Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 Review: An Ultraportable Performer

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: At First Glance

4 years ago (from 2021), Microsoft launched its first-ever notebook, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 1. A year later, it released the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 – successor to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 1.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is just a slightly updated version of its predecessor (Surface Laptop 1). The new quad-core processors’ options and black color scheme are the most noticeable changes.

However, the laptop still has an exceptional battery life, as well as a crisp display and premium build quality. Additionally, the Surface Laptop 2 comes with Windows 10 Home instead of the Windows 10 S found on the Surface Laptop 1.

Moreover, the Surface Laptop 2 is also quite affordable compared to the Surface Laptop 1. It starts at a price of $579.95 at the time this review was published in August 2021.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Design, Dimension & Weight

The Surface Laptop 2 has the same design as its predecessor, with a new black color option being a major difference. The chassis is made up of aluminum, while the keyboard deck and palm rest are composed of Alcantara fabrics.

Alcantara fabrics are materials mostly found on the dashboard and seats of high-end luxury vehicles. Therefore, the fabrics give the Surface Laptop 2 an inviting and pleasant feel.

Unfortunately, Alcantara fabrics stain easily.

The standard color available for the Surface Laptop 2 is black. However, the laptop is also available in three other different colors: burgundy, cobalt blue, and platinum.

The Surface Laptop 2’s lid is solid and sleek, with a beautiful Microsoft four-square logo in the center. Moreover, the edges of the lid are also curved and extremely smooth.

Moving on, the Surface Laptop 2 comes with the same display as its predecessor. As a result, you’ll get a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with a QHD (2256 x 1504) resolution.

Furthermore, the display features an aspect ratio of 3:2. Therefore, the Surface Laptop 2 will be able to display high-quality images, texts, and videos.

Moreover, the display is also very bright, recording a maximum brightness of 321 nits. A Microsoft Surface Pen is also compatible with the screen.

However, the Surface Pen is an optional feature that must be purchased separately.

Also, the screen is coated with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, which protects it from scratches. In addition to that, the screen supports 10-point multi-touch.

To clarify, you will be able to perform different gestures simultaneously on the touchscreen using up to ten fingers. Furthermore, using the Surface Laptop 2’s touchscreen for gestures like swiping or zooming is quick and responsive.

In general, the display on the Surface Laptop 2 is brilliant, bright, and colorful. However, one feature of the display that I dislike is that the display bezels are slightly larger than those of its predecessors.

The top bezel of the laptop’s display screen houses a 720p HD front-facing video camera for taking pictures and making video calls. Moreover, this camera supports Windows Hello, which allows you to log in to Windows using facial recognition.

Unlike its predecessor which comes with a Windows 10 S, the Surface Laptop 2 ships with Windows Home 10. A lot of customers complained about the Surface Laptop 1 featuring Windows 10 S – it is limited to applications only on the Windows store.

Thankfully, the Surface Laptop 2 right the wrongs of its predecessor (Surface Laptop 1) by featuring Windows 10 Home.

Moving on to the laptop’s keyboard, it features a chiclet keyboard that has three-level white backlighting. Moreover, the keyboard has key travel of 1.3 millimeters and requires just 69 g of force to actuate.

Therefore, resulting in a pleasant typing experience. However, there is a little drawback – the power button is also on the keyboard.

It’s difficult to find the power button because it’s sandwiched between the delete and F12 keys. As a result, some users may accidentally press the button while typing, causing the laptop to shut down.

The Surface Laptop 2’s 105 x 70 mm glass touchpad is located below the keyboard. The touchpad is a Microsoft precision touchpad with integrated mouse buttons.

The glass surface of the touchpad is extremely smooth and comfortable to use. It also supports Windows 10’s three-finger app-switching gestures.

The integrated mouse button, on the other hand, makes a fairly loud clicky sound when pressed.

Despite the Microsoft Surface Laptop 1’s port selection being criticized by most customers, Microsoft still equipped the Surface Laptop 2 with a limited set of ports. This is perhaps its biggest flaw. 

The right side of the laptop only features the charging port, which the charging connector magnetically clamps into. On the left side are a single USB 3.0 port, 3.5mm audio jack, and a mini display port.

For users who require more connectivity, a Microsoft Surface Dock is available. However, you will have to purchase it differently.

