Image: Microsoft
After skipping 2022, Microsoft may have plans for the Surface Laptop Studio once again.
Windows Central believes that the Surface Laptop 2, code-named “Ersa” (not “Ursa,” or Latin for “bear,” oddly) will be launched this fall. What we called the “wave of the future” in our Surface Laptop Studio review will be updated with the latest hardware from Intel and Nvidia, the site reports, citing confidential sources.
Pulling from a couple of leaked Geekbench benchmarks, the site believes Microsoft will skip a Core i5 model and go straight to the 13th-Gen Core i7-13700H and Core i7-13800H. In graphics, Microsoft is going to stick to its tried-and-true model, offering an entry-level RTX 4060 GPU inside of it. These entry-level GPUs have typically appeared in “creator” versions of popular laptops like the Surface Laptop Studio, aimed more at image and video capture and editing than hardcore gaming. (The latter is possible, though not a priority.)
Windows Central says that it believes that otherwise the Surface Laptop Studio 2 will remain unchanged, which is entirely plausible. Microsoft rarely redesigns its hardware, with the most recent, substantive changes arriving on the Surface Duo 2 (with an additional camera) and revamps to the Surface Pro lineup adding a Thunderbolt connector. Instead, it often updates the internal components instead.
Originally, the Geekbench benchmarks seemed to imply that the Surface Laptop Studio 2 would ship in the spring, but now a fall refresh (hello, Windows 11 23H2!) seems the likely window. With the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft re-engineered the Surface in an aggressive, delightful manner. It seems likely that the Surface Laptop 2 will continue its legacy.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor
As PCWorld’s senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.