Surface Book 2 15” vs. Surface Book 3 13.5”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Book 2 15” and Surface Book 3 13.5” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Book 2 15” Pros

Reasons that Surface Book 2 15” is better than Surface Book 3 13.5”.

11% larger display

Surface Book 2 15” has a 15-inch screen size 11% larger than the 13.5-inch Surface Book 3 13.5”.

Display size
Surface Book 2 15”
15-inch
Surface Book 3 13.5”
13.5-inch

Surface Book 3 13.5” Pros

Reasons that Surface Book 3 13.5” is better than Surface Book 2 15”.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2017

Supports larger memory

Surface Book 3 13.5” supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Book 2 15”. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Surface Book 2 15”.

Max system memory size
Surface Book 3 13.5”
32 GB
Surface Book 2 15”
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Book 3 13.5” supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Book 2 15”. It supports up to 3733MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Book 2 15”.

Memory type and speed
Surface Book 3 13.5” - LPDDR4X
3,733 MHz
Surface Book 2 15” - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
About 20% lighter

Surface Book 3 13.5” weighed 3.38 pounds, 20% lighter than the 4.20 pounds Surface Book 2 15”.

WeightSurface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Pound
4.20 lbs.
3.38 lbs.
Kilogram
1.91 kg
1.53 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Book 2 15” and Surface Book 3 13.5”.

Similar CPU performance

Both laptops has a similar multi-core CPU performance score.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Book 2 15” - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Surface Book 3 13.5” - Intel Core i7-1065G7
3,722
Surface Book 3 13.5” - Intel Core i5-1035G7
3,691
Surface Book 2 15” - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982

Prices

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

Surface Book 2 15” Price
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB), Silver
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB), Silver
By Microsoft
$799.99
$899.99 11% OFF
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$564.69
$719.99 22% OFF
NEW Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 15" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
NEW Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 15" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,099.00
Surface Book 3 13.5” Price
Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 13.5" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 13.5" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,026.03
New Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 13.5" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
New Microsoft Surface Book 3 - 13.5" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum
By Microsoft
$577.99
Microsoft Surface Book 3-15" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7-32GB Memory - 512GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Book 3-15" Touch-Screen - 10th Gen Intel Core i7-32GB Memory - 512GB SSD (Latest Model) - Platinum (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$2,464.99

Availability

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Released20172020
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 17, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: November 9, 2017
  • Released: November 16, 2017
  • Introduced: May 6, 2020
  • Pre-ordered: May 6, 2020
  • Released: May 12, 2020
PricingStarting at 1,999$For Consumer
  • $1,599 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB | Iris Plus
  • $1,999 - i7 | 16GB | 256GB | GTX 1650
  • $2,499 - i7 | 32GB | 512GB | GTX 1650
  • $2,699 - i7 | 32GB | 1TB | GTX 1650
For Commercial
  • $1,699 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB | Iris Plus
  • $2,099 - i7 | 16GB | 256GB | GTX 1650
  • $2,599 - i7 | 32GB | 512GB | GTX 1650
  • $2,799 - i7 | 32GB | 1TB | GTX 1650
Generations

Exterior

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Dimensions13.5” x 9.87” x 0.57”-0.90” (343 mm x 251 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i5)
    12.3” x 9.14” x 0.51”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 13 mm-23 mm)
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i7)
    12.3” x 9.14” x 0.59”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)
Weight
  • Total: 4.20 lbs (1,905 g)
  • Tablet: 1.80 lbs (817 g)
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i5)
    • Total: 3.38 lbs (1,534 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i7)
    • Total: 3.62 lbs (1,642 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
Colors
Platinum
Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1.55mm travel.
    • Mechanical friction attaches the Clipboard to the keyboard.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 105 mm x 70 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1.55mm travel.
    • Mechanical friction attaches the Clipboard to the keyboard.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 105 mm x 70 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Size15 Inches13.5 Inches
Info
  • Display Resolution: 3240 x 2160 (7M Pixels)
  • Display Density: 260 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1600:1
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Display Resolution: 3000 x 2000 (6M Pixels)
  • Display Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1600:1
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Surface Book 2 15” Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 2 x Full-size USB 3.1 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 2 x Surface Connect™
    1 in tablet, 1 in keyboard base, both supports charging and docking.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x Full-size SDXC card reader
    UHS-II Performance
Surface Book 3 13.5” Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (3)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
    UHS-II performance
Right (3)
  • 1 x power port
    Charging, Docking
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone, On the tablet
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x power port
    Charging, Docking, On the tablet

