Microsoft Surface Pro 6 Microsoft Surface Pro 6 12.3" Touch i5-8250U 8GB Review

So you're looking at a refurbished Microsoft Surface Pro 6. It's a classic 2-in-1 tablet that still pops up for a great price, like this one around $230. You get the full Windows 10 experience on a sharp 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The big question is whether an older Intel Core i5 from 2018 can still handle your daily tasks. For basic stuff, it absolutely can. But if you're wondering 'is the Surface Pro 6 good for students or light design work?', the answer is a cautious yes, as long as you manage your expectations on performance.

Let's talk about that Intel Core i5-8250U CPU. It lands in the 10th percentile for performance, which means it's definitely showing its age. In practice, it's fine for web browsing, Office apps, and streaming video. But you'll feel it slow down if you have too many Chrome tabs open or try to run more demanding software. The integrated graphics are also in the 10th percentile, so don't plan on gaming or serious video editing. The SSD, however, is in the 83rd percentile, so the system feels snappy when opening apps and files. It's a mixed bag: great for storage speed, but the processor is the clear bottleneck.

At around $230 for a certified refurbished model, the value is hard to ignore if you need a portable Windows machine on a tight budget. You're getting a premium-feeling device for less than many new budget laptops. The catch is the aging internals. For a similar price, you could find a newer used laptop with better raw performance, but you'd lose the tablet form factor and pen support. It's a trade-off.

How does it stack up? The Apple iPad Pro with an M-series chip runs circles around it in speed and battery life, but it's also much more expensive and runs iPadOS, not full Windows. The newer Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is in a different league with its Snapdragon X chip, but again, at a much higher cost. A closer competitor might be a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+, which offers a fantastic Android tablet experience but isn't a laptop replacement. For the money, the Surface Pro 6's main appeal is being a cheap entry into the Surface ecosystem. If you need Windows and the tablet form factor, it's a contender. If raw performance is your priority, look at used business laptops instead.

Should you buy this? It depends. If you need a secondary device for note-taking, web browsing, and light Office work, and you specifically want the Surface Pen and tablet mode, this refurbished Pro 6 is a solid deal. But if you need a primary computer for multitasking or any kind of creative work, the old processor will hold you back. Think of it as a capable digital notebook that can also run Windows, not a powerhouse. For the right person with the right needs, it's a steal. For everyone else, it might be too much of a compromise.