Is it still worth getting a Surface Laptop 2?

Unless you’re looking to save money, there’s no other reason to consider the previous generation Surface Laptop 2. Whether you get the 13-inch or 15-inch Surface Laptop 3, the performance improvements are big enough to ignore its predecessor if you really want the best from your laptop.

Surface Laptop 2 vs. Surface Book 2 tech specs

Source: Windows Central

	Surface Laptop 2	Surface Laptop 3
Processor	8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U Intel Core i7-8650U	10th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 (13-inch) AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 (15-inch)
RAM	8, 16 GB	8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR4x
Storage	128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD (replaceable)
Display size	13.5 inches Touch	13.5 inches Touch
Display resolution	2,256 x 1,504 3:2 aspect ratio	2,256 x 1,504 3:2 aspect ratio
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620	Intel Iris Plus AMD Radeon Vega 9 AMD Radeon Vega 11
Ports	USB-A 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, 3.5 mm audio	1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x Surface Connect, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Battery	Up to 14.5 hours	Up to 11.5 hours
Dimensions	12.13 inches x 8.79 inches x 0.57 inches	12.13 inches x 8.78 inches x 0.57 inches
Weight	From 2.76 pounds	Up to 2.79 lbs (13-inch) Up to 3.04lbs (15-inch)

Only one reason to get the Surface Laptop 2

With the arrival of the Surface Laptop 3 there’s now only one reason to consider buying the older Surface Laptop 2, and that’s the price. With the arrival of a new model comes the inevitable price cuts on the old one.

The Surface Laptop 2 looks basically the same as the newer one, and it’s hardly a bad laptop. It’s been one of our absolute top picks since it arrived for anyone buying a laptop, but its time in the spotlight has passed.

You can get a Surface Laptop 2 with a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a Core i5 for $899, a $100 saving over the entry-level Surface Laptop 3. However, considering the Surface Laptop 3 has a replaceable SSD (albeit with caveats) you’ll still be getting a much better value with the newer model.

Claimed battery life is also a little higher on the Surface Laptop 2, but in real-world scenarios you’re unlikely to see that much difference.

Surface Laptop 3 is the way to go

Where the Surface Laptop 2 was a mild, but still meaningful update over its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 3 is a much bigger jump. For one, there’s now a choice of two sizes, 13 inches or 15 inches, and each comes with their own individual internal hardware.

The smaller model uses Intel’s excellent 10th Gen processors with the new Iris Plus graphics, the larger going with a customized AMD Ryzen chip with the potent Vega integrated GPU.

Toss in the inclusion of USB-C on the new model, a lack of Alcantara if you wish, a replaceable SSD (so long as you get Microsoft to do it), and the same gorgeous display as the Surface Laptop has always had, and you’ve got a strong package.

Unless you absolutely want to spend as little as possible, you should definitely get the Surface Laptop 3.

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