Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Pro 7: Which One Should You Buy?

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By Olatunbosun Adesoye

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Are you eager to find out which is better between the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7? This Surface Pro 6 vs 7 comparison will help you with that decision.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: At First Glance

Since its release, the Surface Pro 7 has been a highly sought-after laptop – particularly by creatives. After all, it is a hybrid that improves on the Surface Pro 6 in a number of aspects.

However, all the improvements made on the Surface Pro 7 seem to be majorly on the inside. According to what we have on the specs sheets, some obvious improvements come with the 10th Gen Intel Core CPU options and LPDDR4x RAM for improved performance. 

Despite the improvements the Surface Pro 7 has made over the Surface Pro 6, there is no doubt that both laptops originated from the same prototype. Both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Pro 7 share a striking resemblance.

They look so much alike that you might mistake one for the other at your first glance. Their identical bodies are one of the reasons anyone would stop to consider the difference in what both laptops offer.

You wouldn’t be the odd one out if you stopped to ask yourself whether the Surface Pro 7 is a worthy upgrade – especially if you already own the very capable Surface Pro 6.

Add the fact that both laptops also share a lot of things in common and you will end up being stuck between choosing one of the other. Aside from their appearance, some of these similarities include their beautiful touchscreens that can be used with styluses.

In addition to that, they are both tablets that come with Type Cover options which makes them fit to be used as laptops. Not only does this Type Cover serve as screen protection when the laptop is closed, but it also serves as a built-in keyboard and trackpad when the laptop is opened. 

Also, both laptops run on the same operating system – Windows 10 Home. This means you can access all the creative programs you might need on both laptops.

With all of this in mind, this comparison will answer questions like: Does the Surface Pro 7 offer enough to outperform the Surface Pro 6? We compare both laptops to find out.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Design, Dimension and Weight

As I already hinted in the previous section, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Pro 7 look very identical. With that being said, don’t be surprised if you find it hard to differentiate both laptops at a glance.

What makes it particularly difficult to tell the difference between the appearance of Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 is that Surface Pro 7 is just a minor refresh over the last Surface Pro 6.

Since Microsoft still maintains their design pattern on the Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Pro 7, you can expect both laptops to stand out in any room. After all, Microsoft’s Surface laptops have all excelled thanks to the company’s attractive design pattern.

From rigidly made casings to neatly constructed lines, both laptops look like results of careful and detailed engineering. Couple that with their lightly textured magnesium bodies and rounded corners, a trained eye can tell just how much attention was put to detail.

Though this isn’t something new to Microsoft’s Surface laptops, these two laptops just happen to evoke the same tingling sensations I felt when I saw the very first surface laptop.

Moreover, despite the design repetition, it’s still hard to find any competition that beats the Surface Pro laptops hands-down in terms of looks. 

Although both laptops are still offered in Microsoft’s platinum silver-grey color, you can also buy them in black colors. For some reason, the black-colored model looks way sleeker.

The black-colored models’ seem more interesting when you remember that the laptops still maintain the same simple aesthetic. There are no patterns on both laptops except for the reflective Microsoft logo that remains on their kickstands.

Of course, the kickstand makes an expected appearance. After all, it is an important key to the Surface Pro’s success.

The kickstand extends 165 degrees, so it can be pulled out from the rear of the laptops to prop up the screen. This kickstand is nearly possible of being adjusted to a countless number of positions.

Overall, it is major contributing factor behind the Surface Pro laptops’ versatility.

It is worth mentioning that it is not only the kickstand that has made a re-appearance in these Surface laptops. As you must have guessed, Microsoft also retained the idea of offering the Surface Pen stylus and the detachable Type Cover keyboard as optional extras.

The Type-Covers easily attaches to the bottom side of the two laptops, thanks to its magnetic strips that enables it to fit in properly. Much to my surprise, this Type-Cover offers a comfortable typing experience as well as a good key travel.

Moreover, they also have backlighting that can be adjusted through several levels of brightness. 

The backlighting enabled me to burn the midnight oil with ease as I found it easy to type in dark environments.

Above all, I was more overwhelmed by how amazing the keyboards felt for these 2-in-1 laptops. Both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 offer a 1.3 mm key travel which is excellent given how thin their Type Covers are.

On the 10Fastfingers typing test, I achieved my regular 68 to 70 words per minute with the Surface Pro 6. Meanwhile, I slightly exceeded my usual range to achieve 73 words per minute when I ran the test with the Surface Pro 7.

