As agreed, Microsoft unveiled some new hardware features during a conference held on September 21 in New York. An event marked by AI and software innovations… which did not leave much room for full-fledged Surface products.
Without any surprise (since most of the new features had leaked), Microsoft therefore announced two “new” Surface products aimed at the general public: the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Surface Laptop Go 3.
Two devices which are evolving timidly… and which we are rediscovering, without particular enthusiasm, on this September evening. Both are nevertheless gaining muscle thanks to the move to more efficient Intel processors. We take stock.
Surface Laptop Studio 2: Raptor Lake-H and RTX 4000 on the menu
Let’s start with the most high-end Surface, the Laptop Studio 2. Designed for advanced uses and creative uses, the device moves upmarket without changing its formula. Microsoft is in fact maintaining the chassis introduced at the end of 2021 on the original model, but is still taking the opportunity to (clumsily) enrich the connections. We now benefit from a microSD card reader and a USB-A port, in addition to two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and the Surface Connect power port.
It’s hard not to shed a tear of disappointment at the addition of a microSD port, and not full format SD. This is a missed opportunity for Microsoft: most creative users (videographers, photographers, etc.) use full-format SD cards, not microSD cards.
Another new feature is the addition of an engine allowing the trackpad to provide haptic feedback to users. This change is mainly intended for people with disabilities, explains Microsoft, always attached to the issue of accessibility.
The most interesting changes are to be found under the hood, with the move to Intel’s latest high-performance “Raptor Lake” mobile processors. We can therefore choose between an Intel Core i7-13700H or an i7-13800H, coupled with a maximum of 64 GB of LPDDR5X. In terms of GPU, Microsoft will offer an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 or a GeForce RTX 4060. The arrival of Ada Lovelace graphics cards on the Laptop Studio 2 should allow it, according to Microsoft, to overtake a MacBook Pro M2 Max in terms of 3D rendering . Of course, and as in the past, these dedicated GPUs will be offered as an option. It will therefore remain possible to make do with a Core i7 and its modest Iris Xe iGPU.
Expected on October 3 from 2,239 euros, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 will retain its 14.4-inch IPS LCD screen for the rest, reaching a 2.4K definition (2,400 x 1,600 pixels) for 120 Hz.
©Microsoft
Surface Laptop Go 3: increasing performance… but still a year late
Let’s move on to Microsoft’s accessible laptop PC: the new Surface Laptop Go 3. Here too, we remain on a product with well-known lines, but which can count on two new colors (Gold and Blue). The screen is still based on IPS technology, and we maintain an HD+ definition (1,536 x 1,024 pixels) for a diagonal of 12.4 inches.
In the chassis of this new version, however, an Intel Core i5-1235U processor (launched in 2022) is installed, coupled with 4 or 8 GB of RAM (in LPDDR5), and 128 or 256 GB of SSD. With this configuration, Microsoft promises 88% better performance than the very first model (marketed in 2020). The firm finally mentions 15 hours of autonomy on this product.
The Surface Laptop Go 3 will also be available from October 3, and this time from 800 euros in France.
Sources: Microsoft Conference, Microsoft Press Release
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