Surface Pro 9 vs. Surface Pro 7 Plus: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 7 Plus specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 9 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 9 is better than Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1265U inside Surface Pro 9 has a 41% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1165G7 inside Surface Pro 7 Plus.

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 7 Plus - Intel Core i7-1165G7
4,487
Surface Pro 7 Plus - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 7 Plus - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 7 Plus. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 4267MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 9 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Pro 7 Plus - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
5% larger display

Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch screen size 5% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Display size
Surface Pro 9
13-inch
Surface Pro 7 Plus
12.3-inch

Surface Pro 7 Plus Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 7 Plus is better than Surface Pro 9.

About 13% lighter

Surface Pro 7 Plus weighed 1.70 pounds, 13% lighter than the 1.94 pounds Surface Pro 9.

WeightSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Pound
1.94 lbs.
1.70 lbs.
Kilogram
0.88 kg
0.77 kg
Has two more ports and slots

Surface Pro 7 Plus has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 9. It has seven versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
headphone jackNoYes
microSD card slotNoYes
nanoSIM card slotNoYes
SSD slotYesNo
Surface ConnectYesYes
Surface Type CoverNoYes
Surface Type Cover portYesNo
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2No
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes
Total57
More versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 7 Plus has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 9. It has four versus one commonly used port and slot on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
headphone jackNoYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 9
32 GB
Surface Pro 7 Plus
32 GB

Prices

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

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
Surface Pro 7 Plus Price
Microsoft - Surface Pro 7+ - 12.3” Touch Screen – Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 128GB SSD with Black Type Cover (Latest Model) - Platinum
Microsoft - Surface Pro 7+ - 12.3” Touch Screen – Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 128GB SSD with Black Type Cover (Latest Model) - Platinum
By Microsoft
$820.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ Tablet 12.3 Inch PixelSense Touchscreen Display, Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, Windows 10 Home, Platinum 1XK-00001 (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ Tablet 12.3 Inch PixelSense Touchscreen Display, Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, Windows 10 Home, Platinum 1XK-00001 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$495.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ Intel Core i7 11th Gen 1165G7 (2.80GHz) 16GB Memory 256 GB SSD Intel Iris Xe Graphics 12.3" Touchscreen 2736 x 1824 2-in-1 Laptop Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 1Y9-00001 (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ Intel Core i7 11th Gen 1165G7 (2.80GHz) 16GB Memory 256 GB SSD Intel Iris Xe Graphics 12.3" Touchscreen 2736 x 1824 2-in-1 Laptop Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 1Y9-00001 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$694.99

Availability

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Released20222021
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 12, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: October 12, 2022
  • Released: October 25, 2022
Introduced: January 11, 2021 (CES 2021)
PricingStarting at $999.99Starting at 899$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
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)
Weight1.94 lb (879 g)
  • Intel Core i3, i5 (Wi-Fi): 1.70 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i5 (LTE): 1.75 lbs (796 g)
  • Intel Core i7 (Wi-Fi): 1.73 lbs (784 g)
Colors
Sapphire Forest Platinum Graphite
Matte Black 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 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Size13 Inches12.3 Inches
Info
  • 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
  • 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 3
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • 100% sRGB color, individually calibrated

Ports

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
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
Surface Pro 7 Plus Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (2)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
    Optional
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
    Optional

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Processor
  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
  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™ i7-1165G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
Integrated Graphics
  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
  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™ i7-1165G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5 RAM
4GB 8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Removable SSD.
Fans Number1-

Connectivity

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
More-
  • LTE Advanced with removable SIM and eSIM support
  • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X20 LTE Modem
  • LTE bands supported: 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12,13,14, 19, 20,25, 26,28 29,30,38,39,40,41,66

Battery

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Size
  • 47.7 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 46.5 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
50.4 Wh Lithium-ion Battery
Battery LifeUp to 15.5 hours of typical device usageUp to 15 hours of typical device usage
LTE Advanced: Up to 13.5 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
OSConsumer models
  • Windows 11 Home
Business models
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
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
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps 30-day trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
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 far-field Studio Mics
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
Inking
  • 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
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
  • 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
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface Pro 9
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro 7 Plus for Business
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited hardware warranty
  • 1-year limited hardware warranty
  • Microsoft Store Promise for Surface:
  • 60-day return policy
  • 90 days of free technical phone support
  • Free virtual workshops and training
  • Surface price promise

Key Features

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus
At Glance
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
Released in Early
2021
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.70 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,374
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,487
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Pro 7 Plus Ports

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 9 vs. Surface Pro 7 Plus

Microsoft has released the Surface Pro 9, a 13-inch machine, in late-2022. It is powered by up to 10-core Intel Core i7-1265U with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 Plus was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in early-2021. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

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%
Surface Pro 7 Plus1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G41,16366.31%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G71,19568.13%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G71,37478.34%
01,754

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

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%
Surface Pro 7 Plus1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G42,44538.11%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G73,98062.04%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G74,48769.95%
06,415

The Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch display which is slightly larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 Plus. In addition, the Surface Pro 9 weighs 1.94 lbs. about 14% heavier than the 1.70 lbs. Surface Pro 7 Plus. Moreover, measured at 11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37”, the Surface Pro 9 is slightly bulkier than the Surface Pro 7 Plus at 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33”.

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 7 Plus

There are a toal number of 5 ports and slots available on Surface Pro 9. That includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, a Surface Connect, a Surface Type Cover port, and an SSD slot. With that said, it has two ports and slots fewer than the Surface Pro 7 Plus that has a headphone jack, a USB-C port, a USB-A port, a Surface Connect, a Surface Type Cover, a microSD card slot, and a nanoSIM card slot.

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 9 supports up to 32GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 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 Pro 7 Plus, it supports up to 32GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Like Surface Pro 9, 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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