Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: The Battle Of The Hybrids

Should you buy the Surface Pro 6 or the Surface Book 2? This Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 comparison will help you get an answer to that question.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: At First Glance

Since their inception, the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book have been two of Microsoft’s most interesting lines of laptops. While the Surface Pro line has been the benchmark for 2-in-1 laptops, the Surface Book has been an innovative line that birthed a new PC category.

With that being said, every single feature of the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 further complements these attributes. However, being category-defining lines of laptops has its setbacks.

One could say that Microsoft’s drive to remain the standard-bearer for 2-in-1 and detachable laptops have given them little freedom to make significant changes to their design and specs.

At first glance, it doesn’t look like much has changed with the two laptops. Both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 look a lot like their predecessors.

As a result, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 still maintain the key signature features of their predecessors. While the Surface Book 2 maintains its signature ability to detach its screen from its keyboard, the Surface Pro 6 does the same.

Hence, the Surface Pro 6 still offers its signature Type Cover.

Regardless, both laptops feature a decent share of updates. While the Surface Pro 6 offers a new matte black color option, the Surface Book 2 comes with a new fulcrum hinge and a bigger display.

Overall, each of the two laptops has a unique set of features and capabilities. These features do not only complement each other well but also seem promising enough to make this comparison even more interesting.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Design, Dimension and Weight

As referenced earlier, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 follow the same design formula as their previous generations, with a few minor changes. They are both almost entirely identical to their predecessors.

Microsoft has stuck with the use of premium magnesium body construction for both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2. Hence, both laptops still have that premium feel that gives you confidence that you’re getting good value for your money.

Also, they both still maintain their greatest features. In the case of the Surface Pro 6, You still get to use the laptop in three modes – tablet, laptop, and studio modes. 

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 can still be detached from its keyboard to turn it into a tablet.

Their trademark convertibility is one of the few things the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 have in common when it comes to their design.

Another is the neatly constructed curved edges around both laptops. The rounded edges on both laptops make it more comfortable to hold them.

Even though these 2 Microsoft laptops share a lot in common, they also have a lot of differences in their designs.

For example, unlike the silver magnesium finish on the Surface Book 2, the Surface Pro 6 now offers a matte-black finish option. In some kind of way, the black color makes the Surface Pro 6 laptop look sleeker and slimmer.

Moreover, the black color idea in Surface Pro 6 seems to be a wilder bold approach compared to the Surface Book 2 design – where Microsoft played it safe. Although the silver magnesium finish in Surface Book 2 makes the laptop look professional and neutral, I feel more color options would have been explored.

Moving further, it is worth noting that Microsoft has continued its Surface Book lid tradition even on the Surface Book 2. By this, I mean that this laptop’s lid also doesn’t close fully due to its fulcrum hinge design.

This fulcrum hinge stretches around the base beneath the display. It leaves a small gap between the screen and keyboard when the laptop’s lid is closed.

Just as it functioned on the previous Surface Book models, it also helps for versatility in the Surface Book 2. With the help of this hinge, it is easy to detach the laptop’s display and use it as a tablet.

After all, the Surface Book 2’s screen attaches and detaches in the same manner as the prior generation. I will briefly describe how it is done in the next few lines.

At the top-right corner of the keyboard, there is a detach button to the left of the delete button. When you press this button, the screen will instantly become released from the fulcrum hinge. 

The instantaneous release is immediately followed by an audible de-click and a notification on the display that indicates “Ready to Detach”. At this stage, you may simply take the screen out of the hinge. 

After removing the screen, the tablet will then ask you whether you want to switch to tablet mode in Windows 10 or continue in desktop mode. When you want to return the screen back to the laptop mode, simply slot the tablet back into the fulcrum hinge.

In the case of the Surface Pro 6, there is no distinct dynamic hinge. Instead, a built-in kickstand – as I cited earlier – helps the laptop hold its form when it is used for activities such as sketching or note-taking.

However, the kickstand is only a piece of the puzzle behind the Surface Pro 6’s convertibility. What brings about the entire magic is the Surface Type Cover – a detachable keyboard.

This detachable keyboard features magnetic strips that enable it to easily attach to the bottom of the Surface Pro 6. Hence, transforming between laptop and tablet mode is as swift as possible.

Despite its thinness, the Type Cover on the Surface Pro 6 offers a surprisingly comfortable typing experience, with good key travel. The Surface Pro 6 offers 1.3 mm of key travel.

In comparison, the Surface Book 2’s keyboard offers a slightly lower 1.2 mm key travel. Regardless, its keys have a fantastic feel to them, with just the right amount of clickiness that makes typing enjoyable.

On the 10Fastfingers typing test, I typed my regular 68 to 70 words per minute when I used the Surface Pro 6. Meanwhile, I exceeded my usual range to achieve 88 words per minute when I ran the test with the Surface Book 2.

Both laptops feature glass touchpads that are very responsive. They also make use of Precision Drivers which helps them recognize gestures easily. 

Gestures like app switching with three fingers work instantly on both touchpads. However, their sizes differ.

While the Surface Pro 6’s touchpad measures 4.1 x 3.1 inches, the Surface Book 2’s touchpad measures 4.1 x 2.7 inches.

The entire keyboard area surrounding the Surface Pro 6’s Type Cover is clothed with Alcantara fabric that makes using it more enjoyable. Unlike the Surface Pro 6, the Surface Book 2’s keyboard deck isn’t covered with Alcantara fabric.

Instead, the Surface Book 2’s deck and keyboard are both composed of a sleek, silver plastic that, while appealing, focuses your attention on the screen over all else.

Going by today’s standards, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 have slightly thick bezels. Though the bezels on both laptops are not too big to cause displeasure, they are bigger than the bezels on most modern laptops.

That aside, we move on to the Surface Pen Microsoft offers with both laptops. If perhaps you decide to buy the Surface Pen, I can assure you that you will be getting one of the best stylus on the market.

Both laptop’s pens have 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and they recognize tilts that can be used for shading. 

In terms of dimensions, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 are relatively slim and light. However, the Surface Pro 6 is a lighter and more compact laptop.

The Surface Pro 6 measures 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm and its weight varies depending on the processor of the laptop. While the Core i5 model weighs 770 g, the Core i7 model weighs 784 g.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2’s measurement and weight vary depending on the particular model. One version of the Surface Book 2 measures 312 x 232 x 13-23 mm and weighs 1534 g.

Another measures 312 x 232 x 15-23 mm and weighs 1642 g. The last one measures 343 x 251 x 15-23 mm and weighs 1905 g.

Overall, it is okay to conclude that the Surface Pro 6 laptop is more portable and lighter than the Surface Book 2.

In terms of ports, you get a fairly distributed number of ports on the Surface Pro 6. Even though the port selection is limited, the most annoying thing is Microsoft’s refusal to equip the Surface Pro 6 with a USB-C port.

You are limited to 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 of the laptop.

The left side houses just an headphone jack.

Similarly, the Surface Book 2 is also quite limited on ports, but unlike the Surface Pro 6, it comes with a USB-C port. The left side of the laptop houses a pair of USB 3.1 ports and an SD card reader.

Meanwhile, the right side of the laptop features a USB Type-C port and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port.

Both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 are extremely versatile laptops. Despite how much they can transform into different modes, both laptops are incredibly sturdy.

The bodies of both laptops barely gave in when I exerted slight pressure on them. Only the Surface Pro 6’s Type Cover felt a bit fragile.

Asides from that, both laptops are excellently designed. Considering their form factor, choosing between both laptop’s designs will eventually go down to individual preference.

After all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. While some may think Microsoft played too safe with the design of the Surface Book 2, some may be perfectly fine with its design.

Likewise in the case of the Surface Pro 6. I’ve met people who outrightly ridiculed the built-in kickstand.

Bearing these reasons in mind, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 score an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 design comparison.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Processor (CPU) Performance

The Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 share a lot in common in terms of their processor. Both laptops offer a range of Intel processors for their CPU configuration.

Microsoft offers two processor configurations for the Surface Pro 6. You can buy the laptop with either a quad-core Intel Core i5-8250U processor.

Additionally, you can also get Surface Pro 6 with 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.

Unlike the Surface Pro 6’s two-processor configuration options, Microsoft offers three processor configurations for the Surface Book 2. You can buy the Surface Book 2 with either a dual-core Intel Core i5-7300U processor or a quad-core Intel Core i5-8350U processor. 

Microsoft also offers an Intel Core i7-8650U processor configuration option for the Surface Book 2.

Just like we did with the Surface Pro 6’s configuration options, we will quickly take a look at the Surface Book 2’s configuration options. The first processor configuration which is the Intel Core i5-7300U processor has a base frequency of 2.60 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.50 GHz.

Additionally, the Intel Core i5-8350U processor has a base frequency of 1.70 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.60 GHz. Lastly, the Intel Core i7-8650U processor has a base frequency of 1.90 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.20 GHz.

Since we have observed the formalities, let’s move on to the details of their performance comparisons. For this comparison, we tested a Surface Pro 6 model that was equipped with the Intel Core i5-8250U processor.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 we tested for this review and comparison was equipped with the Intel Core i7-8650U processor. This processor has four cores that support Hyper-threading and thus, can process eight threads at the same time.

Not to bore you with all the technical jargon, we can put it simply that the Surface Book 2 is expected to perform better.

As usual, our tests involved both synthetic benchmark tests and real-life tests. Before I carried out the synthetic benchmark tests, I first tested both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 in real-life scenarios.

During this process, I performed activities like web surfing, emailing, document editing on Google Docs, and other regular computing operations. As expected, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 handled all the computing operations with ease.

Immediately I moved on to the synthetic benchmark tests, the Surface Book 2 wasted no time in declaring its intended supremacy. It did this by outscoring the Surface Pro 6 in the Cinebench R15 test I carried out.

In the single-core aspect, the Surface Book 2 surpassed the Surface Pro 6’ 143 score with a score of 178 points. Likewise, the Surface Book 2 outscored the Surface Pro 6 in the multi-core aspect.

While the Surface Book 2 scored 675 points, the Surface Pro 6 scored 585 points.

I continued the synthetic benchmark test with the Geekbench 4 test. The Surface Book 2 managed to outperform the Surface Pro 6 by a little in this benchmark test.

In the single-core aspect, the Surface Book 2 scored 5024 points. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scored 4234 points.

The results of the multi-core aspect were also quite similar. Though the Surface Book 2 surpassed the Surface Pro 6 in this test as well, their scores weren’t too far apart.

While the Surface Book 2 scored 13,896 points, the Surface Pro 6 scored 13,025 points.

Before I round off with this section of the comparison review, I will briefly highlight some observations I made during the benchmark test processes.

In the case of the Surface Pro 6, I noticed a noteworthy throttling behavior during the tests. On a brighter note, the Surface Pro 6’s processor displayed 47% faster speed in Cinebench than its Kaby Lake 7300U 2017 predecessor.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2’s made an annoying high-frequency noise when the laptop was under pure CPU load in the benchmark test. Fortunately, as the processor stabilized its operations, the high-pitched fan noise quieted down.

Overall, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 displayed good processing powers. However, the Surface Book 2 is conclusively the better performer in terms of processing power.

Even though the difference in their benchmark scores wasn’t too convincing, the slight gap in their results goes to show that the Surface Book 2 is superior.

Therefore, the Surface Book 2 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 processor performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6  scores a seven.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Memory (RAM) Performance

In this aspect, there are many similarities between the two laptops. Some of them include the fact that both laptops make use of the same LPDDR3 RAM.

Additionally, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 have only one RAM slot, and the maximum number of RAM they both support is 16 GB.

Just like their processors, Microsoft also offers different RAM configurations for the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2’s memory. You can buy the Surface Pro 6 with either 8 GB or 16 GB RAM.

Similarly, you can buy the Surface Book 2 with either an 8 GB or 16 GB RAM. 

For this comparison, we have been provided with a Surface Pro 6 model that is equipped with 16 GB RAM. Similarly, the Surface Book 2 we will be reviewing for this comparison is equipped with 16 GB RAM.

The real-world test I used to ascertain both laptops’ RAM power involved a series of multitasking procedures. To give more detail, I opened 30 browser tabs in Google Chrome while I was downloading the Army of the Dead movie.

Amongst the 30 browser tabs I opened, three streamed 1080p YouTube videos while I streamed a music album on Spotify. During this entire process, both the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 operated smoothly.

In a bid to add more workload to further push the limits of both laptops, I began to edit some of my on Google Docs. Though both laptops still operated excellently well, the Surface Pro 6 began to show signs of being overworked after few minutes.

After I was satisfied with the real-world tests, I moved further into the synthetic benchmark tests. The Surface Book 2 dominated the Surface Pro 6 once again in this aspect.

In the PCMark 10 essential aspect test, the Surface Book 2 scored 7659 points, surpassing the Surface Pro 6’s 6714 points. The Surface Book 2 also surpassed the Surface Pro 6 in the productivity aspect of the PCMark 10 test.

It scored 5819 points while the Surface Pro 6 scored 4520 points. These benchmark results represent another testimony of the Surface Book 2’s supremacy over the Surface Pro 6.

Hence, the Surface Book 2 gets a higher rating than the Surface Pro 6  in this aspect too. The Surface Book 2 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 RAM performance comparison.

On the other hand, the Surface Pro 6 scores a seven.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Storage Options and Performance

Just like in the aspect of their RAM, there are many similarities between the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 in terms of storage as well. Both laptops are equipped with SSD drive types.

The maximum storage size they also both offer is 1 TB. In addition, both the Surface Pro 6 and  Surface Book 2 also offer SD card options for external storage.

The biggest difference in their storage is that you can expand the Surface Pro 6’s storage with its microSDXC Card Reader. Meanwhile, you can expand the storage on the Surface Book 2 with its full-size SDXC card reader.

Going by the specs, it looks as though the Surface Pro 6 can finally try to close down the gap in performance between itself and the Surface Book 2. Without further delay, let’s dive right into their performance comparison.

I had not even carried out many tests before the hopes of the Surface Pro 6 measuring up to the Surface Book 2’s performance got cut short. The CrystalDiskMark 3.0 benchmark test results came out in favor of the Surface Book 2.

To give more detail, the Surface Pro 6 offered a sequential read speed of 748.1 MBps and a sequential write speed of 127.6 MBps. On the other hand, the Surface Book 2 offered sequential read and write speeds of 1370.2 MBps and 341.2 MBps respectively.

After the benchmark test, I also carried out a file transfer test on both laptops. It took the Surface Pro 6 23 seconds to copy a 4.97 GB multimedia file at a rate of 232 MBps.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 copied the same 4.97 GB file within 16 seconds at a rate of 318 MBps. With this file transfer speed, the Surface Book 2 outclasses the Surface Pro 6 once again.

Although both laptops offer the same storage capacity, the Surface Book 2 wins in this aspect because of its faster storage speed and better SD card option.

As a result, the Surface Book 2 scores an eight in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 storage performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scores a seven for its sufficient storage capacity.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Graphics Card Performance

The Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 differ a lot in terms of their graphics card. While the Surface Pro 6 offers a single graphics card configuration, the Surface Book 2 offers a range of configurations.

Besides, the Surface Pro 6 offers only an Intel type of graphics card. The Surface Book 2, on the other hand, offers both Intel and NVIDIA graphics card types.

You can buy the Surface Pro 6 with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU. This graphics card has a base frequency of 300 MHz and it is capable of attaining a boost frequency of 1150 MHz.

Unfortunately, this graphics card doesn’t have a dedicated VRAM. 

In the case of the Surface Book 2, you can choose to buy the laptop with either an Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 or a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050.

Furthermore, you can also buy the Surface Book 2 with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060.

Like we always do, let’s discover more about the properties of these configuration options before we go further into the comparison.

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1150 MHz.

In addition, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 has a base frequency of 1392 MHz and it is capable of reaching a boost frequency of 1518 MHz. This graphics card also comes with a 6 GB dedicated VRAM.

