Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review: The Best Surface Pro Device?

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By Oluwaseun Bamisile

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Itechguides' Take on Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Summary

With an all-new design and faster hardware, the Surface Pro 8 is the greatest Surface Pro device in years. However, for some, the hefty price will be an obstacle.

Overall
4.3

Pros

  • 120Hz display
  • Strong 11th Gen processors
  • Up to 32 GB of RAM
  • New design

Cons

  • Expensive
  • No SD card reader
  • Type Cover is sold separately

How long have you been anticipating the Microsoft Surface Pro 8; pretty long right? Well, today is your lucky day! Read this Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review to find out about the release date, specs, and design of the Microsoft Surface Pro 8.

This review examines the specifications and features of the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. Furthermore, I’ll go over its appearance as well as its hardware configurations.

Therefore, I’ll be talking about the tablets’s processor, RAM, storage, GPU, and battery in great detail. Additionally, I’ll compare the tablet to its predecessor to know if there is an improvement or not.

Lastly, I will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the device. Make sure you read this review all the way through so you don’t miss any vital information.

My Initial Thoughts

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review: My Initial Thoughts
image from Microsoft.com

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 was unveiled during Microsoft’s Surface event on the 22nd of September 2021. It’s expected to be released on October 5, 2021, just in time for the debut of Windows 11.

Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the successor of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, which was released in 2019. Moreover, compared to its predecessor, it comes with quite a significant number of upgrades. 

These upgrades include a bigger display, powerful 11th Gen Intel CPUs, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and so much more. Additionally, Microsoft is currently taking pre-orders for the Microsoft Surface Pro 8, with a starting price of $1,099.99.

As mentioned above, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 will be out on October 5, 2021. Therefore, it hasn’t been released when I published this review in September 2021.

So, practically, this is a pre-release review. Therefore, I won’t be able to deliver benchmark results based on the device’s performance.

You don’t have to worry, though, because as soon as this device is out, I’ll update this review and include all relevant information.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Design, Dimension & Weight Review

image credit: Microsoft.com

For the last few iterations, the designs on the Surface Pro lineup have remained relatively unchanged. The Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro 6, for example, were only specification and hardware updates of the Surface Pro 2017.

That wasn’t entirely a bad thing, as the four-year-old Surface Pro 2017 was a pretty sleek and beautiful device. However, now that we are in 2021, I think the Surface Pro lineup really needs a pretty remarkable redesign.

Luckily, the Surface Pro 8 comes with some much-needed design improvements. One of the design improvements one would easily notice is the new graphite color.

In recent years, Microsoft has prioritized using lighter colors for its devices, particularly the Surface Pro lineup. However, the darker graphite color on this year’s Surface Pro 8 makes the device look bold and sleek.

Furthermore, the Surface Pro 8’s chassis has also been modified, with more rounded edges. Thanks to the rounded edges, holding the device for a lengthy period of time will be much more comfortable.

Moreover, it is better and more comfortable than the flat sides and sharp edges found on previous models’ chassis.

Moving on, bezels on the Surface Pro 8 are slimmer than the ones found in previous models. Thanks to its slimmer bezels, the device appears more elegant than ever – which is great because it’s also more expensive than ever.

The thinner bezels don’t just make the device look good, they also allow for an 11 percent larger display. Therefore, the Surface Pro 8 now features a 13-inch Pixelsense touchscreen display rather than the 12.3-inch display found on its predecessor.

Additionally, the Surface Pro 8’s 13-inch Pixelsense touchscreen display features a resolution of 2K (2880 x 1920). According to Microsoft, this touchscreen display is more sensitive and 12.5% brighter than the ones found in previous models.

What makes this touchscreen display even better is that it features a 120Hz refresh rate. A refresh rate is the number of times per second that a display can draw a new image.

Higher display refresh rates like 120Hz are mostly found on gaming devices because they are meant to render more graphics. So, it is pretty impressive that the Surface Pro 8’s display has a 120Hz refresh rate even though it is not a gaming device.

However, Microsoft stated that the Surface Pro 8’s display will come with a default 60Hz refresh rate. This is in the interest of boosting the tablet’s battery life.

However, you can change the display’s refresh rate to 120Hz anytime using the display settings. Moreover, once you’ve used the display with the 120Hz refresh rate, I am pretty sure you’ll never go back.

The Surface Pro 8 has a 165-degree rotating kickstand, just like its predecessor, the Surface Pro 7. Therefore, allowing you to use the tablet as a laptop.

It is worth noting that there is a shiny Microsoft logo on the back of the Surface Pro 8’s kickstand. Moreover, below is also something very important to note about the Surface Pro 8.

The Surface Pro 8 is advertised as a convertible tablet, however, it will be sold only as a tablet. So, the $1,099.99 pre-order starting price, which I mentioned in the “my initial thought” section is only for the tablet.

