We matched the Surface Pro 8 against the Surface Book 3

Best overall

Surface Pro 8


Surface Pro X

Best power

Surface Book 3


Surface Book 3 Se Crop

The upcoming Surface Pro 8 will be the better choice for most people overall due to its stronger CPUs, better integrated graphics, LTE availability, and its more useful selection of ports. However, people who need options for raw graphics horsepower will be better served by the Surface Book 3.

From $1,100 at Microsoft

Pros

  • Better CPU options
  • Better integrated graphics
  • Can be configured with LTE
  • Better ports
  • More affordable

Cons

  • Worse GPU options
  • Slightly worse battery life
  • Smaller storage maximum

If you need a laptop that can deliver lots of GPU power for gaming, rendering, or editing, the Surface Book 3 will be ideal for you. It also has a higher storage maximum and slightly better battery life compared to the Surface Pro 8. Unfortunately, it has weaker processors, worse ports, and it can’t be configured with LTE.

From $1,600 at Microsoft

Pros

  • Better GPU options
  • Slightly better battery life
  • Larger storage maximum

Cons

  • Worse CPU options
  • Worse integrated graphics
  • Can’t be configured with LTE
  • Worse ports
  • More expensive

Overall, the Surface Pro 8 is the better choice for most people thanks to its cutting-edge CPUs, capable integrated graphics, LTE option, better ports, and lower price. With that said, don’t overlook the Surface Book 3 if you’re in need of a device with lots of GPU power. It may not have the best processors or ports, but it’s got enough juice in the graphics department to power everything from gaming to advanced 3D rendering.

Surface Pro 8 vs. Book 3: Processing or graphics?

Surface Pro 8

Source: Microsoft
The main difference between the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Book 3 is that the former has top-of-the-line processors, while the latter can be outfitted with some beefy graphics horsepower. The Surface Pro 8 has a wide range of 11th Gen Intel CPUs available that outperform the Book 3’s 10th Gen options, but the Book 3 can be configured with powerful GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000. The integrated Intel Xe Graphics in the Surface Pro 8 are better than the Book 3’s aging Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics, but if you’re serious about getting a strong GPU for gaming, video editing, or 3D rendering work, the Surface Book 3 is the clear winner. Both devices can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM, and both have excellent touch displays with high resolutions and quality color gamuts.

Surface Pro 8 Surface Book 3
CPU Intel i3-1115G4
Intel i5-1135G7
Intel i5-1145G7
Intel i7-1185G7
Intel i5-1035G7
Intel i7-1065G7
GPU Intel Iris Graphics
Intel Xe Graphics
Intel Iris Plus
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000
Memory 8GB
16GB
32GB
8GB
16GB
32GB
Storage 128GB SSD
256GB SSD
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
256GB SSD
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
2TB SSD
Display 13-inch 2880×1920 (267 PPI) PixelSense Flow touch display 13.5-inch 3000×2000 (267 PPI) touch display
15-inch 3240×2160 (260 PPI) touch display
Audio Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos
Biometrics Windows Hello-compatible camera Windows Hello-compatible camera
Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4
1x Surface Connect
1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo
2x USB-A
1x USB-C
2x Surface Connect
1x SDXC card reader
1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
LTE (optional)
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Battery Up to 16 hours Up to 17.5 hours
Dimensions 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches 12.3 x 9.14 x 0.51 inches
13.5 x 9.87 x 0.568 inches
Weight 1.96 pounds Up to 4.20 pounds

Outside of the CPU and GPU department, the Surface Pro 8 comes out on top with its modern ports, which notably includes Thunderbolt 4. The Pro 8 can also be outfitted with LTE connectivity for more effective mobile usage, and it also has a considerably lower price tag overall. The Surface Book 3 has a few advantages too — namely, an option for a 2TB SSD and a slightly better battery life — but we ultimately feel that unless you have a specific need for a powerful dedicated GPU in your laptop, you should get the Surface Pro 8.

Surface Pro 8 vs. Book 3: Which should you buy?

Surface Book 3 Lead

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
Both the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Book 3 are incredibly attractive devices that are sure to make anyone happy, but between them, we think that the Surface Pro 8 will be the better choice for most people since the improved performance of its 11th Gen Intel processors will be very valuable for productivity and recreation. It also has Intel’s advanced Xe integrated graphics available, which are strong enough to handle everything from the basics to light gaming and media editing. It’s also got modern Thunderbolt 4 ports and a lower price, too.

Don’t overlook the Surface Book 3 if you need a specialized Surface that packs lots of GPU horsepower, however. Its 10th Gen Intel CPUs aren’t as good as the 11th Gen ones found in the Surface Pro 8, but its various NVIDIA GPU options crush the Surface Pro 8’s Intel Xe integrated graphics when it comes to serious gaming and advanced video editing or 3D rendering tasks. It can also be configured with more storage and has a slightly better battery life as well.

If neither of these PCs are right for you, make sure to check out our roundup of the best Windows laptops available.

Best overall


Surface Pro X

Surface Pro 8

Best all-around option

The upcoming Surface Pro 8 will be the better choice for most people overall due to its stronger CPUs, better integrated graphics, LTE availability, and its more useful selection of ports. However, people who need options for raw graphics horsepower will be better served by the Surface Book 3.

Best power


Surface Book 3 Se Crop

Surface Book 3

Heavy duty

If you need a laptop that can deliver lots of GPU power for gaming, rendering, or editing, the Surface Book 3 will be ideal for you. It also has a higher storage maximum and slightly better battery life compared to the Surface Pro 8. Unfortunately, it has weaker processors, worse ports, and it can’t be configured with LTE.

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