Amazon is hosting a special Amazon Prime Day from September 7, 2025, to September 8, 2025, bringing us a smorgasbord of discount deals for electronic gadgets, accessories, games, laptops, and much more.

One of the more eye-opening deals is for the Microsoft Surface Laptop, the go-to AI laptop for people looking for a reliable workplace device with advanced features like a 120Hz display, over a dozen hours of battery life, and a powerful Snapdragon X Elite processor, amongst other tech.

This laptop has a mighty MSRP of $1,999.99, but with this 25% Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discount, it can be yours for a more affordable price tag of $1,499.99 on Amazon.

Plus, if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can get it for an even cheaper price of $1,349.99.

Why should you buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop?

When it comes to Windows Laptops, few manufacturers make the best AI Laptops better than Microsoft.

For several decades, Microsoft has produced some of the finest laptops in the business, and its latest iteration, the Surface Laptop 7, is no different.

This thin, clamshell-form laptop is pure perfection for people looking for a high-quality laptop to help them conquer mountains of digital paperwork in the office with its advanced features and superb design.

For instance, this device comes equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 CPU, a powerful Qualcomm chip/Windows on Arm processor capable of superb performance ratings on par with Intel, AMD, or Apple silicon – all without causing massive strain on the Surface Laptop 7's battery life.

Speaking of which, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 sports a long battery life of 18.5 hours before needing to recharge. With this, you will be able to get through the day writing, attending meetings, or browsing the internet with energy to spare before your work shift is long over.

Other standout features of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 include built-in Copilot+ AI, a responsive keyboard and haptic touchpad, a durable and sleek clamshell design, a 120Hz display capable of rendering images in high-quality with a dynamic refresh rate that automatically switches between 60Hz and 120Hz when scrolling, and much more.

The only major drawbacks of this laptop are that it lacks an anti-reflective coating to prevent the screen from being obscured by direct sunlight.

Plus, it's missing some presence-sensing hardware that would enable it to automatically turn off the display when you leave the room and turn back on when you return, like other Copilot+ PCs have.

Additionally, this laptop isn't capable of running AAA PC games at high settings, so you're better off getting one of the best gaming laptops, like the Alien m16 R2 or the Lenovo Legion 9i (Gen 8), for example.

If you're wondering about whether apps will run, there are very few major apps that won't run on this laptop. Indeed, it's more about being optimized for Arm64 rather than running, meaning even non-Arm64 apps run just fine under Microsoft's Prism emulation (similar to Apple's Rosetta 2), they just don't run as fast as they could were they native.

Luckily, we've compiled a list of major native Arm64 apps for you, which matches recent data showing that users now spend over 90% of their time on a Snapdragon PC using native software.

You can even check for games and other apps at WorksOnWOA.

Aside from those minor drawbacks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is the perfect laptop for people working in the office or browsing the internet, and it can be yours for a rare 25% discount courtesy of Amazon Prime Day.

That's right. For a limited time, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7's lofty MSRP of $1,999.99 has been reduced to $1499.99 on Amazon or the even lower price of $1349.99 if you're a member of Amazon Prime.

So, what better way to mourn the end of Windows 10 support than by taking advantage of this deal and nabbing yourself one of Microsoft's best laptops at this discounted price while the deal lasts until the end of October 8, 2025.

FAQ

Microsoft is now shipping its second-generation Surface Laptop Studio, which brings several key improvements and updates over the original. We've got more ports, better processors, more powerful graphics, an updated display, and more! So, let's compare both the original and new models and see which one is worth buying in 2023.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Specs

To start this comparison off, let's take a look and compare the official specifications between the original Surface Laptop Studio and the new Surface Laptop Studio 2.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: What are the major differences?

At first glance, the differences between the Surface Laptop Studio 1 and Surface Laptop Studio 2 are very minor. We have a couple of new ports and better internal specs, and that's about it. But if you take a closer look, there are actually several big differences that make the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a pretty significant release. 

DESIGN: The new Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a similar design to the original, but not identical. Surface Laptop Studio 2 is slightly thicker and heavier than the first to accommodate the more powerful CPU and GPU and the new USB-A port. Furthermore, the colorway used on Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a shade lighter, which is noticeable when you put them side by side. Lastly, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 casing is made of aluminum, whereas the original used Magnesium.

PROCESSORS: A fundamental change between the original and new Surface Laptop Studio is the selection of processors. We've gone from Intel 11th-Gen chips to Intel 13th-Gen, which offer significant performance increases. We've also seen Microsoft reduce the selection of processors available with Surface Laptop Studio 2 as the new model drops any Intel Core i5 offerings.

DISPLAY: Although the displays look the same on the surface, the technology behind them has improved. Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a brighter HDR400 capable display, unlike the original, which has a standard PixelSense screen that doesn't support HDR. HDR will allow HDR-certified content to really shine on Surface Laptop Studio 2.

RAM: Microsoft has also updated the choices for RAM with the new Surface Laptop Studio. Just like the first, you can configure Laptop Studio 2 with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, but for the first time on a Surface PC, Microsoft offers Laptop Studio 2 with 64GB RAM in the top-end configurations. This model is designed for those planning heavy multitasking and data crunching. 

PORTS: The selection of ports between the first and second are noticeably different. On the original, we have just two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with a 3.5mm audio jack and Surface Connect for charging. Surface Laptop Studio 2 adds to this lineup with an additional USB-A port and microSD card reader, which should help creative professionals looking to offload images from a camera to the laptop.

NPU: A critical difference between the original Surface Laptop Studio and the new Surface Laptop Studio 2 is including a dedicated NPU chip that enables several AI features exclusive to newer Windows 11 devices. Laptop Studio 2 supports Windows 11's "Studio Effects," which can enhance your webcam and microphone using AI technology.

PRICE: Pricing between the Laptop Studio 1 and Laptop Studio 2 is comparable, except at the entry level. Surface Laptop Studio 1 started at $1,599, as Microsoft had a lower-spec on offer with an Intel Core i5 and 256GB storage. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 omits this configuration, starting at $1,999 for an Intel Core i7 and 512GB storage. Pricing maxes out at $3,799 for the Laptop Studio 2 and $3,699 for the Laptop Studio 1.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Performance comparisons

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 ships with a much newer and far more powerful Intel 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, paired with an NVIDIA RTX 4060 graphics card in the high-end models. To compare, the original Surface Laptop Studio shipped with an 11th-Gen Intel Core i7 with an NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti in the high-end models.

These newer chips in Surface Laptop Studio 2 translate to significant performance increases over the original. In our Geekbench 6 test, the original Surface Laptop Studio earned a single-core score of 2,064, with the Surface Laptop Studio 2 earning a score of 2,588. That's a 25% increase in single-core performance over the original.

Multi-core scores had an even greater difference. Surface Laptop Studio 1 earned a score of 6,826, and Surface Laptop Studio 2 earned a score of 13,468. That's almost double the performance in multi-core workflows, incredible!

Regarding GPU performance, we see similar gains. The RTX 3050 Ti in the original Surface Laptop Studio earned a respectable 5,293 in our 3DMark Time Spy test, but the Surface Laptop Studio 2 blows it out of the water with its RTX 4060, coming in with a score of 9,523. That's an impressive 80% increase in performance!

How do those numbers translate into real-world performance? You'll notice the improved performance most when utilizing workflows that take advantage of multiple cores. Single-core performance is similar between both models, so day-to-day tasks may not feel overly speedier. You will notice better performance in scenarios that utilize the GPU or multiple cores on the CPU, such as video editing or data crunching.

Surface Laptop Studio vs Surface Laptop Studio 2: Which should I buy?

Deciding which Surface Laptop Studio to buy can be tricky, but we can help narrow it down. If you're price-conscious, you're almost always going to find the original Surface Laptop Studio for cheaper, as it's older and on sale much more often. The original Laptop Studio with an Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, and NVIDIA RTX 3050 is still an excellent laptop that you can often find for less than $2,000 these days.

If money is no object, and you want something that will last longer and is more powerful, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the one for you. Because it's newer, it supports more features, including Windows 11's excellent Windows Studio Effects. With the ability to configure it with up to 64GB RAM, it can cover many more workflows that the original Surface Laptop Studio just can't.

What you need to know

• Haptic touchpad maker Sensel has raised $18.8 million in funding.
• Lenovo is the latest investor in the company, joining Global Lighting Technologies.
• The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga 5G was the first laptop to ship with a Sensel haptic touchpad.
• The funding will help Sensel scale its production of haptic touchpads for personal computing devices.

Sensel, a company that specializes in haptic touchpads, has raised $18.8 million in funding, which will be used to scale up its manufacturing. In total, Sensel has raised over $57 million since it was founded in 2013.

Global Lighting Technologies is a strategic manufacturing partner of Sensel, and it led the latest wave of fundraising. It was joined by Lenovo, who was already a customer of Sensel's but is now also an investor.

“Sensel’s goal of shipping high volume yet cost-effective haptic touchpads will be realized with our strategic module partner, GLT,” said Harsha Rao, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Sensel. “With any cutting-edge technology, rapidly scaling manufacturing is the holy grail. This partnership is critical to Sensel’s next phase, as it brings sophisticated automation, scale, and manufacturability to our innovative solutions.”

Sensel is a unique player in the touchpad space because it tightly integrates all three core components of a haptic trackpad, touch, force, and haptics. This paves the way for thinner laptops and comes with a range of other advantages.

The first laptop to ship with a Sensel touchpad was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga 5G. Lenovo was presumably happy with the touchpad since the company has joined Global Lighting Technologies as an investor of Sensel.

"Coming off the success of the touchpad experience in the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, we are delighted to become investors in Sensel as part of their Series B raise,” said Vice President of Commercial Product Solutions Development, Intelligent Devices Group of Lenovo Luis Hernandez. “This strategic investment will help accelerate our co-development of best-in class haptic touchpads, enhancing the user experience across a wide range of Lenovo’s laptop portfolio in 2022 and beyond.”

After Sensel completed its Series A fundraising in 2020, the company shipped its touchpad in the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. Now, the company aims to expand by scaling up its manufacturing.

Our executive editor Daniel Rubino spoke with Dean Chang, Sensel's Director of Product Management, about the company's haptic touchpads.

What you need to know

• Microsoft just released an update for the Surface Laptop Studio that enables Dynamic Refresh Rate.
• The feature allows the laptop to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content on the screen.
• Dynamic Refresh Rate can save battery by switching to 60Hz or provide a smoother experience by bumping up to 120Hz.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio just gained a significant feature in its latest firmware update. The laptop now supports Dynamic Refresh Rate, which allows it to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content it's showing. The 2-in-1 can drop down to 60Hz to reduce battery life or bump up to 120Hz to deliver a smoother experience.

Insiders have been able to test out the feature for about a month, but it is now rolling out to everyone.

While Dynamic Refresh Rate was in testing among Insiders, we tried it out a bit. We found that it switched between refresh rates well depending on the content being displayed.

Here are the highlights from the update and a chart detailing the changes, as outlined by Microsoft:

• Improves system graphics stability and enables Dynamic Refresh rate for Windows 11.
• Improves touch experience
• Improves performance and stability of Surface Dock and Pen.

While Dynamic Refresh Rate is the largest addition in this update, the Surface Laptop Studio also gained improved inking and touch support. Microsoft recently shipped an update to the Surface Pro 8 that included similar improvements to inking.

Surface updates roll out in stages, so you may not see the latest one just yet. You can search for it through the Windows 11 Settings app to see if it's available on your device. You can also manually update your device. Microsoft has a guide on how to do so on its website.

Note that firmware updates cannot be uninstalled or reverted to an earlier version.

What you need to know

• Toast recently launched its wood covers for the Surface Laptop Studio.
• The covers are available in walnut, ebony, maple, rosewood, and lyptus.
• Toast's Surface Laptop Studio covers start at $69 but can be customized for an additional cost.

Surface Laptop Studio owners have a new option for skinning their devices. Toast now has wood covers available for the unique 2-in-1. 

The covers are available in walnut, ebony, maple, rosewood, and lyptus. They start at $69, but if you want a cover that surrounds the trackpad, it'll cost you an additional $24. There's also an option to show off the shiny Surface logo with a cutoff for five more dollars.

The covers are laser-cut for precision and sanded by hand to bring out their texture. Toast promises a "warm, tactile feel and a lustrous look."

The company notes that the hinge of the Surface Laptop Studio will not lower all the way down into studio mode if you have a wood cover on the device. You can still fold the device down, but the display won't be completely flush against the laptop's body.

We're no strangers to Toast and its Surface covers. Our executive editor Daniel Rubino looked at the Surface Laptop cover in walnut, the  Surface Pro cover in bamboo, and the Surface Book 2 cover in ash in 2020. All of them earned positive reviews. They also shared the same pros and cons.

Toast has reliably made covers for Surface products for years, as explained by Rubino. In each review, he highlighted that the covers were high quality, easy to apply, and precisely cut. The downside is that they all come at a relatively high price.

What you need to know

• You can now order replacement tips for the Surface Slim Pen 2 through the Microsoft Store.
• Tips are sold in packs of three, though businesses can order packs of 80 if desired.
• A pack of three replacement tips costs $25 through the Microsoft Store.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 has a flat design to fit well in hand and a haptic engine to simulate the feel of writing on paper. What it hasn't had, until now, was official replacement tips. That's since changed, as you can buy tips for the Surface Slim Pen 2 through the Microsoft Store.

"Keep extra pen tips handy when you need them with Surface Slim Pen 2 Tips. Designed and made by Microsoft to work perfectly with Surface Slim Pen 2," reads the product's listing. The page notes that the tips are sold in packs of three, but you can also get a pack of 80 if you're a business customer.

When the Slim Pen 2 launched, customers expressed concern that the tip would wear down. Reddit users and others online pointed out that tips weren't available from Microsoft. Until recently, people had to resort to third parties to find replacements. A Microsoft employee in an answer forum recently shared that new tips could be purchased through the Microsoft Store.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 can pair with the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro X, and Surface Duo 2. While the pen has a haptic engine to simulate the feel of drawing or writing on paper, your device needs to support the feature. The Pro 8 and Laptop Studio support haptic feedback when running Windows 11.

What you need to know

• Microsoft recently shared a repair video for the Surface Laptop Studio.
• The video shows how to take the device apart to swap out components.
• It also serves as a close-up look at the internals of Microsoft's convertible PC.

Microsoft's Surface YouTube channel recently shared a repair video for the Surface Laptop Studio. In the video, Colin Ravenscroft, a senior DFX engineer at the Design for Repair team at Microsoft, walks through the process of taking apart the laptop. He highlights that the device can be taken apart with only a spudger, a pair of tweezers, and two Torx screwdrivers.

