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Microsoft Surface Book 2 FAQs: Everything you need to know!
Looking to learn more about Microsoft Surface Book 2? We've got you covered, here are our comprehensive Microsoft Surface Book 2 frequently asked questions that should clear up all your queries.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 is now the most powerful Surface that delivers the ultimate in performance and versatility without compromise. It uses the latest Dual-Core 7th or Quad-Core 8th Generation Intel Core i5 and i7, up to 16GB, and optional NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or 1060 graphics for the best laptop experience. It’s now available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models with a stunning PixelSense™ Display with the latest Surface Pen support.
It’s better to know more about this device before you make a purchase decision, and here is our comprehensive Microsoft Surface Book 2 frequently asked questions that should clear up all your queries. We will try to cover all Surface Book question segments including display, battery, performance, software, and design.
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i5 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.51”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 13 mm-23 mm)
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i7 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.59”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)
15-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i7 13.5” x 9.87” x 0.57”-0.90” (343 mm x 251 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)
3How much does the Surface Book 2 weight?
Microsoft Surface Book 2 is weight at:
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i5
Total 3.38 lbs (1,533 g)
Tablet1.59 lbs (719 g)
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i7
Total3.62 lbs (1,642 g)
Tablet 1.59 lbs (719 g)
15-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i7
Total4.20 lbs (1,905 g)
Tablet 1.80 lbs (817 g)
4What ports are on the Surface Book 2?
Here are all available ports on the Surface Book 2:
2 x Full-size USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x USB Type-C with video, power in/out, and USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x 3.5mm headphone jack
1 x Full-size SD™ card reader (UHS-II)
1 x Surface Connect (in the base)
1 x Surface Connect (in the tablet)
5Does Surface Book 2 have a camera?
Yes, there are two cameras on Surface Book 2:
5.0MP 1080p video @30FPS (front)
8.0MP 1080p video @30FPS with auto-focus (rear)
6What processor is in the Surface Book 2?
Microsoft Surface Book 2 has two processor configurations:
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 620.
Base Frequency: 2.60 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency: 3.20 GHz
Cache: 3 MB SmartCache
2 cores, 4 threads
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics 620.
Base Frequency: 1.90 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency: 4.20 GHz
Cache: 8 MB SmartCache
4 cores, 8 threads
7Does Surface Book 2 include pen?
No, Surface Book 2 doesn’t include a Surface Pen out of the box. You will need to purchase separately or use old Surface Pens from previous models. The latest Surface Pen costs about $100 which supports 4,096 levels of pressure and tilts support.
8Does the new Surface Book 2 come with a keyboard?
Yes, Surface Book 2 comes with an integrated detachable keyboard.
9When was Surface Book 2 release?
Microsoft Surface Book 2 was:
Announced on October 17, 2017.
Preordered on November 9, 2017
Available on November 16, 2017.
10Can you upgrade RAM on Surface Book 2?
No, you can’t upgrade your Surface Book 2 RAM as it was soldered directly onto the motherboard.
11Is the Surface Book 2 fanless?
Yes, and no. It depends on what’s Surface Book 2 configuration you have:
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i5 is totally fanless.
13-inch Surface Book 2 Intel Core i7 only tablet section is fanless.
15-inch Surface Book 2 has fans inside both tablet and base section.
2 Surface Book 2 Display & Screen Q&As
12What size is Surface Book 2’s display?
Surface Book has two screen sizes: 13.5-inch and 15-inch PixelSense™ Display.
13What is the resolution of Surface Book 2?
Surface Book 2 has a resolution of:
Surface Book 2 13.5-inch 3000 x 2000 (267 PPI), 6M Pixels
Surface Book 2 15-inch 3240 x 2160 (260 PPI), 7M Pixels
Even Microsoft Surface Book 2’s screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass, it still prone to scratches. You’d better pick one up for your Surface Book to protect it from scratches.
15What is the default Surface Book 2 display scaling?
Micorosft Surface Book 2 has a default display scaling of 200%.
16What is the aspect ratio of Surface Book 2?
Surface Book 2 has a 3:2 aspect ratio.
3 Surface Book 2 Battery & Power Q&As
17How long does the Surface Book 2 last?
Microsoft Surface Book last 17-hours of battery life of local video playback tested by Microsoft.
18What is the battery capacity of Microsoft Surface Book 2?
Use the OEM charger came with your Surface Book 2 – Plug the charger to the power source and plug the Surface Connect connector to the charging port on the right side of Surface Book 2. It’s a magnet and reversible connector and it’s an official and recommended charging method by Microsoft.
Use a USB charger – The USB-C port on Surface Book 2 supports Power Delivery 3.0 that allows you to charge the device via a USB charger.
20Can I charge my Surface Book 2 base alone?
Yes, you can charge your Surface Book 2’s base section alone either with or without tablet section attached.
21Can I charge my Surface Book 2’s tablet section alone?
