Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Artist Designer Review) 

This is the best review I've seen. Hundreds of "reviewers" all over RU-vid saying the same damn thing. This guys here who actually uses the device and can really tell you what you want to hear based on his real work experience.

Proud owner of the highest spec 15" surface book 2 here. Costed me lots of money, but the machine is a productivity dream. It's a universal swiss knife, it can do anything you throw at it: Work, image/video editing, Signing documents, Gaming, Reading etc... The best machine I ever owned.

Time stamps 00:04 - Intro 01:05 - Design & build quality 02:07 - Screen 04:24 - Drawing on the screen 10:01 - Resolution 14:13 - Graphic design performance 15:53 - Battery life 16:38 - Keyboard 17:54 - Ports 20:49 - Price and specs comparison 24:51 - Conclusion

This gentleman here is the single greatest tech reviewer I have come across. Thank you sir, for actually going the distance of explaining the device in a way that even a non-graphic-designer would understand and still find very useful. In a perfect world I would have you review all the tech products I would ever consider. Thank you and keep being awesome.

Love your reviews. Companies are smart to request your input as you are respected for your fair and precise reviews. Great Job!

Simply the best review anyone looking to buy a Surface Bk2 could hope to find: comprehensive, fascinating and indispensable.

Watched this on my surface book 2 15". As a student, digital artist and gamer, I got it for the portability and performance. It's quite a light device with heavy specs but by itself it does have some set backs (nothing major). As I have had my device for quite a long time, I would recommend the following accessories for anyone who is interested in a better experience. Firstly, a BaseQI card reader as these things fit flush into the device and has a great alluminium finish and best of all you get extra storage up to 256GB so you can free up your internal memory, a stand as using it in studio mode can strain your back if you want to draw for hours on end, I have the Xp-Pen Artist10S stand and it fits the 15" screen perfectly and can be adjusted in 1 degree increments, and lastly a bluetooth keyboard and or a Wacom express key remote, this really helps with keyboard shortcuts and makes drawing much more efficient! I hope this helps! Anyway, great review as always Teoh! :)

I was watching this and was just too impressed. Not even about the surface, microsoft nailed it, but about your ability to do a very detailed review on this device. I wanted something potable for graphics design and productivity in general, also coding, then a friend recommended the surface book 2, ever since I've been looking for a detailed review and I've got my mind made up after watching this video. Thanks for the review and I'm definitely gonna sub to your channel 🙂

Honestly, the best video review I have ever seen. The most helpful information and nice demo for all the people who have doubts about the performance and usability. Thanks so much for your job!

Every single reviewer should have a table of contents like that.

I think the headphone jack is on the screen portion of the computer so that when you are using it as a tablet you can listen to music

This was incredibly helpful. The best review video I've seen for this. Thank You!!

This review was excellent! I am looking at this computer as a at-home machine to do graphic design work for days I don't go into the office and this covered all my questions. I'm sold!!

Thank you for a great review! You comprehensive explanation of the details were very much appreciated!

I brought the screen to job interviews (share my work and do some note taking). I also used it for team discussions and quickly Slack the sketches to my team members. When I'm back home, I just attach it back and watch Netflix and do some normal surfing. I recommend you guys to get a tempered glass (9H grade) and cover the front from scratches.

Well done and very informative! Thanks so much for sharing!

I just watched this video and I must say I watched till the end. It's an incredible review! Nice efforts 👍

extremely good review, thank you very very much !

Definitely the best indepth review of the Surface Book 2, Thank you Teoh

Thank you for a very good review. Your review is the best I have seen.

Thank you for the thorough review.

very informative review thanks!

Thanks for another great video!

Yay Theo!! I asked for a review from you a long time ago and you did it! I did end up buying it some months ago. The 15-inch version is a lightweight beautiful beast and it has helped me tremendously as a student, artist, gamer and web-surfer. The only thing I wished it could do is allow us to use the keyboard detached from the screen. I bought the Dial and honestly I don't use it - it's way too limited. What was that model of Logitech keyboard you were using? I really need one too for shortcuts.

yes omg im so happy you reviewed this your like my artist go to review

Excellent review, thank you

A couple of things: 1. Pen jitter is DEFINITELY still present in this device. It is using the same Ntrig tech for the pen. The reason you don't see in it your Medibang demo is because you have "stroke smoothing" turned on. 2. The performance of the device can be dramatically affected when connected to the keyboard/dock if you have the device with a discrete GPU. The GPU is in the keyboard/dock. So depending on the app you're using and/or your settings, this may be something that you want to consider.

Very nice presentation, very detailed one.

Nice review and i think the best review of this surface Book 2, your reviews videos is everytime very good :) I have one question, Do you think the "Acer Switch 3" is good cheap alternative of the surface pro 4 ?

Great review, Teoh! Comprehensive. I *think* you can use free software like Karabiner to change the menu key into a control key. Quad core is preferable, but still an impressive machine. MS has taken after Apple with their maddeningly slow spec bumps.

Hi Teoh, I got the 15” model and almost everything seems fine, but the screen after an hour of work gets really hot, to the point that it is not comfortable to draw on it, I check the processors' thermals but they seem ok, not exceeding the 68 c on some complex illustrations. So, I was wondering g if you experience something similar or perhaps is it just a problem with my unit?.

Great review. When the Surface Book 3 comes out please compare the 2 to the 3!

You have excellent ideas for future surface book 3 👍🏻

This is the best review i'm looking for!! How do you feel about the 13 i7 256gb 8gb Ram? Is it smooth enough for you to working on Ai or Ae? :) I'm struggling 8 or 16 Ram because of the price now. I basically using Ai Ps Xd for routine work, Ae, blender 3D few times in a month.

Great review as always! Okay, I do graphic design, digital art, caricatures, some photography work (editing etc) I currently use a 2nd generation iPad Pro 10.5in. I was owing to switch over to a 12.9in iPad Pro for more real estate to work on.... I currently use apps like Affinity Designer/and Photo, Autodesk Sketch, Concepts, and a few other apps only available for a tablet and IOS.... The ones mentioned I can also get in full desktop software.. I have been considering giving up the iPad and going to a full computer and have been looking heavily into getting either the Surface Pro, or SurfaceBook 2. So I could still have the portability, the ability to draw on screen, but still have the full power of a computer for other things, like video creation and editing (i at times create videos for clients using animated software like GoAnimate and animaker) I do NOT do video creation often anymore, but is always an option at times and to be honest I do not like carrying multiple devices (my current laptop is on old 2009 slow as heck MacBook Pro) I do not do enough video creation work to justify switching for only that purpose... I know I am in love with the Surface Studio and have dreams of getting that in the near future, so I am considering the surface pro/book for my portable device to keep it all within the same family and easier to go from one to other when doing design work... So the surface pro i like because it is more of a tablet, thinner and seems easier to work with on the go...BUT the surface book has the dedicated graphics, but would still have to carry a Bluetooth keyboard for short cut access, is the keyboard for the surface pro Bluetooth connectable also when I have that unattached? So in your opinion, switching from an iPad Pro to one of these for the type of work I do, which one would you overall recommend? Keep in mind I will be getting the highest specs machine regardless which one I go with. Or do you recommend simply staying with an iPad Pro and continue using the app versions mentioned above (but switch to the 12.9) Thanks in advance for reading this long comment and you reply

One of the best reviews, Thank you! I am torn about buying the 13.5" and the 15" 16GB RAM. I am not gonna using it as main workstation for 3D content production, but from time to time when I am not at my working place nor home, I would use it for that purpose (Maya, ZBrush, Substance Designer/Painter, Unreal Engine 4, etc). Would you recommend the 13.5 or display size would be definitely too small using such software? Thanks for your opinion :)

Great video!!

You should be able to use the KeyTweak app to remap the context menu key to the right control key. Key #64 is the one you want to change to right control.

