The Microsoft Surface Book Review
by Brett Howse on November 10, 2015 8:00 AM ESTCompute with the Surface Book
When discussing Ultrabooks, the word Compute doesn’t get thrown around very often, and for good reason. Even the MacBook Pro 13 only comes with Intel Iris graphics (no GT3e yet) and although Intel’s GPUs have been a priority over the last couple of generations, just like in gaming there is only so much you can do when your TDP is shared with the processor.
With Surface Book, there is more of an opportunity here. If you opt for the model with the NVIDIA GPU, you gain access to CUDA, which is NVIDIA’s parallel computing platform. Quite a few applications that need strong parallel processing have CUDA available as an option. Adobe, for instance, has CUDA support in many of their professional products like Photoshop, After Effects, Premier Pro, and more. NVIDIA lists hundreds of applications on their site which can benefit from GPU compute power, and there are also OpenCL applications as well which would benefit from the more powerful dGPU.
Expectations need to be put in check of course, because the GPU available in the Surface Book is not a workstation class GPU, so we shall see how it compares on these types of tasks. This is not an area where we have an extensive database of other devices, and normally compute is not a heavy focus for Ultrabook reviews, but I feel the Surface Book may find a niche with content creators so it’s worth examining.
Compubench
From the makers of GFXBench is Compubench, and like GFXBench, there are a number of tests which can be completed with either the CPU only, or by choosing a GPU.
The results are a bit mixed. Some of the tests respond very well to having the NVIDIA GPU, but some of the others don’t get as much of a benefit. But where the GPU helps, it can help a lot. Several of the tasks are 50% faster, and the Video Composition sub-test is 212% faster on the discrete GPU.
Agisoft Photscan
This software performs photogrammetric processing of images, and it has an option to use the GPU or just standalone with the CPU. Of the entire benchmark, only one section actually leverages the GPU functions so that test has been highlighted.
Even the one accelerated test still only shows a 5% decrease in time with the GPU being used. This highlights that even though a task may be accelerated with the GPU, the overall impact may not always be what you are expecting, since not all tasks can be done in parallel.
Using the Surface Book NVIDIA GPU for Compute
There is no doubt that if you are performing work that supports CUDA, the NVIDIA option on the Surface Book is going to make an impact. The question of course is how much. Applications such as those from Adobe do leverage CUDA, but it’s not for all tasks. This is kind of the issue with considering the GPU for compute. If you are someone who uses Adobe Premiere on the go, and need something smaller than a typical workstation class notebook, the GPU is going to help out, but since it doesn’t get leveraged for all tasks, it is very dependent on the exact task that you are performing.
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chrisnyc75 - Monday, November 16, 2015 - link
And fwiw, according to Dell (and the few "legitimate" sounding reviews I've been able to find so far), the XPS15 gets "up to 17 hours" battery life with the FHD display, "a few hours less" with the 4k touchscreen QHD. If that's true, then it's not far behind the SB battery life, but with more power, more connectivity, and a bigger display (due to the edge-to-edge infinity display, you get a 15.6" of display on a 13.5" device (hence why I keep bringing up the fact that they're the same size, and thus crying out for direct comparison). Personally, I'm pretty sure I'd prefer the larger display and greater processing power of the XPS over the detachable tablet option on the SB if that's really they're biggest difference. If only a reputable expert would run the tests to find out if that's really the case. ;) (hint hint)And p.s., from what I'm reading on laptop forums/reviews, the touchscreen can be paired with any bluetooth stylus, it just doesn't come with it. But you don't need the connectivity port that you have to buy separately to connect the SB to just about everything, so if that's true it kinda balances out (again) IMHO.
s.yu - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Hmmm, I have to disagree on the size. The Dell is 6cm wider and 2cm taller, over 500g (that's one third of the MSB) heavier, though mostly thinner(yeah stupid hinge gets in the way) than the MSB. The Dell is still a ~15" device while MSB is still a ~13" device. The line is slightly blurred but not enough for them to be totally exchangable.http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-Notebook-...
