Microsoft Surface Book 13.5" 2 2000 Review

Looking for a premium 2-in-1 laptop on a tight budget? The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is a name that still pops up, and you can find older models like this Intel Core i5 version for around $400 these days. It's the classic Surface Book design: a 13.5-inch detachable tablet with a vibrant 3000x2000 PixelSense display and a keyboard base that houses extra battery and ports. Microsoft touted this as the fastest Surface Book yet with up to 17 hours of life, and its four modes—Laptop, Tablet, Studio, and View—still offer that unique flexibility. If you need a sharp screen for media and a portable Windows machine for basic tasks, this is worth a look, especially at this price point.

Let's be real about the specs. The Intel Core i5-7300U is a dual-core processor from 2017, and its performance lands in the 7th percentile. That means it's fine for web browsing, office apps, and streaming video, but it will struggle with anything demanding like video editing or heavy multitasking. The integrated Intel HD 620 graphics are in the 38th percentile, which confirms this is absolutely not a gaming machine. It scored a dismal 6.1 out of 100 for gaming. The 8GB of RAM is also on the low side today, sitting in the 10th percentile. The 256GB NVMe SSD is fast but small, ranking in the 20th percentile for storage. In practice, this machine is best for light, everyday use and entertainment, where its fantastic screen can shine.

At around $400, the value proposition shifts completely. You're not paying for cutting-edge power; you're paying for a unique, premium design and a brilliant display that you simply can't get in new laptops at this price. You're making a big trade-off in performance and future-proofing, but if your needs are basic and you love the 2-in-1 form factor, it's a compelling deal. Just know you're buying into an older, slower platform.

How does it stack up? The Apple MacBook Pro (even an older Intel model) will run circles around it in CPU performance and have a better ecosystem, but you won't get the touchscreen or tablet mode. A Lenovo ThinkPad at a similar price will likely offer better specs, more ports, and legendary durability, but with a more traditional clamshell design and a less impressive screen. The most direct competitor might be a used Surface Pro with a similar spec; you'd lose the built-in keyboard base but gain a newer processor option. Compared to modern beasts like the MSI Vector or Gigabyte AORUS gaming laptops, there's no comparison for raw power—those are in a different universe.

So, should you buy this Surface Book 2? It's a very specific recommendation. If you found one in good condition for $400 and your needs are light—think web, documents, media consumption, and note-taking—and you absolutely want that detachable screen experience, it's a decent pick. But if you need any real processing power, more than 8GB of RAM, or plan to keep this as a main machine for years, you should look at a more modern used business laptop or increase your budget. This is a niche machine for a niche buyer at this point.