Great machine, I just miss the damn Thunderbolt 3 to plug 1 external gpu for renderings

6:10 is that the fan that I hear running in the background? Also, have you done a video comparing the stylus that comes with the Microsoft Surface Book and the Apple Pencil? I only have used an iPad but I'm really curious about the Surface Book. Thanks! :)

when you reconnect the surface to the keyboard (4:05 on the video)...but still in tablet mode does it let you use the graphic card?

Oh is an good choice is good if we want an pc and an alternative option for draw on the screen. Thanks you

Thank you!

Great video man! Do you have any tip for when drawing/writing in tablet mode? the notification center, taskbar and taskview keep appearing when my hand is on the edge of the screen

Can't you put the screen on backwards and fold it in half to get a "stand"?

I just ordered 2 rotring fountain pens

Very helpful Teoh! With this computer, am I able to upgrade the system?

Does it have any graphics card disconnection problems? I've heard that the graphics card gets disconnected spontaneously and many ppl have had to return the SB2 because it kept getting that problem.

Wish I Own This. You're So Lucky.

you are very good! thank you

Can I ask, do u had or have any thermal issues with your SB2? My SB2 will underclock itself to 0.4Ghz almost every time when my CPU is used more heavily (about 70% and more). I tried to undervolt it (- 110mV CPU, -80mV GPU), didn´t help, I tried to disable DB PROCHOT sensor, speed shift to 128, totally disable TB, nothing. I tried to set a TDP to 35W from 20W, nothing changed. I monitor my temps and this is happening even when my CPU is under 60C and XTU is showing me that it is not Thermal throttling but power limit throttling... Also, my SB2 is sometimes not able to go to sleep mode or will wake up on its own. Thanks for the answer.

Thanks for this review, I'm getting a Surface Book 2. I guess it's safe to also get Affinity Designer.

I want to know can I use the SB2 in studio mode (with screen on top side) along with NVidia 1060 graphics card to work on Pshop?

NO DIAGONAL JITTER! Time to start saving my money..

One more question - My daily routine consists of Rhino, alias, keyshot along with photoshop, illustrator etc. Which SB2 would you recommend? I am having eyes on SB2 with i7, 512 (Or 256) SSD, 16GB Ram and 6gb nvidia 1060 but waiting for december sales. Please let me know which one will be good for me. Thanks for the review and big thumbs up !

nice review! im a hobby artist, but mostly work in audio engineering but i already have a desktop for that in the studio. if i wanted something nice to draw on while on the go and maybe do some light audio or video editing, and perhaps some light gaming, is the 13 Book 2 worth it or better off with the Pro 6 if not working in the field to motivate big budget purchase of a Book 2?

the key that replaces the control key is standard but shouldn't replace it I use it quite a bit when doing lots of typing but its a bit dumb that there is no L ctrl but for me when looking for a keyboard that key is a must as it helps so much especially on a laptop with a trackpad FYI that key performs a right-click on the position of the cursor/selected

Can you please open a textbook A4 size in booth Surface 2 notebooks?

what program are you using for your art work?

The 15 in is a great size I’ve heard you can’t work on Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop if you detatch the screen from the keyboard. It has to remain as one if you have it with the screen at a 90degree angle, it’s awkward to use the pen to draw. If you flip it, then you lose the keyboard functionality. With both programs, keyboard short cuts are essential. I don’t know why they didn’t add a small detached side keyboard for shortcuts for artists. And not having the control key on the right is extremely awkward. The flatness is also problematic. I would like a lightweight accessory to adjust the tilt of the tablet when using it without the keyboard or flipped so you can use the keyboard. They really should have put another USB port in and the earphone insert should have been bottom right on the touch pad. Lifting the top up and down feels flimsy or delicate. I really think they didn’t run this by graphic arts people enough because these are very obvious issues an computer artist would point out. I’ve also heard they have had issues with the GPU and aren’t responding to them. Other than that, I think it’s the best computer laptop on the market. The price is too high by around $400. I love the keys, the screen and the silver material and design. I wish I didn’t feel it was too delicate to port around, but the slippery material has no rubbery cushion on the sides or top or rubbery footsteps anywhere and the hing might be sturdy but it does wobbly going up or down. And again no adjustable kickstand or Bluetooth graphics shortcut keypad. I also wish they’d had a Wacom brush as well as Wacom pens to use. And maybe some primary programmable click notches shortcut buttons on pen would help like select drag undo and paint. Let’s go product design people!

