Skip to main content

If the Surface Studio is so advanced, why is it using an old GPU?

Microsoft rolled out the massive Surface Studio at its October 26th press conference to much fanfare, and it’s not hard to see why. Between the high-resolution, yet strikingly thin, 28-inch panel with full touch capabilities, the ultra-modern design, and the touch-focused dial, there was a lot to be excited for.

But a few us of us were already stewing over the compromises made under the hood. Most notably, we were asking why, in a brand-new product, Microsoft opted for last year’s GPU, a GTX 980M, despite a slew of new energy efficient, powerful new mobile graphics options that came out in the last six months.

Yesterday’s leader

But not everyone who buys a Surface Studio will end up with a GTX 980M. In fact, only the highest-end model sports that GPU, and it costs $4,200. The two base models are only sporting a GTX 965M. We don’t have benchmarks on file for any systems with that GPU in it, as it’s not that common, but we do know that it sits at about 1.9 Teraflops of raw power, thanks to the info Panos Panay provided on the upcoming Surface Book Core i7 with an upgraded GPU. Compare that to 3.2 Teraflops in the GTX 980M, and you’re looking at a 30 percent performance gap at least.

What’s so bad about that? Nothing, until you look at what the newest hardware is packing. When we tested the mobile GTX 1070 in the Asus ROG G752, we saw an impressive 129 frame per second average in Battlefield 4, with resolution at 1080p and detail set to Ultra. That’s opposed to the GTX 980M in the Acer Predator 17, which hit 88. Still a good score, but certainly not as fast as it could be.

1070-Mobile-Battlefield4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

With scores like that, expect the GTX 965M to barely hit 60 FPS in Battlefield 4, and that’s at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. The Studio boasts a 4,500 x 3,000 display. You can forget trying to play anything but Stardew Valley at that resolution.

It’s not just about gaming

Maybe we’re being a little melodramatic. The GTX 980M was the strongest true mobile processor in the previous generation, beaten only by hulking laptops with desktop GTX 980s inside. And after all, the Surface Studio isn’t a gaming PC — it’s for creatives, and productivity.

At $3,000, you’re targeting a user base that wants to use their computer to make money for them.

But you can’t ignore the sky-high screen resolution. It takes serious heft to run GPU-accelerated CAD and rendering applications above 4K, and while we don’t have any specific benchmarks to reference there, we do have anecdotal experience running even simple 3D modeling programs on the Surface Book, with its 3,000 x 2,000 display, and seeing framerate drops, even with the dedicated GPU (an Nvidia GT 940M) whirring away under the hood. And that screen has less than half the pixels of the Studio.

The real issue is that, at $3,000, you’re targeting a user base that wants to use their computer to make money for them. Digital artists, storyboard engineers, drafting professionals – all professions where every minute lost is money out of their pocket. Even if the GTX 965M and GTX 980M are generally adequate, it’s not as quick as it could be if Microsoft instead picked the GTX 1060 as a base. And that’s a disappointment.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Bourque
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9 heavily discounted today
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's Surface devices are well known for their versatility and performance, but they command premium prices. That's why there's always high demand for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals, as who doesn't want to enjoy a discount when making a huge investment? If you're interested, Best Buy is offering the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 at $300 off, which brings its price down to $1,000 from $1,300, and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 at $540 off, which lowers its price also to $1,000 from $1,540, ahead of the arrival of the consumer versions of the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10. You need to push through with your transaction as soon as possible if either of these bargains caught your attention, as we're not sure how much time is remaining before they disappear.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 -- $1,000, was $1,300

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a traditional Windows 11 laptop that's powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 Evo processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. It won't match up to the performance of the best laptops, but it's going to be more than enough to handle daily tasks for work or school. The laptop features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with vibrant colors and sharp details, a battery that can last up to 18 hours on a single charge, and a 512GB SSD that provides ample storage space for your files. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 also comes with a 720p webcam and dual far-field Studio Mics for clear video calls.

Read more
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
9 best laptops of 2024: tested and reviewed
The MacBook Air on a white table.

To earn the crown as the best laptop in 2024, a device needs to have it all: gorgeous design, killer performance, a productive keyboard, long-lasting battery life, and much more.

Each of the laptops below has been vetted thoroughly by Digital Trends. Whether it's an affordable Chromebook or a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, they've all been subjected to real-world testing, as well as benchmark and battery tests, to collect enough data to objectively pit them against each other.

Read more