The guide also provides a close-up look at the inside of the device. Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio is a unique convertible PC. It features a display that can be repositioned into various postures, allowing users to interact with the device in different ways. The form factor of the Laptop Studio allows it to be opened up and repaired more like a traditional laptop, at least when compared to something like the Surface Book.

When Microsoft moved away from the detachable design of the Surface Book, it came with some added benefits, such as being able to create a more powerful PC. When shifting to a new form factor, Microsoft also managed to make the PC a bit more repairable. While opening the Surface Laptop Studio isn't simple, it is possible if you have the tools and a guide.

Around the 2:40 mark of the video, Ravenscroft takes the plate off the bottom of the Laptop Studio. He then removes the device's display, Surface Connect port, SSD, and other components.

The repairability of the Surface Laptop Studio is a stark contrast to older Surface devices. The Surface Laptop 5 was dubbed a "glue-filled monstrosity" by iFixit. Microsoft has changed since the release of that device and has teamed up with iFixit to have repair tools for the Surface lineup.

What you need to know

• Microsoft's Panos Panay recently shared a promotional video featuring the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and several other Microsoft devices.
• The video shows closeups, renders, and other clips of Microsoft's latest pieces of hardware.
• The Surface Slim Pen 2, Surface Laptop SE, and Xbox Series X also appear in the video.

Microsoft's Surface lineup continues to grow. The company's Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, decided to highlight Microsoft's most recent products in a promotional video. It's not just PCs that Surface devices that appear. The Xbox Series X is also shown off, as is the Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse.

The Surface Laptop Studio is featured prominently in the promotional clip. It is the most recent Surface device to introduce a new form factor, so it's not surprising that Microsoft would want to show it off.

Most of Microsoft's other Surface devices make at least a brief appearance, including the Surface Pro 8, Laptop 4, Pro X, Laptop Go, and Studio. All of the PCs in the reel are running Windows 11, of course, which is the most recent operating system from Microsoft.

The marketing team also showed some love for the Surface Duo 2, which appears toward the end of the video. The company's graphics team has a track record of highlighting hinges, which is how it introduces the Duo 2 in the reel.

On the gaming side of things, Xbox Cloud Gaming is streamed onto the Duo 2 around the end of the promo. The Xbox Series X appears shortly after.

The clip is only two minutes long, but Microsoft managed to fit in at least a snippet of just about every major consumer-facing product it makes.

What you need to know

• The Surface Laptop Studio now supports Voice Clarity, which natively reduces background noise.
• The feature also makes it easier for others to hear you if you move while speaking.
• Support for the feature comes in the latest firmware update for the Surface Laptop Studio.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio recently gained support for Voice Clarity, which helps improve audio quality when speaking through Windows 11. While some apps have similar features, Voice Clarity is built into Windows 11 and can work with any program. The only catch is that, at the moment, it's limited to specific hardware. Support for Voice Clarity arrives with the most recent firmware update for the device.

Microsoft announced several features focused on virtual communication at its Windows 11 event earlier this month. Many of those features require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The Surface Laptop Studio does not have an (NPU), so it's safe to assume that Voice Clarity does not require one.

Other features announced at the event, such as native support for eye correction, background blur, automatic framing, and noise suppression, need an NPU and will be limited to specific devices, including the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s. Voice Clarity will also roll out to more devices in the future.

Voice Clarity helps deliver clearer audio when speaking through Windows 11. It reduces background noise and can also boost your voice when you're moving around a room. The feature requires Studio Mics, such as those found in the Surface Laptop Studio, and Windows 11.

The latest firmware update for the Surface Laptop Studio also improves Touchpad response and reliability and improves the device's performance and stability.

You can grab the latest update for the Surface Laptop Studio by searching for it through the Windows 11 Settings app or manually updating your device.

Surface Laptop 4 is the latest in Microsoft's premium laptop series, ideal for on-the-go productivity, entertainment, and everyday personal computing. It's one of the best Windows laptops on the market, portable, and sporting a conventional yet high-end design. It vastly differs from the Surface Laptop Studio, instead focused on best-in-class performance for digital creatives and power users. It has leading specifications and a hinged display that slides flat for precise inking, delivering the ultimate mobile workstation.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Laptop 4 specs

The past decade has seen the Microsoft Surface family sprawl from its iconic laptop-meets-tablet Surface Pro line into a growing lineup of devices. The Surface Laptop sits outside those category-bending form factors, a conventional clamshell designed to take on the premium Windows market.

The Surface Laptop has become a best-seller since Microsoft introduced the device back in 2017, with annual revisions bumping specifications with minor aesthetic tweaks. It's essentially the closest product to a Windows-powered MacBook, delivering upon the fundamentals for everyday productivity in a slick high-end package.

Microsoft has also taken the Surface Laptop in a new direction through its Surface Laptop Studio, an experimental, higher-end product geared to digital creatives. The device fuses the DNA of the Surface Studio with a laptop, translating to high performance, with a glass canvas for inking and editing.

The full Surface Laptop and Laptop Studio specifications follow, as provided by Microsoft.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Laptop 4 design and features

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, like previous Surface Laptop entries, adopts a traditional clamshell design, akin to most modern laptops. It's one of the thinnest laptops out there, measuring less than 15mm when closed, both in 13.5-inch and 15-inch configurations. It's also built with premium materials in mind, from its aluminum casing to the choice of metal or Alcantara fabric palm rests. Unlike the Surface Laptop Studio, you also have several colors available.

Surface Laptop is Microsoft's answer to the MacBook Pro, with power in a portable package, without compromising aesthetics. Its 3:2 aspect ratio is suited to productivity, with an integrated touchscreen and inking support for added flexibility. It also has a front-facing 720p webcam for calls, also offering Windows Hello face sign-in.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a different beast designed for those who need more than a standard PC. It's intended to be adaptable, with a screen supporting various postures, accommodating all types of work styles.

It can be a traditional laptop, with a fixed 14.4-inch, 3:2 display, suitable for every day at-home and in-office productivity. The onboard webcam outputs 1080p video, while dual microphones and upgraded speakers make the cut. It's also well constructed, with a magnesium and aluminum shell, albeit a little bulkier than the standard Surface Laptop, at 19mm thick.

But adaptability is what makes the Surface Laptop Studio unique, with a hinged display, allowing the device to transform on the fly. It can also be an angled display, great for presentations and content consumption, while it also lays entirely flat for drawing and annotations with the pen. It's also simply more powerful than the Surface Laptop on paper just like the Surface Book series it succeeded.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Laptop 4 performance

Surface Laptop 4 ships in a variety of configurations, spanning Intel 11th Gen and AMD Ryzen processors, albeit held back by the lack of a discrete GPU. The device effortlessly wrangles everyday productivity, delivering slick performance across Windows 10 and Windows 11, whether browsing the web, editing documents, or dabbling in lightweight photo and video editing. Our Surface Laptop 4 review provides a deeper dive into Microsoft's latest and its performance, and whether the device works for you.

Improved performance can be found with the Surface Laptop Studio, rocking newer 12th Gen chips, and no AMD configurations. The entry-level models boast better hardware, while the top-spec devices hugely outpace what's found inside the costlier Surface Laptop models. While the Laptop Studio handles everyday computing with ease, you're also getting more power for photo and video editing, programming, and other intensive tasks. While it doesn't join the best gaming laptops, as discussed in our Surface Laptop Studio review, you'll have a much better time here for light video games, versus the Surface Laptop.

The Surface Laptop 4 also boasts impressive battery life, although expectations vary depending on your chosen configuration. Estimated battery life ranges from 16.5 hours to 19 hours, varying based on your choice of screen size or processor, Microsoft says. The larger screen size draws more power, decreasing battery life, while AMD generally comes out on top over Intel. The Surface Laptop Studio lasts a little longer, between 18 and 19 hours, with the i7 processor falling just short of the i5 SKU.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Laptop 4 pricing

Current Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 pricing sees 13.5-inch devices start at $800 via Microsoft, while upgrading to 15 inches means a $1,050 starting price. Top-spec models range from $1,500 to $1,550, with incremental pricing depending on your chosen configuration. The Surface Laptop Studio starts at $1,400, while investing in higher-end models could cost as much as $2,900. The full breakdown of Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Laptop Studio prices follow, via current Microsoft Store pricing in 2022:

Surface Laptop 4 (13.5-inch) pricing: Consumer

Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch) pricing: Consumer

Surface Laptop Studio pricing: Consumer

What you need to know

• Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio just launched in the UK.
• The non-detachable 2-in-1 can pop into a variety of postures to accommodate different workflows.
• The Surface Laptop Studio starts at £1,449, with its highest-end model costing £2,879.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio is now available for purchase in the UK. The non-detachable 2-in-1 is the most powerful Surface device to date and is available starting at £1,449. If you'd like a model with maxed-out specs, you can pick up a Surface Laptop Studio with an Intel Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD for £2,879.

The Surface Laptop Studio has a unique form factor that separates it from other convertibles. Unlike the Lenovo Yoga 9i 15 that flips around or the Surface Pro 8 that features a detachable keyboard, the Surface Laptop Studio's display can pop forward and rest at different angles. You can use the device with the screen completely flat or keep it at an angle that's optimized for interacting with touch and a stylus.

In his Surface Laptop Studio review, our executive editor Daniel Rubino said the device is a "powerful, flexible, workstation-style PC perfect for artists, engineers, and some light gaming."

What you need to know

• Preorders for the Surface Laptop Studio are now open in the UK through Microsoft's website.
• Pricing for the Surface Laptop Studio starts at £1,449 and goes up to £2,879.
• The Surface Laptop Studio will start shipping on February 22, 2022.

You can now preorder Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio in the UK. The device won't start shipping until February 22, 2022, but you can place an order now. The prices for the Surface Laptop Studio align with leaks that we saw earlier this year. The base model costs £1,449, and the most expensive version costs £2,879.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a non-detachable 2-in-1 PC. While the screen does not flip around like the Lenovo Yoga 9i 15 or detach like the Surface Pro 8, it can pop into different postures for productivity. You can rest the Surface Laptop Studio's display at an angle while hiding the device's keyboard or lay the screen completely flat.

The Surface Laptop Studio is also the most powerful laptop that Microsoft has ever released.

What you need to know

• Pricing details have leaked for the Surface Laptop Studio in the UK.
• Models start at £1,449 and prices go up to £2,879.
• The Surface Laptop Studio will reportedly start shipping in the UK on February 22, 2022.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a versatile device, a powerful successor to the Surface Book, and one of the best Windows laptops. It's also on its way to the UK. According to leaks by Aggiornamenti Lumia, the Surface Laptop Studio will launch in the UK on February 22, 2022. A follow-up tweet by the outlet also shares pricing details. The Surface Laptop Studio will start at £1,449 in the UK and max out at £2,879.

The two most affordable versions of the Surface Laptop Studio have Iris Xe graphics, while all higher-end models run on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a unique non-detachable 2-in-1. Rather than flipping around like a Lenovo Yoga 9i 15 or detaching like a Surface Pro 8, the Surface Laptop Studio can pop its screen to rest at an angle. In addition to having a unique form factor, the Surface Laptop Studio is the most powerful Surface laptop to date.

What you need to know

• SopiGuard now has skins available for the Surface Laptop Studio.
• There are several options for skins, including chrome, carbon fiber, textured, and clear.
• Surface Laptop Studio skins from SopiGuard start at $40.

Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8 owners can now personalize their PCs with skins from SopiGuard. Several texture options are available, including color shift, carbon fiber, and brushed finish. All of the texture options are available in several colors as well.

Right now, the Surface Laptop Studio has more skin options than the Surface Pro 8. Surface Laptop Studio skins start at $40, and Surface Pro 8 skins start at $20.

Reddit user bwherman shared images of the Surface Laptop Studio with the textured honeycomb skin from SopiGuard. Follow-up photos shared in the comments on Reddit show additional angles. Other textured skins, such as 3M Green Camo, Forged Carbon, Leather White, and Black Wood are also available for the Surface Laptop Studio.

Since the Surface Pro 8 has less surface area to cover, the skins are much more affordable. At this time, some Surface Pro 8 skins from SopiGuard are only available for preorder.

The Surface Pro 8 has fewer textured options. SopiGuard has a photo gallery of all of its different textures and colors on various devices.

If you're an artist or use a stylus on your PC, you can also order a skin for your Surface Slim Pen 2 for $10.

What you need to know

• Google, Microsoft, Apple, and other major companies have new gadgets coming out in October 2021, which has been called "Techtober."
• The iPhone 13, Pixel 6, and new Surface hardware are among the newly announced devices.
• Windows Central readers are overwhelmingly most excited about the Surface Duo 2.

October is always a big month for gadget geeks, and that's especially the case with October 2021. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants have new gadgets to show off this month. Many in the industry now refer to October as "Techtober" due to the number of announcements each year. Over the weekend, we ran a poll asking which gadget drew the most excitement from our readers. In a poll full of options from the biggest names in tech, the Surface Duo 2 won in a landslide.

Over 58% of polled Windows Central readers said that they were most excited about the Surface Duo 2. That was more than five times the interest the Pixel 6 drew. Only 2.6% of voters said that they were most interested in the iPhone 13. The MacBook Pro, which should be announced on October 18, 2021, only earned 2% of the votes.

As Windows Central has a readership with many Microsoft and Surface enthusiasts, it's not surprising that the Surface Duo 2 garnered the most attention. What is a bit surprising is the margin by which the Surface Duo 2 beat out every other device. Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio (6.9%), Surface Pro 8 (6.4%), and Surface Go 3 (2%) didn't come close to their foldable Surface sibling.

The Microsoft-made device that drew the second most interest was the Xbox Mini Fridge (9.6%).

Microsoft's Arc Mouse is on sale for just under $50 right now from Walmart. It's a great accessory for Microsoft's new Surface devices, such as the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, or Surface Go 3. It also pairs well with older Surface hardware, thanks to its compact design. The Microsoft Arc Mouse can fold down into a minuscule sliver that can easily slot into a bag or pocket. You can then pop up the mouse to create a curved body that contours your hand.

Walmart has the black Microsoft Arc Mouse on sale for $50 right now. If you want to get the mouse in different colors, it's worth checking out at other retailers. Microsoft has the Soft Pink model for $53 and the Lilac version for $59. The similarly designed Surface Arc Mouse is also available from Microsoft in several colors starting at $56.

The Microsoft Arc Mouse connects through Bluetooth, so it will work wirelessly with all Surface devices. It doesn't require a dongle, helping keep its footprint small. The mouse weighs just 2.91 ounces (82.5 grams). At its thickest (when folded flat), the mouse is 14.22 mm thick, but it significantly tapers after you get past the part that stores its AAA batteries.

Despite its compact design, the Microsoft Arc Mouse supports both horizontal and vertical scrolling. The mouse has a full scroll plane where your finger rests. To help save battery life, the Microsoft Arc Mouse powers down when you fold it flat.

