For the first time in four years, Microsoft has updated the only desktop computer in its Surface PC lineup. Surface Studio 2+ improves upon Surface Studio 2 by redesigning the internals and updating the port selection while leaving the rest of the machine, like the large touchscreen and folding hinge, free.
But this all-in-one is still not for everyone. The Surface Studio 2+ with Surface Pen, keyboard and mouse will set you back a whopping $4,500, while a “cheap”version with the same specs but without those external accessories costs $4,300. And despite the big jump in specs, we still have some serious questions about the components Microsoft has chosen for the expensive all-in-one designed for creative professionals.
Surface Studio 2+ will go on sale in the US on October 25th.
The original Surface Studio 2 was introduced in October 2018 and has been technically available ever since (although it has mostly been out of stock lately). This long lifecycle, plus the fact that the computer didn’t use the most up-to-date components available in the first place, meant that by the time Windows 11 came out last year, Microsoft had to change its system requirements specifically to include Studio 2. Otherwise, the PC would not meet the stringent processor requirements of the new OS.
The best upgrade to the Studio 2+ is the GeForce RTX 3060 GPU – definitely an average but huge step up in power and capability from the 1060 and 1070 series GPUs that were still offered in the regular Studio 2 and capable of ray mapping. tracing and other AI-accelerated workloads. Support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 upgrades wireless connectivity. And a total of three Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus two USB-A ports and a gigabit Ethernet port, upgrade wired connectivity (although the SD card slot is gone). The improved GPU and additional Thunderbolt ports also provide much better support for external displays, with up to three 4K screens at 60Hz, while the previous model could drive one 4K screen at 60Hz or two screens at 30Hz.
Elsewhere, Microsoft has left itself alone. The 28-inch 4500×3000 DCI-P3 touchscreen remains the same, as does the 1080p webcam. This screen still retains full compatibility with Surface Pen accessories, which is a handy feature for artists. And 1TB of user-expandable memory and 32GB of non-upgradable DDR4 RAM will be more than enough for most tasks.
But the real mystery, the solution to which I find it difficult to come up with, is the processor. Yes, the new Studio is moving to four CPU generations, from the Core i7-7820HQ to the Core i7-11370H. The main problem is that the i7-11370H, like the 7820HQ, is still a quad-core chip – Microsoft includes the same processor in some Surface Laptop Studio configurations. Chips like the i7-11600H and i7-11800H offer six or eight CPU cores and are well within the Studio’s desktop power budget. And all these processors, it must be said, are outdated from the very beginning; 12th Gen Intel processors are readily available and offer even better multi-core performance for precisely those high-end creative professionals that Surface Studio seems to be targeting.
We questioned the inclusion of the i7-11370H processor in Laptop Studio when competing high-end laptops such as the Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Extreme switched to these six- and eight-core processors. In the context of a $4,300 desktop computer, where there’s even more room for a large fan and heatsink to cool a high-performance processor, it’s almost pointless. For professional-focused desktops, in terms of press releases and product pages, it’s very odd that Microsoft is missing out on the chance to announce more than double the CPU performance given how much CPUs have changed since Intel’s 7th gen CPUs were introduced.
For his part, when asked about the choice of processor, a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars that the Studio “has always been about more than components”and that “the eventual experience with this product has kept it in its class.”In short, the unique combination of screen and desktop hinge and other features are more important than the processor inside.
That’s not wrong – you can’t get a Surface Pen compatible large touchscreen and foldable hinge on any other desktop, no matter how much you’re willing to pay. I also don’t want to fall into the trap of a tech reviewer nitpicking the specs, pointing out an issue that would not really be noticeable to real people using the computer. But especially as a $4,300 desktop, there are certainly people who will consider this system to be turned off due to its underpowered processor.