Microsoft adds cheaper Surface Book with Nvidia graphics to line-up

Surface Book
The new discrete GPU option costs the same as doubling up your storage

Microsoft's Surface Book has been causing quite a storm since it was unveiled, billed as the "ultimate laptop", and Microsoft has continued to tweak the range of models available on pre-order.

Sneaking in just before the convertible laptop goes on sale at the beginning of next week, the latest model is a new variant on the lowest-end offering and sports a discrete Nvidia GPU.

It's essentially the base model with a Core i5 processor and 128GB of storage plus 8GB of RAM, only with a discrete GPU added to give the device more pixel shifting muscle than mere integrated graphics.

Naturally, that jacks the price up, so instead of paying $1,499 (around £970, or AU$2,075) for the base machine, with the dGPU on board you're looking at $1,699 (around £1100, or AU$2,350).

Storage or graphics?

That's the same price as the Core i5 Surface Book with 256GB of storage, so another way of looking at it is if you want to take a step up from the base model, you've now got a choice between either doubling up your storage or having a discrete GPU.

Exactly what that discrete graphics processor is, Microsoft hasn't said, but the usual digging and rumours have pegged it at around the same power level as an Nvidia GeForce 940M – something of a disappointment to many people if this is indeed the case (most were expecting something with equivalent to Nvidia's 950M).

Nevertheless, this new twist on the Surface has been impressing many, and some even believe that it will shape the very future of laptops.

TOPICS

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Latest in Pro
cybersecurity
What's the right type of web hosting for me?
Security padlock and circuit board to protect data
Trust in digital services around the world sees a massive drop as security worries continue
Hacker silhouette working on a laptop with North Korean flag on the background
North Korea unveils new military unit targeting AI attacks
An image of network security icons for a network encircling a digital blue earth.
US government warns agencies to make sure their backups are safe from NAKIVO security issue
Laptop computer displaying logo of WordPress, a free and open-source content management system (CMS)
This top WordPress plugin could be hiding a worrying security flaw, so be on your guard
construction
Building in the digital age: why construction’s future depends on scaling jobsite intelligence
Latest in News
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
Samsung's rumored smart specs may be launching before the end of 2025
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #652)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)