Entry-level Surface Book 2 could soon get a quad-core CPU

Microsoft Surface Book 2
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Image credit: Windows Central)

If you're in the market for a Surface Book 2, you may have a new baseline to choose from in the coming weeks. According to retail listings first discovered by WinFuture, Microsoft looks set to give its cheapest 13-inch Surface Book 2 a spec bump in the coming weeks, switching its current Intel Core i5-7300U processor out for a speedier Core i5-8350U.

The move would bump the entry-level Surface Book 2 from a dual-core chip to a quad-core one, offering around 50 percent greater performance in multi-core tasks. The newer chip also offers a slightly higher boost clock speed, coming in at 3.6 GHz.

Other than the processor bump, the improved entry-level model appears to carry the same general specs as the original. You'll still find 8GB of RAM, 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a 3000x2000 resolution, 17 hours of battery life, and a port selection that includes two USB 3.1 ports, a USB-C port, and an SD card reader.

Pricing is set to start at $1,500, which is the same price as the current configuratio nwith 256GB of storage, but there's currently no solid date for release. But the refreshed model will likely arrive sometime in the coming weeks.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl