OS Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro (‘for Business’ model) | CPU Intel Core i5-1035G7 (13.5-inch only), Core i7-1065G7 | GPU Intel Iris Plus Graphics (Core i5, 13.5-inch), 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (Core i7, 13.5-inch), 6GB Nvidia GeForce 1660 Ti (Core i7, 15-inch), 6GB Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 (Core i7, 15-inch, ‘for Business’ model) | RAM 8GB (13.5-inch only), 16GB, 32GB | Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB (15-inch only) | Screen 13.5-inch 3:2 PixelSense (3000 x 2000, 267ppi) touch screen, 15-inch 3:2 PixelSense (3240 x 2160, 260ppi) touch screen | Wireless Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Xbox Wireless (15-inch only) | Ports & slots 2x USB 3.1, USB-C (with Power Delivery), 2x Surface Connect ports (keyboard base, tablet), SD card reader | Camera 5MP (front, with IR for face authentication), 8MP rear | Audio dual far-field Studio mics, stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio-out jack | Battery 13.5-inch: 69Wh (Core i5), 75.3Wh (Core i7) / 15-inch: 90Wh / up to 15.5h (13.5-inch) or 17.5h (15-inch) when connected to keyboard base | Dimensions 13-inch: 312mm x 232mm x 13-23 mm (15-23mm for Core i7) / 15-inch: 343mm x 251mm x 15-23mm | Weight 13.5-inch: 1.53kg (Core i5), 1.64kg (Core i7) / 15-inch: 1.9kg (including keyboard) • 13.5-inch: 719g / 15-inch: 817g (tablet only) | Price 13.5-inch: from $1,599.99 (Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) / 15-inch: from $2,149.99 (Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
Microsoft’s 2015 13.5-inch Surface Book was the original ‘laptop-first’ detachable: at first glance, it looked like a regular laptop, but the screen could detach and function independently as a tablet, or be turned around and reattached, offering the ‘tent’ and ‘presentation’ modes characteristic of 360-degree rotating convertibles. In 2017 the Surface Book 2 added a 15-inch version, an arrangement that persists with the Surface Book 3, which launched in May 2020.
As with other Surface models, the Surface Book 3 is available in standard and business versions, the latter running Windows 10 Pro and offering more GPU options.
Prices for the Surface Book 3 start at $1,599.99 for a 13.5-inch standard model with a 10th-generation Core i5-1035G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD; the business model costs $100 more. At the other end of the scale, a 15-inch business model with a Core i7-1065G7 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and discrete Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 graphics with 6GB of dedicated video memory will set you back a hefty $3,699.99.
Read review: Microsoft Surface Book 3 (15-inch)
There are batteries in both sections of the Surface Book 3 (tablet and keyboard), but Microsoft only quotes battery life in laptop mode: 15.5 hours’ ‘typical device usage’ for the 13.5-inch model and 17.5h for the 15-inch model. ZDNet’s review of the 15-inch Surface Book 3 reported achieving a full day’s work on battery power with “over a third of the battery left for the commute home, should commuting ever return after 2020”.
Read more: The best Surface PC: Every Surface device is Windows 11-ready
The latest refresh of the Surface range, in September 2021, saw Microsoft moving away from the detachable laptop form factor with the introduction of the 14.4-inch Surface Laptop Studio, which has a slide-forward screen supporting laptop, ‘stage’ and ‘studio’ (tablet) modes. If handheld tablet-mode operation is important to your workflow, note that the 13.5in. Surface Book 3 weighs 719g without the keyboard, while the 15in. model weighs 817g. The non-detachable 14.4in. Surface Laptop Studio, by contrast, weighs 1.74kg (Core i5) to 1.82kg (Core i7).
Pros
- Good battery life
- Solid specification
- 3:2 display
Cons
- Complex hinge mechanism
- Heavy
- Expensive