We compare the Surface Pro 7 with the Surface Pro X

The Surface Pro 7 is a continuation of the Pro design we’ve come to know and love, albeit with a few minor changes. On the other hand, the Pro X is a significant departure, as it’s the first ARM-powered Pro we’ve seen. It’s built for a different usage scenario despite following similar design cues, and it was announced alongside a new Surface Slim Pen and Type Cover combination. Let’s take a look at the specs that make up these two devices.

Surface Pro 7 vs. Surface Pro X tech specs

	Surface Pro 7	Surface Pro X
OS	Windows 10	Windows 10
Processor	10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Core i5-1035G4 Core i7-1065G7	Microsoft SQ1
RAM	4GB, 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x	8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD	128GB, 256GB, 512GB SSD
Display size	12.3 inches Touch	13 inches Touch
Display resolution	2736×1824 267 PPI	2880×1920 267 PPI
Aspect ratio	3:2	3:2
Graphics	Intel UHD (i3) Intel Iris Plus (i5, i7)	Microsoft SQ1 Adreno 685
Ports	USB-C 3.1 USB-A 3.5mm audio Surface Connect microSD card reader	Two USB-C Surface Connect nano SIM
LTE	No	Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0	Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0
Camera	Front-facing 5MP (1080p) Rear-facing 8MP (1080p)	Front-facing 5MP (1080p) Rear-facing 10MP (4K video)
Biometrics	IR camera	IR camera
Battery	Up to 10.5 hours	Up to 13 hours
Dimensions	11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches (292mm x 201mm x 8.5mm)	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.28 inches (287mm x 208mm x 7.3mm)
Weight	From 1.7 pounds (775g)	From 1.7 pounds (774g)
Color	Platinum Matte Black	Matte Black

Design and features

If you’re familiar with the previous generations of the 2-in-1 Pro lineup, not much has changed for the Pro 7. It still has the folding kickstand on the back, a unibody aluminum design, and it includes an IR camera for Windows Hello. It’s so similar that you will be able to use older Type Covers and Surface Pens with the Pro 7, potentially saving you a good chunk of money if you’re upgrading.

The Surface Pro X, on the other hand, has a thinner chassis that’s lighter than Core i7 models of the Pro 7. It still has a kickstand on the back for propping up the tablet, and it works in tandem with a new style keyboard that has a storage bay for the new Surface Slim Pen.

For ports, the Pro 7 now includes USB-C instead of Mini DisplayPort, allowing more versatility while still offering external display support. The Pro X has two USB-C ports, but it doesn’t have USB-A for your older devices. Both 2-in-1s have the proprietary Surface Connect port, and both have a Surface Keyboard connector. One thing that’s irksome is a lack of 3.5mm audio jack on the Pro X; Microsoft has already put out a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, so you’ll have to jump on the dongle wagon if you’d like to use wired headphones.

There’s no LTE connectivity for the Pro 7, though it does offer Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for blazing wireless speeds. The Pro X is stuck on Wi-Fi 5, which is what we’re used to, but it does have support for both physical (Nano SIM) and eSIM to keep you connected when out of Wi-Fi range.

The front-facing cameras are similarly 5-megapixel (1080p) on both models, though the rear-facing cameras differ. The Pro 7 has an 8-megapixelcamera capable of 1080p video, while the Pro X has a 10-megapixel camera capable of 4K video. If you’re concerned with capture quality, the Pro X will no doubt be the better choice.

Display and inking

Nothing has changed for the Surface Pro 7 in the touch display department compared to the Pro 6. It’s sized at 12.3 inches with a 2736×1824 resolution and 267 PPI, with boxy 3:2 aspect ratio that’s ideal for a tablet. It works with the Surface Pen for a quality inking experience with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support for shading. To keep the Pen nearby, it clips magnetically onto the side of the tablet.

