Microsoft Surface Book 2: More powerful and even 15 inches
Microsoft has announced the new Surface Book 2, the product of the ” most powerful ever ” family. And, for the first time, it also has a 15-inch version.
Two years ago, Microsoft announced to the public Surface Book, a hybrid laptop that is still particularly innovative thanks to the ” flexible ” hinge and the detachable display from the base with keyboard. The latter contains a battery and in some versions also a dedicated GPU which, respectively, increased operating autonomy and performance on the graphical plane.
The first refresh was about a year away, with a new keyboard module containing a larger battery and a better GPU. On that occasion, the part with the display remained unchanged.
All until today. Microsoft has just announced a system refresh, which is now completed with a 15-inch version. The first model of the family used a single diagonal of the display, from 13.5 inches, while with Microsoft Surface Book 2, we find two different displays: from 13.5 inches and the new 15 inches.
The basic concept of the device remains the same, although it is interesting to note how the company has maintained the numerical progression (the 2 of the new model) which had instead been eliminated only a few months ago on the Surface Pro family.
As usual, Microsoft Surface Book 2 can be used in different ways: Tablet, with the touchscreen display that also acts as an input device; Laptop: with the connected keyboard containing a large touchpad; and also two other modes defined Studio (useful above all with dedicated nib), and View for displaying presentations and multimedia contents.
The main module, the one with the display, naturally contains a large part of the electronic components and can work independently: here we find CPU, GPU, memory, display and battery.
The keyboard instead integrates different expansion ports, an additional battery and a discrete GPU. Even the aesthetic remains substantially unchanged, except for the 15-inch display model that is only slightly larger than the 13.5-inch canon.
The video resolutions supported by the two models are different: 3,000×2,000 against 3,240×2,160. Both displays should use the same production technology: the numbers speak of 1600: 1 as a contrast ratio, 10-finger multi-touch, support for the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial.
The new hardware news: the 13.5-inch system is available with an Intel Core i5-7300U processor with a seventh-generation Kaby Lake architecture (2-core, 4-thread, up to 3.2 GHz), or even with the latest Intel Core i7-8650U processor with Kaby Lake-R eighth-generation architecture (4-core, eight-thread and up to 4.2 GHz).
In each of its 13.5″ configurations, the tablet unit is fanless, with the chassis that according to Microsoft was designed to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic components integrated internally even for long periods.
The version with i5 CPU is proposed with integrated GPU, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage via PCIe, while the one with the i7 of eighth generation in three different variants: 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM with 1 TB of storage.
Models with Core i7 implement a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM. The dimensions of the tablet module (700 g of weight) remain unchanged, while the base is slightly thinner (13 mm) and weighs 800 g against the 900 of the older model.
The 15-inch model is not too different on the level of integrated components, if you exclude the size: the version with Intel Core i5 is missing, where all models use the Intel Core i7-8650U with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB Integrated storage via SSD PCIe, or 16 GB with 512 or 1TB of storage.
All 15-inch models implement an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 RAM in the keyboard module. The tablet module weighs about 800 grams, while the base 1.1 kilograms. But there is a substantial difference.
The integrated CPU is set to consume a maximum of 20W, compared to 15W of the 13.5-inch model. This forced Microsoft engineers to insert a small fan into the main module to effectively manage the extra heat released by the processor.
Only the 13.5-inch model uses a fanless type of dissipation system. Compared to the original model, the Dynamic Fulcrum Hinge hinge has been redesigned: aesthetically identical, it can now handle a larger display and a heavier module.
As for the remaining technical features, Microsoft talks about a 5-hour autonomy when used with the ” tablet “ module only, while combining the keyboard reaches 17 hours overall. There is no lack of support for: Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.1, Windows Hello for authentication, Dolby Audio Premium.
There is also a series of integrated sensors, such as gyroscope, magnetometer and ambient light, and there are also two cameras: the front one is 5 MP. The rear one is 8 MP, and both can record in Full-HD at 30 fps.
Both models have the same set of ports, almost identical to that of the original model: there are two Type A USB 3.1, an SDXC card reader, a 3.5mm headphone and microphone port, the Surface Connect connector (both on the tablet module, which on the keyboard) to charge the system and connect it to the dock.
Compared to the first model is added a single USB Type C port, then with a reversible connector and smaller size (also USB 3.1). The port can also be connected to a monitor or used to recharge or power external devices.
Big lack: the USB Type-C does not support Thunderbolt 3 technology. The new Microsoft Surface Book 2 is aimed at advanced users, professionals working on the move and needing a high computational power, along with extraordinary flexibility and versatility.
Combining the excellent performance of the latest generation nVidia GPU CPU (albeit mid-range), the new Microsoft Surface Book 2 can give satisfactions – at least on paper – also in multimedia and videogame, especially considering the possibility of connecting external GPUs.
Prices are naturally quite high: The base model of 13.5 inches with i5 processor costs $1,499, up to $ 3,299 for the top of the range with 15-inch display with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. The accessories, like the dock with the additional doors, the Surface Pen and the Mouse Surface Precision, are obviously to be purchased separately.
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