Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Book 2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 6 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 6 is better than Surface Book 2.

About 50% lighter

Surface Pro 6 weighed 1.7 pounds, 50% lighter than the 3.38 pounds Surface Book 2.

WeightSurface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Pound
1.7 lbs.
3.38 lbs.
Kilogram
0.77 kg
1.53 kg

Surface Book 2 Pros

Reasons that Surface Book 2 is better than Surface Pro 6.

Newer manufacturing

2017 vs. 2018

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

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

SlotsSurface Pro 6Surface Book 2
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
9% larger display

Surface Book 2 has a 13.5-inch screen size 9% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 6.

Display size
Surface Book 2
13.5-inch
Surface Pro 6
12.3-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 6
16 GB
Surface Book 2
16 GB
Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 1866MHz LPDDR3 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 6 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface Book 2 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz

Prices

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

Surface Pro 6 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$254.00
$329.00 23% OFF
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6 I7-8650U 16 512 SSD - PLATINUM
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6 I7-8650U 16 512 SSD - PLATINUM
By Microsoft
$464.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Black - NKR-00001
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Black - NKR-00001
By Microsoft
$351.00
$459.00 24% OFF
Surface Book 2 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
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB) - 13.5in (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB) - 13.5in (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$495.99
$574.95 14% OFF

Availability

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Released20182017
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 2, 2018 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2018
  • Released: October 16, 2018
  • Introduced: October 17, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: November 9, 2017
  • Released: November 16, 2017
PricingStarting at 899$
  • Surface Book 2 13.5”: Starting at 1,149$
  • Surface Book 2 15”: Starting at 1,999$
Generations-

Exterior

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Dimensions11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.9” (201 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm)
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i5)
    12.3” x 9.1” 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).
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    13.5” x 9.87” x 0.57”-0.90” (343 mm x 251 mm x 15 mm-23 mm).
Weight
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i5)
    • Total: 3.38 lbs (1,533 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i7)
    • Total: 3.62 lbs (1,642 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    • Total: 4.20 lbs (1,905 g)
    • Tablet: 1.80 lbs (817 g)
Colors
Matte Black Platinum
Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • 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.
  • 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 Pro 6Surface Book 2
Size12.3 Inches13.5 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • Surface Book 2 13.5”
    • Display Resolution: 3000 x 2000 (6M Pixels)
    • Display Density: 267 PPI
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    • 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

Ports

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Surface Pro 6 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x Surface Connect™
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x microSD™ card reader
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Surface Book 2 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

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 3.40 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Discrete Graphics-
  • Surface Book 2 13.5”
    • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050
      Pascal Architecture, 2GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1354 → 1493 MHz, 640 CUDA Cores.
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060
      Pascal Architecture, 6GB GDDR5 192-bit, 1404 → 1670 MHz, 1280 CUDA Cores.
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
BGA PCIe SSD
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
More-
  • Surface Book 2 15” Only: Xbox Wireless built-in

Battery

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Size45 Wh
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i5)
    Total: 69Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 51Wh
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i7)
    Total: 75.3Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 57.3Wh
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    Total: 90Wh
    Clipboard: 23Wh
    Base: 67Wh
Battery LifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
  • Up to 17 hours of video playback
  • Up to 5 hours in tablet mode
Power Supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i5)
    44W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port.
  • Surface Book 2 13.5” (Core i7)
    100W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port.
  • Surface Book 2 15”
    102W power supply with USB-A 7.5W) charging port.

Software

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Windows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full 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
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Support for Windows Sonic for Headphones
  • Support for Dolby® Atmos for Headphones

Misc

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • 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 Pro 6
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Book 2
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
One-year limited hardware warranty
More
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
Supports Surface Dial
Supports both on-screen and off-screen interaction.

Key Features

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2
At Glance
Released in Late
2018
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.7 lb
0.77 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 Pro 6 Ports
Released in
2017
3:2 3.2K
13.5”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
3.38 lb
1.53 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 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1060
6GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Book 2

Microsoft has released the Surface Pro 6, a 12.3-inch machine, in late-2018. 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 an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 620 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in 2017. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U with a boost clock speed up to 4.20 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U77169.71%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86277.94%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,106100.00%
Surface Book 21
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U81573.69%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86277.94%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,106100.00%
01,106

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U1,97150.81%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98276.88%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,879100.00%
Surface Book 21
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U1,77745.81%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98276.88%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,879100.00%
03,879

The Surface Pro 6 has a 12.3-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2. In addition, The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.7 lbs. about 98% lighter than the 3.38 lbs. Surface Book 2. Moreover, measured at 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33”, the Surface Pro 6 is much more portable than the Surface Book 2 at 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.9”.

Surface Pro 6Surface Book 2

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 6 supports up to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. It also has soldered storage, and there are no M.2 slots for expansion.

For Surface Book 2, it supports up to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. Like Surface Pro 6, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

Comments

Ask questions or share your thought and experience about the comparison between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2.

Loading Comments...