Microsoft
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15 inch: the laptop without false note
Aprox. 3100€ - see price -
See specificationsAfter the 13-inch version, the 15-inch version of the Surface Book 2 arrives on the French market. Like its little brother, this new laptop from Microsoft borders on excellence on almost all points. However, this almost perfect product is launched at a price that one could soberly describe as exorbitant: from 2,800 €.
Our review
Presentation
A true technological feat, the Surface Book 2 had won us over in its 13-inch version. The 15 inch version, long reserved in the United States, finally arrives in our countries and in our laboratory. No need to play the suspense any longer: the Surface Book 2 15 inch is of excellent quality. With this new model, Microsoft proves that it can do it and simply offers one of the best Windows laptops to date.
For this test, note that Microsoft provided us with a version with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor with 16 GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and a 512 GB SSD.
Construction
As far as design is concerned, this 15 inch version is logically similar to the 13 inch version. Still in magnesium, the chassis has the merit of combining lightness, solidity and good distribution of heat. We find the angular shapes of the 13-inch Surface Book 2 and the detachable screen via a dedicated button. If the processor is in the tablet, the graphics card is in the keyboard, just like a battery supplement.
Microsoft is also renewing its special hinge, the signature of the Surface Book range. This hinge helps to leave a gap between the screen and the keyboard when the PC is closed; however, the keyboard being slightly swollen, this gap is reduced compared to the first model. A bold design choice which, in use, is not bothersome: no object or paper slips into said slot when the computer is closed and in a bag. The downside is that it thickens the CP. Another small defect: the pads placed under the keyboard tend to slide on a smooth table.
The connection of the Surface Book 2 15 inch is exactly the same as on the 13 inch version. Thus, the PC has a USB Type-C port (long absent on Microsoft machines), two USB Type-A 3.1 ports, a 3.5 mm jack port and an SD card reader (SDXC standard format). Last point, the magnetic Surface Connect is still used to charge the PC. Practical, it proves once again its effectiveness.
The chiclet ceramic keyboard is still fun to use. With a fairly long stroke and a perfect return, it is coupled with a trackpad which is also well finished and well integrated, which is a pleasure to use. Each action responds to the finger and the eye and no false manipulation is possible.
Regarding heating, Microsoft has also done a very good job. After our usual test protocol (one hour on the Metro benchmark: Last Light), the Surface Book 2 15 "did not exceed 43 ° C on its screen, where the processor is located. This impeccable heat management, which is expelled by the grid around and below the screen, is however offset by a slight blow which can go up to 41 dB. This is not much and does not interfere with use, but it is still high enough for a PC that is almost an ultraportable.
Ultimately, the Surface Book 2 15 inch is a very well finished product, even the most successful PC on the market in terms of design and manufacturing. Beautiful, pleasant, with an almost perfect keyboard and managing its heat output well, the 15-inch Surface Book 2 largely deserves its five stars in this area.
Screen
The Surface Book 2 is equipped with a 15-inch (38.1 cm) IPS touch screen with a definition of 3,240 x 2,160 px (3: 2 format). If the edges of the screen are visible and less thin than those of a Dell XPS 13 (2018), for example, the screen / front ratio is still impressive since it reaches 83.06%.
Under our probe, the 15-inch Surface Book 2 reveals excellent results, in line with what this range has accustomed us to. The contrast rises to 1,545: 1, which ensures very good legibility of the details and the shades of gray. The temperature is 6,755 K, very close to the standard of 6,500 K, reflecting a controlled balance between blues and reds. The maximum brightness is also more than correct, at 411 cd / m², a result slightly below that of the 13 inch version.
The average Delta E is 2.4, again an excellent score. No color is frankly lacking, as can be seen in the graph above, even if we note slightly higher values in greens and dark blues. The colors are therefore generally faithful, an asset for photo editing.
Finally, the remanence is 11 ms, which is good, especially for an IPS panel.
Performances
The 15-inch Surface Book 2 is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor (4 cores, 8 threads, frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 3.4 GHz) supported by 16 GB of RAM (1,866 MHz LPDDR3). With this configuration, Microsoft promises a powerful computer, which is not lacking.
At the end of our usual battery of tests, the Surface Book 2 15 "reached the index of 149 on our scale. It thus places itself in the high range of ultraportables on the market, ahead of the Dell XPS 13 (2018) or the Acer Swift 5, and also a little above its little brother the 13-inch Surface Book 2.
The 15-inch Surface Book 2 is therefore one of the most powerful laptops on the market today and will easily fulfill tasks requiring great computing power.
Games
The 15-inch Surface Book 2 includes in its keyboard part an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card (6 GB of GDDR5 memory). This is the advantage of the computer: offering a certain graphic power in a fairly compact 15 inch format.
During our in-game test sessions (settings set to ultra, definition in 1,920 x 1,080 px, vertical synchronization disabled), the Surface proved its value. Thus, The Witcher 3 reached the average of 39 fps, Assassin's Creed Origins rose to 41 fps while Star Wars Battlefront II and Civilization VI reached 55 fps. Thus, the user can fearlessly launch a small game on one of the last big games of the moment.
In graphics power (under 3D Mark), the 15 "Surface Book 2 reaches the index of 66; this is slightly less than the Lenovo Legion Y520 gaming laptop (also with a GTX 1060, but thicker and better ventilated), and logically above the Surface Book 2 13 ", with a GTX 1050.
In short, excellent results for a computer that was not initially dedicated to video games.
Mobility / Autonomy
The 15-inch Surface Book 2 weighs 1.9 kg, which is quite heavy for a high-end laptop, even a 15-inch laptop. However, thanks to its relatively thin screen edges, the chassis is ultimately not too bulky and the PC can easily be carried in a bag.
Side autonomy, the Surface Book 2 15 "surprises and impresses. It integrates two batteries: one in the screen and the other in the keyboard part. In our usual protocol (Netflix in Chrome, brightness set to 200 cd / m², keyboard backlight off , headphones plugged in), the 15 "Surface Book 2 lasted 12 hours before shutting down. This makes it the most enduring Windows laptop on the market, even surpassing our previous champion, the HP Specter x360 (2017) and its 12 hours 02 of autonomy.
Last point, some American sites noticed a strange thing when the PC was released in the United States: plugged in and charged, the Surface Book 2 15 "saw its battery decrease if a greedy game was launched. Didn't find this problem on our test copy.
Audio
The only misstep of the Surface Book 2 15 "is in terms of its audio performance. To begin with, the speakers are of poor quality. Basses absent, treble imprecise: the sound reproduction is worthy of a telephone, and disturbed which more is a blatant box effect (resonance due to the chassis). Add to that a much too high distortion and we get a sound of a tablet (the speakers being in the screen) more than a laptop. all the same, a very good stereo field width , as well as a processing software that saves the furniture at the bass level.
The headphone jack turns out to be correct. The power and crosstalk are slightly below the average of ultraportables, but the distortion is quite correct and the dynamic range, excellent.
Conclusion
Like the 13-inch version, the 15-inch Surface Book 2 excels in almost every area. Designed by Microsoft as the ultimate Windows laptop, it delivers on all of its promises. Beautiful, impeccably built, powerful, with impressive autonomy and a screen that is just as impressive, the 15-inch Surface Book 2 is simply the best Windows laptop on the market today. However, it is far from being accessible to all. Impossible indeed not to mention its price, which starts at € 2,800. But Microsoft assumes this price by offering a "premium" product in almost all areas, except audio. A real success.
Specifications
Reviews
The best thin, light, durable 2-in-1 laptop with excellent performance!
Exceptional at both build quality and performance. Totally worth the money if you're looking for a portable workstation for VR, computing, 3D content creation, web design, programming and engineering.