All the devices offer one of four possible Core Ultra CPUs (the 236V, 238V, 266V, and 268V); integrated Intel Arc graphics; 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage; and either 16GB or 32GB of RAM. Some of the Qualcomm Surface devices offer as much as 64GB of RAM, but the Lunar Lake chips top out at 32GB.
Microsoft’s Surface USB4 Dock, a $200 accessory that’s a bit cheaper and less capable than the old Surface Dock 2. Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is also launching a $200 Surface USB4 Dock for all Surface devices. It appears to be a slightly streamlined, somewhat less-capable version of the Surface Dock 2, with up to 65 W of power delivery, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. The dock can connect to up to two external 4K displays using its USB-C and HDMI ports.
You can buy them, but it will cost you
Some of Microsoft’s past Surface PCs for businesses have been difficult for regular people to buy, or they’ve only been buyable through third parties with a significant price premium over the regular models. Those desperate for x86 Surface PCs can buy these new ones direct from Microsoft’s Small Business store, but they’ll cost you more than comparable Qualcomm-based Surfaces.
The Surface Pro 11th Edition for Business starts at $1,500, $500 more than the normal starting price of the Surface Pro 11th Edition. This configuration gets you an LCD display, a Core Ultra 5 236V with 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, the same as the $1,000 version of the Surface Pro. Adding the OLED display to the Intel Surface Pro also requires stepping up to a 512GB SSD and Core Ultra 7 CPU—that version starts at $1,900.
The 13.8-inch version of the Surface Laptop 7th Edition for Business also starts at $1,500, and the 15-inch version will run you $1,700—both starting prices are also $500 higher than similarly specced consumer models. The baseline configuration also includes a Core Ultra 5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. For these PCs, at least, you can upgrade the CPU, RAM, and SSD independently without having to pay for multiple upgrades just to get the one you want.
All of these devices are available to pre-order now and will release on February 18.
This article originally stated that individuals wouldn’t be able to buy the new Surface PCs for businesses. Individuals can in fact purchase them on Microsoft’s small business site, which it keeps separate from the regular Surface store. This article was updated at 2:30 pm on January 30 to correct the error and to add pricing and availability information.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/microsoft-updates-intel-based-surface-pcs-but-regular-people-still-cant-buy-them/