Entry-level Surface Book 2 may receive quad-core power boost

Surface Book 2
Image Credit: Future Publishing

Microsoft will reportedly issue an upgrade to its entry-level, 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 in the middle of its product cycle, according to several leaked retailer listings in the US and Europe.

First picked up by a German outlet, WinFuture, this beefier version will swap out the current model’s 7th-generation Intel Core i5-7300U dual-core processor for a new, 8th-generation Intel Core i5-8350U quad-core processor.

At the time of writing, the only way to get quad-core processing in the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 is to undertake a massive, $850 (about £650, AU$1,185) upgrade for more storage and an Intel Core i7 processor you may not need.

Now, WinFuture reports – and US online retailer MacConnection corroborates – that this new version will be priced exactly like the $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$1,899 version with 256GB of storage. However, it’s unclear right now whether the 128GB version will be updated with this fresh processor.

Also unclear is when – or if – this not-so-mild upgrade will be available. At the time of writing, all listings simply state that the product is available for pre-order.

We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment and will update this story should we receive a response.

Joe Osborne

Joe Osborne is the Senior Technology Editor at Insider Inc. His role is to leads the technology coverage team for the Business Insider Shopping team, facilitating expert reviews, comprehensive buying guides, snap deals news and more. Previously, Joe was TechRadar's US computing editor, leading reviews of everything from gaming PCs to internal components and accessories. In his spare time, Joe is a renowned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master – and arguably the nicest man in tech.