Furthermore, the touchpads below both laptops’ keyboards were as smooth and as precise as premium laptops’ touchpads should be. The 4 x 2.1-inch touchpads made it easy to carry out Windows 10 gestures like two-finger scrolling.

Although you will feel a slight flex on the Type Covers when you press them down, they are still the best you will find.

Besides, this is just one of the few areas where both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 feel less sturdy. Every other part of the two laptops feels quite rigid despite their flexibility.

This is particularly true of the black-colored Surface Pro 6. In the course of explaining how they achieved the black-colored Surface Pro 6 models, Microsoft also gave hints as to why they feel thicker and sturdier.

According to Microsoft, the procedure to make the black Surface Pro 6 models doesn’t involve anodizing. Instead, a thin, tough ceramic oxide layer is grown directly on the magnesium metal enclosure.

It is on top of this ceramic layer that Microsoft adds its multiple coats of black finish. Ultimately, the finish makes the Surface Pro 6 slightly thicker, since a custom black enclosure is necessary to ensure that all the parts fit together.

This also results in the blacking out of every port and button. While this may sound a bit extra – especially if you are yet to see the laptop physically – the result is amazing.

Besides, the black is matte so it is shiny. It is also surprisingly resistant to fingerprints and oil stains.

Above all, Microsoft assures that the process explained above will help to safeguard the laptop’s durability. Hence, the reason the black-colored model may seem more durable.

Just to make it clear, this protection is also applied to the black Surface Pro 7 models.

Another assurance Microsoft gave was that the Alcantara fabric Type Cover will be stain resistant. It’s still early for us to confirm to you if this is true, but it will be a pleasant feature if it could be.

Its stain-resistance will help users enjoy typing on the Type Cover even more. 

Microsoft also offers a Surface Pen stylus with both laptops. I absolutely recommend purchasing this pen if you usually need to take hand-written notes or make sketches. 

As a form of reassurance, the Surface Pen Microsoft offers for these laptops is the best amongst the styli we’ve tested. Moreover, the Pen is packed with features like 4,096 pressure points, a rubber piece for erasing, and tilt for shading.

This Pen inks smoothly and doesn’t lag when sketching. All in all, you will definitely find the Pen to be useful.

While I’ve been largely appreciative of the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7’s design, I’m incredibly displeased with the bezels on both laptops. For laptops of this era, the bezels on the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 are too chunky.

What’s worse is that the bezels on these two laptops are of the same sizes as the ones on the past two generations. Even though their overall dimensions are small, there are brands with a greater screen-to-body ratio.

Speaking of their dimensions, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 have the exact same dimensions. They both measure 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm.

Quite on the contrary, their weights differ a lot. In fact, the difference in their weights is determined by the processor with which they are equipped.

I will briefly highlight the varying weights of both laptops. Firstly, the Intel Core i5 equipped Surface Pro 6 variant weighs 770 g, while the Intel Core i7 equipped variant weighs 784 g.

Secondly, the Core i3 and i5 equipped Surface Pro 7 variant weighs 775 g. Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7 equipped variant weighs 790 g.

In terms of ports, Microsoft still refuses to embrace USB-C on the Surface Pro 6. This makes the limited port selection on the laptop even more annoying.

You get Microsoft’s own Surface Connect port. In addition to that, you also get a USB 3.0 port and a mini DisplayPort on the right side of the laptop.

The left side features just an headphone jack.

Although the Surface Pro 7 also offers a limited port selection, it is a bit different from the Surface Pro 6. 

The Surface Pro 7 offers a USB-C port. On the right side, you’ll find a USB 3.1 Type-A and magnetic Surface Connect port (for charging) next to the USB-C input.

Meanwhile, the left side houses the headphone jack while a microSD card slot hides behind the Surface Pro 7’s kickstand.

With the numerous similarities between both laptops’, the decision to pick one over the two can be quite confusing. Overall, both laptops are beautifully designed.

Hence, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 design comparison.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Processor (CPU) Performance

Unlike the design aspect, there are lots of differences between the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 in this aspect. While Microsoft offers Intel’s 8th generation processors for the Surface Pro 6, it offers Intel’s 10th-generation processors for the Surface Pro 7.

In detail, Microsoft offers two different configurations for the Surface Pro 6’s processor. You can buy the laptop with either a quad-core Intel Core i5-8250U or a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U5 processor.

The Intel Core i5-8250U processor has a base frequency of 1.60 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.40 GHz. Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-8650U5 processor has a base frequency of 1.90 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.20 GHz.