In terms of size and weight, the Surface Laptop 2 measures 308.1 x 223.2 x 14.4 mm and weighs 1252 g. With this size and weight, the Surface Laptop 2 is lighter than the Dell XPS 13.

The Dell XPS 13 measures 295.6 x 198.6 x 9.5 mm and weighs 1306.3 g. It is worth noting that the Surface Laptop 2 has the same size and weight as its predecessor, Surface Laptop 1.

Finally, I will rate the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 a nine for its attractive design and compact size.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Processor (CPU) Performance

Microsoft offers three different processor options for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2. You can purchase the laptop with either an Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8350U, or Intel Core i7-8650U processor.

These processors all belong to the “Kaby Lake R” family from Intel and features quad-cores. In addition to being 4-core, the processors have a 6 MB cache except for the Intel Core i7-8650U which features an 8 MB cache.

Furthermore, the Intel Core i5-8250U has a base frequency of 1.60 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.40 GHz. The Intel Core i5-8350U, on the other hand, has a base frequency of 1.70 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.60 GHz.

Lastly, the Intel Core i7-8650U features a base frequency of 1.90 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.20 GHz. Moreover, this processor is the fastest amongst the three processor options, this is because it features a higher clock speed – base and maximum frequency.

The Surface Laptop 2 model I reviewed ships with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor. As mentioned earlier, this processor is quite fast thanks to its high clock speed.

As a result, I was able to multitask with ease. While testing its multitasking capabilities, I opened several applications including Microsoft Word, Corel Draw, and Photoshop.

Also, I opened several tabs on Microsoft Edge browser, with one of those tabs streaming a video on YouTube. The laptop performed smoothly and I didn’t notice any lag despite all these applications running concurrently.

I also conducted series of tests on the Surface Laptop 2 I reviewed to further determine the performance of its processor. First, I conducted a Handbrake benchmark video test.

This benchmark test involves converting a 4K video to Full HD (1080p) – shorter time means better performance.

On the Handbrake video test, the Surface Laptop 2 converted 4k video to Full HD (1080p) in 17 minutes 30 seconds. This time is shorter than the category average of 20 minutes and 6 seconds.

Additionally, it is also shorter than the 18 minutes and 17 seconds achieved by the Dell XPS 13. However, the MacBook Pro 13 performed better, recording only 14 minutes and 47 seconds.

The second test I performed on the Surface Laptop 2 is a Geekbench 4 test. Geekbench 4 is a benchmark test that measures the performance of a computer while performing everyday tasks.

The Surface Laptop 2 scored 12,676 points on the Geekbench 4 test. This score is slightly above the category average of 12,533 points.

However, the Surface Laptop 2 was outperformed by the Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 13.

On the Geekbench 4 test, the Dell XPS 13 scored 13,254 points while the MacBook Pro 13 scored 13,090 points.

On the bright side, when compared to its predecessor (Surface Laptop 1), the Surface Laptop 2 performed better. Based on the Geekbench 4 test, the Surface Laptop 1 scored 12,145 points.

Finally, I’ll rate the Surface Laptop 2 an eight out of ten for its decent processor performance.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Memory (RAM) Performance

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 features a single 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory slot with a standard memory of 8 GB. However, you can also purchase the laptop with 4 GB or the maximum memory capacity of 16 GB RAM.

Unfortunately, because the RAM card is soldered to the motherboard, it is not removable/upgradeable, and there is no extra slot for memory expansion. Therefore, it is important you purchase the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 that comes with the specific RAM you need.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 model I reviewed came with a standard memory of 8 GB. This memory should be sufficient for most users, however, if you are a heavy multitasker, you should go for 16 GB RAM.

Moreover, the 8 GB on my review laptop performed excellently while multitasking. As a result, I was able to open numerous applications and run background tasks without experiencing any lag.

Furthermore, I conducted a PCMark 10 test to further determine the performance of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2. PCMark 10 is a computer benchmarking program created by UL to evaluate a PC’s component performance.

Based on the test results, the Surface Laptop 2 scored 3078 points. In comparison, the Huawei MateBook 13 and Dell XPS 13 recorded a better score.

On the PCMark 10 test, the Huawei MateBook scored 4099 points. The Dell XPS 13, on the other hand, scored 3967 points.

In conclusion, the Surface Laptop 2 proved to be a terrific multitasker with its 8 GB RAM. However, it was outperformed by most of its competitors on a benchmark test I performed.