The Microsoft Arc Mouse is one of the best Surface Pro accessories, but if you'd like something a bit heftier, you can check out our list of the best mice. The Microsoft Arc Mouse is convenient and compact, but you'll probably want something more robust for a permanent desk setup.

What you need to know

• Intel's generic graphics for 10/14/2021 enable 'Dynamic Refresh Rate' for Windows 11.
• The drivers let specific displays jump between 60 and 120 Hz automatically.
• While it works on Surface Pro 8 and Laptop Studio, users need to install the drivers manually.
• Once approved as stable, Microsoft will push the drivers out through Windows Update.

In June, we noted a new feature in Windows 11 called Dynamic Refresh Rate, which would allow PCs with high-refresh displays to jump dynamically between low and high-refresh based on scrolling, inking, or inactivity. We strongly hinted that new Surface products would likely embrace such technology, and sure enough, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio both have 120 Hz screens.

Despite the underlying technology being present, Dynamic Refresh Rate is not enabled on either new Surface is something coming later via an update. Today, users on reddit spotted Intel's latest generic display drivers and noticed that upon installation, a new option now appears enabling this new display option.

We've confirmed on Surface Pro 8 that the new drivers add the option for dynamic refresh rate found under Settings > Display > Advanced Display > Choose a refresh rate. Instead of just 60 Hz or 120 Hz, there is now a third option for Dynamic (60 Hz or 120 Hz) that was not present earlier.

The feature seems to work quite well, although more testing is needed for stability and to see any oddities with the drivers.

The drivers need to be manually installed (extract drivers from the zip file, upgrade driver through Device Manager) as the .exe installer will not work.

Microsoft releases its own "Surface-approved" graphics drivers through Windows Update after it has signed off on the drivers as being stable. It also removes things like the Intel Graphics Panel, which is auto-installed with these drivers.

As a rule of thumb, most users should hold off until Microsoft releases its Surface-approved drivers. These new Intel ones could cause unforeseen issues, especially if someone picks the wrong driver to update or the drivers themselves cause a conflict.

However, the good news is it seems Dynamic Refresh Rate for Windows 11 devices (those with 90Hz or higher displays) is right around the corner. We'll likely see many more laptops announced in the coming months that support this feature, which improves inking (reduced latency) and makes scrolling and OS animations a bit smoother while also helping to mitigate the hit on battery life.

One of the cool things about having a lot of technology lying around is trying new setups that push extremes. With Surface Laptop Studio and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, the question of using an external GPU (eGPU) now becomes relevant.

The good news is it technically works, but the bad news is you could also run into issues, especially if you overcomplicate things. None of this applies to Surface Pro 8 (which I'll be doing a separate article on later), but here is what you need to know for now.

Razer Cortex X plus RTX 3080 GPU is wild

The first thing I re-learned about an eGPU is that 40Gbps is a lot, but it does have a ceiling. The ideal setup, which also makes the most sense, is to run an external display from the eGPU. Many people know that if you just run the eGPU without an external display, it needs to send the data back and forth to the Surface Laptop Studio, which reduces performance even more.

On the old Razer Core from 2016, you get four USB Type-A ports and an Ethernet. Its age notwithstanding, the Razer Core is tiny, and I like those ports. I tossed an RTX 2080Ti in it, and it worked. But the 500W power supply (375W GPU max power) was not enough to handle a wired mouse, keyboard, microphone, and webcam, some of which had RGB lighting. The result was some stuttering and the OS dropping and reconnecting some of the accessories.

I then swapped it out for the Razer Core X ($400). That has a 650W power supply (500W for GPU), and it could fit my RTX 3080, which was nice. It's also tremendously girthy at more than twice the width of Raze Core (232mm vs. 105mm) and weighs 14.2lbs (6.48kg) without the GPU installed. It's a chonky boi.

The downside with Razer Core X is it has no external ports, which I needed for my accessories.

Enter Kensington's new SD5750T Thunderbolt 4 Surface dock, which is simply delightful — I'll be reviewing this soon as well. I plugged it into the second Thunderbolt 4 port on Surface Laptop Studio, and suddenly I could plug in all my accessories while the Razer Core X handled the GPU and display output.

(Razer also sells the Core X Chroma ($500), which, yes, adds RGB lights, but also brings back those four Type-A ports, Ethernet, and bumps the PSU to 700W.)

This setup with an eGPU and TB4 dock worked well enough for our recent podcast. It's fast, too, as even with a quad-core CPU, that 3080 makes it a powerful rig.

The issues I had were just minor bugs when I disconnected and reconnected. I've had this problem before with laptops that already have an NVIDIA GPU on board, which is that sometimes the eGPU and the OS get a bit confused loading and unloading drivers.

The point is: For the most part, the setup was working, until my Laptop Studio's internal RTX A2000 GPU got the dreaded exclamation point (!) under Device Manager. I attempted to uninstall and reinstall those drivers, but that is where the real problem began.

Losing all graphics

Upon rebooting to install the NVIDIA display driver, the Surface Laptop Studio effectively blanked out after the Surface logo loaded. I tried a few recovery attempts but opted not to bother with command-line fixes because I had other things to do.

I ended up using a recovery USB and reinstalled Windows 11. Twice.

You see, I tried to do this setup again this morning to see if it was a fluke, and it was not.

Now, is it because I was running a Thunderbolt 4 dock and an eGPU? I don't know. As I said, there were a lot of moving parts here. I'm unsure why Surface Laptop Studio didn't default to the Intel Iris Xe GPU, either.

Of course, I could have micro-managed the GPUs through NVIDIA Control Panel, but to me, this defeats the purpose.

Is an eGPU and Surface Laptop Studio practical?

The bigger question I have is: Who is even going to try this wild setup? If you bought the Surface Laptop Studio with an RTX 3050 Ti, do you need an eGPU? I mean, sure, it's nice, but it doesn't seem very practical.

You're going to drop $400 on the Razor Core X and at least $1,000 (in today's prices) for an RTX 3070 just to make the upgrade worth it. And may your wallets be deep if you want an RTX 3080 or 3090, which push in the $2,000 to $3,000 ranges due to high demand.

Toss in another $350 if you want an excellent Thunderbolt 4 dock in the event you care about adding wired accessories, too.

Some advanced math also needs to be done as eGPUs can shave off around 20% of performance on that GPU. So an RTX 3070 behaves more like a 3060. You also need to factor in the Surface Laptop Studio's quad-core chip versus a proper desktop one. While Surface Laptop Studio earned 11,265 on 3DMark's Time Spy with an RTX 3080 eGPU, that same RTX 3080, when paired in the HP OMEN 30L and a Core i9-10900K, earned a whopping 16,470.

I don't see this as a sensible use of resources, but that's me.

Now, Surface Pro 8 is different, and so far, it's working quite well (but I need to do much more testing). I think an eGPU case for Surface Pro 8 makes much more sense since that device only has Intel Iris Xe. Even adding a 1080 Ti or something in the 20xx series would be a huge performance bump. I'll be doing a separate article on that, including my setup and experience.

I will say, the Kensington dock, so far, is the "keep it simple, stupid" approach. One cable and everything has been working beautifully on Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio. I think for most people using this kind of dock, it's the setup most will go for, and for good reasons: It's much cheaper, easier, and works every time. I can see myself using this as my daily desktop driver, and I plan to do just that.

As far as an eGPU, for me, they still fall into that category of it's so cool!, but very few people get one. A strong argument is made for just getting a darn gaming desktop for $1,400 to $3,500 (depending on the high-end GPU you get). You score more ports, a larger PSU, better thermals, and it's just more straightforward.

What about you? Do you plan on going the route of eGPU, Thunderbolt dock, or risk everything and go for both?

What you need to know

• Microsoft's Surface app has been updated with a new look and user experience.
• The app now supports Surface accessories, including audio devices, docks, and pens.
• The Surface app now works with Smart charging for devices that support it.

Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3 this week. Following the availability of the new hardware, Microsoft updated its Surface app for Windows. The app has a new look that fits in on Windows 11, and it has several new features. The app now works with Smart charging on supported devices. It also supports Surface accessories, including docks, pens, and audio devices.

Here's everything new from the Surface app's October 2021 update:

• An updated user experience that complements the premium hardware experience for Surface
• Support for Surface accessories, including Surface audio devices, pen, and docks
• Support for features, like Smart charging, on devices that support it
• New promotions for eligible Surface devices
• Support for 36 languages

The app's user experience has changed quite a bit. Previously, the app looked similar to Windows 10 apps like the Settings app. The updated Surface app lines up better with Windows 11.

It's been a busy week for Microsoft's Surface lineup. Make sure to check out our Surface Pro 8 review and Surface Laptop Studio review to catch up on everything about the latest devices from Microsoft.

Microsoft's Surface hardware events are always eagerly anticipated thanks to the promise of shiny new devices. This year was no exception, as we waited to see whether expectations of a Pro 8, Laptop Studio, Pro X, Go 3, and Duo 2 would be realized.

While Microsoft seems to always be on the ball with its design choices — save maybe port selection — the performance hardware side of things isn't always as easy to appreciate. The AMD-powered Surface Laptop 3 15 comes to mind, as do the Intel-powered Surface Studio 2 and Surface Go 2. These devices launched with aging processors, much to the chagrin of power users who wanted the absolute best performance in their brand-new device.

A whole new crop of Surface PCs is here, launching Oct. 5 to coincide with the worldwide rollout of Windows 11. While the Pro X hasn't seen a performance upgrade, the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Go 3 do have some new CPUs. And with the launch of the new Surface Laptop Studio, there are also some Intel H-series chips to take a look at. Let's see what we can expect from these CPUs, as well as how they might compare to a bunch of other popular laptops that we've already had in for testing.

Surface Pro 8 and 11th Gen Intel Tiger Lake

The Surface Pro 8 can be equipped with four different processors, all from Intel's 11th Gen Tiger Lake series. PCIe 4, Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 6 support comes with these CPUs. Looking at the consumer side first — the Pro 8 also has commercial options for business — there are Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1185G7 quad-core chips available. These are both 10nm with a maximum 28W TDP, capable of hyper-threading for a total of eight threads.

The i5 tops out at around 4.2GHz with Turbo, while the i7 hits about 4.8GHz with Turbo. As for the cache, the i5 is looking at 8MB while the i7 has 12MB. Intel Iris Xe graphics are integrated into both chips, with the i7 version being a bit more powerful thanks to a slightly higher frequency and more execution units (96 compared to 80). You can expect better graphics performance compared to previous Iris Plus and UHD integrated chips, but I still wouldn't consider the Pro 8 a gaming PC. You can find a lot more power in our collection of the best gaming laptops.

We've already seen the i5-1135G7 in the Surface Pro 7 Plus where it achieved impressive numbers in both Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 benchmarking. And now that we've tested the Core i7-1185G7 in the Surface Pro 8, we can see where performance rests.

On the commercial side of the Pro 8 release, a Core i3-1115G4 and Core i5-1145G7 join the aforementioned Core i7-1185G7. Why the different i5 on the commercial side? It has Intel vPro capabilities, just like the i7-1185G7, to help with remote management. These appeal to IT departments, so it makes sense for Microsoft to offer them for enterprise buys. The i5-1145G7 has a slightly higher Turbo clock compared to its 1135G7 counterpart, but its cache, TDP, and graphics frequency remain the same.

The Core i3 is there to help keep costs down, or for anyone who doesn't need a whole lot of power. It's a dual-core chip with Intel UHD integrated graphics, so don't expect it to measure up too closely to the i5 and i7 siblings. We've tested the i3-1115G4 in the Acer Aspire 5, but haven't so far tested the i5-1145G7; I pulled average single-core and multi-core numbers from official Geekbench listings to give an idea of what to expect. As for Cinebench, i3 and i7 numbers are listed.

Take these numbers with a grain of salt. The Pro 8 is its own device, and averages pulled from a huge database are certainly skewed.

Surface Laptop Studio and 11th Gen Intel H-series CPUs

The Surface Laptop Studio is the latest device to join the lineup, bringing a snazzy 2-in-1 design with display hinge on top of a standard laptop body. It's packing 11th Gen Intel Core H-series CPUs for a bit more power owing to its "Studio" designation. Entry-level configs have a Core i5-11300H, with the Core i7-11370H available as a step up. PCIe 4, Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 6 support come with these chips.

These two Tiger Lake CPUs have four cores, eight threads, a 10nm process, and a maximum 35W TDP. The i5's base clock speed hits up to 3.1GHz at that 35W TDP, while the i7 hits 3.3GHz when drawing the same power. As for Turbo, the i5 hits 4.4GHz while the i7 hits 4.8GHz.

Both chips feature integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, though the Laptop Studio provides dedicated graphics options as well for more power. Compared to the 11th Gen G7 CPUs in the Surface Pro 8, and compared to 10th Gen H-series counterparts, you should expect better performance here.

We tested the Surface Laptop Studio's Core i7-11370H CPU, putting it through multiple benchmarks to see exactly how it performs.

As for the Core i5-11300H option, we still haven't had a chance to test it in-house. Notebookcheck has average Geekbench 5 scores of 1,313 (single-core) and 4,403 (multi-core). Similarly, CPU-Monkey has Cinebench R23 average scores of 1,394 (single-core) and 5,349 (multi-core).

Surface Go 3 and Surface Pro X

The Surface Go 3 saw mostly a performance upgrade. It's now available with either an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or a 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10100Y. This isn't a huge bump in power, and it's looking like the same issue of "barely enough" that we saw in the Surface Go 2 will be true once again.

While benchmarks and performance numbers are not plentiful for either of these chips — we will have our own set of numbers once we have a Go 3 in for testing — we can compare them to the older Go 2 CPUs.

The Pentium Gold 6500Y in the Go 3 is a dual-core chip with four threads, 5W TDP (up to 7W), and 1.1GHz base frequency. The Gold 4425Y in the Go 2 is also a dual-core chip with four threads, with a 6W TDP and 1.7GHz base frequency. The 6500Y does have a larger cache (4MB compared to 2MB) and a slightly higher max frequency for its integrated graphics. Performance is likely not going to be wildly different if you're coming from a Go 2 with the Pentium chip.

The 10th Gen i3-10100Y in the Go 3 has two cores, four threads, 5W TDP (up to 7W), 4MB cache, and a 1.3GHz base frequency. The 8th Gen m3-8100Y has two cores, four threads, 5W TDP (up to 8W), 4MB cache, and a 1.1GHz base frequency. Again, these chips are quite close on paper, and we will have to see how they perform in a real-world setting.

As for the Surface Pro X announced at the 2021 Surface Event, nothing is changing when it comes to performance hardware. There's now a version available without built-in LTE, which also lowers the starting cost of the device.

Both the Microsoft SQ1 and SQ1 ARM CPUs remain as available options for the Pro. If you're interested in how these chips compare, Executive Editor Daniel Rubino's in-depth Surface Pro X SQ2 review has all the information. And if you're looking for details about a bunch of other great laptops, our collection of the best Windows laptops likely has what you need.

