GPU Performance — The Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-Inch) Review: Second Time’s The Charm
by Brett Howseon December 21, 2017 8:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Laptops
- Microsoft
- Surface
- Pascal
- Surface Book
- Kaby Lake Refresh
120 Comments
|
120 Comments
IntroductionDesignCPU and Storage PerformanceGPU PerformanceDisplay AnalysisBattery Life and Charge TimeWireless, Speakers, Thermals, and AccessoriesFinal Words
Here’s where the Surface Book 2 gets really interesting. It’s almost hard to believe how much GPU Microsoft stuffed in this updated version of the laptop. The 15-inch review unit comes with the impressive GTX 1060 GPU, which offers double the CUDA cores and four times the ROPs as a GTX 1050 found in the smaller 13. 5-inch model, and the GTX 1050 is already a huge upgrade over the GPU options found in the original Surface Book, which could only be had with a custom GPU based on the GT 940MX, or even the updated Performance Base Surface Book which came later with a GTX 965M. Pascal has been a wonderful update from NVIDIA.
| NVIDIA Laptop GPU Specification Comparison | |||||||
| GTX 1060 | GTX 1050 Ti | GTX 1050 | |||||
| CUDA Cores | 1280 | 768 | 640 | ||||
| Texture Units | 80 | 48 | 40 | ||||
| ROPs | 48 | 32 | 16 | ||||
| Core Clock | 1404MHz | 1493MHz | 1354MHz | ||||
| Boost Clock | 1670MHz | 1620MHz | 1493MHz | ||||
| Memory Clock | 8Gbps GDDR5 | 7Gbps GDDR5 | 7Gbps GDDR5 | ||||
| Memory Bus Width | 192-bit | 128-bit | 128-bit | ||||
| VRAM | 6GB | 2GB/4GB | 2GB/4GB | ||||
| FP64 | 1/32 | 1/32 | 1/32 | ||||
| GPU | GP106 | GP107 | GP107 | ||||
| Transistor Count | 4. 4B |
3.3B | 3.3B | ||||
| Manufacturing Process | TSMC 16nm | Samsung 14nm | Samsung 14nm | ||||
| Launch Date | 08/16/2016 | 01/03/2017 | 01/03/2017 | ||||
The GTX 1060 is a big jump from the GTX 1050, and should really provide some serious compute and gaming capabilities with the Surface Book 2. Not everyone wants to work all the time, right? The GTX 1060 is outfitted with 6 GB of GDDR5 as well, so you will be able to play games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider without any RAM limitation issues, whereas the smaller 13.5-inch model with the GTX 1050 is limited to just 2 GB of VRAM.
First, we’ll take a look at how the Surface Book 2 does in some synthetic tests, and then jump into some actual gaming tests.
3DMark
FutureMark’s 3DMark offers several tests to choose from, and the company has been updating this version for several years now with new tests for UHD and DX12.
The GTX 1060 is a massive improvement over the original GT 940MX based Surface Book, and moves it out of being somewhat better than integrated, into a laptop with some serious gaming potential. The performance difference on the most GPU demanding test, Fire Strike, over the GTX 1050 is also a huge leap.
GFXBench
GFXBench is a cross-platform test, with tests that can be run on smartphones and tablets, which can also be run on a PC. They aren’t exactly the same test though, since the PC ones run at a higher precision, but the tests are a great way to look at performance, especially on devices with integrated graphics.
Clearly, with the GTX 1060, the GFXBench tests are a bit too easy for it, with performance that is downright silly.
Dota 2
Valve’s Dota 2 is our go-to benchmark for devices with lower-end GPUs or integrated graphics, since it can generally be run on even low-powered devices without much of an issue. The game can get CPU bound though.
On the higher level settings, the performance delta between the Surface Book 2 and devices with integrated graphics is quite large, and devices with integrated graphics can’t even crack the 30 FPS barrier, but the Surface Book 2 has no issues. It’s outperformed by the XPS 15 because the CPU is the limiting factor here.
Tomb Raider
The original Tomb Raider is getting a bit old now, but we have a lot of comparison data, and at maximum settings, it can still be a very demanding game for even devices with mid-range GPUs. We don’t test this game on devices with integrated graphics, since the framerate is not enough to play, but the Surface Book 2 can easily play this game even on enthusiast settings, and offers far more performance than the GTX 1050 in the XPS 15.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
The sequel to Tomb Raider is the amazing Rise of the Tomb Raider, and it offers a graphical showcase for anyone with a powerful system. This is a much more demanding game, and offers DX12 as well. On the Enthusiast settings, more than 4 GB of VRAM is required. The Surface Book 2 can play this even at our Enthusiast levels, which isn’t something you can say of the XPS 15. It might need a few options tweaked with GeForce Experience to get the optimal result, but it’s pretty close to 60 FPS already.
Civilization VI
Firaxis has created an even more demanding version of Civilization with the latest instalment. It is a game that can be heavily CPU dependent, especially later in the game, but it does offer a graphics benchmark as well. The Surface Book 2 can easily play this game at our Enthusiast settings, but mostly because it is a game that doesn’t penalize you much for the odd hiccup in framerate.
The game engine tends to be CPU limited as well, so for best performance a fast desktop is required.
Bioshock Infinite
This is an older game, but one we keep around thanks to the excellent benchmark tool, and the copious amounts of data we have on it. At maximum settings, even today, it can be pretty punishing to mid-range devices, but the Surface Book 2 has no issues with this test, and offers dramatically more performance than the original Surface Book.
Dragon Age Inquisition
This amazing Bioware RPG is a couple of years old now, but still delivers excellent graphics and gameplay. It can also bring laptops to their knees, especially on higher settings. The Surface Book 2 offers enough performance that you could likely run in on 1080p Ultra, but it can’t quite hit 60 FPS at that level. It still offers a serious boost over the XPS 15 though.
Shadow of Mordor
There’s now a sequel to this game out as well, which we’ll have to check out and see if we can add it to our list.
On this test, the Surface Book 2 offers excellent framerates, even on our maximum settings, and offers almost double the performance of the GTX 1050 in the XPS 15 on this game.
Grid Autosport
This is another game that can end up CPU bound on higher powered systems, but with the Surface Book 2, that’s not the case. Still, it averages right around 100 FPS, which is plenty for this arcade racer.
GPU Conclusion
The jump from the original GT 940MX found in the Surface Book, to the GTX 1060 in the Surface Book 2, is a massive increase in performance. The Surface Book 2 isn’t what most people would consider a gaming laptop, but the 15-inch model offers plenty of compute if you ever do want to game. For office productivity, apps that take advantage of CUDA, such as Adobe’s suite, should see some much-improved performance over almost any other productivity laptop. Really, to match the GPU performance in this laptop, you’d have to jump into the gaming notebook arena with something like a Razer Blade 14.
CPU and Storage Performance
Display Analysis
IntroductionDesignCPU and Storage PerformanceGPU PerformanceDisplay AnalysisBattery Life and Charge TimeWireless, Speakers, Thermals, and AccessoriesFinal Words
PRINT THIS ARTICLE
Performance, battery life and verdict — Surface Book 2
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Recommended
(Image: © Future)
Why you can trust TechRadar
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
To say that the Surface Book 2 is powerful would be an understatement. Simply put, this is the most powerful 2-in-1 laptop we’ve ever tested, capable of going toe-to-toe with not only every hybrid laptop on the market, but a wide range of gaming laptops as well.
Benchmarks
Here is how the Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch) fared in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark Sky Diver: 19,363; Fire Strike: 9,238; Time Spy: 3,565
Cinebench CPU: 647 cb; Graphics: 94 fps
Geekbench 4 Single Core: 5,024; Multi-Core: 13,896
PCMark 8 Home: 3,072
PCMark 8 Battery Life: 7 hours and 39 minutes
Total War: Warhammer 2 (1080p, Ultra): 36 fps; (1080p, Low): 74 fps
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (1080p, Ultra): 32 fps; (1080p, Low): 70 fps
If you look over at the benchmarks, the Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics inside can more than tackle the newer AAA games at 1080p. (We even saw more than playable frame rates at native resolution.) That’s not something we usually expect from Surface devices, much less any 2-in-1 laptops.
- Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15 inch) (Silver) at Walmart for $1,019
Not that you should buy the Surface Book 2 for gaming. Honestly, you can get the same experience at a much cheaper price, spending what you saved on games or even an external GPU box and a graphics card. But, few laptops will stay as cool as this one under pressure, due to the Surface Book 2’s split design that operates the GPU and CPU separately.
That said, Microsoft added the Xbox Wireless radio – which lets the Surface Book 2 to connect with Xbox One controllers natively – for a reason. That is, for a cross section of designers or media pros and gamers that would be served well by a device that can do everything.
At this point, it should go without saying that the Surface Book 2 (15-inch) can tackle our normal workload with aplomb, barely seeing its quad-core CPU and 16GB of RAM break a sweat. You’d have to try really hard to cripple this laptop, is what we’re saying.
The Surface Book 2 lasted longer in PCMark 8’s battery test than every single 2-in-1 laptop we’ve reviewed.
Battery life
Considering that point, the fact that this laptop lasted longer in PCMark 8’s battery test than every single 2-in-1 laptop we reviewed at the time of writing is just incredible. A score of 7 hours and 39 minutes in this traditionally intensive test was unheard of in the TechRadar offices, especially since its predecessor lasted only less than half that long.
However, we should point out that since we originally reviewed the Surface Book 2, other 2-in-1 laptops have been released with longer battery lives. Having said that, the battery life of the Surface Book 2 remains very impressive.
This result is a testament to the sheer amount of battery given to the Surface Book 2 (15-inch) by its larger size and the nature of its design. Microsoft brags up to 17 hours of battery life from the 15-inch Surface Book 2 over local video playback.
We appreciate the hard work and engineering that went into the creation of the Surface Book 2.
Final verdict
Ultimately, the 15-inch Surface Book 2 is the most versatile and all-powerful 2-in-1 laptop we’ve ever tested.
It has its share of flaws, no doubt about that. There are a few missed opportunities here, with Microsoft just taking the original Surface Book and bulking it up, at least chassis design-wise.
That said, we appreciate the hard work and engineering that went into the creation of this device. The proof is in its nigh-unmatched performance and battery life, as well as its stunning design and nice tactile feel when held in the hand as either a laptop or a tablet. And that’s without mentioning its display that’s an absolute stunner.
Expect to pay a lot for all of the aforementioned features, but there’s no doubt in our mind that it’s well worth it if you’re a creative professional (or someone who’s rich enough) who can and are willing to pay for it. The price is steep for the best 2-in-1 laptop to date, but you’re also getting the top-of-the-line in 2-in-1 laptop design by the folks that defined the category.
Images Credit: TechRadar
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15 inch): Price Comparison
990 Amazon customer reviews
☆☆☆☆☆
$2,899
$1,019
View
Reduced Price
$3,299
$1,599
View
Reduced Price
$3,197.
99
View
$3,709.99
View
No price information
Check Amazon
powered by
- 2
Current page:
Performance, battery life and verdict
Prev Page Introduction, price, design and features
Joe Osborne is the Senior Technology Editor at Insider Inc. His role is to leads the technology coverage team for the Business Insider Shopping team, facilitating expert reviews, comprehensive buying guides, snap deals news and more. Previously, Joe was TechRadar’s US computing editor, leading reviews of everything from gaming PCs to internal components and accessories.
In his spare time, Joe is a renowned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master – and arguably the nicest man in tech.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Review: The World’s Most Powerful Laptop/Tablet Hybrid
Deals in Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15 inch)
Surface Book 2 — specifications as tested
up to 4.2 GHz with Turbo Boost)
Graphics : Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5 VRAM)
ram : 16 GB LPDDR3 (1866 MHz)
Screen : 15″ PixelSense display with 3240 x 2160 resolution (260 ppi) (3:2 aspect ratio; 1600:1 contrast ratio)
Storage : 512 GB PCIe 3.0 SSD
Ports : 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2 x Surface Connect, SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity : 802.11ac 2 x 2 MIMO Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 4.1, Xbox wireless
Camera : 8 megapixel autofocus camera on the back of Windows (1080p), 5 megapixel front camera with Hello Face authentication (1080p HD)
Weight : 4.