The last configuration option which is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 has a base frequency of 1506 MHz and a boost frequency of 1708 MHz. This graphics card also comes with a dedicated 3 GB VRAM.

As you would have rightly guessed, our Surface Pro 6 comparison model comes with an Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card. Meanwhile, our Surface Book 2 comparison model comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card.

With the details of the specifications aside, we will move further into the graphics card comparison of both laptops.

Although the Surface Pro 6’ graphics card is powerful enough to handle casual games, the performance gap between it and the Surface Book 2 is very glaring.

This was to be expected considering that the Surface Book 2’ graphics card is powerful enough to play new AAA title games at 1080p. In fact, it is possible to get more than playable frame rates at native settings when you play some less intensive AAA title games.

Not that I would readily recommend the Surface Book 2 for gaming, but the gap in graphics power between it and the Surface Pro 6 is enormous. I will be giving a peek at their performance power in the succeeding paragraphs.

On a 3DMark 11 GPU performance test, the Surface Book 2 scored an impressive 7483 points. In comparison with the Surface Book 2, the Surface Pro 6 got an awfully low score of 1977.

Moving on to gaming tests, I got an impressive frame rate of 149.1 frames per second when I ran BioShock Infinite on the Surface Book 2. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 offered a lower frame rate of 31.9 frames per second.

Furthermore, the Surface Book 2 offered another good frame rate of 95.3 frames per second on Rise of the Tomb Raider gaming test. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 could barely play the game at 14.1 frames per second.

In conclusion, the Surface Book 2 is clearly more powerful than the Surface Pro 6 in terms of graphics performance. The Surface Book 2 beats the Surface Pro 6 hands down in every test that involves graphics performance.

As a result, the Surface Book 2 scores a nine in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 graphics performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scores a six for its weak graphics performance.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2: Battery Life and Performance

Although both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 feature a Lithium-ion battery, their battery capacities are different. While the Surface Pro 6 comes with a 45 Wh battery, the Surface Book 2 features a 69.0 Wh battery.

Going by their battery capacity, anyone could easily conclude that the Surface Book 2 would probably offer a longer battery runtime. 

Moreover, the advertised battery life of both laptops indicates that the Surface Book 2 offers a longer battery runtime. Microsoft claimed that the Surface Pro 6 is capable of lasting up to 13.5 hours.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 was advertised with 17 hours of video playback runtime. Previous experiences have taught us that manufacturers tend to overestimate the battery life of their devices.

Hence, I wouldn’t rely solely on the advertised battery lives. To confirm for ourselves, we carried out a battery life test on both laptops.

On the video playback test, the Surface Book 2 missed the 17-hour mark by just a little. It lasted for 15 hours which I found to be impressive.

On the other hand, the Surface Pro 6 also barely missed the 13.5 hours mark. It lasted for 12 hours on the same video playback test.

Furthermore, I decided to run our battery test which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at maximum display brightness. On this test, the Surface Book 2 lasted for 10.5 hours.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 lasted for 9 hours before it went off.

Though both laptops offered impressive battery runtimes, the Surface Book 2 still came out victorious in this aspect of the comparison. Hence, the Surface Book 2 scores a nine in this Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2 battery performance.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 6 scores an eight for its long battery life.

Our Rating Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Book 2 are two distinct laptops that cater to two very different audiences. If you prefer a tablet as your main device, and you won’t be doing a lot of keyboard typing, then you can consider the Surface Pro 6 over the Surface Book 2.

However, if you want to fully enjoy the signature Windows 10 on Surface experience, then you will hardly find any laptop that beats the Surface Book 2.

In the end, it all comes down to your needs and how much you are willing to spend to meet them. Do you want the less expensive and more compact laptop? Go for the Surface Pro 6.

On the other hand, if you want the more powerful laptop, then you should go for the Surface Book 2.

Above all, it is necessary to note that the Surface Book 2 is the superior laptop in every possible aspect of comparison.

Based on our comprehensive review and comparison of Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Book 2, we recommend:

Although we recommend the Surface Book 2, If you prefer a more portable and less expensive laptop, you should consider the Surface Pro 6.

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Finally, for more laptop reviews, visit our Laptop Comparison Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.