What you need to know

• You can now order the Surface Laptop Studio to additional regions through Big Apple Buddy.
• The Surface Laptop Studio is only available in the United States and Canada at the moment unless you import it.
• To order a Surface Laptop Studio through Big Apple Buddy, you'll have to pay a service fee, shipping costs, and any duty fees or taxes owed.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio launched this week in the United States and Canada. Due to the ongoing global chip shortage, the unique 2-in-1 PC won't launch in other markets until sometime in early 2022. In comes Big Apple Buddy, which helps customers purchase devices outside of the limited regions the Surface Laptop Studio is available in.

Big Apple Buddy ships devices through FedEx or DHL, allowing people to order the Surface Laptop Studio or other gadgets in a much wider range of regions. Big Apple Buddy sources its devices from official retailers, Best Buy in the case of the Surface Laptop Studio.

Ordering the Surface Laptop Studio through Big Apple Buddy will cost more than if you were able to purchase the device directly from Microsoft or a local retailer. A lot of the increased cost is to cover shipping.

For example, a Surface Laptop Studio with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage would normally cost $1,600. Ordering that model in the UK would require at least an additional $196 for shipping. Some shipping options are as high as $206. Big Apple Buddy also charges a service fee of $50.

On top of the service fee and cost of shipping, you'll have to pay any duty fees or import taxes owed. Fees like this are often based on the value of the device shipped to your country, meaning you could end up paying quite a bit to import a Surface Laptop Studio.

Big Apple Buddy estimates that an order to the UK would cost 20% of the value of the device, which would be over $300. That's only an estimate, so the exact tax you'd have to pay could vary.

In total, an order of a Surface Laptop Studio to the UK would cost at least $2,165, and that's to get the model that normally costs $1,600. That's a difference of over $500, but it does allow you to get the device now rather than having to wait for Microsoft to expand its availability.

For years, fans of Microsoft's Surface line — including us — have been frustrated by the fact that Microsoft continuously chose not to outfit its devices with Thunderbolt ports. While manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, and HP were putting Thunderbolt on several of their laptops, Microsoft stubbornly stuck with standard USB-C. However, that has finally changed, as both the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Laptop Studio feature not one, but two Thunderbolt ports.

But is the addition of Thunderbolt really that big of a deal? Ultimately, while it's true that Thunderbolt isn't the flashiest feature out there, we do think it's a very valuable and important one. Here's why the addition of Thunderbolt 4 on Surface devices is a significant step forward.

Support for dual-monitor setups

One of the biggest reasons the addition of Thunderbolt 4 on the Surface Pro 8 and Laptop Studio is significant is because Thunderbolt 4 is capable of supporting the use of not one, but two external 4K external monitors. This is a big deal, as it means that you'll now be able to use dual-monitor setups by using a single Thunderbolt 4 port.

Since the Surface Pro 8 and Laptop Studio have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, this gives you the freedom to utilize the other one for other accessories like hard drives or USB hubs. This will save you a lot of money that you may have otherwise needed to spend on a docking station (though getting one of the best laptop docking stations is still a good idea if you can afford one).

Using a pair of the best computer monitors is one of the best ways to enhance your ability to multitask while working in the office or at your home workstation. Therefore, the fact that the Surface Pro 8 and Laptop Studio are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports makes them very flexible, as putting together a dual-monitor setup is easier than ever before with them.

Top-notch transfer speeds

Another reason the inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 ports on new Surface devices is valuable is because they utilize 40Gbps bandwidth. This allows users to transfer files to and from the best external hard drives, such as the CalDigit Tuff nano, much faster than they could with traditional USB-A or USB-C ports that only support lower speeds.

While you probably won't take advantage of this much if you don't often work with large files, it's a big deal for people who do a lot of photo or video editing. Since high-quality images and videos tend to take up a lot of space, many editors will load them onto external drives when they're finished and then retrieve them later when they're needed. Being able to do this quickly will save them a ton of time.

Since Surface devices haven't had Thunderbolt until now, they've generally been considered a sub-par option for media editing. However, now that Microsoft has embraced Thunderbolt, something like the Surface Laptop Studio is perfect for editing photos and video. Not only does the Surface Laptop Studio have beefy specs and a relatively compact design, but it also comes with the high-speed Thunderbolt connectivity that most editors look for in a laptop.

Compatibility with eGPUs

The addition of Thunderbolt 4 ports also means that you can use the best eGPUs for gaming with the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Laptop Studio, which is something that will benefit the Surface Pro 8 especially. The Surface Pro 8's powerful 11th Gen Intel CPUs, all-day battery life, and thin and light chassis make it perfect for workday productivity. But when it's time to unwind, the fact that you can hook it up to an eGPU means that it can also be transformed into a great gaming machine, too — especially since the device's display looks fantastic and has a refresh rate of 120Hz.

In his Surface Pro 8 review, my colleague Daniel Rubino was able to easily achieve 120 FPS in Dying Light 2 while playing at resolutions at and above 2K by using a Razer eGPU equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 2080. This performance easily rivals many of the best gaming laptops out there, and it's all thanks to the flexibility of Thunderbolt.

Final thoughts

While Thunderbolt may not seem like a big deal on the surface (har har), it's one of the most valuable features that modern laptops have. Between its compatibility with multiple displays, its high-speed data transfers, and its support for eGPUs, Thunderbolt 4 is a big deal — and the fact that Microsoft has finally embraced it with the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio means that these devices will be significantly more competitive than their predecessors.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio introduces a new form factor, the non-detachable 2-in-1. Like many Surface devices, it's earned positive marks for its design and the engineering required to make it, but several reviews bring up its lack of power compared to the best Windows laptops. Here's how industry experts feel about Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Studio.

In his Surface Laptop Studio review, our executive editor Daniel Rubino gave the unique device 4 out of 5 stars. Despite the high price of the Surface Laptop Studio, Rubino came away impressed by its flexibility:

The folks over at Engadget were pleased with the design of the Surface Laptop Studio, but wish it was more powerful:

Our sister site TechRadar also brought up the lack of power in its Surface Laptop Studio review. The laptop earned a 3.5 out of 5 for its good display, design, trackpad, and webcam, but it lost points for its price and use of an Intel H35 processor:

In what appears to be a trend across several reviews, Tom's Hardware also lauded the design of the Surface Laptop Studio but criticized its lack of power:

Overall, the reviews for the Surface Laptop Studio echo similar sentiments. It isn't as powerful as some of its competitors, but it stands out for its unique design. Microsoft may not view that fact as a bad thing. In his Windows Central writeup, Rubino points out that the Surface Laptop Studio is designed for a specific niche:

You can also read reviews of the other latest Surface devices here on Windows Central, such as the Surface Pro 8.

In 2015, Microsoft introduced the Surface Book in one of the most noteworthy product reveals ever. With its never-before-done detachable display, later iterations of Surface Book delivered the power of a modest workstation but the flexibility of a tablet PC when required. The idea seemed ingenious, almost too good, and yet years later, the idea has fizzled as people questioned its practicality and tradeoffs in performance.

Surface Laptop Studio is the spiritual successor to Surface Book and, and in many ways, feels just like it did. It's a bigger, heavier, and indeed, a more powerful PC compared to Surface Laptop 4.

This time, the Microsoft trick is that new pull-it-forward display, one Acer and Sony VAIO, have been dabbling in for years. However, unlike those PCs this is a Surface. Everything is more premium with unique features like a 120Hz display, haptic pen and touchpad, quad-audio, a distinctive design, and balance between all the components. It all adds up to an incredible machine despite a few odd choices and early rough edges.

Aimed at mobile creators and engineers I've spent the last few days with Microsoft's most expensive mobile PC yet. I've learned quite a bit about what it can do and what it can't, with a lot of detail that you won't find elsewhere. So, is Surface Laptop Studio a boom or a bust?

Let's find out.

Surface Laptop Studio: Price, availability, and specs

Surface Laptop Studio is now available in the U.S. and Canada, with 47 additional markets coming sometime in early 2022, with the delay due to the ongoing chip shortage.

Consumers can purchase the laptop through Microsoft, Best Buy, or Amazon, while those wanting the commercial version can order through Microsoft, or through retail partners.

Pricing begins at $1,599 for a Core i5 processor with integrated graphics (Intel Iris Xe), 256GB of storage, and 16GB of RAM.

The Core i7 models ship with a more powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics processor, while the commercial version uses an identical NVIDIA GeForce RTX A2000 for ISV-certified professional software. Both GPUs have similar architectures, memory, and performance, with the RTX A2000 having a slightly higher GPU boost clock (1,207.5MHz vs. 1,035MHz) and error correction code (ECC) memory. ECC is vital to commercial applications like CAD, video, and 3D programs, but not gaming.

Surface Laptop Studio: Specs

The top-tier configuration for Surface Laptop Studio includes a Core i7, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and an RTX 3050 Ti GPU costing around $3,100. The same version with an RTX A2000 GPU is $3,800.

The models used for this review feature the Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, with one using the A2000 and the other 3050 Ti. The cost is around $2,699 for the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti model, while the one with the RTX A2000 is $3,399.

Business editions also ship with Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro (+$100 license), while the consumer variants use Windows 11 Home.

Pricing also does not include the new haptics-enabled Surface Slim Pen 2, which is an optional $130 purchase.

There's nothing like it

Surface Laptop Studio: Design and features

The overall look of Surface Laptop Studio is distinct. To my eyes, it continues the "Brutalist design" aesthetics with a hint of Dieter Ram's minimalism we've seen in other Surface products. The top lid looks like Surface Pro. When opened, the rounded corners and edges lend themselves to an Apple MacBook Pro. But peeking underneath it is altogether distinct with a curious pedestal-base and aggressive venting. It reminds me a bit of Xbox One S, which also has a similar stepped design.

Few have wondered if that base would detract from use in the lap or cause it to be unbalanced. It does not. That stepped design gives some extra grip points when grabbing the laptop, and the larger front lip lets the Surface Slim Pen 2 magnetically stick while being completely flush and out of the way. I think it's an ingenious, functional layout and makes this PC unlike any other in the world.

For the first time, Microsoft is using a pull-it-forward display in a Surface PC. The concept isn't new as Acer first tried it with the Aspire R7 in 2013 and VAIO in 2014 with the VAIO Duo 13. HP used it with the 2018 Spectre Folio. Indeed, Acer is still making such devices like its ConceptD Ezel series.

But Microsoft is the first to do it this way and at such a premium level.

The pull-it-forward concept is straightforward. You use Surface Laptop Studio like an average workstation laptop, but with a flick, you can bring the screen forward ("stage mode") where the keyboard is hidden, but the touchpad is still visible for navigation. This configuration is ideal for watching a video, conference calls, immersive reading, and light sketching. The shift brings the display about 7 inches closer to you, significantly altering the viewing experience.

It doesn't stop there. Pull it forward again, and now you can lay down the display at a slight angle ("studio mode"), which makes it ideal for extended drawing sessions or manipulating onscreen data using the Surface Slim Pen 2.

You can do all these postures without ever lifting the Surface Laptop Studio off your lap or desk, which is cumbersome on 14- and 15-inch laptops. And, unlike a PC with a 360-degree hinge, the keyboard never gets dirty when in stage mode nor pushes back from taps because it locks into place thanks to some magnets.

If this all looks familiar, it's because Microsoft effectively combined the concepts of its desktop-bound Surface Studio, the tablet-like Surface Pro, and the portable power of Surface Book into one device.

And the idea works. This kind of flexibility with this much power is not unprecedented (see Acer), but it is rare.

Surface Laptop Studio weighs 4 pounds (1.8kg), not light but not too heavy. It's a very dense machine, and unlike Surface Book, there is no gap thanks to the hinge. While Surface Book felt a bit fragile due to that curved, unfolding hinge, Surface Laptop Studio feels tough. It is easy to carry, and the lid opens with one hand.

There isn't much for ports, just two Type-C on the left-hand side, while on the right, there is the magnetic Surface Connect for charging or use with the Surface Dock and a headphone jack.

But, for the first time, Microsoft made those Type-C ports Thunderbolt 4. It's a big deal as it means you could use Surface Laptop Studio with an external GPU (eGPU). Still, the most likely use is for Thunderbolt 4 docks, like the new Surface-certified Kensington SD5750T, or a Thunderbolt external drive where I was able to transfer 7.3GB of videos in just nine seconds. It's a long-overdue technology for Surface and one its target audience will relish.

The keyboard is excellent and is closer to the Surface Laptop with its non-metal dark gray keys and snappier feel than the slightly mushier metal keys on Surface Book. There are four levels (one being off) for backlighting, and the contrast makes these keys easy to see in any condition.

The touchpad is the best of any Windows PC, period, and it feels very similar to what Apple uses in the MacBook Pro. That's because this is Microsoft's first haptic touchpad, which means it doesn't move or click. Instead, it simulates clicking. I've written extensively on this topic as haptic touchpads solve many problems — they can be huge, don't break, are more accurate, and are configurable. While Microsoft takes credit for it, I can reveal that Sensel, whom I have interviewed previously, is behind the technology here. This touchpad is massive, super smooth, and under Settings, users can set how much "kick" the touchpad gives. It's simply phenomenal, and every PC maker needs to adopt this technology now.

The audio is excellent, but it needs a bit more bass and fullness. It is undoubtedly loud as Microsoft uses quad speakers for the first time. Two (bass) push out from the sides while the other two (mids and highs) emanate under the keyboard like Surface Laptop. The result is no visible speaker grills anywhere, which is something unique to Microsoft.

The sound profile also changes based on the posture of the display, which is fascinating. When audio is playing, the mids and highs become more prominent if you shift from laptop to stage mode. Microsoft believes the sound should match the current mode of Surface Laptop Studio, and it is another excellent example of the amount of detail that went into executing this design. Sound is also augmented with the inclusion of Dolby Atmos for increased spatial performance.

The single front-facing camera is a 2.1 MP full HD one. I've said it before, and it still holds that Microsoft makes the best web cameras on any laptop, and that applies here. Color, aspect, and sharpness are all well above average and class leading.

Flanking the camera are dual microphones and infrared sensors for Windows Hello to allow logging in to Windows 11 with face recognition, which is exceptionally fast.

Interestingly, Microsoft skipped Xbox Wireless for directly connecting to an Xbox controller (it was included with Surface Book 3 15-inch). But Microsoft notes that Bluetooth 5.1 advanced so much it was unnecessary. Indeed, connecting an Xbox controller with Bluetooth gave force feedback, something that only Microsoft's proprietary Xbox Wireless could do previously. That said, I did experience some disconnects with the controller, which was frustrating.

So close to perfect

Surface Laptop Studio: Display and inking

Microsoft uses a unique 14.4-inch 2400x1600 touch display with 201 pixels per inch (PPI) and a 120Hz refresh rate. That size falls between Surface Book 3's 13.5-inch and 15-inch screen with a higher 3000x2000 (267 PPI) and 3240x2160 (260 PPI) resolution, respectively. I wouldn't be shocked if Microsoft makes a bigger 16-inch version of Surface Laptop Studio down the line.

Like all Surface products, it has a tall 3:2 display aspect instead of 16:9 or the increasingly common 16:10, making it ideal for inking, but less so for watching 16:9 movies.

I can't say I've noticed a difference in PPI and resolution between Surface Book and Surface Laptop Studio; however, some may be dissatisfied. Microsoft tried to find the right balance between audience, price, and battery life like all laptop makers. While higher resolution would be preferred, it also increases the cost of the device while reducing how long the laptop lasts off the plug.

Color accuracy is better than any mobile Surface product to date and is above average for this class. It measures at 100% sRGB, 81% AdobeRGB, and an impressive 88% DCI-P3. That's a big improvement over Surface Book 3's 97% sRGB, 72% AdobeRGB, and 72% DCI-P3. Those results are still behind the Dell XPS 17 with 100% sRGB, 100% AdobeRGB, and 97% DCI-P3, but are ahead of the Dell XPS 13 and its impressive 3.5K OLED display.

Brightness is also decent. Whereas Surface Book 3 was 495 nits, this measures 508, just above Microsoft's 500 claims. Likewise, this screen can get incredibly dim at just 2.0 nits, making it ideal for working in a dark room late at night.

For the first time, Microsoft is also using Dolby Vision, a form of high-dynamic-range (HDR), which enhances contrast with video content. When combined with movies graded for Dolby Vision, you get deeper blacks, better contrast, and richer colors.

By default, there are no settings for Dolby Vision, but users can install the Dolby Access app in the Microsoft Store. That app can tune audio (Dolby Atmos), and video (Dolby Vision) with some presets.

The display bezels are thin, though not the thinnest, but at least are proportionally equal all around. It's a good look and balanced.

The 120Hz refresh rate is striking and set as default out of the box (unlike Surface Pro 8, which is 60Hz by default). Users can go into settings and reduce the display to 60Hz to save on battery. Windows 11 now supports Dynamic Refresh Rate, which lets displays instantly shift between 60Hz (idle) and 120Hz (scrolling, inking). Disappointingly that feature is not yet enabled, although Microsoft expects a firmware update later to allow it to. The same applies to "Wake on Approach."

That 120Hz is also responsible for the lack of latency with Surface Slim Pen 2. The higher refresh lets the ink "flow" better, simulating a real inking experience. That pen also supports haptics, a type of "force feedback." Haptic inking only works if the app supports it, but there are quite a few that already do, including:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Journal
• Microsoft Whiteboard
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adobe Fresco
• Sketchable
• LiquidText
• Shapr3D

Users can control how strong the haptics feel under Settings, as well as turning it off. By default, it is set to 50% though I found turning it up to near 100% is a better experience. The feature makes it feel like friction when writing simulating using a pencil on paper. Changing to pen or marker changes it again. And the pen gives a little "kick" when using Adobe Fresco and the lasso tool when you are nearing the grab points.

Pen haptics is a neat feature, but not quite jaw-dropping either as it's subtle. But when combined with the new pen tip in Surface Slim Pen 2, it positively enhances the overall experience. Toss in 120Hz refresh for no latency, the ability to tuck it away under the Laptop Studio's keyboard deck (where it also recharges), and the whole set is a very impressive advancement in digital inking.

Curiously, while Surface Laptop Studio does include an auto-brightness sensor, it does not feature one for adaptive color found in Surface Pro 8. Microsoft explained why when asked, which makes sense:

I am pleased to report that Microsoft does now let users disable Intel's "adaptive contrast," long a bugaboo of Surface fans. Adaptive contrast dims blacks and reduces contrast to decrease power consumption, making it a valuable feature for the battery conscious. However, the experience can create jarring shifts in brightness when jumping between a primarily white web page and something predominantly black.

Another clever trick not publicized is "Wake on Touch," and it is available as an option under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touch > Touch the screen to wake. It works when the laptop is in stage or studio modes, and the power button is obscured. Users can tap the display, which wakes up the computer and kicks in Windows Hello to log back into Windows automatically. Attention to detail, indeed.

My only complaint with this otherwise exceptional screen is Microsoft's doggedness to omit an anti-reflective (AR) layer to reduce eye strain. HP, Dell, Lenovo, and especially Apple use AR in their pen-enabled products like the iPad Pro. AR keeps contrast and color accuracy while making the device more comfortable to use under bright lights or even outdoors. It's a frankly baffling oversight, and Microsoft has been unable to provide me with a justifiable answer for its absence.

Quite powerful

Surface Laptop Studio: Performance and battery

Microsoft uses a unique processor with Surface Laptop Studio: A quad-core Intel 11th Gen Core i5-11300H or Core i7-11370H. We haven't seen many of these chips used in laptops as they fall between Intel's U-series chips found in Ultrabooks and the 6- to 8-core 45-watt H-series processors. That makes them more efficient than what is used in the Dell XPS 15 and more powerful than the 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 used in Surface Book 3.

Measuring pure CPU performance (no GPU) in Cinebench 23 Surface Laptop studio matches Apple's MacBook Pro with an M1 processor for single-core performance (Intel's strength). Still, it falls dramatically behind devices with 6- or 8-core CPUs, as one expects.

Things improve with PCMark 10, which measures total Windows performance for productivity (but not gaming), blending CPU and GPU in various tasks, including photo and video editing. As a result, it is accurate to say Surface Studio Laptop is identical to the Razer Blade 15 (late 2020) gaming laptop with the 8-core i7-10875H processor and slightly ahead of the HP ENVY x360 with AMD Ryzen R7 5700U. That's very good.

On 3DMark Night Raid, which is more GPU intensive, the Surface Laptop blows everything else away. But that test is meant for comparing Ultrabooks with integrated graphics, not discrete GPUs per se. It's included because Surface Laptop Studio falls between Ultrabooks and beefy workstations, making classification difficult. But if you were curious if Surface Laptop Studio is much more powerful than Surface Laptop 4, the answer is a decisive yes.

Putting Surface Laptop Studio up against appropriate laptops with discrete GPU, it falls in the middle. In 3DMark Time Spy, it pulls ahead of the last-gen XPS 15 (9500) with a GTX 1650 Ti and octa-core processor but is far behind proper gaming PCs like the HP OMEN 15 or Razer Blade 14 and 15 laptops.

That's the takeaway message for performance: Surface Laptop Studio is a powerful Windows laptop for work, but only a mediocre one for gaming. That experience fits with Microsoft's intended use of Surface Laptop Studio.

Another strong point, for once, is storage. Microsoft typically has mid-range SSD performance, but Surface Laptop Studio ranks near the top. The user-replaceable SSD came fourth in our tests with an impressive 3,500MB/s sequential read and 3,225MB/s sequential write result, even beating the Apple MacBook Pro (M1). Storage performance is vital as when combined with faster LPDDR4x RAM and a decent CPU/GPU it can result in excellent overall system performance, which is what we see.

Related to that SSD, I did hear some minor coil whine when plugged in and set to max performance while transferring data, but it is a non-issue in other scenarios.

For those interested, we didn't find much difference in performance between Surface Laptop Studio with GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics and RTX A2000 with ECC and a slightly higher GPU boost clock. On PCMark 10, again, measuring overall system performance, the model with the A2000 scored 5,746 while the one with the 3050 Ti garnered a very similar 5,698. In Time Spy, the A2000 got 5,034, and the 3050 Ti got 5,077, which is within the margin of error/sampling. Microsoft notes that the A2000 has a "net higher performance throughput," so in some cases it may edge out the 3050 Ti, but only marginally. But for companies with ISV-certified software (CAD, 3D rendering, etc.), the A2000 with ECC is critical and an excellent option.

One exciting change by Microsoft is power profiles. When plugged in, Surface Laptop Studio automatically shifts to "best performance," but when unplugged, it goes back to "recommended" (which balances battery with performance). Users can, of course, override the behavior in Settings, but I think this is the right move with this laptop class.

Fan noise is also very good. The dual fans absolutely kick in when gaming or doing intense GPU work, but there is no high-pitched whine, just a lot of air being pushed. It is audible but also better than gaming laptops, mainly because the intakes and exhaust are all on the sides and not the bottom. During regular Windows usage (web, Office, email, video), the fans are silent.

For temperature, under intense load, the entire keyboard deck does get warm but never hot. Temps never peaked above 104°F (40°C) even at the exhaust points, which is remarkably good. Many PCs, including Surface Pro 8, get a skin temperature around 108°F (42°C) while gaming laptops can hit a scorching 123°F (51°F) on the bottom.

While Surface Laptop Studio is not a gaming laptop it can game. In loading up Destiny 2, you can easily play full resolution (2400x1600) and still hit 46-65 frames per second with medium graphics. Knock that down to "Full HD" 1920x1200 and 70-95 FPS achievable leveraging that 120Hz display.

In a disappointing move, Microsoft includes a 102W Surface Connect charger for Surface Laptop Studio. That's the same charger that shipped with Surface Book 2, but not the larger 127W one that came with Surface Book 3. And yes, that means under heavy gaming like Destiny 2, you will lose around 2% battery for every 10 minutes of gameplay. That's not awful, as even after an hour, you may only be down 15%, but it's a weird choice.

Of course, you could spring for that 127W charger on Amazon ($94) and problem solved (I tested), but that's still lame.

Instant-on is also superb. Closing the laptop for the night, the following day, Surface Laptop Studio logged me into Windows 11 in three seconds.

The 56.3WHr battery is shockingly good. In synthetic benchmarks using PCMark 10 Modern Office, classified as "light and medium office work," including a "realistic balance of writing, web browsing, and video conferencing," Surface Laptop Studio yielded an impressive 11 hours and 19 minutes. That was with the display set to 50%, auto-brightness/adaptive color/contrast disabled, and 120Hz refresh. Repeating the same test at 60Hz yielded 11 hours and 41 minutes — not a huge difference when doing basic work.

Going to the other extreme during PCMark 10's gaming battery rundown test, which is consistent and very GPU heavy, Surface Laptop Studio eked out two hours and six minutes of constant gaming. That's with the display at 120Hz, 50% brightness, max performance, and no auto-brightness enabled. That's not a lot, but better than most gaming laptops, which often fall below two hours.

Keep in mind, factors like display brightness and whether you are using 120Hz for the refresh rate will significantly impact your experience. Tasks like gaming, rendering, or compiling (aka GPU-intensive scenarios) will also considerably affect those results. In our tests, we disabled battery-saving features like auto-display brightness and adaptive contrast, but we also kept brightness at 50%. If you regularly use Surface Laptop Studio at 120Hz at 90% brightness while playing DOOM Eternal, you'll cut those results in half.

A few choices

Surface Laptop Studio: Competition

Despite being a unique device without much competition, a few alternatives to Surface Laptop Studio are worth considering.

The most obvious is the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel. The models sport a pull-it-forward display design, support Wacom EMR inking, and have Pantone-validated screens. They can be configured with much more powerful internals, including an Intel Core i7-11800H processor and up to an RTX 3080 Laptop GPU. You also get many, many more ports. Pricing is unannounced, but Acer is known to be much more affordable. You don't get Windows Hello, a haptic touchpad, the haptic pen, or a 3:2 display aspect, but you can get a 4K display. Audio and the webcam will be much worse, fans are louder, and the build quality (all plastic) is also where corners get cut.

The HP Spectre x360 14 (and newer 16-inch model) are also 2-in-1s but with 360 hinges. They support inking (pen included, but no storage), look amazing, and have excellent software tweaks. The 14-inch model is one of our top-rated Ultrabooks. You do give up a discrete GPU and don't get any haptic pen or touchpad.

HP also has the excellent Elite Folio, but it's ultra-mobile with a much weaker ARM processor. However, you get the same pull-it-forward display and design with pen storage and options for 4G LTE and even 5G.

If you want much more power and just gaming, the Razer Blade 14 with AMD is a good bet, whereas the XPS 17 is good if you want a near-perfect 17-inch display in a 15-inch laptop. Both are straight clamshell laptops with no inking.

Microsoft's own Surface Pro 8 is perfect if you want many of the same features, including a 120Hz display, haptic Slim Pen 2, excellent touch display, but in a smaller package. You can even get it with LTE later in December 2021.

Finally, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a model with a touch screen and even inking. It's not a convertible, however, and it is still running 10th Gen Intel parts making a Gen 4 refresh imminent. It won't perform as well with its older 1650 Ti GPU and has weak battery life.

Creator class

Should you buy the Surface Laptop Studio?

Who it's for

• Social content creators (editing video or photos)
• Professional designers and creators (CAD, 3D, drawing)
• Developers
• STREAMi (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, Maths, innovation)

Who it isn't for

• Those who want a gaming PC
• Those on a tight budget
• People who just need a clamshell laptop

Microsoft is clear about who should buy Surface Laptop Studio. It's for those who work with data, engineers, designers, scientists, creators, and developers. It's a professional piece of hardware. While it may look fantastic if you don't need to draw or design, it is overkill at best and useless at worst. Microsoft touts the i5 model (no NVIDIA GPU) for "social content creators," i.e., those doing lighter work who do need a pen for drawing or sketching up ideas, and I think that makes sense for those who want more than a Surface Pro 8.

What can I say if you're not in those lines of work besides that this PC isn't for you? If you want a "Surface gaming laptop," this is not it. Like Surface Book, you can game on it (and it's darn enjoyable), but at this price, you better be able to justify usage of that display that heavily leans on inking or those other two postures.

As far as a successor to Surface Book, this laptop fixes a lot of things. There's Thunderbolt 4, a much stronger CPU, a better (and replaceable) SSD. The audio is louder, touchpad is better, and the display is more accurate. There's Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos now to enhance music and movies. The new haptic pen is superb. And I think this laptop-style is much better than 360-degree hinges.

Turning to the "theory" of Surface Laptop Studio, I think Microsoft nailed it. This design highlights the best of 2-in-1 PCs in an exquisitely premium package. It pushes boundaries with that high refresh 120Hz display and embraces haptics. The design is both unique, but also functional. And like Windows 11, it's not cluttered or complex. It's a tool with purpose. Yeah, it's a bit awkward to transition back from studio mode to laptop mode, but that tradeoff is worth it for the functionality you gain.

As far as grumbles, this is a first-gen device, and while it is incredibly stable and performant with Windows 11, there are some hardware quirks. Leaving out an SD card reader when rumors are Apple is bringing it back is a dumb move. I've harped on no AR for the display. A real "floating" screen like Surface Studio would be even more fascinating (Acer already does this). Bluetooth could use a driver update to fix some disconnection issues.