You said photo editing is slower than some other, what other computer or tablet do you mean?

Just found this review. Very informative. I know you mentioned the difference with display clarity between the two sizes is negligible. However, I have heard when running Adobe CC programs on the smaller screen it is hard to see the selection bars.. that the icons are smaller. Is this true??

4:15 can't you just flip the display upside down and angle the laptop the other way?

After following your suggestions and watching over and over your review, at the end i decided to buy the SB2 15" 256GB, just one week ago. Great machine, but I have a sort of issue with the batteries which last really too short. I am afraid that I got defective ones. Using Photoshop I can barely hit 3 hours, even disabling the Nvidia GPU and using Photoshop with the Intel Integrated chip. It's weird because doing a video playback test, after 10 hours the battery was around 40%, so basically it could go on for 15-17 hours of video playback, same result claimed by Microsoft. But it seems that as soon as I do some slightly heavier task, even though not that much like retouching some picture in Photoshop, batteries drain immediately. Doing something more heavy like 3D with Maya, Megascans and Substance Suite, batteries last for around 1 and half hour. You said that overall they should last 7-10 hours, so I guess you mean also doing some PS work, right? In my case, 3 hours are way too less.

I'm currently an illustration student and I'm currently torn between the intel graphics model and the nvidia model I mainly use Clip Studio Paint to draw, rarely photoshop or indesign unless it's for uni assignments. I'm looking at value for portability as an outdoors alternative to my home desktop (8th gen i5, 16GB, GTX 1060) for when I can't work from home such as being in class or travelling afar. Would the intel graphics model be enough or will I be missing out? EDIT: I'd like to ask if the Surface Pro 6 would be a better budget alternative if I'm not going for the nvidia model

great review Teoh! too bad Microsoft is not present in my country, so even if I bought one, I have to go to Singapore to claim warranty or any of their services :(

Hi, I’m really trying to decide between this and an iPad Pro 12.9 I’m a business student and drawing as a hobby, so I was trying to decide between the two. For a student who likes to draw a lot on his free time, which would you recommend?

Did you compare the 4k video editing rendering times on 13.5" vs 15"? How much does the 4GB upgraded graphics card in the 15" make a difference? I hope Microsoft updates the Surface Book this year to give it a more powerful CPU. It seems like the best all-around 2-in-1 with dedicated graphics, but some components are really out of date. Please add Thunderbolt 3!

I'm torn between choosing either this surface book 2 or the wacom studio pro 16. Which one would you recommend? Thank you

Hello Teoh . as someone who work a lot most of the time on the laptop and just doing Lightroom and video editing once in a while and not every day. is it recommend to work on the Microsoft surface pro 7 or you would recommend only on the Book 2? i would go on the i5/8 Giga Ram/ 256 ssd

Marvellous, this is just the insight I needed as an Illustration student. I am seriously considering the 13.5" with 16GB RAM + 512GB storage (or the 15" 256GB), I will be using it solely for the Adobe trio (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign). The touchscreen and pen are an extra level which Apple can't offer, hence going for Windows over a MacBook. Do you think the Surface Book 2 is suitable for these conditions? Thank you.

Hope you can review the upcoming Surface Book 3 also

Hello! Since im using powerfull softwares as photoshop and the surface starts to warm up, while im using the surface pen, the palm rejection stop working when the surface book 2 is connected to the power adapter or a usb-c HDMI adapter, but only if it is resting totally horizontal (my desk). do you have any problem like this? I would greatly appreciate your response.

