Here’s a turn up for the (note)books – Microsoft have unveiled a new tablet/laptop hybrid, dubbed the Surface Book. Disconnect the keyboard and it’s a 13.5-inch surface with a 3000 x 2000 resolution screen. With the keyboard connected though, a discrete NVIDIA mobile GPU also comes into play and gives the Surface Book the chops to handle gaming.
Got the passion for gaming on the go? Check out our best games for laptops.
Microsoft has five different models of Surface Book planned when they launch on 26 October, priced between $1499 and $2699. They’re not frugal gaming propositions, granted. On the other hand: ooh, shiny.
The most expensive model comes with 512GB of solid state storage, 16GB RAM (so it might have a fighting chance at running Star Wars Battlefront…), an Intel Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA GPU – though the exact models of each aren’t stated, which is frustrating. When in use as a tablet, sans keyboard, the CPU’s onboard Intel Graphics HD engine churns out the pixels, with the NVIDIA mobile GPU taking over and significantly increasing performance when the keyboard’s connected.
While it doesn’t look like the Surface Book will necessarily offer the best value gaming laptop on the market, it is at least very portable and practical. It weighs just 700g (1.6lbs) and is 7.7mm thick. If you’ve ever tried actually carting around a traditional ‘gaming laptop’ and are now harbouring the subsequent back problems, you’ll know the value of those numbers.
The Surface Book launches at the end of October, alonside a whole range of new Surface and smartphone-type products.