On the other hand, the Surface Pro 7 offers three different configurations for its processor. You can buy the laptop with either a dual-core Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor or a quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor.

The last option is a quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor.

To give more details on these processor options, the Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor has a base frequency of 1.20 GHz and a boost frequency of  3.20 GHz. Also, the Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor has a base frequency of 1.10 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.70 GHz.

Lastly, the Intel Core i7-1065G7 has a base frequency of 1.30 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.90 GHz.

With the details of the specification options aside, let’s find out how the two laptops measure up in a comparison of their processing power. As we always do, we will carry out both real-world and synthetic benchmark tests.

Thanks to its quad-core processing Intel 8th-generation Kaby Lake processor, the Surface Pro 6 has enough power to be efficient. Since Microsoft switched the Surface Pro 6’s processor to the 8th-generation Kaby Lake processors, there has been a major performance upgrade in the laptop.

In fact, many have come to the conclusion – after many tests – that the laptop is a competent ultraportable. Even with its core i5 processor, the Surface Pro 6 is a substantial performer.

Moreover, our Surface Pro 6 comparison model is equipped with the quad-core Intel Core i5-8250U processor. As an everyday machine, the Surface Pro 6 adequately qualifies.

It was able to crunch through regular computing operations like web surfing, word processing, emailing, and spreadsheet document preparation. What’s even more interesting about the Surface Pro 6’s processor is that it is fanless and doesn’t require noisy cooling.

Due to this, the Surface Pro 6 is unbelievably quiet during its operations. Though it may not be a big deal, the rareness of quiet laptops makes it comforting.

On the other hand, our Surface Pro 7 comparison model comes with the quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor. It is the first of its kind to use one of Intel’s new 10-nanometer processors.

Bearing this in mind, you should expect a laptop that’s incredibly fast at processing both daily and more intensive computing tasks. Although the Surface Pro 6 is powerful too, it will probably need more power to outperform the Surface Pro 7.

Moreover, the real-world tests that the Surface Pro 6 easily crunched, the Surface Pro 7 devoured with more ease. Web surfing, word processing, emailing, and spreadsheet document preparation on the laptop all felt magnificent.

Furthermore, we carried out a series of synthetic benchmark tests to clearly determine which laptop has superior processing power. On a Cinebench R15 single-core aspect test, the Surface Pro 6 scored 143 points.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7 exceeded the Surface Pro 6’s score with a score of 172 points.

On the multi-core aspect, the Surface Pro 6 wasn’t able to measure up. While the Surface Pro 7 scored 644 points, the Surface Pro 6 scored 585 points.

I decided to test these laptops further on another synthetic benchmark test. This time around, it was on Geekbench 4.

In the single-core aspect, the Surface Pro 7 showed no sign of backing down from this face-off. It got an impressive 5,904 score. 

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 still couldn’t close the gap on the Surface Pro 7. It only managed to score 4,234.

It got even more interesting when I moved over to the multi-core aspect of the Geekbench test. The Surface Pro 6 finished the test with a promising 13,905 score.

However, the Surface Pro 7 wasn’t ready to relinquish its king status just yet. It added a few thousand to the Surface Pro 6’s score to surpass it with a score of 17,512.

At this point, I was too excited to end the processor test and comparison of both laptops just yet. Hence, I also carried out HandBrake tests on both laptops.

On our Handbrake test, it took the Surface Pro 6 23 minutes and 23 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. Meanwhile, it took the Surface Pro 7 exactly 23 minutes to convert the same 4K video to 1080p resolution.

Overall, the Surface Pro 7 offers a better processing performance. It also offers a more varied choice of configurations. 

Its varied configuration option will allow you to buy the laptop with the right level of power for your needs.

As a result, the Surface Pro 7 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 processor performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scores a seven.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Memory (RAM) Performance

To an extent, the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 differ in this aspect. The most notable difference between the two in this aspect is their different RAM types.

Microsoft seems to have fitted the Surface Pro 7 with better RAM in order to improve the performance of the laptop. The Surface Pro 6 is equipped with a Dual-channel LPDDR3 RAM type, while the Surface Pro 7 is equipped with an LPDDR4x RAM type.

Aside from the RAM types, there’s also a slight difference in the RAM sizes Microsoft offers for both laptops.

Just like with their processors, the Surface Pro 7 offers a more varied choice of configuration in this aspect too. While the lowest RAM configuration for the Surface Pro 6 starts from an 8 GB RAM, the lowest RAM configuration for the Surface Pro 7 is 4 GB.

On another note, the maximum RAM size both laptops support is 16 GB and they both have only 1 non-removable RAM slot each.

Without further delay, let’s go straight to the details of both laptops’ RAM performance. Before we proceed, I will like to quickly state that both our Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 models came with 8 GB RAM.

Like I always do, I accessed both laptops’ RAM power by carrying out a real-world multitasking test.

For this test, I opened 30 Google Chrome tabs, four of which were streaming 1080p YouTube videos. At the same time, I started editing some documents on Google Docs while I sent messages on Twitter.

These computing operations weren’t enough to slow both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 down. They both operated lagging or stuttering.

However, when I continued with these operations for a period of time, I noticed that the Surface Pro 6 was beginning to show signs of being overworked.

Nonetheless, both laptops displayed an excellent amount of multitasking power.

After completing this test, I moved forward to the synthetic benchmark tests. On a PCMark 10 test, the Surface Pro 6 scored 6714 points in the essential aspect.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7 topped the Surface Pro 6 with a score of 8847 points.

The Surface Pro 6’s wait for a victory over the Surface Pro 7 continued even after I tested both laptops in the productivity aspect. With a score of 6678, the Surface Pro 7 continued to outperform the Surface Pro 6 that scored 4520 points.

Overall, the Surface Pro 7 proved to be the better performer in this aspect as well. Even though both laptops displayed good multitasking power, the Surface Pro 6 showed signs of being the weaker laptop.

Besides, the Surface Pro 7 offers a more varied RAM configuration option.

Due to all of these reasons, the Surface Pro 7 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 RAM performance comparison. On the other hand, the Surface Pro 6 scores a seven for possessing excellent multitasking capabilities.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Storage Options and Performance

This is one of the aspects where the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 are like a spitting image of each other. Everything related to their storage specifications is the same.

Both laptops feature SSD drive types, the same 1 TB maximum storage size, and finally, the same MicroSDXC Card Reader option. With these specs in view, I bet I’m not the only one who is thrilled to get into the details of their storage performance.

Will the Surface Pro 6 finally be able to score one over the Surface Pro 7? Or will Surface Pro 7’s dominance continue despite their matching specs?

Let’s move further to find out.

Unfortunately for the Surface Pro 6, the Surface Pro 7 continued to prove its worth by sparing no chance of being rivaled. The results of the benchmark tests I carried out will enlighten you further.

On the CrystalDiskMark test, the Surface Pro 7 set the bar high for the Surface Pro 6 with sequential read and write speeds of 1676 MBps and 1166 MBps respectively.

The Surface Pro 6 offered dissapointing sequential read and write speeds of 748.1 MBps and 127.6 MBps.

On our file transfer test, it took the Surface Pro 6 23 seconds to copy 4.9GB of mixed media files, equalling a rate of 230 MBps. Meanwhile, it took the Surface Pro 7 18 seconds to copy the same 4.97GB files, amounting to a transfer rate of 268.9 MBps.

Although both laptops offer the same configuration and drive types, the Surface Pro 7 displayed better performance. It outperformed the Surface Pro 6 in both the real-world and synthetic benchmark tests.

Hence, the Surface Pro 7 scores a nine in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 storage performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scores an eight in this review for its good storage speed.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Graphics Card Performance

The Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 have a lot of differences in terms of their graphics. While Microsoft offers just one configuration for the Surface Pro 6, they offer two different configurations for the Surface Pro 7.

In the case of the Surface Pro 6, Microsoft equips the laptop with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card. This graphics card has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1150 MHz.

On the other hand, you can buy the Surface Pro 7 with either an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 615 or an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650. 

The Intel UHD Graphics 615 has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 900 MHz. Meanwhile, the Iris Plus Graphics 650 has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1100 MHz.

Unfortunately, neither of the two laptop is equipped with a dedicated VRAM.

For reference purposes, our Surface Pro 7 comparison model features the integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650. The Surface Pro 7 isn’t exactly the ideal gaming laptop, but it can handle non-intensive games with this Intel Iris Plus graphics card.

Similarly, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card in the Surface Pro 6 is also powerful enough to handle casual games. 

On a 3DMark 11 GPU performance test, the Surface Pro 6 scored 1881 points. As I expected, the Surface Pro 7 surpassed the Surface Pro 6 on this test.

The Surface Pro 7 scored 3228 points.

