M2 Mac mini vs. Surface Pro 8: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for M2 Mac mini and Surface Pro 8 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

M2 Mac mini Pros

Reasons that M2 Mac mini is better than Surface Pro 8.

Newer manufacturing

2023 vs. 2021

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G) inside M2 Mac mini has a 206% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
14,899
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
14,899
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
8,819
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Has four more ports and slots

M2 Mac mini has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 8. It has ten versus six amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsM2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
SSD slotNoYes
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Type CoverNoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x4Yes x2
USB-AYes x2No
Total106
More versatile connectivity

M2 Mac mini has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 8. It has six versus two commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsM2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
HDMIYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
USB-AYesNo

Surface Pro 8 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 8 is better than M2 Mac mini.

Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 8 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsM2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
About 25% lighter

Surface Pro 8 weighed 1.96 pounds, 25% lighter than the 2.6 pounds M2 Mac mini.

WeightM2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Pound
2.6 lbs.
1.96 lbs.
Kilogram
1.18 kg
0.89 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between M2 Mac mini and Surface Pro 8.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
M2 Mac mini
32 GB
Surface Pro 8
32 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

M2 Mac mini Price
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
By Apple
$549.00
$599.00 8% OFF
2023 Apple Mac with Apple M2 Chip with 8-core CPU (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
2023 Apple Mac with Apple M2 Chip with 8-core CPU (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$499.97
Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer, M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU, 16GB Memory, 512GB SSD, Early 2023
Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer, M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU, 16GB Memory, 512GB SSD, Early 2023
By Apple
$997.43
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$789.99
$1,099.99 28% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$737.90
$1,099.99 33% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$670.99

Availability

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Released20232021
Release Date
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
  • Available on January 24, 2023.
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
Pricing
  • $599
    M2, 8C CPU, 10C GPU, 8GB, 256GB
  • $799
    M2, 8C CPU, 10C GPU, 8GB, 512GB
  • $1,299
    M2 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $1,599
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $1,999
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 512GB
  • $2,199
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $2,599
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 2TB
  • $3,199
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 2TB
  • $4,399
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 8TB
  • $4,499
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 8TB, 10GbE
  • $1,099.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 128GB
    Platinum only.
  • $1,199.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,899.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 512GB
  • $2,199.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Generations

Exterior

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Dimensions7.75” x 7.75” x 1.41” (197 mm x 197 mm x 35.8 mm)11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight
  • 2.6 lbs. (1.18 kg)
    M2
  • 2.8 lbs. (1.28 kg)
    M2 Pro
1.96 lb (889 g)
Colors
Silver
Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad-
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen

Display

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Size-13 Inches
Info-
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
M2 Mac mini Ports
Image Source: Apple
Back (10)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps, Configurable to 10 Gbps
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery, M2 Pro only, Optional
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0 on M2, v2.1 on M2 Pro
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Surface Pro 8 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Processor
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  3. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    Apple M2 iGPU
    10 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB 16GB
    unified memory.
  • Configurable to 32GB
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 8TB
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.

Connectivity

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.3 wireless technologyBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
Ethernet
10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Configuration up to 10 Gbs
-

Battery

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Size-
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life-Up to 16 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 150W built-in power supply
    M2
  • 185W built-in power supply
    M2 Pro
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
OSShipped with macOS VenturaWindows 11 Home
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Camera-
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
Audio
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
Inking-
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
Security-
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Mac mini
  • Power cord
  • Surface Pro 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyYour Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.1-year limited hardware warranty
MoreM2 Mac mini: video supports
  • Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
    • One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
    • Support for native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI 2.0 display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
M2 Pro Mac mini: video supports
  • Simultaneously supports up to three displays:
    • Up to three displays: Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI
    • Up to two displays: One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Support for native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz
-

Key Features

M2 Mac miniSurface Pro 8
At Glance
Released in Early
2023
Weight
2.6 lb
1.18 kg
Up to
Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
12C/12T, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,943
Single Core
Geekbench 5
14,899
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 Pro iGPU
19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
32GB
LPDDR5 Memory
M2 Mac mini Ports
Released in Late
2021
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.96 lb
0.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Pro 8 Ports

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