Surface Pro 8 vs. Surface Pro 5: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro 5 models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface Pro 8 image

Surface Pro 8

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Surface Pro 5 image

Surface Pro 5

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Surface Pro 8 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 8 is better than Surface Pro 5.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2017

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8 has a 144% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-7660U inside Surface Pro 5.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
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
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i7-7660U
1,992
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core m3-7Y30
1,202
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 8 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 5. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 5.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 8
32 GB
Surface Pro 5
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 8 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 5. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 5.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 8 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Surface Pro 5 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Upgradable storage

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

SlotsSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard
5% larger display

Surface Pro 8 has a 13-inch screen size 5% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 5.

Display size
Surface Pro 8
13-inch
Surface Pro 5
12.3-inch

Surface Pro 5 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 5 is better than Surface Pro 8.

About 14% lighter

Surface Pro 5 weighed 1.69 pounds, 14% lighter than the 1.96 pounds Surface Pro 8.

WeightSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
Pound
1.96 lbs.
1.69 lbs.
Kilogram
0.89 kg
0.77 kg
More versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 5 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 8. It has four versus two commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-ANoYes

Prices

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

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
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
$737.99
$1,099.99 33% OFF
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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
$688.98
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Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$957.99
$1,050.01 9% OFF
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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
$299.99
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3" Touchscreen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC, Intel Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Including Keyboard, WiFi, USB 3.0, Camera, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3" Touchscreen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC, Intel Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Including Keyboard, WiFi, USB 3.0, Camera, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$329.00
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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
$325.00
$399.00 19% OFF
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Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
Released20212017
Release Date
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
  • Introduced: May 23, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
  • Released: June 15, 2017
Pricing
  • $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.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
Dimensions11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 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)
Weight1.96 lb (889 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
  • 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
  • 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 8Surface Pro 5
Size13 Inches12.3 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
  • 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 8Surface Pro 5
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
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 8Surface Pro 5
Processor
  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
  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. 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
  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 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
Size
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
45 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 16 hours of typical device usageUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
Power Supply
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W

Software

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
OSWindows 11 HomeWindows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Built-in Apps
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial
Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
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
  • 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 far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
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
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
Security
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • 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 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro (5th Gen)
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited hardware warranty
  • 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

Key Features

Surface Pro 8Surface Pro 5
At Glance
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
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

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