Yes, you can charge your Surface Book 2’s tablet section alone by connecting Surface Connect charging connector to the Surface Connect port available under Surface Book 2’s tablet section.
22Can I charge Surface Book 2 via USB-C?
Yes, you can. The USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port on Microsoft Surface Book 2 does support smart charging along with data transfer and video out capability. It supports USB Power Delivery revision 3.0 which supports 4 different power rules (5v, 9v, 15v, and 20v) with the ability to supply power up to over 45W.
4 Surface Book 2 Performance Q&As
23Can Microsoft Surface Book 2 run Photoshop?
Absolutely yes. Microsoft Surface Book 2 equipped with the latest 7th or 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors combined with Intel® HD Graphics and optional high-performance discrete-GPU is perfectly powerful to handle all tasks available on Photoshop.
24Can the Surface Book 2 run games?
Yes, Surface Book 2 with Quad-Core 8th-Gen Intel processor and NVIDIA GTX 1050 or GTX 1060 is a powerful gaming laptop.
25Can you code or programming on Surface Book 2?
For writing code, Microsoft Surface Book 2 is more than powerful enough to handle most code editor such as VS Code, Atom, or Notepad++. Combined with its great tactile keys, it’s a perfect mobile development machine you want to have. It’s also capable of running professional applications like compiling complex codes on Visual Studio or Android Studio as well.
26Is Surface Book 2 64-bit?
Yes, Microsoft Surface Book 2 uses the 7th and 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors which supports 64-bit instruction and it does come with a 64-bit version of Windows 10.
27Is Surface Book 2 good for drawing?
Yes, drawing is really smooth on most apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Windows Ink, Sketchable, Bamboo Ink, OneNote, and more. It supports the latest Surface Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure and tilts support.
28Will Surface Book 2 run Office?
Yes, Surface Book 2 comes with a Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial. Office apps will run smoothly on Microsoft Surface Book 2.
29Will Surface Dock work with Surface Book 2?
Yes, Microsoft Surface Book 2 works smoothly with Surface Dock via Surface Connect port.
5 Surface Book 2 Software & Compatibility Q&As
30Does Surface Book 2 run Windows 10?
Yes, it does. Surface Book 2 shipped with a full version of Windows 10 Pro (Windows Creators Update).
31Can you download apps on Surface Book 2?
Yes, you can. You can download safe and Microsoft verified apps and games from Microsoft Store. Since it’s a full version of Windows 10, you can also download and install any apps from any source you’d like to.
32Does Surface Book 2 run full Windows?
Yes, Surface Book 2 comes with full Windows 10 Pro.
33How do I reset my Surface Book 2?
To reset your Surface Book 2, plug in your Surface Book 2 so you don’t run out of power during the refresh.
Open Settings > Update & Security.
Select Recovery.
Under “Reset this PC“, select Get started.
Choose either Keep my files or Remove everything.
If you choose to Remove everything, you can choose to clean only the drive where Windows is installed and all drives.
Next, you will have the option to just remove my files and remove files and clean the drive. The option to clean the drive is more secure but takes much longer. For example, if you are recycling your Surface, you should clean the drive. If you are keeping your Surface, you just need to remove your files.
Select Reset. Surface Book 2 will restart and the Surface logo appears during the reset process (this can take several minutes).
34Is Microsoft Office free on Surface Book 2?
No, the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Book 2 come with a free Office 365 30-days trial, and you need to purchase a subscription to continue using the full Office suite when the trial period ended.
35Does Surface Book 2 need antivirus?
In most cases, you don’t need a third-party antivirus. Windows 10 on Surface Book 2 has a built-in Windows Defender for virus and threat protection out of the box. It’s free and receives definition updates regularly via Windows Update.
6 Surface Book 2 Comparison Q&As
36What is the difference between Surface Book 2 and Surface Book?
With the right set of accessories, you can boost your Surface's productivity to the next level. Here we have some of the best accessories you should get for your Surface devices.
Those are the top must-have accessories for Microsoft Surface devices so far. With Surface Pen, Surface Dock, Surface Precision Mouse, and microSD card will significantly increase your Surface performance, storage, and productivity.
Evan Forrest is Editor-in-Chief of Surface Tip, researching and writing articles about Surface related news, tips, and accessories. He has been using Surface devices since the first release of the original Surface Pro. He is currently using a Surface Laptop 3 as a full-time daily-driver machine. Besides that, he also owns multiple Surface devices including Surface RT, Surface 3, Surface Go, Surface Pro 3, Surface Book, and a bunch of Surface accessories to help in research and writing articles.
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I bought a used surface book 2, but I cant get into it , I dont have a keyboard. How can I reset it and bypass password to wipe it clean and reset it?
Here I have a trick for you.
I am a college instructor and all of my classes are on-line. I need high voice quality for my students. Can I use a quality headset with a microphone with a pin plug or do I have to use a USB connection?