Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 9: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 9 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 6 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 6 is better than Surface Pro 9.

About 13% lighter

Surface Pro 6 weighed 1.7 pounds, 13% lighter than the 1.94 pounds Surface Pro 9.

WeightSurface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
Pound
1.7 lbs.
1.94 lbs.
Kilogram
0.77 kg
0.88 kg

Surface Pro 9 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 9 is better than Surface Pro 6.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2018

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1265U inside Surface Pro 9 has a 63% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-8650U inside Surface Pro 6.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i7-1255U
6,415
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i7-1265U
6,336
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i5-1235U
5,715
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i5-1245U
5,700
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8250U
1,971
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 9 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 6. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 6.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 9
32 GB
Surface Pro 6
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 6. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 6.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 9 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Pro 6 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 9 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsSurface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
5% larger display

Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch screen size 5% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 6.

Display size
Surface Pro 9
13-inch
Surface Pro 6
12.3-inch

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
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Graphite Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Graphite Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$1,099.00
$1,599.99 31% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Tablet - 13" - Core i7 12th Gen i7-1265U Deca-core (10 Core) - 16 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Windows 11 Pro 64-bit - Graphite
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Tablet - 13" - Core i7 12th Gen i7-1265U Deca-core (10 Core) - 16 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Windows 11 Pro 64-bit - Graphite
By Microsoft
$1,059.78
$1,134.78 7% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$690.99
$749.99 8% OFF

Availability

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
Released20182022
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 2, 2018 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2018
  • Released: October 16, 2018
  • Introduced: October 12, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: October 12, 2022
  • Released: October 25, 2022
PricingStarting at 899$Starting at $999.99
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
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)
11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
1.94 lb (879 g)
Colors
Matte Black Platinum
Sapphire Forest Platinum Graphite
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.
  • 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

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
Size12.3 Inches13 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
  • 13” PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Color profile: sRGB and Vivid
  • Dynamic refresh rate: up to 120Hz
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1200:1
  • Touch: 10-point multi-touch
  • Brightness: 450 nits maximum (typical), 2 nits minimum
  • Gorilla® Glass 5
  • Adaptive Color
  • Auto Color Management supported
  • Dolby Vision IQ™ support

Ports

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
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
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
Right (1)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
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. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.30 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.70 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.60 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB 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. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, → 1200 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, → 1200 MHz
  4. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
8GB 16GB 32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5 RAM
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
BGA PCIe SSD
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
Fans Number-1

Connectivity

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Wi-Fi 6E: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
Size45 Wh
  • 47.7 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 46.5 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery LifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playbackUp to 15.5 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Consumer models
  • Windows 11 Home
Business models
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one-month trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
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
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
  • Designed for Surface Slim Pen 2
  • 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
  • The integrated storage and wireless charging for Surface Slim Pen 2 with Surface Pro Signature Keyboard
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Windows 11 Secured-core PC
In the box
  • Surface Pro 6
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro 9
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
1-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
-

Key Features

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9
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 Late
2022
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.94 lb
0.88 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1265U
10C/12T, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,336
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,336
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
Starting at
$999.99
i5, 8GB, 128GB, Win 11 Home

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 9

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-inch Surface Pro 9 was introduced by Microsoft about four years later in late-2022. It comes with up to 10-core Intel Core i7-1265U with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U77143.96%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86249.14%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,10663.06%
Surface Pro 91
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U1,51086.09%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U1,754100.00%
3
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U1,56088.94%
4
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U1,33676.17%
01,754

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U1,97130.72%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98246.48%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,87960.47%
Surface Pro 91
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U5,71589.09%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U6,415100.00%
3
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U5,70088.85%
4
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U6,33698.77%
06,415

The Surface Pro 6 has a 12.3-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 13-inch Surface Pro 9. In addition, The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.7 lbs. about 14% lighter than the 1.94 lbs. Surface Pro 9. Moreover, measured at 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33”, the Surface Pro 6 is slightly more portable than the Surface Pro 9 at 11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37”.

Surface Pro 6Surface Pro 9

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 Pro 9, it supports up to 32GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 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.

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