Moving further to real gaming tests, the Surface Pro 6 managed to close the gap in their performance a little. The Surface Pro 7 offered frame rates of 87.3 frames per second when I ran BioShock Infinite.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 offered frame rates of 70.2 frames per second when I ran the same game.

Surprisingly, the Surface Pro 6 topped the Surface Pro 7’s 36 frames per second on the Dirt 3 car racing test. The Surface Pro 6 offered an impressive frame rate of 81 frames per second.

When I ran Shadow of the Tomb Raider on both laptops, the Surface Pro 6 offered better frame rates of 21.7 frames per second. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7 offered frame rates of 18 frames per second.

Overall, the Surface Pro 6 performed better than the Surface Pro 7 in the real-world gaming test. However, it couldn’t outperform the Surface Pro 7 again in the benchmark tests.

Hence, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 scores a seven in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 graphics performance comparison.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Battery Life and Performance

Though both laptops feature the same type of battery types, their battery capacities differ by a little. To my surprise, the Surface Pro 6 turned out to be the laptop equipped with a bigger battery capacity.

The Surface Pro 6 features a 45 Wh Lithium-ion battery. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7 features a 43.2 Wh Lithium-ion battery.

Microsoft claimed that the Surface Pro 6 will be able to offer a battery runtime of 13.5 hours. In the case of the Surface Pro 7, they claimed that the laptop will be able to last for 10.5 hours.

It would be unprofessional of us if we decide to take Microsoft’s words for it. After all, we have known from experience that manufacturers tend to overestimate the battery lives of their gadgets.

Due to this reason, we went ahead to carry out our battery test. On our battery test which involves continuous web surfing at maximum screen brightness, the Surface Pro 6 lasted for 9 hours 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7’s battery life was a bit dissapointing. It lasted for 7 hours 55 minutes.

Though it feels good to know that the Surface Pro 6 bests the Surface Pro 7 in at least one aspect, it is unimpressive that the Surface Pro 7 couldn’t last much longer.

Overall, the Surface Pro 6 wins this aspect for its long battery life. Therefore, it scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs 7 battery life and performance comparison.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 7 scores a six for its disappointing battery life.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Our Rating Summary

Rating AreasSurface Pro 6Surface Pro 7Notes/Comments
Design88Given the fact that they have the same form factor, they are both equally versatile, flexible, and beautiful.
Processor (CPU)78The Surface Pro 7 offers a better processing performance. It also offers a more varied choice of configurations.
Memory (RAM)78Even though both laptops displayed good multitasking power, the Surface Pro 6 showed signs of being the weaker laptop in terms of RAM power.
Storage89The Surface Pro 7 outperformed the Surface Pro 6 in both the real-world and synthetic benchmark test.
Graphics Card77While the Surface Pro 7 performed better in the benchmark tests, the Surface Pro 6 performed better in the gaming tests. Hence, it is a tie.
Battery Life86The Surface Pro 6 wins this aspect for its long battery life.
Our Average Rating8.48.6On average, the Surface Pro 7 is a better laptop

Conclusion

From a design perspective, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 are pretty much the same. However, the Surface Pro 7 is much different in terms of its hardware.

The Surface Pro 7 offers enhanced performance as well as a wider range of configuration options. The laptop allows you to choose the range of configurations that best suits your demands and budget.

Based on the various tests we carried out, the Surface Pro 7 outperforms the Surface Pro 6 in almost every aspect except for battery life. The Surface Pro 6 did better than the Surface Pro 7 when you compare their battery life.

Even though the Surface Pro 7 outclassed it in every other aspect, the Surface Pro 6 is not bad either. It is powerful enough to be a solid choice for anyone looking to save money but still want a reliable device.

Overall, before you decide to pick between the two laptops, consider if you prioritize a laptop with immense power over one with long battery life.

In conclusion, the Surface Pro 7 is the better laptop between the two. If you have more budgeth and you want a very reliable and capable laptop, then you should buy the Surface Pro 7.

However, if you prefer a laptop with longer battery life, then you should buy the Surface Pro 6.

Although we recommend the Surface Pro 7, if you prioritize battery life over high performance power, you should consider the Surface Pro 6

I hope you found this comparison review helpful.  If you found the comparison helpful, kindly spare a few minutes to share your thoughts using the “Was this page helpful?” question below..

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About the Author

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Olatunbosun Adesoye

Adesoye Olatunbosun is a technical writer at Itechguides.com. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering. Ola is an art and philosophy enthusiast. When he is not writing, he reads, watches football, or codes apps. Ola writes reviews, buying guides, and best pick articles for Itechguides.com.

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