Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 5: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 5 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 6 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 6 is better than Surface Pro 5.

Newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2017

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-8650U inside Surface Pro 6 has a 94% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-7660U inside Surface Pro 5.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i7-7660U
1,992
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8250U
1,971
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core m3-7Y30
1,202

Surface Pro 5 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Surface Pro 5 over Surface Pro 6.

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 5.

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 Pro 5
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 Pro 5 - 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
$428.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 12.3" Tablet 128GB WiFi Core™ i5-8350U 1.7GHz, Platinum (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 12.3" Tablet 128GB WiFi Core™ i5-8350U 1.7GHz, Platinum (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$235.00
Surface Pro 5 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$298.00
Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i5 4GB RAM 128GB SSD Windows 10 Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i5 4GB RAM 128GB SSD Windows 10 Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$235.89
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3†Touch-Screen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC | Intel Core i5-7300U | 8GB Memory | 256GB SSD | WiFi | USB 3.0 | Camera | Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3†Touch-Screen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC | Intel Core i5-7300U | 8GB Memory | 256GB SSD | WiFi | USB 3.0 | Camera | Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$329.00
$399.00 18% OFF

Availability

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
Released20182017
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 2, 2018 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2018
  • Released: October 16, 2018
  • Introduced: May 23, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
  • Released: June 15, 2017
PricingStarting at 899$Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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)
11.50” 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)
Weight
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (768 g)
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 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.
  • 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.

Display

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
Size12.3 Inches12.3 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
  • 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 4
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating

Ports

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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 Pro 5 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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™ m3-7Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.00 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz, 4MB 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™ m3-7Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
BGA PCIe SSD
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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

Battery

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
Size45 Wh45 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playbackUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
Power Supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W

Software

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Windows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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 Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
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 Pro (5th Gen)
  • 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
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
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
  • 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

Key Features

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5
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 Mid
2017
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7660U
2C/4T, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
877
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,992
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 5 Ports

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 5

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 12.3-inch Surface Pro 5 was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in mid-2017. It comes with up to a dual-core Intel Core i7-7660U with a boost clock speed up to 4.00 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640 (48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz).

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 Pro 51
7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y3056450.99%
2
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U81573.69%
3
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U87779.29%
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 Pro 51
7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y301,20230.99%
2
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U1,77745.81%
3
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U1,99251.35%
03,879

Both Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 5 have the same 12.3-inch display size. In addition, the Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.7 lbs. about 0% heavier than the 1.69 lbs. Surface Pro 5. Moreover, measured at 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33”, the Surface Pro 6 share the same chassis as the Surface Pro 5.

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 5

Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.

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