Microsoft has been developing and producing 2-in-1 notebooks-tablets for quite some time, but until recently they all ran on processors Intel with x86 architecture. Everything changed not so long ago with the release of the Surface X Pro laptop, which was equipped with a proprietary processor from Microsoft on the ARM architecture. In this article, we will look at what is so good about the company's new laptop. However, it is even difficult to call it a laptop, rather, a tablet, to which you can connect a keyboard, and this makes it more convenient in comparison with the usual laptops. I will not stop repeating that in the future such tablets with large screens will easily replace the usual laptops, the keyboard of which cannot be detached.
Assessing the performance of the new Surface Pro X
Surface Pro X is powered by a Microsoft SQ1 processor. This is a modified version of the Snapdragon 8cx processor. Why did the company even decide to use the processor on this architecture, because it could have stopped at the x86, which is familiar to everyone? The main advantage of ARM processors is their architecture. They are energy efficient. That is why such processors are so often used in smartphones. Good energy efficiency means no need for an active cooling system.
Surface Pro X
If smartphone processors were not so energy efficient, we would have to suffer a lot with heat and cooler noise. In addition, improved power consumption results in longer battery life. Also, it's worth noting that, as a rule, ARM processors have a built-in modem for Internet connection. For example, the Snapdragon 8cx processor is equipped with a 4G LTE modem.
The special thing about Surface Pro X is that you can use it both as a laptop and as a tablet. The keyboard can be easily detached as it is magnetically attached. Surface Pro X has a small leg on the back that can be folded and unfolded easily, which acts as a stand for your tablet so you can use it comfortably on your desk.
Surface Pro X
On the outside, Surface Pro X looks very neat. The screen is of good enough quality. Microsoft claims that the device is capable of working for about 13 hours on a single charge. Our colleagues from androidauthority conducted a series of tests: they watched movies using Wi-Fi. As a result, they managed to get 14 hours of work. It can be concluded that the 13 hours declared by the company are quite true. Now let's take a look at how good the CPU performance is in gaming:
You can see that he copes well with not very demanding toys, but you should not count on something serious yet. Microsoft SQ1 is not a gaming processor, although it has 8 cores with a clock speed of up to 3 GHz. Overall, the tablet's performance is quite good: it copes well with fairly simple 3D games, even in emulation mode. It should be noted that many software developers are already adapting their applications to work with ARM processors. To do this, they need to recompile their applications and make a number of optimizations. If the application does not support the ARM mode of operation, it will be launched in emulation mode.
Below is a comparison of the Surface Pro X against a Ryzen 1600 and a 2015 MacBook Pro:
Speed of working with files (the less, the better)
Browser speed (the less the better)
CPU speed (less is better)
The tablet performs as well as modern PCs, and it's amazing. By the way, not so long ago Microsoft released the Edge browser based on the Chromium engine. As such, there are currently no problems with applications, but there is a problem with the cost of the tablet. At least this is a problem for our colleagues at androidauthority. The Surface Pro X comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with the cheapest keyboard going for $ 1,140. The Surface Pro 7, meanwhile, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, and a Intel core i5 processor will start at just $ 1,030 without any app support issues, and there's no need to -or emulate. In my opinion, this is an artificial problem, because you can buy the Pro X without a keyboard for $ 800 and use a non-standard Bluetooth keyboard, in this case it is a great solution.
Separately, it should be noted that Surface Pro X supports the work with a stylus. Microsoft offers what others cannot. Where else can you get an equally high-quality tablet that can become a full-fledged replacement for a computer? The cases of using such a solution are extremely diverse: it can be used both lying on the bed and at work. And that is what makes it special. It is interesting to know what our readers think about this. Share your opinion in the comments and don't forget about our Telegram chat.