Notebookcheck, credible and meticulous in their tests IMO, reports poor battery life. Though they didn't give 11-13hrs for MSB either.
Jukens - Saturday, November 14, 2015 - link
In the first 60 seconds of playing with one at Bestbuy when I undocked the display using the key it BSOD'd and restarted...s.yu - Sunday, November 15, 2015 - link
lol if you're persistant, keep returning them and eventually you'll get a functional model.kaisersoser37 - Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - link
So I picked up a Surface Book 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage, and these are my early impressions:PROS
+ By far the best built laptop I have ever used. It looks and feels like a premium device, and I do a lot of XCode programming on a MBP 15" which was my previous preferred system/platform for serious work but this just looks and feels much better than any other MBP I have ever used before.
+ The hinge is a technical marvel and you can hold the screen without feeling afraid the rest of the system will drop off. It also feels very solid with no externally moving (or visible) parts
+ The 3:2 factor is a revelation, especially for programmers and I presume users of word processors, as it providers a much longer vertical screen space, without compromising screen width. Besides, It is a Fibonacci ratio, so it feels natural to use.
+ The detachable screen is lighter than I expected. It feels comfortable to use either in landscape or portrait mode
+ They were not kidding about battery life. I have not charged my system in 2 days, and I put in about 4-5 hours per day on my SB
+ The keyboard is excellent and makes a natural clicking noise similar to a gaming mech keyboard, giving you solid tactitile feedback as you type
+ Excellent performance. I am running Unreal Engine and Unity on it and they both work for simple demos (yes even with 8GB RAM)
+ Windows Hello is the Future. You look at your screen and it logs you in, no questions asked or answers given. If this was a Mac feature, analysts will be drooling all over it.
CONS
- It is heavier than I expected in general. Definately a bit heavier than an equivalent MBP 13"
- For me, the FN key feels like it is in the way. It would made more sense to switch places with the FN key and Ctrl key.
- I had problems with my Surface Pen (shipped with the device), which wasnt writing, but I got a replacement and now it works pretty well
- The sound quality is good but does not seem as crisp as the sound on my MBP 15", then again, not many laptops match Macbook Pros for sound quality.
All in all, I am in love with my Surface Book. It is by far, the prettiest, best built laptop I have ever owned. Make no mistake, this might be a hybrid with a tablet screen, but it is a laptop first and foremost.
So if you need a tablet experience first, I suggest you look at the Surface Pro 4 instead. But if you want a workhorse that also stands out in a crowd, and you can afford to pay for it, this is for you.
Eleveneleven - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Oh wow you guys were crazy late on this review.ktkps - Tuesday, November 24, 2015 - link
From the "About" section : "No AnandTech writer is ever told to be quickest to post a story, but everyone at AnandTech is challenged to be the best that they can possibly be when working on a story. Focus on quality first, then timeliness second. There's value in both but there's more value in one"icwhatudidthere - Monday, November 23, 2015 - link
I want one for one reason: I'm tired of sweaty palms from and burned thighs from current laptops. Not sure that's worth $1499 yet though.Kazoo - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
Hey, guys... new poster here.I just picked up my i7 Surface Book, and I was checking out my own 3DMark results, and some of them are dead on what you got and some aren't. The worse seems to be Fire Strike, where I come in at a lowly 690, or so, compared to your 1900.
Ice Storm Unlimited (1.2) comes in with similar physics scores, but a total score of 61,800 and a graphics score of around 86,000, again far below your reported numbers.
Is there some additional setting/configuration/tweak I need to see those numbers?
Kazoo - Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - link
And... nevermind. But, comment if the urge gets you. When I got up this morning, the benchmarks all started matching the reviews. There was an additional Hardware update (even though it was not present last night), so I rebooted as requested and benchmarks improved. I also installed GoForce Experience, but I thought I had run tests after that last night, but might not have,For what it's worth, you guys are my go-to site for techie stuff like this. And the comments to the articles are often more illuminating than the original subject material.. (and half the time I'm totally lost in the depth of knowledge!). Keep it up, and thanks!