Surface Laptop i7	i7-7660U	4,714	9,535
Surface Pro 2022	i7-7660U	4,513	9,346
Surface Volume	i7-6600U	3,977	7,486

Compared to the original Surface Book the Surface Book 2 has a college single core score and nearly doubles the multi-cadre, due to the new quad-cadre abilities. More than significantly, a 15W Ultrabook processor handily beat a 45W quad-core chip – terminal year's flagship Intel i7-7700HQ. That'southward remarkable progress.

GPU

Geekbench 4.0 CUDA (college is ameliorate)

Laptop	GPU	Score
Razer Blade 2022	GTX 1060	138,758
Surface Book 2 15	GTX 1060	132,785
Surface Book 2 13	GTX 1050	75,665
XPS 15	GTX 1050	75,636
Surface Book	GTX 965M	59,945

Here nosotros can run into how powerful the GTX 1060 is simply the GTX 1050 in the Surface Book 2 xiii is exactly where it should exist when compared to the Dell XPS fifteen, which has the same GPU. The Surface Book ii 13 (75,665) also wipes the floor with the Surface Book with Performance Base (59,945) putting to residual any questions there.

PCMark

PCMark Habitation Conventional 3.0

Device	Score	Comparison
Razer Blade	3,280	Better than 66 per centum of all results
Razer Bract Stealth	3,115	Better than 58 percent of all results
Surface Laptop i7	three,156	Amend than 62 percentage of all results
Surface Book 2 15	3,038	Improve than 57 percent of all results
Surface Book two 13	iii,090	Better than 57 percent of all results
Surface Pro 2022 i7	3,055	Ameliorate than 57 percent of all results
Surface Laptop i5	2,494	Ameliorate than 40 percent of all results

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (higher is better)

Device	Read	Write
Surface Book 2 1TB	1,411 MB/s	i,202 MB/s
Surface Laptop i7	486 MB/due south	244 MB/s
Surface Pro 2022	1,284 MB/s	963 MB/southward
Surface Book 1TB	ane,018 MB/south	967 MB/s
Surface Laptop i5	423 MB/s	237 MB/southward

The Samsung PCIe NVMe SSD appears to be a good ane with solid read and write speeds for this class of device. While in that location are faster storage options, e.thou., Samsung 960 PRO for about users the storage speeds are excellent and performant.

Taking a closer look at the new PCMark x the Surface Book 2 xv gets a score of four,049, which is better than 43 percentage of all results. That number puts the Surface Book two 13 just below a gaming PC nomenclature, but well ahead of a standard productivity laptop. By comparison, the 15-inch Surface Volume 2 yielded 4,323 on PCMark 10 likely due to the college TDP value and GPU.

Putting aside synthetic benchmarks is real-world gaming. Comparing 2022'southward Gears of War 4, which has multiple graphics configurations and a built-in criterion, we can compare the Surface Book 2 13 to the fifteen-inch model with a GTX 1060 and the older Surface Book with Operation Base and its GTX 965M:

Gears of War 4 UWP

Laptop	Resolution	Graphics presets	V-Sync	Average frame rate
Surface Book 2 13"	Medium	1620 x 1080	Off	65 FPS
Surface Book P. Base	Medium	1620 x 1080	Off	47 FPS
Surface Book 2 fifteen"	Medium	1620 ten 1080	Off	96 FPS

Surface Book 2 13 gets a substantial jump in operation with a cyberspace gain of eighteen frames-per-second over the same game configuration running on the Surface Book with Performance Base. Of course, the Surface Book 2'southward 15-inch version with a GTX 1060 accident everything out of the h2o making that an fifty-fifty better choice for gamers.

Did you lot hear that?

Surface Volume 2 13 fan, heat, noise, and battery

Microsoft did an fantabulous job of thermal dissipation with the Surface Volume 2 13. That'southward due in office to having active cooling for the GPU in the base. Interestingly, the CPU does not have a fan fifty-fifty for the Cadre i7 model, relying instead on passive cooling.

During intense gaming, while maximizing the CPU and GPU the bottom of the Surface Book ii 13 did get warm peaking at 106 degrees F (41 degrees C), merely it was never hot or uncomfortable. As well, the back of the display where the CPU resides also got warm, but never got hot to the touch.

Fan noise when gaming and using the CPU and GPU at 100 percent is audible at 51dB – you certainly will hear the blitz of air beingness pushed out from the Surface Book's GPU. The racket, still, is never annoying like a high pitch whine, more similar simply rushing air being pushed out a small vent.

During normal PC employ, e.k., spider web browsing, watching videos, using standard Windows applications noise levels were zero.

I was able to comfortably get 9-xi hours a day out of the Surface Book 2 13, and I'm a relatively heavy work user.

While plugged in and with the processor set to performance I did hear some coil whine (a high pitch oscillating racket). I'one thousand non sensitive to coil whine, which is commonly plant near the keyboard on laptops (since the CPU and motherboard are below it), but on the Surface Volume 2 I did detect it more I would prefer. The effect seems prevalent simply when plugged into the AC, and it is exacerbated when set to functioning instead of recommended.

Battery life gets complicated. Microsoft claims 17 hours based on a closed-video feedback loop. It'southward a decent benchmark to compare with other laptops tested the same way, simply it's besides a rare utilize case for a laptop. Real world use, loading websites, editing photos, some light gaming, and the similar will hitting the bombardment harder. I was able to comfortably become 9-11 hours a twenty-four hours out of the Surface Book 2 13, and I'm a relatively heavy work user. Throwing on battery saver and keeping the display brightness downwardly should easily yield a few more hours.

Those numbers shift, however, if taxing that GTX 1050 GPU. Pushing that GPU will run that battery downwardly to three or iv hours depending on the blazon of game. That'south in line with about gaming laptops, nonetheless, and is still better than expected.

As a tablet the Surface Book two'south top half is about 20 percent of its total capacity. When used alone you can await about 20 percent of the battery life of the whole Surface Book 2, though that's also without the battery-taxing GPU in the base. I fired up Netflix and ready the display brightness to 50 per centum and the tablet one-half alone got shut to 2 and a half hours of not-terminate Stranger Things. That's non terrible, but also not fantastic. Information technology's also right in line with what I become from the smaller 13-inch Surface Volume 2 in tablet mode, as well as the original Surface Book. Pushing brandish brightness down to 25%, which is still very enjoyable, or using Battery Saver pushes tablet battery life closer to three hours.

The Surface Volume two thirteen just has outstanding bombardment life. I never felt I had to take the 102W AC wall charger with me for the day or monitor my usage to preserve the bombardment. Of course, how y'all utilize the Surface Book ii untethered will significantly touch your experience, merely fifty-fifty for those pushing the device hard should be pleased.

For CPU stress exam, the Core i7 without a fan does showroom more than throttling when maxed at 100 percent for more 15 minutes directly or more than when compared to the actively cooled processor in the fifteen-inch version. This happens through ability-limit throttling (PL1), which modulates the power going to the processor to keep the chassis below a certain threshold. Instead of running at 15W the chip dips down to 8-12 watts, reducing the cadre frequency down to one.99GHz.

During the same examination, the Surface Book ii 15 ran at nigh 2.6GHz due to the fan and higher wattage. All modern laptops do this throttling to some caste in the right conditions, but it is interesting to see the contrast with the 15-inch Surface Volume 2. For regular users who occasionally smash the CPU for minutes at a time, none of this volition matter.

A worthy successor

Surface Book 2 13: The Bottom Line

Coming from the original Surface Book and Surface Volume with Performance Base, the Surface Book ii xiii feels similar a significant improvement, even if on the outside they wait nearly identical. Microsoft rebuilt and re-engineered the Surface Volume 2 from the ground up, and you tin can feel information technology when using it daily.

Existence able to become significantly more processor and graphics functioning while improving battery life is outstanding. While I would not allocate the Surface Book two 13 as a gaming laptop due to the smaller power supply and the GTX 1050, information technology has proven capable playing significant games for extended durations.

Everything from the typing feel, to the trackpad, audio, the display are excellent for a Windows PC. It's the sum of the parts that make upwardly the whole experience, and that point is driven domicile here with the Surface Book 2.

That's not to say everything is perfect. Microsoft'southward Windows Mixed Reality Ultra seems to be an reconsideration with the Surface Book 2. With no HDMI port – which all Windows Mixed Reality headsets use – consumers need to get a USB Blazon-C to HDMI converter. Moreover, they should get a USB Type-C hub with HDMI and USB Type-A, considering those Type-A ports are on the other side of the laptop which makes splitting the cablevision difficult.

Microsoft has a special HDMI converter that tin be used for Windows Mixed Reality, and I am told the feel should be fine, so this may be but an early-adopter issue with matching the correct components (I'll update this review if that changes).

Microsoft missed an opportunity by not including Thunderbolt 3 support, which merely seems weird since there'south already a USB Type-C port. I can already hear some enthusiasts lamenting how close this laptop is to perfection – and they're not wrong. It's a baroque oversight when so much else was washed right.

Others will opine that Microsoft does non include the Surface Pen this time around, but I see that equally forgivable mostly considering I rarely apply the pen myself (even if I think information technology works great). Microsoft says they sunk those costs from the pen back into using higher quality components – we'll have to take them at their give-and-take.

The Surface Volume 2 feels complete and non rushed to market like the original

Some enthusiasts may also exist bothered with mild light drain for the LCD, roll whine from the CPU, or some chassis throttling that reduces processor functioning.

But those complaints won't matter for most users (and if they practise bother you lot, well, y'all were just warned). The overall experience with Surface Book 2 is fabulous. During my testing, I didn't experience any bugs, quirks, crashes, failure of the Windows Hi photographic camera, random battery drains, or failures to turn on. I mention those considering those were all common bug with the original Surface Book launch two years ago. Like the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop the Surface Volume two feels complete and not rushed to marketplace like the original (it was timed to launch with Windows 10).

Yes, the cost of the Surface Volume two is extraordinary. Paying $3,000 for the 1TB model is crazy, but the price falls in line with Apple charges for its prestigious MacBook Pro line, which is this is competing against. No one buys a Surface because it's a adept value, simply rather considering it'due south a great feel. For those who cannot beget a Surface Volume, others like HP and Dell are making some outstanding culling hardware that won't pause the bank.

If I had to choose between the Surface Volume two xiii and Surface Book 2 fifteen, I would get for the latter considering I adopt the larger brandish and existence able to use that GTX 1060. But make no fault, both are cut from the aforementioned cloth and are significantly more strong than whatever Surface to date.

The distinction between Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Book ii is at present more apparent with the Surface Book two becoming an actual "powerhouse" PC and the Surface Laptop being the lighter Ultrabook. That's a proficient thing for consumers, who may have been dislocated before.

Microsoft'due south Surface vision is coming into focus and with the Surface Book ii 13 it has again gear up the bar for the ultimate PC laptop. They ever say expect for version two of a new product, and that rings true now more always.

See at Microsoft

Pros:

• Serious calculating power for professionals, students, and even some gaming.
• Refined and improved hardware for 2022.
• All-day battery life.
• First-class brandish and typing.
• A PC that is almost capable of everything.

Cons:

• No Thunderbolt 3.
• Still very expensive.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-book-2-13-review

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