Internal Specs

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.20 → 3.70 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G7
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
    64 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
    64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
8GB 16GB 32GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4x
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060
    Pascal Architecture, 6GB GDDR5 192-bit, 1404 → 1670 MHz, 1280 CUDA Cores.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 with Max-Q
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1020 → 1245 MHz, 1024 CUDA Cores.
Storage
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
1 x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology

Battery

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Size
  • Total: 90Wh
    Clipboard: 23Wh
    Base: 67Wh
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i5)
    Total: 69Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 51Wh
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i7)
    Total: 75.3Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 57.3Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 17 hours of video playback
  • Up to 5 hours in tablet mode
  • Surface Book 3 13.5”
    • Up to 15.5 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 102W power supply with USB-A (7.5W) charging port.
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i5)
    65W Surface Power Supply with USB-A (5W) charging port.
  • Surface Book 3 13.5” (Core i7)
    102W Surface Power Supply with USB-A (7W) charging port.

Software

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
OSWindows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Free upgrade to Windows 11
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Support for Windows Sonic for Headphones
  • Support for Dolby® Atmos for Headphones
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®
    • Support for Windows Sonic for Headphones
    • Support for Dolby® Atmos for Headphones

Misc

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface Book 2 15”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Book 3 13.5”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyOne-year limited hardware warrantyOne-year limited hardware warranty
MoreSupports Surface Dial
Supports both on-screen and off-screen interaction.
Supports Surface Dial
Supports both on-screen and off-screen interaction.

Key Features

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”
At Glance
Released in Late
2017
3:2 3.2K
15”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
4.20 lb
1.91 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-8650U
4C/8T, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,106
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,879
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 620
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Book 2 15” Ports
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1060
6GB GDDR5
Released in Mid
2020
3:2 3K
13.5”
2000p 60Hz
Weight
3.38 lb
1.53 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4C/8T, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,088
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,722
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Book 3 13.5” Ports
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1650
4GB GDDR6 with Max-Q

Comparison Summary

Surface Book 2 15” vs. Surface Book 3 13.5”

Microsoft has released the Surface Book 2 15”, a 15-inch machine, in late-2017. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U with a boost clock speed up to 4.20 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5.

On the other hand, we have the 13.5-inch Surface Book 3 13.5” was introduced by Microsoft about three years later in mid-2020. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 with a boost clock speed up to 3.90 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Book 2 15”1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86277.94%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,106100.00%
Surface Book 3 13.5”1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G71,00290.60%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G71,08898.37%
01,106

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Book 2 15”1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98276.88%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,879100.00%
Surface Book 3 13.5”1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G73,69195.15%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G73,72295.95%
03,879

The Surface Book 2 15” has a 15-inch display which is slightly larger than the 13.5-inch Surface Book 3 13.5”. In addition, the Surface Book 2 15” weighs 4.20 lbs. about 24% heavier than the 3.38 lbs. Surface Book 3 13.5”. Moreover, measured at 13.5” x 9.87” x 0.9”, the Surface Book 2 15” is considerably bulkier than the Surface Book 3 13.5” at 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.9”.

Surface Book 2 15”Surface Book 3 13.5”

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Book 2 15” supports up to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Surface Book 3 13.5”, it supports up to 32GB 3733 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Like Surface Book 2 15”, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users.

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