Microsoft just made it official: the new Surface Book 2 will be available starting November 16 in two sizes — 13 inches and 15 inches — and they'll pack NVIDIA GTX 1050 and 1060 GPUs and USB Type C.

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The original Surface Book celebrates its two-year anniversary this month. With Surface Book 2, there are now two sizes with a 13.5-inch and new 15-inch version. Packing powerful Intel eighth-generation quad-core processors and either a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (13.5 inch) or GTX 1060 (15 inch) these new Surface Books are five times more potent than their predecessor (and twice as powerful as the 2017 Apple MacBook Pro). With up to 17 hours of battery life and the addition of USB Type-C 3.1, the Surface Book 2 could very well be the best all-around Windows laptop.

Surface Book 2 features and tech specs Microsoft is not playing around, as the new Surface Book 2 brings some serious computing power to the table. The most significant additions are the new ultra-low-voltage (ULV) Intel eighth-generation quad-core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 GPUs, with the latter bringing some serious gaming-level power to the Surface line. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more

Category Surface Book 2 13 inch Surface Book 2 15 inch Processor Intel Core i5 (3.2GHz)

Intel Core i7 (4.2GHz) Intel Core i7 (4.2GHz) Display size 13.5 inch

1600:1 contrast ratio 15 inch

1600:1 contrast ratio Display resolution 3000 x 2000

3:2 aspect

267 PPI 3240 x 2160

3:2 aspect

260 PPI RAM 8GB or 16GB 16GB Native graphics Intel HD Graphics 620

Intel UHD Graphics 620 Intel UHD Graphics 620 Discrete graphics i5: None

i7: NVIDIA GTX 1050 (2GB) NVIDIA GTX 1060 (6GB) Storage 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB Weight i5 total: 1,533g (3.38lbs)

i7 total: 1,642g (3.62lbs)

Tablet: 719g (1.59lbs) Total: 1,905g (4.20lbs)

Tablet: 817g (1.80lbs)

Full Surface Book 2 specifications Only the 13-inch Core i5 Surface Book 2 is dual-core (the older, seventh-generation Intel) while all the Intel Core i7 models are the newer eighth-generation quad-core variety. For ports, Microsoft still uses its proprietary Surface Connect for power and the optional Surface Dock. There are also two USB Type-A ports, a full SD card reader, and now USB Type-C instead of a mini DisplayPort. Surface Book 2 finally gets USB Type-C All Surface Book 2's come with USB Type-C 3.1 instead of a mini DisplayPort. That Type-C port can handle data, video out, and power charging (in and out). However, it is not Thunderbolt 3, meaning there won't be support for external GPUs (eGPU), which is still very niche, according to Microsoft.

What the Type-C port can do for output depends on how it is used. When splitting it between power, data, and display, such a third-party USB Type-C dock or port expander, users will get only two DisplayPort lanes. That results in a maximum secondary display resolution of 2880 x 1800 at 60Hz, allowing the most popular resolution today — QHD (2560 x 1440) — to be used. Alternatively, if you are only using a secondary display through USB Type-C (using all four DisplayPort lanes), the Surface Book 2 supports up to a 4K output resolution at 60Hz. For charging, like all Type-C charging solutions, users will need a powerful enough wall charger to power the Surface Book 2, especially while using it. The 15-inch model can draw up to 75W between the CPU and GTX 1060. If a user slaps on the magnetic Surface Connect charger it will override a USB Type-C charge.

Surface Book 2 13-inch drops the fan For the 13-inch model, there is no fan in the top half of the Surface Book 2, unlike the original Surface Book. That means when you use the 13-inch model as a tablet it will be completely silent even if running the new Intel quad-core i7 version. For the base, there is a fan for the Core i7 model because it features a GTX 1050 GPU. The Core i5 model only uses native Intel HD graphics and is 100 percent fanless for both the top and bottom.

The 15-inch model has a small fan in the tablet-half, but for a good reason. The 15-inch model runs the Intel quad-core i7 processor at a full 20W compared to the 15W found in the 13-inch version. The idea is that unless under extreme circumstances (a sweltering room), the 15-inch model should not throttle. Users will always get max performance. Surface Book 2: Serious performance and battery life Microsoft is betting that people who purchase the Surface Book 2 will be professionals, such as engineers, data scientists, architects, software developers, or even prosumer gamers who want a Surface but need desktop-class power. Our Xbox editor Jez Corden recently gave up on the Surface Book precisely because it was underpowered for his job, which includes gaming. The new 15-inch model, however, with a GTX 1060 (6GB), Xbox Wireless built-in for an Xbox Controller, and a new Quad-Core Intel CPU means he can finally move back to Surface without compromise.