The Pro X has shaken things up when it comes to the touch display. The chassis has almost the same footprint as the Pro 7’s, but the screen has had its bezel shrunk to accommodate more screen real estate. The result is a 13-inch display with 2880×1920 resolution and 267 PPI. It has the same 3:2 aspect ratio and ultimately will offer about the same experience as you’ll get with the Pro 7.

However, the Surface Slim Pen has a storage bay built into the attachable keyboard, where it will charge while not in use. If you’re sick of your Pen falling off your Pro while in your bag, the Pro X’s setup will be a welcome change. Note that the Slim Pen should work with other Surface devices.

Performance

The Surface Pro X is the first ARM-powered Pro device to hit the market. It has inside a custom 7nm Microsoft SQ1 7W CPU that can apparently deliver three times more performance per watt than the Surface Pro 6. This CPU is essentially a suped-up Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx complete with eight cores, 3GHz clock, and custom Adreno 685 graphics (GPU), able to power dual 4K external displays.

The GPU delivers two teraflops of power — the original Xbox One had 1.3 teraflops — but it’s not exactly meant for gaming. OpenGL games won’t work on ARM, and the device is ultimately suited best for web and scripted apps. UNITY and Unreal engines are getting ARM support, though, so we could begin to see some very good mobile games for the Pro X in the future. We will have to do our own testing before we know how well the GPU inside the Pro X really runs, since teraflops don’t tell you everything you need to know about a GPU. As a bottom line, though, don’t buy a Pro X and expect it to be your next gaming machine.

Intel Iris Plus Graphics in Core i5 and Core i7 Surface Pro 7 models will be able to handle light to medium gaming, but likewise don’t expect it to perform as a gaming juggernaut. One thing to keep in mind is the arrival of Project xCloud, Microsoft’s upcoming game-streaming service. With a fast, steady internet connection, both the Pro 7 and Pro X could be used for a quality gaming experience.

On the CPU side, we’ve seen a standard Snapdragon 8cx compared against an Intel Core i5-8250U, where the ARM chip fared quite well. Battery life was exceptional, graphics performance (without the modded GPU in the Pro X) was impressive, and raw processing power for productivity apps rivaled the Core i5. Of course, Intel has now moved into 10th Gen “Ice Lake” chips, which push performance and battery life in their own right. We will have to wait to do our own testing on both devices, but expect the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs to beat out the SQ1 CPU in raw performance, especially due to the ARM chip having to emulate x86 apps.

RAM in both devices runs up to 16GB of LPDDR4x. You can go as low as 4GB of RAM in the Pro 7 to save money, while the Pro X drops down to 8GB. For storage, the Pro 7 goes up to a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD), while the Pro X maxes out at 512GB. However, storage on the Pro X can be removed without having to pull apart the entire chassis, something that’s not possible on the Pro 7.

Price

Prices for the Pro 7 start at $749. These baseline configurations include an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD, and do not include a Type Cover or Surface Pen. A decked-out model with Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD runs at about $2,299, making it considerably more expensive than the Pro X.

There are several variants of the Surface Pro X available to buy, including an introductory $999 model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. Bumping storage up to a 256GB SSD raises the price to about $1,299, while adding a total of 16GB of RAM and the same 256GB SSD means you’ll be paying closer to $1,499. Finally, a decked-out model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD is going to set you back about $1,799.

Go with the Surface Pro 7 for the best performance

The 10th Gen Intel Core “Ice Lake” CPUs available in the Pro 7 are going to be hard to beat in terms of raw performance, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics are no joke either. Add up to 1TB of storage space and enjoy Wi-Fi 6 wireless speeds. You won’t get LTE here and battery life won’t be as good, but the Pro 7 is a more traditional device that comes at a cheaper starting price.

Stick with the Surface Pro X for ultimate portability

The ARM-powered Surface Pro X won’t match up performance-wise with the higher-end Pro 7 models, but LTE connectivity, longer battery life, and a slimmer body make it easy to take with you wherever you go. A smart new storage system for a slimmer pen is an attractive addition, and two USB-C ports offer decent connectivity.

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