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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ARM review - The high-end ARM convertible disappoints

5G and fanless. Microsoft offers its new Surface Pro 9 now also with an ARM processor, which brings some advantages such as integrated 5G connectivity and fanless operation. On the other hand, the performance also turns out significantly worse than that of the Intel version, despite the higher price.

Microsoft has mothballed the old Surface Pro X product line with ARM processors, and now offers two versions of the new Surface Pro 9 instead. We already tested the Intel model recently, and now we take a look at the model with the ARM processor from Qualcomm. At first glance, the most obvious differences are the integrated 5G modem of the ARM version and the lack of the fan, which ensures that the Surface Pro 9 ARM always runs quietly.

In terms of the price, the ARM model with 8 GB of RAM and a small 128-GB SSD starts at 1,549 Euros (~$1,648), which makes it more expensive than the Core-i5 version with 8 GB of RAM and 256-GB SSD for 1,299 Euros (~$1,382; convertible only, input devices cost extra). While the ARM-version of course offers 5G, with 256 GB of storage it becomes about 350 Euros (~$372) more expensive than the comparable i5 model. With the more expensive price, Microsoft suggests a product that is at least as good, but is this really the case?

Our test unit is the version with 256 SSD storage for 1,659 Euros (~$1,765) with an additional 280 Euros (~$298) for the keyboard together with the input pen, resulting in a total of ~1,940 Euros (~$2,063) for the whole package. Since many areas are identical to the recently tested Intel model, in this review we will only discuss the differences, focusing mainly on the performance and compatibility of the ARM SoC. You can find detailed information on the case, input devices, display, and speakers in our review of the Surface Pro 9 with the Core-i7 processor.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM (Surface Pro Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 8 x 2.4 - 3 GHz, Cortex-X1 / A78
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4
Display
13.00 inch 3:2, 2880 x 1920 pixel 266 PPI, capacitive, native pen support, LP129WT232166, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
256GB, 180 GB free
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 2 DisplayPort, 1 Docking Station Port, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: light sensor, hall sensor, acceleration sensor, position sensor
Networking
Qualcomm WCN685x (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, 5G
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.3 x 287 x 209 ( = 0.37 x 11.3 x 8.23 in)
Battery
47.7 Wh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 19 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Camera
Webcam: IR
Primary Camera: 10 MPix
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 39W PSU, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
883 g ( = 31.15 oz / 1.95 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1660 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible Competitors in Comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.9 %
03/2023
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
883 g9.3 mm13.00"2880x1920
88.4 %
01/2023
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
877 g9.3 mm13.00"2880x1920
84.4 %
03/2021
Microsoft Surface Pro X
SQ1, Adreno 685
1 kg7.3 mm13.00"2880x1920
86.7 %
10/2022
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1.1 kg13.4 mm13.30"1920x1200
84 %
08/2021
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Adreno 680
1.3 kg16 mm13.50"1920x1280
91.8 %
11/2022
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2, M2 10-Core GPU
682 g6.4 mm12.90"2732x2048

Differences to the Intel version of the Surface Pro 9

Basically, the two versions of the Surface Pro 9 look practically identical in terms of their exterior. Since it is cooled passively, the ARM model only lacks the fan vents. It is also only available in dark gray or silver color. The size of the case is identical, so that the same keyboards can be used. The ARM model is only 6 grams (~0.2 oz) heavier. In addition, the charger is weaker at 39 watts but also slightly lighter (210 vs. 260 grams, ~7.4 vs. 9.2 oz). The maintenance flap on the back, which is very easy to open in the Intel model, requires a SIM tool again in the ARM model.

ARM model with NanoSIM slot
ARM model with NanoSIM slot

The built-in 5G module is another significant difference between the two models, since in contrast to earlier generations, Microsoft doesn't offer a WWAN module for the Intel model anymore. The Surface Pro 9 with the Qualcomm SoC can support either a NanoSIM or an eSIM. To test this, we used a NanoSIM from Telekom and were able to connect to the 5G net without any problems.

Like the AX211 module of the Intel version, the WLAN module (Qualcomm WCN685x) supports the current Wi-Fi 6E standard, and we were able to connect to the 6-GHz network of our Asus reference router without any problems. The transfer rates are stable, but the sending performance is slightly weaker overall. However, you should not encounter any limitations here in everyday operation.

Finally, the Qualcomm SoC also offers some studio effects for the built-in cameras. For example, you can change the background, or the camera can keep the person focused in the center of the image, which works acceptably well.

The ARM model also offers the Surface Connect port for Microsoft's own accessories, but the Thunderbolt 4 support is missing here. The two USB-C ports only support the USB-3.2 standard including the charging function and image output.

Size Comparison

298 mm / 11.7 inch 230 mm / 9.06 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.3 kg2.91 lbs298.7 mm / 11.8 inch 206.4 mm / 8.13 inch 13.4 mm / 0.528 inch 1.1 kg2.52 lbs287 mm / 11.3 inch 209 mm / 8.23 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 883 g1.947 lbs287 mm / 11.3 inch 209 mm / 8.23 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 877 g1.933 lbs287 mm / 11.3 inch 208 mm / 8.19 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 1 kg2.31 lbs280.6 mm / 11 inch 214.9 mm / 8.46 inch 6.4 mm / 0.252 inch 682 g1.504 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Left: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen.2 (10 Gbit/s, charging, DisplayPort ALT mode)
Left: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen.2 (10 Gbit/s, charging, DisplayPort ALT mode)
Right: Surface Connect
Right: Surface Connect
Top: volume, power button
Top: volume, power button
Bottom: Connections for the keyboard dock
Bottom: Connections for the keyboard dock
Networking
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm WCN685x
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1387 (min: 1345) MBit/s ∼85%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1627 (min: 1564) MBit/s ∼100%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1628 (min: 1529) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1632 (min: 1569) MBit/s ∼100%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Qualcomm Wi-Fi B/G/N/AC (2x2)
iperf3 transmit AX12
319 (min: 168) MBit/s ∼67%
iperf3 receive AX12
595 (min: 575) MBit/s ∼100%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm WCN685x
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
1745 (min: 1683) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 receive AXE11000
1749 (min: 1715) MBit/s ∼100%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
iperf3 transmit AX12
479 (min: 314) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 receive AX12
284 (min: 169) MBit/s ∼48%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Wi-Fi 6E
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
486 (min: 175) MBit/s ∼28%
iperf3 receive AXE11000
442 (min: 222) MBit/s ∼25%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
747 (min: 145) MBit/s ∼46%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
702 (min: 225) MBit/s ∼43%
05010015020025030035040045050055060065070075080085090095010001050110011501200125013001350140014501500155016001650Tooltip
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1386 (1345-1438)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1626 (1564-1665)

Performance - Microsoft SQ3 alias Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3

In the new Surface Pro 9 ARM, Microsoft uses the SQ3 SoC, which is another name for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 that is also used in the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, for example. The Adreno 690 GPU serves as the graphics card, and the SoC can be supported by either 8 or 16 GB of RAM. For the SSD, you can choose from 128 GB up to 512 GB, but it is also possible to replace the compact M.2-2230 SSD later as well.

 
 
 

Test Conditions

There are no specific power modes, and we are also unable to reliably measure neither the clock speed nor the TDP of the processor. According to Qualcomm, the consumption lies at 7 watts. However, under load that should increase to almost 30 watts, judging from the power consumption of the device.

Compared to our earlier test of the Surface Pro X with the SQ1 SoC, Microsoft now supports the emulation of 64-bit applications, allowing us to also run significantly more benchmarks. But as before, it still doesn't support all applications.

Processor - Qualcomm 8cx Gen 3

The Qualcomm 8cx Gen 3 chip is an ARM processor with four performance (up to 3 GHz) and four efficiency cores (up to 2.4 GHz), which roughly corresponds to the design concepts of the Apple M2 and the current Intel mobile processors. 

The multicore performance of the 8cx Gen 3 is basically not bad at all, corresponding to the approximate level of the old Surface Pro 7 with Core i7-1065G7. However, the problem is the weak single-core performance, which is also easily noticeable in everyday operation. The Surface Pro 9 simply has no chance against the modern Intel CPUs or even Apple's own ARM processors such as the Apple M2 here.

The CPU performance is not reduced in battery operation. You can find additional CPU benchmarks in our technical section.

Cinebench R15 Multi Constant Load Test

0801602403204004805606407208008809601040112012001280136014401520Tooltip
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3: Ø700 (640.9-773.99)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U Intel Core i7-1255U: Ø1293 (1168.77-1576.35)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7 Intel Core i7-1185G7: Ø839 (789.09-994.68)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus Intel Core i5-1135G7: Ø513 (475.43-784.28)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø592 (555.54-783.03)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 Intel Core i5-1035G4: Ø518 (495.42-684.65)
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry Apple M2: Ø955 (863.48-1215.33)
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
9517 Points +167%
Average of class Convertible
  (616 - 18070, n=66, last 2 years)
9253 Points +159%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
8667 Points +143%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
5668 Points +59%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4125 Points +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (3534 - 3709, n=3)
3603 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3567 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3534 Points -1%
Cinebench R23 / Single Core
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
1656 Points +172%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
1585 Points +161%
Average of class Convertible
  (307 - 1970, n=66, last 2 years)
1568 Points +158%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1512 Points +149%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1305 Points +115%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
608 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
598 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (559 - 608, n=3)
588 Points -3%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
3616 Points +190%
Average of class Convertible
  (242 - 6954, n=66, last 2 years)
3483 Points +179%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
2231 Points +79%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
2097 Points +68%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1573 Points +26%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1248 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (810 - 1258, n=3)
1105 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
810 Points -35%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
638 Points +221%
Average of class Convertible
  (116.8 - 755, n=65, last 2 years)
603 Points +203%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
578 Points +190%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
501 Points +152%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
222 Points +12%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
216 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (199 - 222, n=3)
209 Points +5%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
199 Points
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
1576 (1168.77min - 1576.35max) Points +104%
Average of class Convertible
  (110.1 - 2889, n=67, last 2 years)
1556 Points +101%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
1215 (863min - 1215max) Points +57%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
995 (789.61min - 994.68max) Points +29%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
784 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
774 (640.9min - 773.99max) Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (723 - 774, n=2)
749 Points -3%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Convertible
  (68.6 - 287, n=65, last 2 years)
229 Points +92%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
224 Points +88%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
222 Points +86%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
222 Points +86%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
188 Points +58%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
119.1 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (119 - 119.1, n=2)
119.1 Points 0%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1600 Seconds * -51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (1059 - 1600, n=3)
1246 Seconds * -18%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1059 Seconds *
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
735 Seconds * +31%
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
713 Seconds * +33%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
569 Seconds * +46%
Average of class Convertible
  (193 - 3620, n=61, last 2 years)
462 Seconds * +56%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
382 Seconds * +64%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Convertible
  (7703 - 72400, n=63, last 2 years)
39319 MIPS +60%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
37320 MIPS +52%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
24679 MIPS +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
24505 MIPS
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
22950 MIPS -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (16223 - 24505, n=3)
21572 MIPS -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
16223 MIPS -34%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
5168 MIPS +31%
Average of class Convertible
  (2046 - 6417, n=63, last 2 years)
5155 MIPS +31%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
5150 MIPS +31%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4313 MIPS +9%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3946 MIPS
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (3874 - 3946, n=3)
3912 MIPS -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3874 MIPS -2%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
8951 Points +19%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
8821 Points +17%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Apple M2
8524 Points +13%
Average of class Convertible
  (663 - 14016, n=68, last 2 years)
7974 Points +6%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
7522 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (4457 - 7522, n=2)
5990 Points -20%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
5759 Points -23%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4866 Points -35%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
4457 Points -41%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G
3143 Points -58%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Microsoft SQ1
2875 Points -62%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
Apple M2
1914 Points +13%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Apple M2
1890 Points +12%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
1712 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1690 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (1486 - 1690, n=2)
1588 Points -6%
Average of class Convertible
  (319 - 1981, n=68, last 2 years)
1577 Points -7%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1548 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1486 Points -12%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1334 Points -21%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G
801 Points -53%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Microsoft SQ1
739 Points -56%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Convertible
  (0.61 - 20.1, n=65, last 2 years)
10.3 fps +309%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
10.1 fps +301%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
6.49 fps +158%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
6.09 fps +142%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
2.52 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (1.5 - 2.68, n=3)
2.23 fps -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1.5 fps -40%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
121.5 s *
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (115.5 - 121.5, n=3)
118.2 s * +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
115.5 s * +5%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
57.2 s * +53%
Average of class Convertible
  (42 - 223, n=63, last 2 years)
54.6 s * +55%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
51.3 s * +58%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
51.1 s * +58%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1.013 sec *
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (1.011 - 1.013, n=3)
1.012 sec * -0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
1.011 sec * -0%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7
0.68 sec * +33%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7
0.568 sec * +44%
Average of class Convertible
  (0.4102 - 1.967, n=63, last 2 years)
0.545 sec * +46%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U
0.52 sec * +49%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
774 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
13.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
119.1 Points
Help
Performance Rating
Average of class Convertible
 
97 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
94.7 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
79 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
74.8 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
34.5 pt
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
 
30.2 pt
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
22.5 pt
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace
Average of class Convertible
  (109 - 25226, n=66, last 2 years)
8153 KRay/s +210%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
8127 KRay/s +209%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
7249 KRay/s +176%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
6545 KRay/s +149%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
2627 KRay/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (343 - 2627, n=3)
1839 KRay/s -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
343 KRay/s -87%
AIDA64 / FPU Julia
Average of class Convertible
  (2644 - 106512, n=65, last 2 years)
43288 Points +207%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
41353 Points +193%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
30075 Points +113%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
27865 Points +97%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
14650 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (13729 - 14650, n=3)
14164 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
14113 Points
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
2089 MB/s +83%
Average of class Convertible
  (121 - 4764, n=65, last 2 years)
2045 MB/s +79%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
1983 MB/s +73%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
1847 MB/s +61%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1144 MB/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (453 - 1144, n=3)
900 MB/s -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
453 MB/s -60%
AIDA64 / CPU Queen
Average of class Convertible
  (3256 - 120368, n=65, last 2 years)
69355 Points +152%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
65820 Points +140%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
47866 Points +74%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
44541 Points +62%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
27474 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (15447 - 27474, n=3)
23377 Points -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
15447 Points -44%
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia
Average of class Convertible
  (549 - 14835, n=65, last 2 years)
6312 Points +402%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
5095 Points +305%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
4598 Points +266%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
4316 Points +243%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1257 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1223 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (1161 - 1257, n=3)
1214 Points -3%
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel
Average of class Convertible
  (1420 - 56839, n=65, last 2 years)
22387 Points +212%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
19899 Points +178%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
18122 Points +153%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
17074 Points +138%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
7704 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (7085 - 7704, n=3)
7318 Points +2%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
7166 Points
AIDA64 / CPU AES
Average of class Convertible
  (191 - 169089, n=65, last 2 years)
47612 MB/s +3623%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
42553 MB/s +3227%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
42339 MB/s +3210%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
37654 MB/s +2844%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1279 MB/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (638 - 1279, n=3)
1064 MB/s -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
638 MB/s -50%
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib
Average of class Convertible
  (61.4 - 1088, n=65, last 2 years)
602 MB/s +46%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
588 MB/s +43%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
411 MB/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (398 - 412, n=3)
407 MB/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
398 MB/s -3%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
319 MB/s -22%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
296 MB/s -28%
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
4400 KRay/s +219%
Average of class Convertible
  (59 - 13175, n=65, last 2 years)
4334 KRay/s +214%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
3857 KRay/s +180%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
3565 KRay/s +159%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
1379 KRay/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (204 - 1379, n=3)
903 KRay/s -35%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
204 KRay/s -85%
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
44054 MPixel/s +215%
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
42654 MPixel/s +205%
Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
37197 MPixel/s +166%
Average of class Convertible
  (2185 - 52599, n=65, last 2 years)
32635 MPixel/s +134%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
13965 MPixel/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (7622 - 14660, n=3)
12082 MPixel/s -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
7622 MPixel/s -45%

In addition, we also want to take a brief look at the efficiency of the Qualcomm processor. While the 8cx Gen 3 is able to place just barely ahead of the competitors from Intel and AMD in the single-core efficiency, this doesn't help much, since the single-core performance is very low overall, which has an effect on the subjective performance of the device.

The efficiency is really bad in the multi-core test. We can confirm this, since despite its mediocre performance, the device pulls 40 watts from the outlet under full load, so around 30 watts go to the processor. We cannot really call this efficient at all.

Power Consumption
Cinebench R23 Multi Power Efficiency - external Monitor
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
M2 8-Core GPU, M2, Apple SSD AP0256Z
343 Points per Watt +208%
Apple MacBook Air M2 10C GPU
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, Apple SSD AP1024Z
342 Points per Watt +207%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3-21CF004NGE
Radeon 680M, R7 PRO 6850U, Kioxia BG5 KBG5AZNV512G
240 Points per Watt +115%
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IRP G8
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1360P, SK hynix PC801 HFS512GEJ9X101N BF
183.7 Points per Watt +65%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
158.6 Points per Watt +42%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3, Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
140.8 Points per Watt +26%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
111.5 Points per Watt
Cinebench R23 Single Power Efficiency - external Monitor
Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry
M2 8-Core GPU, M2, Apple SSD AP0256Z
179.3 Points per Watt +169%
Apple MacBook Air M2 10C GPU
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, Apple SSD AP1024Z
173.1 Points per Watt +160%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
66.7 Points per Watt
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
61.1 Points per Watt -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3-21CF004NGE
Radeon 680M, R7 PRO 6850U, Kioxia BG5 KBG5AZNV512G
55.9 Points per Watt -16%
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IRP G8
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1360P, SK hynix PC801 HFS512GEJ9X101N BF
48 Points per Watt -28%

System Performance

We were limited in terms of the synthetic tests, since even the cross-platform CrossMark crashed repeatedly. Instead, we show the browser benchmarks, but the performance is also very weak overall here as well, reflecting also the subjective performance impression. While the operation is basically smooth, even with simple tasks such as opening the settings, there can be some significant stutters, and the device is quickly overtaxed by complex applications. Those who are familiar with the MacBook Air with the M1/M2 SoC, for example, expecting a similar performance here, will definitely be disappointed.

WebXPRT 4: Overall | WebXPRT 3: Overall | Jetstream 2: Total Score | Speedometer 2.0: Result
WebXPRT 4 / Overall
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
228 Points +255%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, 128 GB NVMe
227 Points +254%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3, Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
67.2 Points +5%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
64.2 Points
WebXPRT 3 / Overall
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, 128 GB NVMe
342 Points +304%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
265 Points +213%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Adreno 680, SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
132 Points +56%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Adreno 685, SQ1, 256 GB NVMe
116 Points +37%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
84.7 Points
Jetstream 2 / