Microsoft Surface Book 13.5" Surface Book 2 Silver 2018
About This Laptop
Intel HD Graphics 620 LPDDR3 - Bluetooth - Front Camera/Webcam - 8 Megapixel Rear Camera - IEEE 802.11ac - 2 x USB 3.0 Ports - USB Type-C - 17 Hour Battery Run Time
- Microsoft Surface Book 2 Features a 7th generation Intel Dual Core i5 Processor, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB RAM, and up to 17 hours of video playback
- Includes an Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated GPU
- The fastest Surface Book yet, with 2x more power
- Vibrant PixelSense Display: now available with an improved 13.5in touchscreen
The 30-Second Version
The Surface Book 2 is a head-turning hybrid that's still fun to use, but its ancient processor, pathetic tablet battery, and sketchy refurb quality mean you better buy it cheap and keep expectations low. If you're after a real laptop, spend your $400 somewhere else, because this thing limps where modern machines sprint.
Overview
The Surface Book 2 is a weird, beautiful relic. That 13.5-inch PixelSense display still pops, and the detachable clipboard mode feels futuristic even in 2025. But under the hood, it's a 7th-gen dual-core i5 with 8GB of RAM, which is basically vintage computing. The renewed units dropping as low as $238 make it a tempting way to grab a premium Windows tablet on the cheap, but you'll have to live with its aging guts and a refurb lottery that can be, well, messy.
Performance
The performance here is all over the map. The SSD is peppy enough for booting Windows 10 Pro in a blink, and light Office work or Netflix binging feels fine. But push it even a little, and the dual-core CPU and that Intel HD 620 graphics start sweating. Multitasking with more than five browser tabs, or trying any photo editing beyond cropping, and the whole machine bogs down. It's well below average for its class, and the 8GB of RAM is one of the stingiest allocations we've seen in a machine this premium. You'll notice it, especially if you're coming from a modern laptop.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- That 13.5-inch 2560x1600 display is still a stunner, with vivid colors, sharp text, and great touch response. 88th
- The detachable clipboard mode is genuinely useful for reading, note-taking, and tablet-style lounging. 88th
- Build quality feels flagship-level, all metal and glass, and it looks more expensive than its refurb price tag. 78th
- Backlit keyboard is comfortable and the 3:2 aspect ratio gives you more vertical room than typical 16:9 screens. 78th
Cons
- The dual-core i5 and 8GB RAM choke on anything beyond basic productivity, and you'll feel the lag daily. 5th
- Battery life in tablet mode is atrocious, often dying in a couple of hours, which ruins the whole detachable gimmick. 14th
- Refurbished units are a crapshoot. Expect scuffs, dents, floppy keyboards, and maybe a dead charger. 18th
- Only one USB-C port with no Thunderbolt 3, and no modern Wi-Fi 6, so you'll be living that dongle life on a machine that can't keep up. 26th
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 3.5 GHz core_i5 |
| Cores | 2 |
| Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
Graphics
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM | 2 GB |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 8 GB |
| RAM Generation | LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 13.5" |
| Resolution | 2560 (QHD) |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 1 |
| USB Ports | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | IEEE 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
Physical
| Weight | 1.5 kg / 3.4 lbs |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro |
Value & Pricing
At its lowest point of $238, the Surface Book 2 makes a weird kind of sense as a secondary couch tablet and light-duty laptop. At $450, you're getting fleeced. For that money, a new budget laptop will run circles around this. If you can snag a clean unit from Amazon's renewed listings at the bargain price, it's a fun gamble. But if you're eyeing the higher end of that spread, just walk away.
vs Competition
The Surface Book 2's only real party trick is that detachable tablet mode, which no current ultrabook does. If you just want a slim Windows laptop, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition or the ASUS ZenBook A14 are miles ahead in speed, battery life, and portability. Even the ancient MacBook Air MC6T4LL/A has a more modern feel and better resale value. The only reason to pick the Surface Book 2 over those is if you desperately need that clipboard form factor and you're okay with it being slow.
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Book 13.5" Surface Book 2 | Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max | ASUS ROG Flow GZ302EA-XS99 | Lenovo Legion Pro Series Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 | MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 | Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP940XHA-KG3US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 3.5 GHz core_i5 | Apple M4 Max | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V | Intel Core Ultra 7 256V |
| RAM (GB) | 8 | 64 | 128 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 8192 | 1024 | 1024 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Screen | 13.5" 2560x1600 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 13.4" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 13.3" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 | Apple (40-Core) | AMD Radeon | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU | Intel Arc | Intel Arc |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro | macOS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Weight (kg) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 1 | 1.2 |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 72 | 70 | 99 | - | 15 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Port | Screen | Compact | Storage | User Sentiment | Reliability | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Surface Book 13.5" Surface Book 2 | 25.8 | 39.2 | 5.2 | 34.2 | 78.2 | 87.7 | 18 | 14.3 | 78.2 | 87.5 |
| Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max Compare | 91.5 | 18.5 | 96.4 | 80 | 98.9 | 66.7 | 99.7 | 94.1 | 96 | 99.3 |
| ASUS ROG Flow GZ302EA-XS99 Compare | 95.1 | 80.3 | 99.9 | 77.5 | 89.2 | 92.7 | 81.2 | 0 | 57.9 | 99.3 |
| Lenovo Legion Pro Series Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 Compare | 96.5 | 90 | 90.2 | 98.1 | 94.3 | 8.5 | 81.2 | 94.1 | 78.2 | 99.3 |
| MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 Compare | 63.1 | 64.2 | 80.8 | 83.4 | 89.9 | 95.3 | 73.3 | 94.1 | 57.9 | 86.2 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP940XHA-KG3US Compare | 66.4 | 64.2 | 80.8 | 66.8 | 93.2 | 85 | 73.3 | 88.7 | 78.2 | 94.4 |
Common Questions
Q: Can it run Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom?
Barely. That dual-core CPU and integrated Intel HD 620 can open the apps, but you'll be praying for patience with any large files or edits. For quick touch-ups it's okay, but if you're serious about photo work, get a modern machine with a dedicated GPU and 16GB of RAM.
Q: Does the tablet portion work independently, and does it have its own storage?
Yes, the screen detaches into a standalone tablet running on its own tiny battery, but the 256GB SSD lives in the tablet, so you're not giving up storage. Just don't expect it to last long unplugged.
Q: Is the RAM upgradeable?
Nope, it's soldered in. You're stuck with 8GB forever, so consider that your ceiling for multitasking from day one.
Who Should Skip This
If you need a laptop that'll get you through a full workday on battery and handle more than a handful of browser tabs without crying, this isn't it. Go grab a Lenovo Yoga or a Dell Latitude 5000 instead. The Surface Book 2 is a nostalgic toy for people who can live with a flaky refurb and just want a pretty screen for light duty.
Verdict
Buy the Surface Book 2 only if you're enchanted by the detachable design and you find a truly pristine renewed model at the very bottom of the price range. For light web browsing, note-taking, and media consumption, it's still got a gorgeous screen and a premium look. For anyone who needs a reliable daily driver with modern performance and battery life that lasts a workday, this thing is a hard pass. It's a charming secondary device, not a primary computer.