Therefore, I will rate the Surface Laptop 2 an eight out of ten.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Storage Options & Performance

Just like its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 2 comes with SSD storage. This SSD storage supports a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB.

As a result, users can purchase the Surface Laptop 2 with the storage option that best meets their needs. The Surface Laptop 2 I reviewed shipped with 256 SSD storage.

To determine the performance of the Surface Laptop 2 with this SSD storage, I conducted a CrystalDiskMark 3.0 test. CrystalDiskMark 3.0 is a benchmark test that measures the sequential read and write speed of an SSD and HDD storage.

Based on the CrystalDiskMark test, the Surface Laptop 2’s SSD storage recorded a sequential read speed of 1033.4 MB/s. Furthermore, it recorded a sequential write speed of 717.8 MB/s.

Comparatively, its predecessor (Surface Laptop 1) recorded a sequential read speed of 425.6 MB/s. Also, it recorded a sequential write speed of 128.2 MB/s.

I also conducted a file transfer test to further determine the performance of the Surface Laptop 2’s SSD storage. On the file transfer test, the Surface Laptop 2’s SSD transferred 4.97GB of mix-media files in 25 seconds at a rate of 203 MBps.

Unfortunately, the Surface Laptop 2’s transfer rate was way below the category average of 484 MBps. Also, it was below the transfer rate achieved by the MacBook Pro 13 and the Dell XPS 13.

On the transfer test, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 achieved an impressive transfer rate of 2,519 MBps. The Dell XPS 13, on the other hand, achieved a transfer rate of 339 MBps.

Finally, I believe the Surface Laptop 2 doesn’t deserve a rating of more than a seven in this storage review.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Graphics Card Performance

For graphics, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 ships with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. This graphics card has a base GPU frequency of 300 MHz and a boost GPU frequency of 1150 MHz.

Unfortunately, the graphics card doesn’t have a dedicated VRAM. So, don’t expect the Surface Laptop 2 to run graphic-intensive applications or games.

To assess the Surface Laptop 2’s performance with this graphics card, I conducted a 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test. Based on the test result, the Surface Laptop 2 scored 71,647 points.

This score is way below the 90,387 points category average. Also, the Surface Laptop 2’s score is below the Dell XPS 13’s score of 77,584 points.

Interestingly, the Dell XPS 13 uses the same graphics card as the Surface Laptop 2. However, when compared with its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 2 performed slightly better.

Its predecessor, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 1, scored 75,332 points on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 1 uses an Intel HD Graphics 620.

Moving on, I also conducted a gaming test to further determine the Surface Laptop 2’s graphics card performance. On the gaming test, the Surface Laptop 2 achieved an impressive frame rate of 82 fps while playing Dirt 3.

This is well above the 57 fps achieved by the Dell XPS 13 while playing the same game. Also, it is above the MacBook pro’s 47 fps.

In conclusion, even though the Surface Laptop 2 isn’t designed for gaming, it still managed to perform well on a gaming test. Therefore, I will rate it an eight.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: Battery Life & Performance

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 comes with a 45.2 Wh Lithium-ion battery. As advertised by Microsoft, this laptop’s battery should last Up to 14.5 hours.

In an attempt to determine the laptop’s battery runtime, I performed a battery test. The battery test entails setting the laptop’s brightness to 150 nits, then continuously surfing the web via a WIFI connection.

The laptop lasted 9 hours and 22 minutes on the battery test. Unfortunately, its predecessor (Microsoft Surface Laptop 1), achieved a better battery runtime.

On the battery test, its predecessor, Surface Laptop 1 lasted 10 hours and 2 minutes.

In conclusion, the Microsoft Surface’s battery is quite impressive. However, its predecessor’s was better. Therefore, I will rate the Surface Laptop 2’s battery an eight out of ten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Surface Laptop 2 is a sleek, fast laptop with a brilliant screen that carries on Microsoft’s legacy of hardware quality. Its port selection, on the other hand, could have been better.

Moreover, the Surface Laptop 2 also comes in a new black color and numerous quad-core processor configurations. Starting at a price of $579.95 in August 2021, this laptop is quite a steal, especially if you are attracted to a sleek and unique design.

Lastly, if you are searching for a high-quality laptop with an excellent display, then the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is for you!

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