But these are minor grievances. The design, feel, look, and execution of Surface Laptop Studio is much better than the first Surface Book, which was plagued with software and hardware bugs. It didn't even get a real GPU until version 2, and by then, people were already questioning the usefulness of the detachable display. And like many of Microsoft's hardware creations, Surface Laptop Studio's design is polarizing, but I'd argue that's the point of Surface — to challenge computing norms. Sometimes that works (Surface Pro 3), and sometimes it doesn't (Surface Book).

The jury is still out on Surface Laptop Studio, but it is fairing much better so far.

That brings us to the ultimate question of who buys Surface Laptop Studio. While there is piqued curiosity, it remains to be seen whether people will pay for it, especially at this level. Time will tell. But putting hoity toity questions of economics aside, if you're wondering whether it's a banger of a laptop that most people would enjoy using every day? The answer is a decisive yes. It's awesome.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced five new Surface devices in September 2021, four of which are now available for purchase.
• The Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, and Surface Pro X are now available.
• The Surface Duo 2 won't be available until October 22, 2021.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Go 3 are now available for purchase. The Surface Laptop Studio introduces a new form factor while the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Go 3 update Microsoft's 2-in-1 lineups. The Surface Pro X didn't receive a design overhaul or spec update, but starting today, you can order a more affordable model without LTE.

Note that some retailers may not take orders for the new devices until later today, October 5, 2021. At the time of publication, orders are live on Microsoft and Best Buy's websites.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a non-detachable 2-in-1. You can pull its screen forward to switch it into different modes. It's also the most powerful Surface device ever, according to Microsoft. Our executive editor Daniel Rubino runs the device through its paces in his Surface Laptop Studio review

The Surface Pro lineup has been around for 10 years. The Surface Pro 8 refines the lineup's design with a larger display and thinner bezels. It's also significantly more powerful than the Surface Pro 7. You can read more about the new 2-in-1 in our Surface Pro 8 review.

The Surface Go 3 has the same form factor and design as its predecessor but now has better hardware under the hood. Its Intel Core i3 model is 60% faster than the original Surface Go 2.

The Surface Pro X has a model without LTE connectivity that brings its starting price down. There aren't any other changes to the Surface Pro X lineup, but the model with only Wi-Fi connectivity is now available for order.

I used to be a giant Surface fan, but in the past few years, I dropped off. I wrote an article a while ago detailing why I stopped buying Surface, which can be summarized as general disappointment in quality and usability. It often felt as if Surface devices were developed in a vacuum, and ignored how they were actually being used in the real world. I think the Surface Laptop Studio is the first sign that the team is addressing some of that.

Microsoft's recent Surface event was the best it's had in years, showcasing an impressive slate of, well, slates, from the Surface Duo 2 to the forward-facing Surface Pro 8. At least for me, though, it was the Surface Laptop Studio that stole the show. And while it has a hilariously clunky name (seriously Microsoft, hire a name guy, or something) — the form factor is anything but clunky.

Ditching detachables

Inking on the Surface Book.

The Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft's most innovative Surface in years, achieving something I'd complained about in my previous Surface Book coverage.

I am someone who considers themself to be the prime target audience for a Surface Book. I dabble in digital art. I work in a creative industry with frequent travel requirements. And I need something powerful for video editing. The laptop that brought me closer to my perfect all-in-one device. A lightweight, dGPU laptop with inking capabilities, complete with a collapsible canvas experience. The problem was the execution.

I'm pretty sure the Surface Book was developed in, and tested, only in labs that have tons of air conditioning. We have virtually no air conditioning in Europe, and this proved to be the Surface Book's Achilles' heel for me.

The laptop's detachable design meant that Microsoft put the CPU up in the display, so it could function as a tablet when detached. Under the lightest of loads in the summer months, this thing would heat up to the point where I'm pretty sure I could've fried an egg on it. Fried food is good, but not exactly a feature I want in my laptop.

The Surface Laptop Studio solves this basic design flaw with its innovative collapsible display system. Other manufacturers have looked to 360-degree hinges to create their "canvas" modes for inking, but it still requires you to lift the laptop up off the desk and awkwardly flip everything around. The Surface Laptop Studio's simple system lets you just draw the display towards you. Easy, ergonomic, and elegant. Emotional as Surface leader Panos Panay put it, during the Surface event.

The Surface Laptop Studio also has a new Surface Slim Pen 2 to compliment it, complete with haptics that imitate paper, complete with a boosted display refresh rate. Inking and drawing on glass always felt somehow wrong to me, so I'm hoping that these changes solve my other Surface Book irritants as well. I suspect most people, however, will be most excited about the spec boost.

Serious spec bump

It felt a bit like the Surface Book line was constrained by its design too. Baking so much of the computer in the display led to the heat problems, but the dGPU in the base also came with a litany of problems associated with the detach mechanism. I appreciate wholeheartedly the engineering effort and precision needed to make a device like that work at all, but as an end-user, I needed something that works all of the time without fail. Particularly at the Surface line's notoriously high price range.

To call the Surface Book 3's GTX 1660 Ti a disappointment would be an understatement, considering it was already less powerful than the years-old Razer Blade I'd switched to after repeated disappointments from the Surface Book line. The Surface Laptop Studio gets more serious, baking an RTX 3050 Ti into the base instead, freed up from the constraints of the Book's form factor.

And finally. FINALLY, we're getting Thunderbolt ports, after years of complaining. As someone who effectively runs an entire studio from his laptop, with professional mics for podcasting, capture cards for getting game footage for videos, and so on, having the ability to expand my I/O beyond the bottlenecks of USB is a great boost.

Will it deliver?

Yet still, despite the exciting improvements, I find myself apprehensive. I've used a lot of Surface devices since the early days, and I'm still concerned about quality on the end products both in terms of hardware and software. The throttling on the Surface Pro and Surface Book line in the summer months made them near unusable for anything but the lightest workloads in my AC-less office space, and I don't want to return to that world. Razer laptops have only ever been wholly reliable workhorses for me, although I've sacrificed my digital art hobby to get them.

I still want a device that lets me do everything on the go: work, creation, and play, while taking up minimal space in my tiny European offices. I'm willing to pay a premium to get it, too. Surface hasn't lived up to the promise thus far, for me, but I'm hoping that the Surface Laptop Studio will change the narrative. Even if it has a silly name (seriously, just call it the Surface Book 4).

What you need to know

• Microsoft has announced many new Surface devices.
• These devices are being subjected to differing regional release dates.
• Shopping concierge Big Apple Buddy is committed to helping those in regions with later release dates get the products earlier.

If you want a Surface Duo 2, here's the scoop: It's arriving on October 21, 2021, so long as you live in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Australia, or Canada. If you're not on that particular list of countries, you'll receive the Duo 2... later. How much later is up in the air.

However, Big Apple Buddy has a solution. With its help, those customers outside of Microsoft's favored regions can get a hold of the company's upcoming Surface devices not long after the U.S. receives them.

Big Apple Buddy works with FedEx and DHL to ensure people anywhere can get the devices they want a few days after their initial release, meaning if you're in a region that's not set to get the Surface Laptop Studio or Surface Pro 8 for a while, you know where to turn to.

Take note that there will be a minimum fee of $50 USD per order, dubbed a "service fee" due to the company handling all of the international logistics on your behalf. You can check out more details over on Big Apple Buddy's site.

And on the flip side, if you live in the U.S., you don't have to worry about any of this. Just enjoy instant access to everything Microsoft announced at its 2021 Surface event.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced five new Surface devices and three new accessories last week.
• Over 30% of our readers that voted in a recent poll want to buy a Surface Duo 2.
• The Surface Pro 8 received the second most votes, with almost 24% of polled participants saying they'd like to order one.

Going into Microsoft's Surface hardware event, our readers were most excited by the Surface Duo 2. That excitement appears to have continued following the official announcement of the foldable device.

"Preordered two Duos for my husband and I," said sarfinv in the comments section of our recent poll. GraniteStateColin preordered one as well, "I've preordered the Duo 2 already (but grumbled about the missing Qi)." Several other readers said they would buy a Surface Duo 2 when it became available through their respective carriers.

Over 30% of our polled readers said they'd want to buy the Surface Duo 2.

The Surface Pro 8 came in second place with 23.64% of the vote (note that voters could select multiple options in this poll). The Surface Pro 8 saw its most significant refresh in several generations, including thinner bezels and a larger display.

Around one in five voters said they'd want to purchase the Surface Laptop Studio. Several have already preordered Microsoft's new device. ITMedCEO said that a "fully loaded Surface Laptop Studio is on the way!"

Microsoft calls the Surface Laptop Studio the most powerful Surface device to date. That power convinced jasqid to order one. "I pre-ordered the i7 studio laptop. First time I ever [ordered] a device like this. I've [had] a pro 3, pro 7 i5 and it just wasn't enough. Kept over heating. So I went with this beefier piece. Not looking forward to the extra weight and thickness but it will have to do."

While it fell behind the major hardware announcements, the Surface Slim Pen 2 drew a fair amount of interest from our readers. Almost 14% of those polled said that they would purchase a Surface Slim Pen 2.

Microsoft expanded its Surface family with five new devices and three new accessories this week. Now that you've had a couple of days to digest all of the announcements, we want to know which device (or devices) you actually want to buy. There are plenty of innovative pieces of hardware that may impress you technically, but this poll focuses on the Surface devices you want to spend your hard-earned money on. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

We covered all of the Surface devices announced in a roundup and had a special edition of the Windows Central Podcast this week, but we'll also run through the new hardware here as well to get you up to speed.

The Surface Laptop Studio is the most powerful Surface ever, according to Microsoft. It also introduces a unique form factor with its screen. It could make our list of the best laptops, though we'll have to do a full review first to assess its merits. With a starting price of $1,600, it's also the most expensive of the new Surface devices.

The Surface Duo 2 drew the most interest leading up to the event. Buzz around the web and activity from commenters on our site suggest the excitement has increased since the device was officially announced. The Duo 2 has a faster chip, bigger screens, and better cameras than the original Surface Duo. It also supports 5G and NFC. Like the Surface Laptop Studio, it also has a high price tag ($1,500).

Microsoft revamped its Surface Pro line with the Surface Pro 8. It has a larger display and thinner bezels than its predecessor. It's also significantly faster than the Surface Pro 7. Microsoft rounded out the Surface Pro 8 with a 120Hz display, Dolby Vision, and Adaptive Color Technology.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 looks like it will make our list of the best Surface accessories. It has a haptic motor inside that provides feedback as you interact with supported PCs. It can replicate the feel of writing on paper and provide queues when navigating around Windows 11.

The Surface Go 3 was a more modest upgrade for its respective line than some of its Surface event siblings, but it's still much faster than the Surface Go 2. It also maintains its relative affordability with a starting price of $400.

Microsoft didn't refresh the Surface Pro X with a new design or new internals. The company did announce a lower starting price for the device thanks to a new model without support for LTE.

Lastly: You'll notice we mentioned eight total items were announced at the event, but only seven are in the poll. That's because one of them (the Ocean Plastic Mouse) doesn't have Surface in its name. Cue the sad trombone.

Which new Surface devices would you like to buy, if any? Let us know in the poll above and the comments below. While you do that, you can also check out which Surface devices the Windows Central team members want.

Overall, while both of these Surface devices are superb, we think that the Surface Pro 8 will be the better option for most users because of the fact it's more portable and costs less while still offering excellent performance. If you're in need of something that can do it all with innovative hardware and some of the best specs on the market, though, the Surface Laptop Studio will be right up your alley.

Surface Pro 8 vs. Laptop Studio: Portability or power?

Both the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Laptop Studio are premium devices outfitted with premium hardware and features, but the Surface Laptop Studio generally edges out its sister device in many respects. Its H-series 11th Gen CPUs are a cut above the G-series ones in the Surface Pro 8, and its NVIDIA RTX GPUs crush the Surface Pro 8's Intel Iris and Intel Xe integrated graphics. Both devices can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM, though the Surface Laptop Studio has an additional option for a 2TB SSD that the Surface Pro 8 does not. It's also got four speakers as opposed to the Surface Pro 8's two, and it even has a 2-3 hour advantage on battery life. Finally, the hinged design of the Laptop Studio is incredibly beneficial and allows you to use it as a laptop, as a "staging" device for gaming and movies, or as a full-blown studio workstation.

So why, then, are we recommending the Surface Pro 8 over the Surface Laptop Studio? Ultimately, it's because the Laptop Studio having the hardware edge doesn't necessarily mean that it's a device most people will use to its fullest potential. It may be the most powerful Surface ever made, but does the average laptop user really need that power? Generally speaking, most people use their laptop for general productivity, web browsing, movies, and (maybe) light gaming. The Surface Laptop Studio is overkill for these activities — most people will be better off with the thinner, lighter, and more affordable Surface Pro 8 (which still offers excellent performance). The Surface Laptop Studio is ideal for specific types of users, such as those that do more serious gaming, use 3D rendering programs, edit visual media, or develop software.

Notably, the Surface Pro 8 also has a few advantages of its own. Its display is a bit sharper than the Surface Laptop Studio's thanks to its higher PPI (pixels per inch) count, and it can also be configured with LTE if you want to stay connected on the go. It's also more compact and is easier to carry around thanks to its smaller dimensions and weight.

Surface Pro 8 vs. Laptop Studio: Which is a better buy?

Both the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Laptop Studio are among the best Microsoft Surface PCs ever made, but if we had to recommend one over the other, it would be the Surface Pro 8. Its thin and light design, lower cost, and excellent performance make it a phenomenal option for the average user. It strikes the perfect balance between portability, power, and price.

If you're in need of a device with top-of-the-line CPU and GPU power or something that can transform into a workstation-friendly form factor, however, don't overlook the Surface Laptop Studio. It may be more expensive and a little more cumbersome compared to the Surface Pro 8, but its absolutely worth it if you're planning to put the extra horsepower and flexibility to good use.

For other excellent options, don't miss our coverage on the best Windows laptops available.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio provides a high-performance laptop with returning Surface signatures like a hinged display and inking. Microsoft has framed the device as a successor to the Microsoft Surface Book 3, providing a more elegant alternative to the detachable tablet-esque display. The Laptop Studio looks like a promising successor to the Book 3 in almost every way, making it hard to recommend the older device unless you score hefty savings or demand that snap-off display.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Book 3 specs

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Book 3 design and features

Surface Laptop Studio made its debut in a Sept. 22 virtual event, delivering what Microsoft hopes to be its next hit form factor for power users and creatives. The new entry in the Surface PC family occupies a similar space to that established by the Microsoft Surface Book 3, albeit with a fundamental design rework coupled with miscellaneous improvements.

