Microsoft is quietly refreshing its Surface Book 2 base model today. The software giant is introducing Intel’s latest 8th Gen quad-core i5 processor for the 13-inch Surface Book 2 model, and keeping the existing dual-core 7th Gen model at a discounted price of $1,299. The refreshed quad-core model will be priced at $1,499, and includes an i5-8350U which bumps the processor’s maximum boost clock speed up to 3.6GHz.
The new mid-range Surface Book 2 will also include 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. The processor is the only significant change, but it should make a big difference for performance. We saw impressive jumps in performance from quad-core Surface Pro 6 models compared to the dual-core chips used in previous models. Microsoft has quietly launched this new model today, following rumors the company was planning to refresh the Surface Book 2.
Microsoft is also holding a Surface event on April 17th in New York City. The company is expected to detail pricing and availability for its Surface Hub 2 hardware, and associated accessories and office furniture from Steelcase. The Verge will be covering Microsoft’s Surface NYC event, so stay tuned for all the news.