Surface Studio 2 Plus vs. Studio 2: The Surface Studio 2 is certainly showing its age, and many retailers (including Microsoft) have discontinued its sale. While the Surface Studio 2 Plus appears to be identical to the Studio 2, it represents a significant upgrade in terms of serviceability, performance, ports, security, and extra features. Here is how the Surface Studio 2 and Studio 2 Plus compare in terms of specs.
The Surface Studio 2 Plus is expected to go on sale in some markets on October 25 for around $4,499. There will also be a $4,299 version that does not include the Surface Pen, Keyboard, and Mouse. When it does arrive, it should compete with the best all-in-one PCs.
Design and features
The Surface Studio 2 Plus resembles the Studio 2, measuring the same dimensions and weighing roughly the same. It still has a massive touch display that can fold almost flat for a more natural inking angle or stand upright like a regular all-in-one PC. Though there are some exterior differences, it is clear that Microsoft focused on changing the internals.
The Studio 2 Plus now has a more modern port selection along the base. Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.1, a 3.5mm audio jack, and Gigabit Ethernet are available. This is a significant improvement over Studio 2’s single USB-C and USB-A mix. The only drawback is that an SD card reader is no longer available.
The Studio 2 Plus has Dolby Atmos certification, whereas the Studio 2 had “Dolby Audio” for its stereo 2.1 speakers. While the display on both models is essentially the same, Dolby Vision has been added to the Studio 2 Plus. This should make watching media much more enjoyable, especially when working with a 28-inch touch display with a resolution of 4500×3000.
The Studio 2 Plus now has a few extra security features. The Studio 2 comes with an IR camera and a TPM chip, while the Studio 2 Plus comes with the same IR camera and a TPM 2.0 chip, as well as the Windows 11 Secured-core PC designation. The camera in the Studio 2 Plus has been upgraded to FHD for improved image clarity.
If you purchase a Studio 2 Plus from the commercial side of Microsoft’s Store (which anyone can do), you will have access to a number of replaceable components. These are sadly absent from Studio 2, implying that repairs must be performed outside of your control. The Studio 2 Plus has the following serviceable parts:
- Display
- C-cover
- Motherboard
- Thermals
- PSU
- SSD
- Hinge cover
- Feet
And finally, the wireless chip has been bumped up to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 in the Studio 2 Plus. The Studio 2 is still stuck on Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1.
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Performance
The main distinction between the Surface Studio 2 Plus and the Surface Studio 2 is, without a doubt, the performance capabilities. The Studio 2 is equipped with a 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7820HQ CPU, whereas the Studio 2 Plus is equipped with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11370H CPU. Microsoft claims that performance on the CPU alone should improve by 50% over Studio 2.
The graphics card has also been upgraded significantly, from an NVIDIA GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 in Studio 2 to an NVIDIA RTX 3060 in Studio 2 Plus. This makes it ideal for specialized work and even some gaming. RAM is still DDR4 (though the speed is unknown), and the Studio 2 Plus still has an SSD (unknown PCIe version) with a 1TB capacity.
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Microsoft Surface Studio Specs
Surface Studio 2 Plus Surface Studio 2
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 10 Pro |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11370H | 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7820HQ |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 | 16GB, 32GB DDR4 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX 3060 (6GB) | NVIDIA RTX 1060, NVIDIA RTX 1070 |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 1TB, 2TB SSD |
| Display | 28 inches, touch, 3:2 aspect ratio | 28 inches, touch, 3:2 aspect ratio |
| 4500×3000 (192 PPI), Dolby Vision | 4500×3000 (192 PPI) | |
| Pen | Surface Pen (included) | Surface Pen (included) |
| Keyboard | Surface Keyboard (included) | Surface Keyboard (included) |
| Mouse | Surface Mouse (included) | Surface Mouse (included) |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 4, two USB-A 3.1, 3.5mm audio, Gigabit Ethernet | USB-C, four USB-A 3.0, SD card reader, 3.5mm audio, Gigabit Ethernet |
| Audio | Stereo 2.1 speakers, Dolby Atmos | Stereo 2.1 speakers, Dolby Audio |
| Dual far-field studio microphones | Stereo microphones | |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Camera | Front-facing FHD, IR camera | Front-facing 5MP, IR camera |
| Security | TPM 2.0, Secured-core PC, IR camera | TPM |
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