Microsoft's existing Surface Book 3 is the closest alternative to the Laptop Studio, the early-2020 refresh of its high-performance laptop. While the design never drastically evolved throughout its three generations, it's defined by a detachable keyboard base, allowing the display to function as a standalone tablet. The new Laptop Studio product line fundamentally reworks the hinged display, no longer detachable, pulling forward and lying flat over the keyboard instead.

The new Laptop Studio hinge adapts into three angles; the standard laptop posture, the completely flat "studio mode," and a middle point known as tent mode, leaving the trackpad exposed. Although a step back from the 360-degree hinge used across the Surface Book lineup, these three modes fit the everyday use cases for work and entertainment. It's largely down to personal preference, although with the Surface Laptop Studio poses good value, it's largely down to whether the Surface Book 3 fulfills a specific niche for you.

Laptop Studio ships with a 14.4-inch touchscreen, versus the 13.5-inch and 15-inch flavors offered with the Surface Book 3. The 3:2 aspect ratio returns on an upgraded 120Hz refresh rate display for smoother visuals and interactivity. While Microsoft settled on a screen closer to 15 inches, the slimmer bezels mean a chassis akin to a 13-inch laptop. The Laptop Studio's 201 PPI means marginally lower pixel density than the 260-267 PPI Surface Book 3, even if likely unnoticeable to most.

Microsoft has also swapped out the precision touchpad inside Laptop Studio, adopting a "precision haptic" design geared around providing a more clicky interaction with the device. The touchpad no longer moves like on Surface Book 3, now using haptic engines inside the device, emulating the touchpad vibrations found across new Apple MacBooks instead.

The Surface Slim Pen received some love across the Surface family in 2021 too, and for Laptop Studio, it brings new considerations for the virtual stylus. The hidden charging cradle, located underneath the front of the laptop, doubles as a spot to juice up and store the latest pen. The Surface Book 3 traditionally pairs with the standard Microsoft Surface Pen.

While the Surface Book 3 remains a capable workstation for creatives and power users, the expanded feature set in Surface Laptop Studio can make older models a tough sell. While Book 3 can fulfill a niche with its detachable design, refinements in the Studio design could make for a more compelling portable companion for many.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Book 3 performance

The Surface Laptop Studio specifications mark a significant leap over the Surface Book 3, including new 11th Gen Intel processors, plus optional Intel or NVIDIA graphics. The Laptop Studio is an improvement in every way, although the Book 3 isn't a slouch in performance.

The Laptop Studio's i5-11300H and i7-11370H processors beat the previous spectrum of Surface configurations and even outpace Microsoft's newly updated Surface Pro 8. The high-end NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti Laptop graphics are the best we've seen in a Microsoft Surface to date, versus the top-end NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 inside Book 3. However, the two 16GB or 32GB LPDDR4x RAM configurations remain identical year over year.

The Surface Book 3 remains performance-focused, with previous-generation Core i5-1035G7 and Core i7-1065G7 processors available, and its 15-inch model offers up to NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics. It's competent for photo and video editing, lightweight gaming, and other intensive programs while meeting Windows 11 upgrade requirements. However, the various Laptop Studio configurations overperform similarly priced Book 3 counterparts.

Microsoft has made sweeping changes to Surface Laptop Studio connectivity, including Thunderbolt 4 over its dual USB Type-C ports. The speedier connector proves ideal for faster storage, multiple 4K displays, and other external devices, compared to the slower USB 3.1 in previous Surface products. However, the consolidation also axes the dedicated SDXC reader, previously standard across Surface Book 3 models.

Surface Laptop Studio vs. Surface Book 3 pricing

While the Surface Laptop Studio delivers a new successor to the Surface Book line, the two devices remain distinct, with their respective use cases catering to a specialist niche. The form factor could sway some buyers in either direction and for most, it's worth considering which device caters to your needs.

If the answer is both, turn your expectations to the value of hardware on offer. The Surface Laptop Studio debuts a major specification upgrade, with slimmer screen bezels, a high refresh rate, and Thunderbolt 4 support, all requested for several years. While the Surface Book 3 remains a robust device, the Laptop Studio is the better option, by the spec sheet.

Take a look at that $1,599 starting price — matching the price of the entry-level 13.5-inch Surface Book 3, but with a newer 11th Gen Intel processor, double the RAM at 16GB, albeit with a smaller SSD. Higher-end configurations generally deliver better value with the same investment, making the Laptop Studio a compelling pick.

It's not clear cut, with previous Surface Book 3 discounts bringing the entry-level configuration down to $1,400 in the U.S. While not currently live, events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday 2021 could mean further savings, making the Surface Book 3 easier to justify.

Surface Laptop Studio pricing

Surface Book 3 pricing

However, it's also worth noting the Surface Laptop Studio, launching Oct. 5 in the U.S. and Canada, won't be coming to additional regions until 2022. Current alternatives including the Surface Book 3 and other high-end options among the best Windows laptops.

Go with Surface Laptop Studio if you want the best

The Surface Laptop Studio presents a promising new device for creative applications and power-hungry productivity, and while undeniably premium, its launch pricing falls in line with the Surface Book 3. Don't overlook the Laptop Studio if you're looking for performance, with best-in-class features and competitive pricing.

Surface Book remains capable — and cheaper than ever

However, the Surface Book 3 remains a portable powerhouse, and no other device matches its detachable, tablet-style screen. Those early-2020 specifications hold up in more demanding use cases, and if with the chance of future discounts, keep an eye out for prices below the usual RRP.

What you need to know

• Kensington has a long list of accessories built to work with Microsoft's new Surface hardware.
• Accessories include a docking station, rugged case, privacy screen, and cable locks.
• The Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3 all have accessories available from Kensington.

Kensington worked with Microsoft to create a long list of officially licensed "Designed for Surface" accessories. These new accessories are compatible with many of Microsoft's new hardware, including the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Go 3. Kensington's accessories include cable locks, docking stations, privacy covers, and rugged cases.

The Kensington BlackBelt Rugged Case for Surface Pro 8 offers military-grade wipe-down and drop protection. Even with the case on, the Surface Pro 8 can use its kickstand. The case can also be secured with a Kensington keyed or combination lock.

For people who need to be careful about privacy, the Kensington MagPro Elite Magnetic Privacy Screen for Surface Pro 8 narrows the field of view of the device to +/- 30 degrees. It also filters out harmful blue light to reduce eye strain. The screen attaches to the Surface Pro 8 magnetically and still allows people to use a stylus or touch. The screen is reversible, with one side featuring a matte finish and the other having a glossy finish.

The Kensington SD5750T Thunderbolt 4 Dock for Surface Pro 8 and Surface Studio is a DFS-certified Thunderbolt 4 dock. It supports transfer speeds of up to 40 Gb/s. It features 11 ports, including four Thunderbolt 4 ports. The dock supports a single 8K screen or dual 4K screens (at 60 Hz).

It's important to note that the Kensington SD7000 Docking Station does not work with the Surface Pro 8. That accessory converts the Surface Pro into a miniature Surface Studio, but it doesn't work with Microsoft's latest 2-in-1. The newest Surface device that the Kensington SD7000 works with is the Surface Pro 7 Plus.

What you need to know

• Commercial customers will be able to order Microsoft's new Surface devices with Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• The Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3 will have options for either operating system.
• The consumer versions of new Surface hardware will ship with Windows 11.

Microsoft announced several new Surface devices yesterday, including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3. While all of these devices start shipping on October 5, 2021, which is the same date as the release of Windows 11, commercial customers will have the option to get the devices with Windows 11 or Windows 10.

"In light of the general availability of Windows 11, Oct. 5, 2021, commercial customers can choose to have Windows 10 or Windows 11 installed on new Surface devices including Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3," says a Microsoft doc.

Having the option to receive devices with Windows 10 or Windows 11 should make things easier for IT admins. Microsoft explains:

Commercial customers can order devices through authorized Microsoft Surface resellers.

Consumer versions of new Surface devices will ship with Windows 11. If a person wants a new Surface device with Windows 10, they can go through an authorized Microsoft Surface reseller to purchase a commercial version of the device.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced five new Surface devices yesterday and three new accessories.
• The majority of our polled readers are excited about the lineup.
• Almost one in eight polled participants said they were underwhelmed by the announced devices.

Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro 8, and several other devices yesterday. The buzz around the web seems generally positive for the devices, but we wanted to know what our readers thought, so we ran a poll.

During its event, Microsoft introduced a new form factor with the Surface Laptop Studio. The Surface Duo 2 saw a major upgrade both in terms of specs and design. Other devices, like the Surface Go 3, saw more modest upgrades. With different approaches to its separate Surface lines, Microsoft drew a range of reactions from our readers.

Almost 66% of polled participants said that they were excited about the new Surface hardware. Just over 18% said they didn't feel strongly about the new devices either way. Over 15% said that they were underwhelmed by the new lineup.

"The Surface Duo 2 and Surface Pro 8 definitely got my attention the most," said Fat8893. "The Duo 2 finally has much-needed upgrades from the first-gen model and the Pro 8 is now a worthy adversary to Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable and Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Tablet."

While only 15.51% of voters said they were underwhelmed, those disappointed in the Surface lineup seemed especially frustrated.

Not everyone was thrilled with Microsoft's new hardware. "The Laptop Studio is a letdown across the board," said Keith Wallace. "The design feels like it's trying to match Apple. The color palette of the chassis and keyboard looks like they're trying to cop a Macbook. It feels less flexible and capable than the Surface Book."

What you need to know

• Microsoft unveiled a lot of Surface devices and hardware today.
• Three of said devices, the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Duo 2, are now available at Best Buy.
• Both the Laptop Studio and Duo 2 can carry a $1,599 price tag, depending on the config you opt for. Meanwhile, the Surface Go 3 starts at $399.

If you haven't been keeping up on the news, here's the scoop: Microsoft recently unveiled a lot of new Surface devices. And two of the hottest announcements from the lineup, the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Duo 2, are now available to preorder at Best Buy. The Surface Go 3 is also available if you're interested in the budget tablet offering.

Pricing for the Duo 2 starts at $1,499 if you want the 128GB version, with the cost jumping up to $1,599 for the 256GB iteration. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop Studio comes at a variety of costs depending on what kind of specs you want. One comfy default Best Buy offers is the $1,599 config, which features an Intel 11th Gen Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. But if you feel the need to spend more money in exchange for a better PC, rest assured, Microsoft has left that option open. You can spend over $3,000 on the thing with ease if you opt for a 2TB SSD, 32GB of RAM, and an Intel 11th Gen Core i7.

If you want to spend far less, the Surface Go 3 starts at $399 and scales up from there if you want a faster processor, more storage, or LTE, though the price ceiling doesn't ever hit astronomical heights relative to the Go 3's Surface peers.

You can still get the devices directly from Microsoft, but perhaps you have a few Best Buy gift cards lying around or just prefer BB's online retail setup. Whatever the reason, know that you have options.

We'll update our coverage as more Surface items become available at Best Buy.

What you need to know

• The Surface Laptop Studio gets a breakdown in the latest Microsoft Mechanics video.
• The Intel H35 CPU can reportedly boost to 64 watts of power when needed.
• The SSD is replaceable, though Microsoft says technically you need a tech to do it.
• Display brightness peaks at 500 nits.

The Surface Laptop Studio is making the news today for a good reason. The creative design merges the best of Surface Pro with Surface Laptop into one innovative and powerful Surface. Its announcement was undoubtedly one of the most interesting of for the event.

The latest six-minute Microsoft Mechanics video sheds some details on Surface Laptop Studio, which we'll summarize here, as some of it has not been answered before until now:

• Laptop Studio uses dual fans with heat pipes that go across the CPU and GPU to maximize and share cooling.
• The Intel H35 CPU can boost up to 64 watts of power when needed.
• You can remove the bottom panel of the Laptop Studio to access the SSD, although Microsoft says only authorized technicians should do so.
• Display brightness peaks at 500 nits and go all the way down to 2 nits, which is very good (most laptops hover around 400 nits).
• The full HD camera uses AI face detection and has a larger sensor resulting in more consistent lighting and focusing than regular webcams.
• Quad audio speakers, hidden, of course, use adaptive equalization for "fuller and richer" sound adjusting automatically as you increase volume.

The Intel Core i5-11300H and Core i7-11370H processors are unique as they can have TDP configured for 28 or 35 average watts (from 3.0 to 3.3 GHz in the i7 model), but can draw more power when needed, which is why it can Turbo to 4.8GHz for short durations.

We grabbed some early benchmarks from those processors and compared them to current Surface devices and PCs. Our bet is Microsoft's thermals and TDP tuning will likely beat the recent averages, but we'll have to wait until our review to find out.

Although not surprising, the removable SSD is also a friendly nod as Microsoft has been doing that for all its recent Surface releases, including Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 7+, and Surface Laptop 4. While Microsoft only wants authorized technicians to do so, anyone with the right tools could upgrade the CPU with not much work.

There are many other tidbits in the video that make it worth watching, including a discussion around how the hinge works.

Related to all of this, Microsoft's Scott Hanselman posted a picture of Surface Laptop Studio compared to his Surface Book 15-inch. You can see just how compact the Laptop Studio is with its design compared to the older Surface Book.

Likewise, you can read more about Surface Laptop Studio and everything else in my hands-on roundup.

Microsoft has a new flagship laptop on the block, and it's called Surface Laptop Studio. It features a brand-new 2-in-1 design that Microsoft hasn't used on the Surface line before, with a 14-inch display that can now be pulled forward or laid flat over the keyboard deck for drawing or inking.

Surface Laptop Studio is a replacement for the Surface Book, according to Microsoft. It has powerful dedicated graphics in the form of the NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti, more powerful 11th Gen Intel processors, and can be had with up to 32GB RAM and 2TB storage. Here's everything you need to know.

Surface Laptop Studio: Price and release date

The Surface Laptop Studio is launching first in the United States and Canada and is expected to ship on Oct. 5. Pre-orders are open now, with pricing beginning at an eye-watering $1,600. Upgrading to higher-specification models can push the price beyond $3,000.

Surface Laptop Studio pricing starts identically to Surface Book 3, fulfilling a similar space as a mobile powerhouse for professionals. While the new design axes the previously detachable display, it's a promising new successor to the Surface Book lineup, with a comparatively expected RRP.

We also expect Microsoft to bring Surface Laptop Studio to 47 additional markets in 2022, we just don't exactly where, and when.

Surface Laptop Studio: Specs

The Surface Laptop Studio features an 11th-Gen Intel Core i5-11300H or i7-11380H, which are a little more powerful than the Intel 11th-Gen chips found in the Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 8. The device can be configured with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB storage, and can even wirelessly charge the new Surface Slim Pen 2, which is sold separately.