Do you guys think it’s worth to buy the SB2 at the end of 2019 for a reduced price or should I wait for SB3??

im thinking about either getting this or just a laptop and tablet separately. I will be an animation student soon and I'm unsure if animation will be efficient with a 2 in 1... Any thoughts?

I am a Graphic Design student in my senior year. I don't think I will ever really be delving much into video or animation. I have a Microsoft Surface Book currently and I've been enjoying it, but eventually, I will need to get a new laptop. Do you have a laptop/tablet that you would reccomend? I will not deny that some of my Adobe Illustrator files can become rather... large and I sometimes feel that my Surface Book struggles with the amount of stuff going on... Random note: Also, I just recently learned that using the Fn button allows the use of keyboard shortcuts. So I'm going to learn those now!

How is this for architectural work? Is this better or the Zbook 15/17 G5?

I'd like to have the back stand feature of Surface Pro. I don't need the key board, I'd rather use the external key board. I need to cover the tablet screen. Well, I hope they make 13.5 inch Surface pro.

Totally agree. Scrap the superfluous Xbox controller receiver and shove some Bluetooth into the keyboard. Any serious drawer needs their hotkeys Microsoft!

I bought a refurbished one on Amazon for 489 dollars. Good value.

So hypothetically, even if I got the Surface Book 2 with all the bells and whistles - 15" display, 16gb memory, core i7 processor, 1tb storage... Would Photoshop still experience lag/redraw issues? I really love the look and functionality of the Surface Book 2 but I want it to perform well.

Can you test dell Xps 2 in 1 (2018)?

Hey! I just spent $1999 on a new Surface Book 2 as a replacement for the old laptop I've been using for college. The new laptop shipped and arrived very quickly and I recieves it yesterday afternoon. I got the 15 inch 256GB, 16GB RAM with Intel i7. After I got the laptop fully updated I powered it off and shut the laptop. I noticed that there was a reasonably subtle sort of crackling/crinkling sound from the hinge when ever I shut or open the laptop screen. Is this normal for the computer and is it something I should worry about while my 90 day warranty from microsoft is still in effect? I just need to figure out if this is a normal thing and if I have to worry about the noise causing damage to the hinge over time? I'd totally appreciate any advice or similar experiences from you guys! Thanks for all your content!!

Hi, for photoshop and indesign, mainly for layout ang graphic design is an i5 8gb enough or is much better an i7 16gb - surface book 2? Thank you.

If I'm doing occassional photo editing and regular internet browsing, youtube, etc...should I get this or a macbook? I currently have a 2011 macbook pro that is outdated and not compatible with lightroom.

what would you say is the best drawing app I'm wanting to learn but don't know where to start. Also I'm yet to buy a tablet laptop which is best for beginners on a budget?

Which app you use

Can we access the memory card on tablet mode? How do you connect a Logitech wireless keyboard to tablet since they have no USB port?

Can you please show me how can I design my book on this computer I have got Microsoft Surface the previous one

Hi what program do you use for drawing ?

hello,i am an architect.I use softwares like auto cad,google sketch up ,some Photoshop and occasional gaming. I personal require a tablet mode for microsoft pen sketching ,photo editing and client presentations.Will 13.5" model be fine for my use so that i can do all those activities smoothly on this device?

I want to do animation, would the rendering on this be fast enough to work comfortably?

Can i use corel draw x 6 on this? I need a device only for coreldraw x6

Can you tell me where I can adult coloring books paint by numbers I am color blind and I have a surface boo any ideas?

nice

9:15 can't agree more. I have surface book 1 and once i detached the screen, the keyboard is just useless. Hope to see this feature in surface bk 3.

I lost the original pen of MSB2, can anyonw recommend me a cheaper option ? I can not afford the original one

I just can't get over how much reflection shows on the screen. It's ridiculous or else I would justify spending so much on it. I think a matte screen protector would help some here though, but IDK.

Have you tried Clip Studio Paint on it?

does the 13 inch run photoshop without lag?