Tech specs
Key Features | ||
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Availability | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Released | 2017 | |
Release Info |
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Pricing | Starting at 1,149$ | Starting at 1,999$ |
Surface Book 2 13.5” Price | ||
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5"(Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256 GB), silver By Microsoft
$629.99 $699.99 10% OFF |
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - 13.5in (Renewed) By Microsoft
$389.00 $427.89 9% OFF |
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB) - 13.5in (Renewed) By Microsoft
$699.22 |
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Surface Book 2 15” Price | ||
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1 TB) (Renewed) By Microsoft
$779.99 |
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB) (Renewed) By Microsoft
$655.00 |
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - 13.5in (Renewed) By Microsoft
$389.00 |
Display | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Size | 13.5 Inches | 15 Inches |
Info |
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Exterior | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Size Comparison | ||
Dimensions |
| 13.5” x 9.87” x 0.57”-0.90” (343 mm x 251 mm x 15 mm-23 mm) |
Weight |
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Colors | Platinum | |
Keyboard and Trackpad |
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Ports |
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Internal Specs | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Processor |
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Integrated Graphics |
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Discrete Graphics |
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Memory | 8GB 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM | |
Storage | 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
1 x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD | 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
1 x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD |
Connectivity | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Wi-Fi |
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Bluetooth |
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Battery | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Size |
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Battery Life |
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Power Supply |
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Software | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
OS | Windows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Free upgrade to Windows 11 | |
Built-in Apps | Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial |
Camera & Audio | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Camera |
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Audio |
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Misc | Surface Book 2 13.5” | Surface Book 2 15” |
Inking | Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
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Sensors |
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Security |
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In the box |
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Warranty | One-year limited hardware warranty | |
More | Supports Surface Dial
Supports both on-screen and off-screen interaction. |
What’s new
New 7th & 8th Gen Intel processors
Processor | 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U | 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U |
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Launch Date | Q1’2017 | Q3’2017 |
Base Frequency | 2.60 GHz | 1.90 GHz |
Max Turbo Frequency | 3.50 GHz | 4.20 GHz |
TDP | 15 watt | |
Level 1 Cache | 128 KB | |
Level 2 Cache | 512 KB | |
Level 3 Cache | 3 MB SmartCache | 8 MB SmartCache |
# of Cores | 2 | 4 |
# of Threads | 4 | 8 |
Bus Speed | 4 GT/s OPI | |
Max Memory Support | 32 GB | |
Max Memory Bandwidth | 34.1 GB/s | |
GEEKBENCH 4 | ||
Single-Core Score | 3,967 | 4,956 |
Multi-Core Score | 7,736 | 14,377 |
Integrated graphics specs
Processor | 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U | 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U |
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Graphics | Intel® HD Graphics 620 | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 |
Base Frequency | 300 MHz | 300 MHz |
Max Dynamic Frequency | 1.10 GHz | 1.15 GHz |
Graphics Max Memory | 32 GB | |
Graphics 4K Support | Yes, at 60Hz | |
Graphics DirectX | 12 | |
Graphics OpenGL | 4.4 | |
# Display Supported | 3 | |
Graphics Technologies | Intel® Quick Sync Video Intel® Clear Video HD Technology Intel® Clear Video Technology Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology | Intel® Quick Sync Video Intel® Clear Video HD Technology Intel® Clear Video Technology Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology |
Discrete graphics specs
GPU | GEFORCE GTX 1050 | GEFORCE GTX 1060 |
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Memory Size | 2 GB GDDR5 | 6 GB GDDR5 |
GPU Engine Specs | ||
NVIDIA CUDA® Cores | 640 | 1280 |
Base Clock (MHz) | 1354 MHz | 1506 MHz |
Boost Clock (MHz) | 1455 | 1708 |
Memory Specs | ||
Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 8 Gbps |
Memory Interface Width | 128-bit | 192-bit |
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) | 112 | 192 |
Technology Support | ||
Technologies | Simultaneous Multi-Projection VR Ready NVIDIA Ansel NVIDIA SLI® Ready NVIDIA G-SYNC -Ready NVIDIA GameStream -Ready Vulkan API | Simultaneous Multi-Projection VR Ready NVIDIA Ansel NVIDIA SLI® Ready NVIDIA G-SYNC -Ready NVIDIA GameStream -Ready Vulkan API |
NVIDIA GPU Boost | 3.0 | |
Microsoft DirectX | 2 API with feature level 12_1 | |
Vulkan API | Yes | |
OpenGL | 4.5 | |
Bus Support | PCIe 3.0 | |
OS Certification | Windows 7-10, Linux, FreeBSDx86 |
Tips and tricks
Discover how to make the most of your Surface Book 2 with our carefully curated collection of tips and tricks. Our comprehensive guide will help you extend battery life, increase performance, improve productivity, and troubleshoot any problems that may occur.