Therefore, it doesn’t include the Type Cover keyboard and Surface Pro pen. As a result, you will have to purchase them separately for an additional cost.  

This is very bad of Microsoft, given that the starting price of the tablet itself is overwhelming. However, if you buy the type cover keyboard, it magnetically attaches to the Surface Pro 8 tablet.

Additionally, it acts as a safe, and also a charger for the Surface Pro pen. You can charge or store the pen using a wide space just above the keyboard on the Type Cover.

As previously stated, the Surface Pro 8 will be launched just in time for the release of Windows 11. Therefore, it is going to be one of the first devices featuring a Windows 11 operating system.

Moving on to the Surface Pro 8’s port selection, it features two USB Type-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The USB Type-C ports also serve as Thunderbolt ports.

Furthermore, the Surface Pro 8 also features a Surface Connect port for charging. Additionally, the Surface Connect port lets you connect the Surface Pro 8 to external displays.

Unfortunately, the Surface Pro 8 doesn’t feature an SD card slot unlike its predecessor, the Surface Pro 7. This is a terrible omission because the Surface Pro 8 is a bit bigger and about 100 g heavier than the Surface Pro 7.

Specifically, the Surface Pro 8 measures 287 x 208 x 9.3 mm and weighs 889 g. The Surface Pro 7, on the other hand, measures 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm and weighs 775 g.

In conclusion, the Surface Pro 8 comes with the long-awaited redesign most Surface Pro lovers have been expecting. Therefore, I will rate the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 a nine in this design review section.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Processor (CPU) Performance Review

image credit: Microsoft.com

Microsoft not only made improvements in the Surface Pro 8’s design but also in its processor. It will be available with three processor configurations to choose from.

The processor options include Intel Core i3-1115G4, Intel Core i5-1145G7, and Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor. All three processor options are power-efficient and fast processors based on the Tiger Lake-U architecture.

Furthermore, Tiger Lake-U is the nickname for Intel’s 11th generation Core mobile processors. Additionally, it is the successor to Intel’s 10th gen Ice Lake architecture, with faster clock speed.

Therefore, with either one of these processors, the Surface Pro 8 will deliver smooth performance handling either basic or complex computing tasks. Also, compared to its predecessor, it will deliver better and faster processing power.

This is because its predecessor, the Surface Pro 7 features Intel’s 10th gen processors, which are less fast.

Now, for the specification of the Surface Pro 8’s processor options. The Intel Core i3-1115G4 is a dual-core processor with a cache memory of 6 MB.

Additionally, it has a base frequency of 3.0 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.10 GHz. The Intel Core i5-1145G7, on the other hand, is a quad-core processor with a cache memory of 8 MB.

In addition to its cache memory, it has a base frequency of 2.60 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.40 GHz. Lastly, the Intel Core i7-1185G7 is also a quad-core processor but features a 12 MB cache memory.

Moreover, it has a base frequency of 3.0 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.80 GHz.

As I normally do on my reviews, I carry out either a Cinebench or a Geekbench benchmark test. However, due to the fact that this is a pre-release review, I won’t be able to carry out either of these tests.

Therefore, I will be rating the Surface Pro 8 based on its processor options. So, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 gets a nine out of ten ratings from me in this processor review section.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Memory (RAM) Performance Review

image courtesy of Microsoft.com

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 features a single LPDDR4X RAM slot. This single RAM slot features a standard memory of 8 GB.

Moreover, users can upgrade this standard memory to 32 GB, which is the maximum memory that the tablet supports. This is quite a significant improvement because its predecessor, the Surface Pro 7’s memory isn’t upgradable.

The Surface Pro 7’s memory isn’t upgradable because it is onboard, meaning it is soldered directly to the motherboard. Additionally, the Surface Pro 8 supports a larger maximum memory compared to the 16 GB maximum memory supported on the Surface Pro 7.

With the Surface Pro 8 supporting a max memory of 32 GB, most users will definitely love it. This is because none of Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup has ever supported a maximum memory of 32 GB.

In conclusion, I believe the Surface Pro 8’s impressive memory pretty much justifies its expensive starting price. Therefore, I will rate the Surface Pro 8 a nine out of ten in this memory performance review section.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Storage Options & Performance Review

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Storage Options & Performance Review
credit to Microsoft

In terms of storage, there really isn’t much difference between the Surface Pro 8 and its predecessor, Surface Pro 7. They both feature an SSD that supports a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB.

However, the Surface Pro 7 features an SD card reader for storage expansion. The Surface Pro 8, on the other hand, doesn’t have an SD card reader.

Given the tablet’s price and size, I was expecting an SD card reader. However, Microsoft disappointed us, this is basically the main area where I believe the Surface Pro 8 falls short.

