Surface Book 2 vs. Surface Pro 6 — here’s how to pick the right one for you
Surface Book 2 is pretty much the ultimate Windows 10 PC. It’s an excellent notebook and tablet, depending on your needs. There’s even the option for a dedicated GPU, and yes you can even game on it. It can get very expensive though.
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Can play games
- All-day battery life
- Detachable keyboard
Cons
- Expensive
- No Thunderbolt 3 or eGPU support
- Windows Mixed Reality support
The latest Surface Pro is a stunning Windows 10 device. It’s one of the best tablets you can buy right now running Microsoft’s OS. It’s portable, capable (depending on specs), and can even be used as a notebook.
Pros
- Portable performance
- Versatile with Type Cover
- Solid build quality
- More affordable
Cons
- Lack of USB Type-C
- Worse battery life
The Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 are two very different devices, targeting two very different groups of consumers. If you prefer a tablet experience, don’t need to do inking, won’t use the device with a physical keyboard much and would like to save some cash, Surface Pro 6 is the better option.
Should you want to go all out and enjoy the signature Windows 10 on Surface experience, nothing beats the Surface Book 2 — so long as your pockets are deep for the more expensive configurations.
Similar numbers on Surface
Both devices offer similar specifications, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Surface Pro 6 is Microsoft’s featured tablet and the Surface Book 2 is the company’s powerful notebook. Both cross paths with regards to form factor and device category, and as such offer similar internals.
| Surface Pro 6 | Surface Book 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 12.3-inch PixelSense Display | 13.5-inch PixelSense display 15-inch PixelSense dispaly |
| Display resolution | 2736 x 1824 267ppi | 13-inch: 3000 x 2000 at 267 PPI 15-inch: 3240 x 2160 at 260 PPI |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8250U Intel Core i7-8650U |
Intel Core i5-7300U Intel Core i7-8650U |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD |
| Memory | 8GB or 16GB RAM | 8GB or 16GB RAM |
| Native graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 13-inch: Intel HD Graphics 620, NVIDIA GTX 1050 15-inch: NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
| Rear camera | 8MP | 8MP |
| Front camera | 5MP Windows Hello |
5MP Windows Hello |
| Audio | Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium | Stereo Speakers w/ Dolby Audio Premium Windows Sonic for Headphones Dolby Atmos for Headphones compatible |
| Xbox Wireless | No | 13-inch: No 15-inch: Yes |
| Ports | 1x full-size USB 3.0 Mini DisplayPort Headset jack Surface Connect microSDXC card reader |
2x USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen1) Full-size SDXC card reader (UHS-II) Headphone jack (3.5mm) 2x Surface Connect |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11ac Bluetooth 4.1 |
Wi-Fi 802.11ac Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Battery life | Up to 13.5 hours | Up to 17 hours |
| Pen | Surface Pen | Surface Pen |
| Dimensions | 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm (11.50 x 7.9 x 0.33 inch) | 13-inch: 312 x 232 x 23 mm (12.3 x 9.14 x 0.90 inch) 15-inch: 343 x 251 x 23 mm (13.5 x 9.87 x 0.90 in) |
| Weight | 1.73 lbs (784 g) | 13-inch: 1,642 g (3.62 lbs) Tablet: 719 g (1.59 lbs) 15-inch: 1,905 g (4.20 lbs) Tablet: 817 g (1.80 lbs) |
Surface performance
Surface Book 2 is the more powerful device, without question. Both devices can be configured with the same Intel Core i7 processor, but the Surface Book 2 has the advantage of a dedicated GPU and better overall computing. It’s designed for extended power use, while the Surface Pro is more of a tablet you can use for intensive tasks irregularly.
Because there’s no dedicated GPU inside the Surface Pro 6, you’ll need to rely on the Intel iGPU, and the Surface Pro 6 doesn’t have Intel Iris graphics. This isn’t a decision made by Microsoft, but Intel with its 8th-gen line-up of processors. If you need to rely on graphics processing, the only choice here is Surface Book 2.
Portable computing
Surface Pro 6 is more versatile and incredibly powerful tablet — you try running the full desktop Adobe Photoshop suite on an iPad — and while it does offer a battery life of around 13 hours, the Surface Book 2 edges out in front with upwards of 17 hours. It’s not a huge difference, but worth considering if you’re often found without power outlets.
Something to bear in mind is pricing, which is where the Surface Pro 6 wins big time. The tablet starts from just $900, while you can expect to pay $1,150 for the Surface Book 2. Surface Pro 6 is almost as good as the Surface Book 2 and can even be kitted out with better internals than the base model Surface Book 2, but Microsoft’s 2-in-1 notebook is simply better overall.
The ultimate Windows 10 experience
Microsoft did so well with the Surface Book 2, we gave it a full five-star rating and raved about all of its features. Sure, it’s the more expensive device in this comparison, but you get so much more in terms of configurations with the addition of discrete GPUs, making it a killer notebook.
Powerful 2-in-1
Surface Book 2
You can do pretty much everything on the Surface Book 2
Microsoft did a stellar job with the original Surface Book and the second generation is even better. You can configure this notebook come tablet with a dedicated GPU and powerful Intel processors that even allow for some gaming.
Surface Pro 6 for tighter budgets
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 isn’t a slouch, but a powerful tablet with massive potential in the right hands. It’s also the cheaper of the two devices, when not including the optional Type Cover and Surface Pen. If you’re all about a lighter, tablet-like Windows 10 experience, the Surface Pro 6 is likely the better choice.
Portable tablet
Surface Pro 6
All about portability
Surface Pro 6 is all about portability. It’s a tablet first, laptop second and should be considered as such. Should you be after a Windows 10 tablet that can do everything you need without requiring a notebook or desktop PC, this is it.
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