- How to configure Surface Book UEFI/BIOS
- How to reset a Surface with a USB recovery drive
- How to boot a Surface Book 2 from a USB drive
- How to disable secure boot on a Surface Book
- How to remove the red bar from the Surface Book boot screen
- How to fix a Surface Book that won’t turn on
- How to set or clear an asset tag on Surface Book
Update History
Catch up on the latest information about the new Surface Book 2 features and fixes introduced via driver and firmware updates from Microsoft. Here are the last five releases:
- Improves system stability and resolves system bugcheck and improves graphics performance and stability.View
For a complete driver and firmware update release timeline, please visit our Surface Book 2 update tracker page.
Videos
FAQs
Before making a purchase decision, it’s essential to have a thorough understanding of the device you’re interested in. With that in mind, we’ve written a list of FAQs that cover all aspects of the new Surface Book 2, including its display, battery life, performance, software, and design.
- Can you add more RAM to Surface Book 2?
- Can you upgrade Surface Book 2 SSD?
- Does Surface Book 2 have Ethernet port?
- Does Surface Book 2 have HDMI port?
- Does Surface Book 2 have headphone Jack?
- Does Surface Book 2 have SD Card Slot?
- Does Surface Book 2 have USB-A port?
- Does Surface Book 2 have USB-C port?
- Does Surface Book 2 support External GPU (eGPU)?
- Does Surface Book 2 support Wi-Fi 6?
- Does Surface Book 2 support Windows Hello?
- How long will the Surface Book 2 be supported?
- How to charge Surface Book 2 via USB-C?
- How to disable secure boot on Microsoft Surface Book 2
- How to properly shut down a Surface Book 2?
- What processors is in Microsoft Surface Book 2?
- What’s ports on Microsoft Surface Book 2?
Here are the most frequently requested comparisons for Surface Book 2 13.5”:
Here are the most frequently requested comparisons for Surface Book 2 15”:
COMMENTS
Let us know what you think!
We appreciate hearing your thoughts, questions, and ideas about “ Surface Book 2 specs, features, and tips”.
What does g sync ready means?
Can you use g sync with the SB2 and an external g sync monitor? And in that case through which port (because the port needs to be directly link to the Gpu right?) ? Do I need the surface dock to do so?
Hi Arnaudmk,
As your concern, The GTX 1050 and 1060 does supports G-SYNC technology. However, all display outputs are wired through the Integrated GPU. And the dGPU is only used for rendering only. So far as I know I think you can’t take advantage of G-SYNC monitor with the Surface Book 2.
Oh I see, thank you for your answer as well as your article!
what is the “accessory radio port” in the bios settings on a surface book 2
I’ve searched Google and Bing (HaHa) for that term and cant find any reference to it.
I’ve turned it off but curious to know what it does
Hello,
I understand the Surface Book 2 has the following ports:
2x USB type-A 3.1 Gen 1
1x USB type-C 3.1 Gen 1 (Supports Power Delivery revision 3.0 and DisplayPort)
And the following dedicated GPU on the 15″ model:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 discrete GPU w/6GB GDDR5
1) What is the total limit of external monitors that this laptop and its GPU will support?
2) Can I use a USB-C docking station (with 2-3 HDMI and/or DisplayPort slots in it) to connect 2-3 external monitors to the laptop?
3) What about connecting one external monitor to the USB-C docking station and daisy-chaining a 2nd external monitor off of the first (and so on and so forth)? Does the Surface Book 2’s USB-C slot support DisplayPort 1.2/1.4 with MST (MST allows for daisy chaining)?
4) Can I use a USB-A to Dual HDMI with 4k adapter to plug into one of the laptop’s USB-A slots and connect external monitors through that? If so, can I use both the USB-A HDMI adapter AND the USB-C docking station to connect 4-6 monitors?
Thank you.
Hi Zee,
Thanks for your questions! I will try my best to answer based on my understanding and research.