2 lb (1.9 kg) with keyboard stand
Size : 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.568 ~ 0.90 in. D x H)
We liked the original Surface Book review here on Pingtwitter.com. We loved its flexibility and ability to do anything — it was so powerful and premium that, despite a few minor issues, it wasn’t hard to recommend to anyone.
And here, with the new Surface Book 2, nothing has changed.
- Best Black Friday deals in the UK
- These are the best 2-in-1 laptops in the world
- And those bad guys are the best gaming laptops you can buy
The Surface Book 2 is simply an amazing hybrid laptop 2 -in 1. Its power is unmatched, its build quality is top notch, and the quality and accuracy of its oversized 15-inch touchscreen is eye-catching.
Its price, which is in the region of 2300-2500 pounds, is also incredibly high. And given that the original Surface Book now retails for around a thousand less, with a new one starting at £800.
Surface Pro The price gap this creates is more noticeable than ever.
However, as we’ll see, the gap the Surface Book 2 creates in terms of benchmark scores and performance compared to the competition is also noticeable, making it a unique offering. To find out if this system is right for you, read on.
However, before we get to the actual review, why not make some noise with the official Microsoft Surface Book 2 trailer:
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Review: Design and Build
Surface Book 2 looks just like the original Surface Book, only bigger. The new 15-inch form factor means there’s been expansion almost everywhere, including a unique pivot hinge that remains quite prominent.
We’re still not quite sure what we think of the support pivot — it’s undeniably well designed and does what it’s meant to do well, however the look still divides opinion and — in its reinforced form factor — makes a V- shaped, not flush, the positioning of the base unit in the closed state is even more noticeable.
Attaching and detaching the Surface Book 2 screen is as easy as the previous model. The detach button is located to the left of the delete button in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Press for a second and the screen will release from the support hinge, you will hear an audible response and the message “Ready to Detach” will appear on the display.
From now on, the screen can simply be removed from the hinge. The tablet will then ask you if you want to enter Windows 10 tablet mode or stay in desktop mode.
Then the Surface Book 2 screen can be used as a very capacious and powerful tablet.
When you want to return the screen to the base station with keyboard, you simply insert the tablet back into the hinge of the support, and if you entered tablet mode, the system then asks if you want to exit tablet mode (you can also set this happen automatically).
As for the finishes, the same matt gray color scheme prevails.
We know it’s professional and neutral, but we just don’t think it conveys a premium system well. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so you might fall in love with the design, but we think that Microsoft has continued to be too cautious with the Surface Book 2.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Overview: Hardware and Screen
As stated in the technical clarity in the spec box above, Microsoft may not have made many design changes to the Surface Book 2, but it has significantly upgraded the internals of the system.
Geekbench 4 benchmarks
Multi-core rating: 13,376
OpenCL score: 123,942
e.g. GeForce 9 GPU40M of the original Surface Book’s 1GB were rocket-legged and blasted the power to 6GB of the Surface Book 2’s GeForce GTX 1060. This is indeed a proper gaming GPU, and as we’ll see, it offers some serious gaming performance.
Elsewhere, the top-performing dual-core Intel Skylake i7-6600U processor from the original system now features a quad-core Coffee Lake Intel Core i7-8650U processor.
This results in an incredibly fast overall user experience with the Surface Book 2 and, combined with the system’s 16GB of RAM, means serious photo and video editing capabilities.
Indeed, a Geekbench 4 CPU multi-core benchmark score of 13,376 and an OpenCL result of 123,942 shows that the Surface Book 2’s internal hardware can literally handle anything you could actually use on a day-to-day basis, and it’s just squashing that. Seriously, it would take the most demanding 8K video editing projects to start bothering this hybrid.
In terms of storage, you also serve well. Our test unit came with a 512GB SSD, which we feel is more than enough to run the 2-in-1 hybrid. Even if you’ve loaded a bunch of AAA games into it, a bunch of 4K movies and TV shows, folders of huge PhotoShop or Illustrator files, a large music collection, and more, you’ll still have free space.
Plus, if you feel like you need more space, the new 15-inch Surface Book 2 can be equipped with up to a 1TB SSD, before you even consider external storage options.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Review: Performance and Battery
2-in-1 hybrid laptop with GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) along with the aforementioned Intel Core i7-8650U and 16GB of 1866MHz RAM meant we were Enthusiastic about how the Surface Book performs 2.3DMark’s gaming benchmarks.
As you can see from a nearby box, the Surface Book 2 delivered some groundbreaking (for a 2-in-1 hybrid laptop) results, with the system even doing well on the DirectX 12 Time Spy test.
Surface Book 2 — Test results 3DMARK
Time Spy: 3 322
Fiery blow: 8 509
Extrime Fire 9000 9000 9000 9000) Sky Diver: 18 791
We then added a number of modern AAA games to the Surface Book 2 in the form of Rise of the Tomb Raider and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.
Rise of the Tomb Raider posted a normal test of 27.15 fps with high graphic settings at 3240 x 2160 resolution, which also ensures stable smooth game play.
Similarly, we could max out the offered resolution in Wolfenstein 2, 16:9 aspect ratio and 2048 x 1152 resolution, and set the game’s video quality profile to the highest level it could get, aptly called ‘Mein leben! ‘.
Wolfenstein 2 was an uncomplicated joy to play with the ultra settings selected, smooth movement and gunplay, detailed and harsh environments. Similarly, smoke, sparks, and other particle effects resulted in zero slowdown during our gaming sessions.
It’s fair to say that the Surface Book 2 is more than capable as a gaming system.
A word of caution though: the GeForce GTX 1060 only powers up when plugged in, so don’t expect the same performance when playing on battery. For most casual gaming applications, the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip should be more than enough.
And while we’re on the subject of the system’s battery, we found it to be very impressive during our testing period, which lasted over seven hours in our battery test.
That’s almost certainly due to the extra space available in the new 15-inch chassis, but considering it’s double that of the original, it’s certainly a big improvement.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Review: Verdict
If money doesn’t matter and you’re looking for a 2-in-1 hybrid, just buy the Surface Book 2. It really is that simple.
Surface Book 2 does what any other 2-in-1 hybrid does, but much, much better. It works great as a powerful laptop for photo and video editing, as well as for general computing.
It’s incredibly good for playing the most demanding AAA PC games like Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Sure, it’s not the same level of gaming power as an equally priced gaming laptop like the ASUS ROG SW, but with that GeForce 1060 6GB graphics card tucked into the case, the Surface Book 2 can easily play any current AAA game. smoothly and with high settings, which is confirmed by the test results (see box above).
As a creative tool, if you’re willing to pay another £100 for a Surface Pen, you’re also incredibly well-tuned for the quality of the screen, its rich color reproduction, and crisp 3240 x 2160 resolution.
Seriously, the screen is absolutely lush.
However, if money is an issue, you may want to consider the first generation Surface Book or the new Surface Pro as a better and better option. We think this is especially true for users who don’t care about PC gaming.
However, in its current form, aside from its financial impact on the wallet, there’s simply nothing to compete with the Surface Book 2 and it’s easy to recommend if you’re shopping in the premium 2-in-1 hybrid laptop market.
For more information on the Surface Book 2, visit tracker.tradedoubler.com/click .
- Need a removable screen? These are the laptops you’re looking for
Technical Review Surface Book 3 GPU — Surface
- Article
- Reading takes 9 minutes
-
- Applies to:
- Windows 10, Windows 11
Introduction
Surface Book 3, the most powerful Surface laptop ever released, integrates completely redesigned computing and graphics capabilities into its iconic detachable form factor.
Led by a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processor and NVIDIA® Quadro RTX™ 3000 GPU on the 15-inch model, Surface Book 3 comes in a wide range of configurations for consumers, creatives, architects, engineers, and processing professionals and data analysis. This article explains the main differences between GPU configurations for 13″ and 15″ Surface Book 3 models.
A significant difference between Surface Book 3 models is the GPU configuration. In addition to the integrated Intel GPU built into all models except the entry-level 13.5-inch Core i5, there is also a discrete NVIDIA GPU with Max-Q Design that includes features that optimize power efficiency for mobile form factors.
An optional NVIDIA GPU built into the keyboard base provides advanced graphics rendering capabilities and comes in two main configurations: the GeForce® GTX® 1650/1660 Ti for consumer or creative professionals and the Quadro RTX 3000 for creative professionals, engineers and other business professionals who need to need advanced graphics or deep learning capabilities.
This article also describes how to optimize your applications’ GPU usage by specifying which applications should use the integrated iGPU and discrete NVIDIA GPU.
Surface Book 3 GPU
This section describes the integrated and discrete GPUs in Surface Book 3 models. See Appendix A: Surface Book 3 SKUs for configuration information for all models.
Intel Iris™ Plus Graphics
The Integrated GPU (iGPU) included with all Surface Book 3 models includes a wider graphics module and a redesigned memory controller that supports LPDDR4X. Intel Iris Plus Graphics, installed as an additional GPU in most Surface Book 3 models, operates as the only GPU in the 13.5-inch Core i5 model. While nominally the entry-level device in the Surface Book 3 line, it provides advanced graphics options to enable consumers, hobbyists, and online creators to run the latest productivity software like Adobe Creative Cloud or enjoy 1080p gaming.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q design provides a significant upgrade to the main streaming multiprocessor to better handle the complex graphics of today’s games.
Parallel execution of floating point and integer operations improves performance in today’s compute-intensive games. A new unified memory architecture with twice the cache of its predecessor delivers faster performance in today’s demanding games. New shading enhancements improve performance, improve image quality, and provide new levels of geometric complexity.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Compared to the GeForce GTX 1650, the faster GeForce GTX 1660 Ti provides Surface Book 3 with additional performance improvements and includes the new and updated NVIDIA encoder, making it better for consumers, gamers, streamers and creative professionals.
With 6GB of GDDR6 graphics memory, Surface Book 3 models equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 TI deliver superior speed on advanced business productivity software and popular games, especially when running the latest games or streaming. With an optional 2TB SSD (available in the US only), the 15″ model with GeForce GTX 1660 Ti provides the most storage of any Surface Book 3 device.
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 unlocks several key features for professional users: ray tracing rendering and AI acceleration, as well as advanced graphics and compute performance. The combination of 30 RT cores, 240 Tensor Cores, and 6GB of GDDR6 graphics memory enables multiple advanced workloads, including Al-enabled workflows, 3D content creation, advanced video editing, professional broadcasting, and multi-application workflows. Enterprise-grade hardware and software support integrates deployment tools to maximize uptime and minimize IT support requirements. Certified for the world’s most advanced software, Quadro drivers are optimized for professional applications and configured, tested and validated to ensure application certification, stability, reliability, availability, and extended product availability support.
GPU comparison between Surface Book 3
NVIDIA GPUs provide high performance for gaming, streaming and content creation.
GeForce GTX products are great for gamers and content creators. Designed for professional users, Quadro RTX products provide high performance gaming and content creation, and add the following features:
- RTX acceleration for ray tracing and artificial intelligence. This allows you to render photorealistic objects and environments with physically accurate shadows, reflections and refractions. And hardware-accelerated AI capabilities mean advanced AI features in popular apps can run faster than ever before.
- Enterprise grade hardware, drivers and support, and isv application certification.
- IT management features include an additional layer of dedicated enterprise remote management tools that help increase uptime and minimize IT support requirements.
If you don’t consider yourself near the cutting edge of engineering, design, architecture, or data science, Surface Book 3 equipped with NVIDIA GeForce graphics will most likely meet your needs.
Conversely, if you’re already working or aspiring to join a profession that requires highly advanced graphics capabilities in a portable form factor that lets you work from anywhere, the Surface Book 3 with Quadro RTX 3000 deserves serious consideration. For more information, see the Surface Book 3 Quadro RTX 3000 white paper.
Table 1: Discrete GPUs on Surface Book 3
| GeForce GTX 1650 | GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | Quadro RTX 3000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target users | Players, hobbyists and online creators | Players, creative professionals and online creators | Creative professionals, architects, engineers, developers, data scientists |
| Working processes | Graphic design Photos Videos |
Graphic design Photos Videos |
Al-powered workflows Application certifications High definition video Pro broadcast Multi-application workflows |
| Key applications | Adobe Creative Suite | Adobe Creative Suite | Adobe Creative Suite Autodesk AutoCAD Dassault Systemes SolidWorks |
| GPU acceleration | Video and image processing | Video and image processing | Ray Tracing + AI + 6K Video Pro Broadcast Features Enterprise Support |
6 - Recommended
- Supported
Optimizing power and performance in Surface Book 3
Surface devices can adjust performance-related power settings by adjusting the Windows Performance power slider in Windows 10, also known as Power Mode in Windows 11. Surface Book 3 algorithmically implements this feature to power and performance optimizations in the following components:
- CPU Energy Efficiency Registers (Intel Speed Shift Technology) and other SoC tuning options for maximum efficiency.
