[ZipZapRap]

"Expensive" is relative.

I can't afford a Ferrari. I can afford a SB2. So for me it's not expensive (and I can't wait to get one!!)

[Mr_Armageddon]

The Spectre x360 15t has a GeForce MX150, not a GTX 1050. Significant difference. That said, I'd say it's the best overall competition to the SB2 13-inch. The GTX 1060 in the SB2 15-inch puts it in another class entirely, though. Agreed that Thunderbolt 3 was a big ommission, but it's a bigger issue for the SB2 13 than it is for the 15 -- but note, I'm pretty sure the Thunderbolt 3 in the Spectre x360 15 (not the 13) is only two channels, not four, and so external GPU performance might be a little limited.

Yep, I forgot it is a MX150. Not as much umph, but still capable of gaming while traveling. The new (late 2017 version) of the Spectre x360 15t does in fact have 4x PCIe lanes enabled, so it will work perfectly with a eGPU dock via Thunderbolt 3. I already have the dock (AORUS GeForce GTX 1070 eGPU), and with one cable it will provide power, 4x monitor ouptputs, 4x USB 3.1 ports, and of course a desktop grade graphical boost.

Was really hoping to use the new SB2 in my office with this setup. I do think the price is a bit high, but not outlandish for what it offers. Unfortunately, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 is a deal killer for me, which is why I purchased the HP Spectre instead. Hoping the Surface Book line does well enough to merit a V3 next year, hopefully with Thunderbolt 3 at that point.

[wynand32]

Yep, I forgot it is a MX150. Not as much umph, but still capable of gaming while traveling. The new (late 2017 version) of the Spectre x360 15t does in fact have 4x PCIe lanes enabled, so it will work perfectly with a eGPU dock via Thunderbolt 3. I already have the dock (AORUS GeForce GTX 1070 eGPU), and with one cable it will provide power, 4x monitor ouptputs, 4x USB 3.1 ports, and of course a desktop grade graphical boost.

Was really hoping to use the new SB2 in my office with this setup. I do think the price is a bit high, but not outlandish for what it offers. Unfortunately, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 is a deal killer for me, which is why I purchased the HP Spectre instead. Hoping the Surface Book line does well enough to merit a V3 next year, hopefully with Thunderbolt 3 at that point.

Good news about the PCIe lanes on the Spectre x360. Do you have that set up already? I'd love to hear about your experience with that setup.

And I hear you about no Thunderbolt 3 on the SB2. It's not a big deal for me because for everything I do, a GTX 1060 is more than enough. But if you have need for anything greater, then I can see the SB2 being unfortunately gimped in this regard.

[skrishnasantosh]

So, we now know many of the official details on the new Surface Book 2, including the specs and pricing. And it looks amazing. But it's also REALLY expensive, with the 13-inch version starting at around $1,500 and the 15-inch version going all the way up to $3,000. Yeah, $3,000 for a laptop is kind of ridiculous, right?

This really isn't anything new, of course. Microsoft's Surface line has always been pricey, but it also delivers an unparelled Windows experience. Is the new Book too expensive? A Windows Central poll found almost the exactly same percentage of people who plan to buy the Surface Book 2 ASAP said "no way, it's too expensive." What do you think?

Was just checking.. Macbook Pro with Touch ID and Touch Bar - with Dual Core 7th Generation i7 'U' processor Processor and 512 GB SSD cost about $2800 - Graphics is Intel Iris 650... Surface has a 8th Generation Quad Core i7 Processor and more screen resolution... With nVidia Graphics card.. $200 more for 50% more power - aint bad..

[wynand32]

Was just checking.. Macbook Pro with Touch ID and Touch Bar - with Dual Core 7th Generation i7 'U' processor Processor and 512 GB SSD cost about $2800 - Graphics is Intel Iris 650... Surface has a 8th Generation Quad Core i7 Processor and more screen resolution... With nVidia Graphics card.. $200 more for 50% more power - aint bad..

If we're talking about the MacBook Pro 15-inch at $2800 ($100 less than the similarly equipped SB2), then the processor is an HQ quad-core variant. So it's faster (and less efficient) than the 8th-gen processor in the SB2. And the RAM is a bit faster, but not by much. The GPU is the Radeon Pro 560.

Of course, the GTX 1060 wipes the floor with the Radeon Pro 560. That's true for both gaming and for the kind of creative apps people are going to use on these machines. If the app supports the GPU, then that should more than make up for the slower processor.

Toss in the 2-in-1 aspect, the pen and the dial, and what's likely to be significantly better battery life, and I think the 15-inch SB2 competes well against the 15-inch MacBook Pro. But it's not quite so clear-cut if you're a MacOS person.

[terreos]

I’ve been considering getting a surface book 2. I currently have the Razer Blade 14 and I used it for CAD and gaming. But, I’ve had so much problems with Razers support that I’m going to be selling it and moving to another laptop.

I’m looking at the 15” Surface Book 2 as it’s a similar size and weight to my current Razer Blade 14. And while it will be a bit of speed decrease due to the 8650u being slower compared to the 6700HQ the increased battery life is a selling point. Plus I could get rid of my IPad too since thus will work as a tablet too.

Has anyone heard if the 1060 in the surface book 2 is a Max Q model?

[FXi2]

Pretty sure it's a Max Q 1060 because that's the only one that fits the wattage specs after the cpu wattage

[terreos]

Pretty sure it's a Max Q 1060 because that's the only one that fits the wattage specs after the cpu wattage

Yeah that’s true. Double checked that myself once you mentioned it. Even then it seems really close doesn’t it? Wonder if they undervolted some of the parts even more? That’s a shame.

[FXi2]

You can still get a bargain on the old models if you need one cheaper.

[terreos]

The difference in performance wouldn’t be worth it in my mind. Hence one of the main reasons I didn’t bother with the gen 1 Surface Book.

[excalibur1814]

Have a look at Asus and MSI gaming machines fitted with a 1060/1050. Now find one that's the same slim format, then look at the screen quality. Return here to say that the Surface Book 2 offers people a lot, when compared, to other oems.