1. The Discrete GPU inside all Surface Book models is only used for rending, while all display outputs are wired through the Integrated GPU. So the total limit of display support for Surface Book 2 is 3, which can be configured as:
• Option 1: 2 external monitors + 1 laptop display.
• Option 2: 3 external monitors.
It is the limit of 8th Gen Intel processors.
2. Yes, you can connect to a USB-C dock to 2 or 3 external monitors. However, the maximum display support remains the same.
3. According to Microsoft, the USB-C port on Surface Book 2 does support daisy chain displays. You can learn more here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/troubleshoot-connecting-surface-to-an-external-display-bc8f5121-a4cb-cf0b-5770-2df7a66a3b28#WindowsVersion=Windows_10
4. It depends on the technology of the adapter you use. If it uses technology like DisplayLink, you can have many external monitors, as you like. However, this technology usually uses the laptop CPU to encode the display signals, which results in a slight delay, low output quality, and slows down your laptop.
I hope it helps!
Thanks
Hey Evan, thanks for responding! I did not get any email notification about your reply so I wasn’t able to see it earlier. FYI, I’m trying to connect two WQHD 2560×1440 (165Hz using Display Port) monitors (and possibly one 4k 3840×2160 60Hz monitor) to the laptop.
1) So I definitely cannot connect 3 external monitors while also using my laptop screen at the same time (4 screens total)? What would happen if I tried? Would one of the screens remain/turn off? Do I risk damaging my laptop’s integrated GPU or something else if I even tried?
2-3) Thank you for the link. It helps me understand the quality loss I will experience. For the Surface Book 2, it mentions “two external displays, here’s the supported resolution and refresh rate:
30 Hz 4096 x 2304
60 Hz 2560 x 1600”
Is it correct to assume that I’ll be able to run both my 1440p external monitors at 2560×1440 and 60Hz?
What will happen to the quality of each monitor if I also add in the 3rd external 4k 60Hz monitor to the setup?
4) I need to learn about DisplayLink technology. Does it allow the laptop to bypass its maximum display support constraints?
Ultimately, I’m just trying to to understand what would be the best play here. I was thinking USB-C docking station because I can connect my extra peripherals (mouse/keyboard) to that too and just have to unplug two things (the docking station and laptop’s power supply) when I want to go mobile with the laptop. But if there’s going to be too much quality loss, then I will consider using a USB-A (or USB-C) Dual/Triple HDMI (or DisplayPort) DisplayLink adapter and just connecting my external mouse and keyboard to the laptop directly.
Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it.
Hello Evan. Don’t mean to push but I wanted to know if you had any insight or answers on my follow up questions. Thank you.
Hi Zee,
Thanks for the follow-up questions!
1. You can connect three external monitors to your Surface Book 2. For example, you can connect two external monitors via Surface Dock and another via USB-C on the base. However, only three displays can output simultaneously in either:
– All three external monitors.
– Or two external monitors + laptop display.
And you can switch between both options in Windows Display Settings. I tried this before, and it didn’t harm my laptop.
2. According to the link, I posted in the previous comment, Surface Book 2 supports two monitors with 2560 x 1600 @60Hz. So yes, it will support dual 1440p@60Hz monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 @60Hz.
3. I have never tried connecting a 4K@60H to the existing 2 x 1440p@60Hz before. However, I think it might be possible.
If we compare the 3K@60Hz or 3240 x 2160 (7M) on Surface Book 2 15-inch display to the 4K@60Hz or 3840 x 2160 (8.2M), it isn’t much different in the number of pixels (7M vs. 8.2M pixels). There is a high possibility that the Surface Book 2 can also output 4K@60Hz + 2 x 1440p@60Hz. Again, it’s just my thought.
Here is the Surface Dock 2 support document https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-dock2-overview, you can learn more about the limitation of Surface Book 2 display supports.
4. I want to correct my previous answer. According to DisplayLink, depending on its chipset, it can officially support up to 4 external monitors https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/integrated-chipsets. However, according to a test by Plugable, it can support up to 14 external monitors https://plugable.com/blogs/news/attaching-14-monitors-on-windows-8-1-with-usb.
And if you want to have even more displays, you can use other display dongles like the FL2000 chipset from Frenscologic that can add more monitors with up to 1080p@60Hz https://amzn.to/45IA4zb via USB 3.0 port.
I hope it helps!
Thanks