Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" Touch Tablet, Intel Review
The Surface Pro 9 has a beautiful screen and great design, but its performance and value are hard to justify at full price, especially with the keyboard sold separately.
Overview
The Surface Pro 9 is a great tablet that makes a pretty good laptop, but only if you're willing to pay the full price. The one thing you need to know? This is a premium device with a premium price tag, and you're paying for that slick 2-in-1 versatility more than raw power. It's fantastic for sketching, note-taking, and general productivity, but don't expect it to be a speed demon.
Performance
Honestly, the performance was exactly what I expected, which is a bit of a letdown for the price. The Intel CPU lands in the 34th percentile, and the GPU is even lower at 36th. That means it's fine for everyday tasks, but you'll feel it chug if you try to do anything intensive like video editing or serious multitasking. It scored best for art and design, which makes sense with that gorgeous 120Hz touchscreen and stylus support.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- That 13-inch 120Hz display is absolutely stunning and perfect for drawing. 91th
- The 2-in-1 design with the kickstand is still the best in the business. 87th
- Build quality feels premium and it's surprisingly portable. 86th
- You get full Windows 11 Pro, so it can run any desktop app. 80th
Cons
- The performance for the price is hard to justify, especially the weak GPU.
- The keyboard and stylus are sold separately, jacking up the total cost.
- Battery life is just average, landing right at the 50th percentile.
- 16GB of RAM is good, but 256GB of storage fills up fast with Windows.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
Display
| Size | 13" |
| Resolution | 2880 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6 |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 2.6 kg / 5.8 lbs |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
Value & Pricing
At $1599 for just the tablet, the value proposition is shaky. You're easily looking at over two grand once you add the essential keyboard and pen. For that money, you should get better performance. It's only worth it if you absolutely need a Windows tablet with a killer screen and don't mind paying a premium for the form factor.
vs Competition
This is a classic Windows vs. Apple showdown. Compared to the iPad Pro, the Surface Pro 9 gives you a full desktop OS but gets smoked in performance and app optimization for creative work. Next to the new Surface Pro 11, the Pro 9 looks even worse, as the 11 has a much faster ARM chip for similar money. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a better media consumption device, but it's an Android tablet, so it can't replace your laptop. If you need Windows in a tablet, the newer Pro 11 is the better buy. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, the iPad Pro is more powerful.
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" Touch Tablet, Intel | Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 512GB, | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft 13" Surface Pro Copilot+ PC (11th | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung 12.4" Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB Multi-Touch | Lenovo Yoga Tab Series Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus | HP GPD Win MAX 2 2025 Handheld Gaming PC with AMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel | Apple M5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3, QCM8650 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 12 | 32 | 12 | 16 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 512 | 1000 | 256 | 256 | 2048 |
| Screen | 13" 2880x1920 | 11" 2420x1668 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 10.1" 1920x1200 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | iPadOS | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home |
| Stylus | true | true | true | true | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | false |
Verdict
I can't recommend buying the Surface Pro 9 at this price. It's a generation old now, and the performance doesn't match the cost, especially when the keyboard and pen are extra. If you find it heavily discounted, it's a decent machine for artists and students who need Windows. But for anyone else, either save money with a regular laptop or spend a bit more for the newer, faster Surface Pro 11.