Surface Pro 9 vs. Surface Pro 8: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 8 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 9 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 9 is better than Surface Pro 8.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1265U inside Surface Pro 9 has a 30% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8.

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 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
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 8. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 4267MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 8.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 9 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Pro 8 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz

Surface Pro 8 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 8 is better than Surface Pro 9.

Has one more port and slot

Surface Pro 8 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 9. It has six versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
headphone jackNoYes
SSD slotYesYes
Surface ConnectYesYes
Surface Type CoverNoYes
Surface Type Cover portYesNo
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2Yes x2
Total56
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 8 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 9. It has two versus one commonly used port and slot on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
headphone jackNoYes

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 8.

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 8
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
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
$719.99
$1,099.99 35% OFF
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
$954.99
$1,050.01 9% OFF
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
$694.99

Availability

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
Released20222021
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 12, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: October 12, 2022
  • Released: October 25, 2022
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
PricingStarting at $999.99
  • $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.
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
Dimensions11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight1.94 lb (879 g)1.96 lb (889 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
  • 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 9Surface Pro 8
Size13 Inches13 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: 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

Ports

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
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 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

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
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™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 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™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5 RAM
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
Fans Number1-

Connectivity

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
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 technologyBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
Size
  • 47.7 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 46.5 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery LifeUp to 15.5 hours of typical device usageUp to 16 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 8
OSConsumer models
  • Windows 11 Home
Business models
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro
Windows 11 Home
Built-in Apps
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one-month 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 9Surface Pro 8
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
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
Audio
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
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 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
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
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
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • 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 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited hardware warranty1-year limited hardware warranty

Key Features

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8
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 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

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 9 vs. Surface Pro 8

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 13-inch Surface Pro 8 was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in late-2021. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1185G7 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, 400 → 1350 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 81
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G41,16366.31%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G71,19568.13%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G71,40480.05%
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 81
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G42,44538.11%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G73,98062.04%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G74,86475.82%
06,415

Both Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 8 have the same 13-inch display size. In addition, The Surface Pro 9 weighs 1.94 lbs. about 1% lighter than the 1.96 lbs. Surface Pro 8. Moreover, measured at 11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37”, the Surface Pro 9 share the same chassis as the Surface Pro 8.

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 8

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 a port or slot fewer than the Surface Pro 8 that has a headphone jack, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a Surface Connect, a Surface Type Cover, and an SSD 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 8, 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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