- Maximum fan speed with four modes: quiet, nominal, performance and maximum.
- Processor power covers (PL1/PL2).
- IA Turbo limits for the processor.
By default, when the battery drops below 20 percent, Battery Saver adjusts settings to improve battery life. When connected to power, Surface Book 3 defaults to «Best performance» settings to ensure applications run in high-performance mode on the optional NVIDIA GPU found on all Surface Book 3 i7 systems.
For optimal performance, we recommend that you use the default settings when using as a laptop or disconnecting in tablet or studio mode. To access battery saver, click the battery icon on the right side of the taskbar.
Game Mode
Surface Book 3 includes a new Game Mode that automatically selects maximum performance settings at startup.
Safe Disconnect
For the first time on Surface Book 3, apps enabled for safe disconnect allow you to disconnect while the application is using the GPU. For supported applications, such as World of Warcraft , work is moved to the iGPU.
Changing application settings to always use a specific GPU
You can toggle between power saving but still supporting integrated Intel graphics and a more powerful NVIDIA discrete GPU and associate the GPU with a specific application. By default, Windows 10 and Windows 11 automatically select the appropriate GPU by assigning graphics-intensive applications to discrete NVIDIA GPUs. In most cases, you do not need to manually configure these settings. However, if you frequently detach and reattach the display to the keyboard base while using an application that requires graphical requirements, you usually need to close the application before detaching it. To ensure continuous use of the application without having to close it each time the display is disconnected or reconnected, it can be assigned to the integrated GPU, albeit with some loss in graphics performance.
In some cases, the OS may assign a graphics application to the iGPU. for example, if the application is not fully optimized for hybrid graphics.
To resolve this issue, you can manually assign the application to discrete NVIDIA GPUs.
Follow these steps to configure applications using custom gpu settings.
-
Go to Settings > System > Display and select Graphics Options .
- For a classic Windows program, select Classic Browse Applications > and then search for the program.
- For a UWP app, select Universal App, and then select the app from the drop-down list.
-
Click the Add button to create a new entry in the list for the selected program, select Options to open the graphic specifications, and then select the option you want.
-
To check which GPU is used for each application, open Task Manager, select Performance and view the Gpu Engine column.
Appendix A. Surface Book 3 SKUs
| Display | Processor | GPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.5″ | 10th Generation Quad Core i5-1035G7 | Intel Iris™ Plus Graphics | 16 LPDDR4x | 256 GB |
| 13.5″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Max-Q Design with 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory |
16 LPDDR4x | 256 GB |
| 13.5″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Max-Q Design with 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 512 GB |
| 13.5″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.  Max-Q Design with 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 1 TB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Max-Q Design with 6 GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
16 LPDDR4x | 256 GB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Max-Q Design with 6GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 512 GB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Max-Q Design with 6 GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 1 TB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Max-Q Design with 6GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 2 TB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000.  Max-Q Design with 6 GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 512 GB |
| 15″ | Quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000. Max-Q Design with 6GB GDDR6 graphics memory |
32 LPDDR4x | 1 TB |
2TB Ssd available in US only: Surface Book 3 15″ with NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti
Datasheet
Designed for performance, Surface Book 3 includes a variety of GPU configurations optimized for specific workloads and usage requirements. Integrated graphics The Intel Iris GPU operates as the sole GPU on the entry-level Core i5 device and as an additional GPU on all other models.GeForce GTX 1650 has a major upgrade to the main streaming multiprocessor to run complex graphics more efficiently.Faster GeForce GTX 1660 Ti powers the Surface Book 3 with additional performance enhancements to make it better for consumers, gamers, broadcasters, and creative professionals.