The new 14.4-inch display also has a high refresh rate of 120Hz, which will make using Windows 11 feel super smooth with all its new animations. Curiously, the new 14.4-inch display isn't as high of a resolution as that found on the Surface Book line. The device has two USB-C ports, both of which are Thunderbolt 4 enabled, a headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port for those who prefer Microsoft's magnetic charging port.

Surface Laptop Studio features: New Studio display, high performance

The Surface Laptop Studio features a brand-new design that enables the display to be pulled forward and laid flat over the keyboard when wanting to write or draw, Microsoft calls this "Studio mode," and is great for creators or those who want to use the touchscreen flat. There's also a "tent mode" that props the display up between the trackpad and keyboard, great for watching movies.

The design makes for a more elegant solution over the Surface Book series, which features a detachable display, breaking away from the keyboard into a standalone tablet. With the Studio Laptop occupying a similar space to the Surface Book 3 refreshed in early 2020, that detachable display is the main reason to still opt for the older device.

The Surface Laptop Studio is all about performance, designed with creatives and power users in mind, as reflected by the hardware under the hood. The range is expected to significantly outperform newly updated devices like the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Go 3, ideal for intensive software like Photoshop or 4K video editing.

Various long-requested hardware upgrades also help fortify the Surface Laptop Studio as its most powerful device to date, aiding productivity while on the move. New Thunderbolt 4 support sees a significant leap in connectivity, allowing for faster transfer rates and support for more external devices like multiple 4K displays. The onboard 120Hz refresh rate also improves on-device fluidity, providing smoother interactivity for productivity and gaming.

Other new features include support for the Surface Slim Pen, with a hidden charging cradle underneath the front of the laptop. Magnets will hold the pen in place while charging, allowing you to store the pen and carry it with the device.

Also new to the Surface Laptop Studio is a new "Precision Haptic" touchpad, which means the touchpad itself is static and no longer moves when clicked. Instead, special haptic engines underneath the touchpad vibrate to make it feel as if you're clicking down, similar to Apple's MacBook touchpads.

Microsoft also claims buyers can expect improvements in battery life, with up to 19 hours available, slightly surpassing the 17.5 hours seen with the latest Surface Book 3. The overall device dimensions and weight, while larger than many existing Surface products, also undercut the Surface Book 3 lineup.

The Surface Laptop Studio presents a new form factor in Microsoft's premium PC lineup, suited to high-end productivity. While we'll need to wait until our full review for final impressions, it's a promising option for creatives and power users with a need for speed.

Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 8, Surface Duo 2, and several other devices today. At its hardware event, the company refreshed old devices, bumped up specs, and revamped designs. It also introduced a new form factor with the Surface Laptop Studio. Now that the event's over, we want to know if you're excited about Microsoft's new lineup of Surface hardware.

We have a full recap of everything Microsoft announced at its Surface hardware event, but we'll run through a few of the highlights as a refresher.

The Surface Laptop Studio is the most powerful Surface device ever built. It introduces a unique form factor as a non-detachable 2-in-1. Its screen is on a hinge, allowing it to be pulled into different modes. It can be used as a traditional laptop, pulled forward into "Stage mode," or laid flat into "Studio mode."

After over a year of reports and rumors, Microsoft officially announced the Surface Duo 2. It marks a significant bump in performance over its predecessor. The Surface Duo 2 runs on a Snapdragon 888 processor, supports 5G, and has NFC. It also has significantly better cameras than the original Surface Duo. Leading up to the event, the Surface Duo 2 drew the most attention from our readers.

Microsoft says that the Surface Pro 8 is the "most significant leap forward since Pro 3." It's more than twice as fast as the Surface Pro 7. It also has thinner bezels, which allow it to have a larger screen without having to be a larger device. Additionally, for the first time ever, a Surface Pro supports Thunderbolt.

While Microsoft refreshed several of its devices, there are few pieces of Surface hardware that didn't see an update. Notably, the Surface Studio 2 continues to age without a successor. The Surface Laptop Go came out last year and didn't see a follow-up today. The Surface Laptop line also wasn't refreshed today, though Microsoft only announced the Surface Laptop 4 in April 2021.

Some people may not be happy with the updates and upgrades that Microsoft announced today. For example, commenters on our site expressed frustration over the low entry specs of the Surface Go 3.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft's new Surface devices? Are you excited about the hardware or underwhelmed? Let us know in the poll above and in the comments below.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced five new Surface devices today.
• The Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, and Surface Pro X are all available for preorder.
• Most of the devices will ship on October 5, 2021, though the Duo 2 won't ship until October 21, 2021.

Microsoft expanded its Surface lineup with five new devices. The Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, and Surface Pro X are all available for preorder. All but one of the devices will ship on October 5, 2021. Those ordering the Surface Duo 2 will have to wait until October 21, 2021 to receive it.

The new Surface devices were only announced today, but preorders are already live.

The Surface Laptop Studio introduces a new form factor for the Surface family. It's a non-detachable 2-in-1, meaning you can pull the screen of the Surface Laptop Studio into different modes. The Surface Laptop Studio is also the most powerful Surface that Microsoft has built.

The original Surface Duo was a unique device that fell short as a smartphone in some areas. Microsoft aims to overcome those shortcomings with the Surface Duo 2. It has a Snapdragon 888 processor, 5G support, and NFC. It also has a triple-camera setup.

The Surface Pro lineup has maintained the same form factor and general design since the Surface Pro 3. That changes with the Surface Pro 8, which has thinner bezels and a larger display than its predecessors. The Surface Pro 8 is also more than twice as fast as the Surface Pro 7.

Microsoft didn't announce a spec bump or redesign for the Surface Pro X. Instead, the company will now sell a version without LTE support. The non-LTE version of the Surface Pro X has a lower starting price.

The Surface Go 3 maintains the shape and design of its predecessors but now has better hardware under the hood. The Intel Core i3 model of the Surface Go 3 is 60% faster than the Surface Go 2.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Duo 2 today.
• The company also announced a refreshed Surface Pro X and the Surface Go 3.
• To go along with the Surface devices, Microsoft announced the Surface Slim Pen 2, the Surface Adaptive Kit, and the Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse.

Microsoft announced a slew of Surface devices at its hardware event today, including the Surface Laptop Studio, the Surface Pro 8, and the Surface Duo 2. We saw old favorites get refreshed, the introduction of a new form factor, and the announcement of several accessories. To help you catch up on all of today's news, we've gathered all of the highlights into one piece. If you want to hear our experts dive into the new hardware, make sure to check out our special edition of the Windows Central Podcast.

Most of the Surface devices are available for preorder today and will start shipping on October 5, 2021, but there are exceptions. The Surface Duo 2 will be up for preorder today but won't be available until October 21, 2021.

Surface Laptop Studio

The Surface Laptop Studio is the most powerful Surface that Microsoft has ever built. It runs on an 11th Gen Intel Core H35 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. It's a non-detachable 2-in-1, which is a first for the Surface family of devices. The Dynamic Woven Hinge of the Surface Laptop Studio allows its display to shift between modes. As its name suggests, the Surface Laptop Studio looks like a marriage of the Surface Studio and the Surface Laptop.

The display of the Surface Laptop Studio is a 14.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen. You can pull the screen of the device to any angle between the look of a traditional laptop and completely flat over the keyboard. Microsoft calls the angled view "Stage mode" and the flat view "Studio mode."

The Surface Slim Pen 2 can be stored underneath the keyboard of the Surface Laptop Studio. People can then take it out to draw on the display of the laptop or take notes.

The Surface Laptop Studio starts at $1,600 and is available for preorder now in select markets.

Surface Duo 2

The Surface Duo 2 is likely the device that received the biggest jump compared to its predecessor. The original Surface Duo introduced a new form factor but lagged behind in many smartphone categories. The Surface Duo 2 closes many of those gaps. It runs on a Snapdragon 888 processor, supports 5G, and has NFC. It has a dynamic triple-lens camera, which looks to be significantly better than that of the original Surface Duo.

Each of the displays on the Surface Duo 2 are slightly larger than those of the Surface Duo (5.8 inches vs. 5.6 inches). That increase comes largely from the thinner bezels of the Surface Duo 2, though the device still has noticeable top and bottom bezels.

The Surface Duo 2 starts at $1,500 and is available for preorder starting today.

Surface Pro 8

Microsoft calls the Surface Pro 8 the "most significant leap forward since Pro 3." The Surface Pro 8 is more than twice as fast as the Surface Pro 7. The newest Surface Pro has an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and is built on the Intel Evo platform. Thunderbolt support is significant as Microsoft has held off until this generation of Surface devices.

The Surface Pro 8 has a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen display. That display expands close to the edges of the device, much like the Surface Pro X. In a first for the Surface Pro lineup, the Surface Pro 8's display is 120Hz. This should work well with the Dynamic Refresh Rate of Windows 11. The Surface Pro 8 supports Dolby Vision and Adaptive Color Technology as well.

The 2-in-1 has a 5-megapixel camera on the front and a 10-megapixel camera on the back, the latter of which supports 4K. The Surface Pro 8 also has Dolby Atmos sound and dual far-field Studio Mics, which should help people studying or working from home.

The Surface Pro 8 also works with the Surface Slim Pen 2.

Surface Slim Pen 2

Speaking of the Surface Slim Pen 2, Microsoft's new stylus has a sharper tip, ultra-low latency, and supports haptic feedback. The Surface Slim Pen 2 can be magnetically attached to the Surface Laptop Studio or stored within the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 works with new features in Windows 11 and Microsoft's G6 processor that's in the Surface Laptop Studio and the Surface Pro 8 to provide tactile signals. For example, a person will receive tactile feedback when circling to select content in Microsoft 365 apps or using tools in Adobe Fresco.

Surface Pro X

The Surface Pro X didn't receive a design overhaul or a chip update like many of its Surface siblings. Microsoft did, however, lower the entry price of the Surface Pro X by offering a model without support for LTE. The Wi-Fi model of the Surface Pro X starts at $900, which is $100 less than the starting price of LTE models.

Microsoft's improvements to Windows on ARM will also be showcased on the Surface Pro X. Windows 11 supports both x86 and x64 emulation, allowing devices to run far more applications. Several big-name apps have also been optimized for Windows on ARM, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Teams. These improvements will also help other Windows on ARM devices like the Samsung Galaxy Book Go, but they will also boost the capabilities of the Surface Pro X.

Surface Go 3

The Surface Go 3 improved the Go line's speed thanks to a spec bump. The Intel Core i3 version is 60% faster than its predecessor. The Surface Go 3 has models with LTE support on the way to help people stay connected.

The Surface Go 3 keeps the compact form factor that's earned the love of many fans. It has a 10.5-inch touch display and only weighs 1.2 lbs (0.54 kg). It also keeps its low starting price of just $400, which is in the same range as the best budget tablets.

Surface Adaptive Kit

Microsoft's Inclusive Tech Lab created the Surface Adaptive Kit. It's designed to make devices more accessible. It does this with a combination of keycap labels, bump labels, port indicators, and device openers.

The Surface Adaptive Kit will be available later this year.

Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse

Last but not least (at least for the environment), Microsoft announced the Ocean Plastic Mouse. The Bluetooth mouse is made of 20% recycled plastic recovered from oceans and waterways. It is shipped in a box that's 100% recyclable. The shape of the mouse strongly resembles the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has announced a new form factor laptop dubbed "Surface Laptop Studio".
• It's a replacement for the Surface Book and features a new 2-in-1 design.
• It also has 120Hz display and a new Precision Haptic touchpad.
• Pricing starts at $1,599 and begins shipping next month.

Microsoft has unveiled its next-generation Surface laptop today, featuring a brand-new 2-in-1 design not yet seen on a Surface device before. Dubbed the "Surface Laptop Studio," this new laptop features a 14.4-inch display attached to a unique hinge that allows the display to be pulled forward and laid flat over the keyboard deck for drawing and inking.

The company says that the Surface Laptop Studio is being positioned as a replacement and successor to the Surface Book line, which likely means we won't be seeing another Surface Book with a detachable display again.

The Surface Laptop Studio features an 11th-Gen Intel Core i5-11300H or i7-11380H, which are a little more powerful than the Intel 11th-Gen chips found in the Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 8. The device can be configured with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB storage, and can even wirelessly charge the new Surface Slim Pen 2, which is sold separately.

The new 14.4-inch display also has a high-refresh rate of 120hz, which will make using Windows 11 feel super smooth with all its new animations. Curiously, the new 14.4-inch display isn't as high of a resolution as that found on the Surface Book line. The device has two USB-C ports, both of which are Thunderbolt 4 enabled, a headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port for those who prefer Microsoft's magnetic charging port.

Also new to the Surface Laptop Studio is a new "Precision Haptic" touchpad, which means the touchpad itself is static and no longer moves when clicked. Instead, special haptic engines underneath the touchpad vibrate to make it feel as if you're clicking down, similar to Apple's MacBook touchpads.

In the GPU department, Surface Laptop Studio is rocking Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics in the i5 model, and a more powerful NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti in the i7 variants. Commercial customers can also configure the Surface Laptop Studio with an RTX A2000 if necessary.

Microsoft touts up to 19 hours of battery life, a huge jump from its other Surface products, though real-world testing will likely see that number come down a bit. Pricing for the Surface Laptop Studio begins at $1,599 and is expected to start shipping on October 5 in the United States and Canada, with pre-orders open now.

Surface Laptop Studio will ship in 47 additional markets in early 2022, though Microsoft is yet to specify which markets specifically. For now, what are your thoughts on Surface Laptop Studio? Let us know in the comments.

What you need to know

• Microsoft will hold a Surface hardware event on September 22, 2021 at 11 a.m. EST (8 a.m. PST).
• The company is expected to announce the Surface Pro 8, Surface Duo 2, Surface Book 4, and several other Surface devices.
• The event will be streamed through Microsoft's website.

Microsoft's Surface hardware event kicks off at 11 a.m. EST (convert to your local time) today, September 22, 2021. The Surface Pro 8, Surface Duo 2, and Surface Book 4 (which may go by a different name) are all expected to be announced at the event.

Microsoft will stream the event on its website. We've embedded the video below.

A refreshed Surface Pro X, a Surface Go 3, and a few Surface accessories are also expected at Microsoft's event.

Our senior editor Zac Bowden has broken down what we should expect from the 2021 Surface hardware event. Between leaks and information from sources, quite a bit is known about Microsoft's new hardware, but it's still worth watching the event live. Panos Panay and the Surface team are known for adding "one more thing" to their events.

It's also worth checking out the stream to see the first images of the Surface devices. While fan renders and leaks have given us glimpses of Microsoft's upcoming devices, we haven't seen any official photos or sizzler reels of the hardware.

Of the suspected devices, our readers are most excited about the Surface Duo 2. It looks to be a significant upgrade over the original Surface Duo in both design and specs. The Surface Book 4 also appeals to our readers thanks to its unique form factor. The device is said to be a non-detachable 2-in-1 with powerful internals.