Moreover, this is bad news for storage-hungry users. The reason it is bad news is that once you run out of storage space on the typical SSD, there won’t be any alternative for extra storage.

Therefore, I will rate the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 an eight out of ten in this storage review section. This rating is based on the fact that it doesn’t feature an SD card reader, unlike its predecessor.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Graphics Card Performance Review

Image from Microsoft

Now for the graphics cards, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is available with two graphics card options. Both graphics card options are integrated graphics cards.

Specifically, they are Intel UHD Graphics and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. The Intel UHD Graphics has a base GPU frequency of 400 MHz and a boost GPU frequency of 1250 MHz.

The Intel Iris Xe Graphics, on the other hand, also has a base GPU frequency of 400 MHz. However, its boost GPU frequency is1350 MHz.

As mentioned earlier, both graphics card options are integrated graphics cards. This means that they are integrated into the Surface Pro 8’s processor chip.

Specifically, the Intel UHD Graphics is integrated into the Surface Pro 8’s Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor option. Therefore, if you purchase the Surface Pro 8 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, you will get an Intel UHD Graphics.

The Intel Iris Xe Graphics, however, is integrated into the Intel Core i5-1145G7 and Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor. Therefore, if you buy the Surface Pro 8 with either processor, you will get an Intel Iris Xe Graphics.

Furthermore, as integrated graphics cards, the Intel UHD Graphics and Intel Iris Xe Graphics lack dedicated VRAM. Therefore, to perform, they will share the system memory with their respective processors.

As a result, they won’t have the capability to run graphically demanding games or apps. However, they are capable of handling casual or low-end games and less-graphics demanding applications.

All things considered, I will be rating the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 a seven out of ten in this graphics performance review.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Battery life & Performance Review

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Battery life & Performance Review
image credit Microsoft

For battery, you can either buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 with a 50.2 Wh or 51.5 Wh battery. Both battery options, according to Microsoft, can last up to 16 hours on a normal workload.

However, due to the fact that this is a pre-release review, there is no way I can carry out a battery test. But, don’t worry, just make sure you come back to www.itechguides.com when the Surface Pro 8 is finally out.

After the release of the Surface Pro 8, I will update this review and include the battery test results. So, in the meantime, I will rate the Surface Pro 8 based on its battery options.

Therefore, I will rate it a nine out of ten.

Frequently Asked Questions

image from Microsoft
1. When Is The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Going To Be Released??

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 will be released on October 5, 2021

2. Is The Surface Pro 8 Suitable For Students?

Yes, of course. The Surface Pro 8 has high-end specifications and features. It’s also lightweight and portable, making it easy to transport to lectures. As a result, the Surface Pro 8 is very much recommended for students.

3. How Much Does The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Cost?

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 has a pre-order starting price of $1,099.99. However, this price doesn’t include the device’s Type cover and Surface Pro pen – they are sold differently at extra costs.

4. Does The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Have An HDMI Port?

No, it doesn’t.

5. What Is The Maximum RAM Supported On The Microsoft Surface Pro 8?

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 supports a maximum RAM capacity of 32 GB.

My Final Thoughts

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review: My Final Thoughts
image courtesy of Microsoft

Overall, the revamped Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a strong device that most people would definitely love. It features a bigger display, a faster processor, and a maximum memory capacity of 32 GB.

However, this device is pretty pricey and it doesn’t even come with an SD card reader. Nonetheless, the Surface Pro 8 is still miles better than previous models in the Surface Pro lineup.

So, if you need a solid convertible tablet for work, school, or general use, get your hands on the Surface Pro 8 once it is out.

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References And Further Reading

  1. cnet.com – Microsoft Surface Pro 8: Larger, faster and still doesn’t come with the keyboard
  2. tomsguide.com – Microsoft Surface Pro 8 release date, price, specs, design and more
  3. laptopmag.com – Microsoft Surface Pro 8: Release date, price, specs and more
  4. techradar.com – Hands on: Surface Pro 8 review
  5. theverge.com – MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 8 HANDS-ON: THE ONE WE’VE WAITED FOR
  6. microsoft.com – Surface Pro 8 – The most powerful Pro – Microsoft Surface
  7. [discourse_topic_url]
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About the Author

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Oluwaseun Bamisile

Oluwaseun is the Lead Content Editor at Itechguides.com. He holds a National Diploma in Computer Science (currently studying part-time for his Higher National Diploma). An internet geek with a love for automobiles, he writes product reviews, tech articles, and how-to guides on the site.

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1 thought on “Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review: The Best Surface Pro Device?”

  1. Hello. I just purchased a Surface Pro 8 and mine comes with an SD Card reader. I found this because I was looking to upgrade my 256 to 500 or 1TB. I guess I’m confused.

    Reply

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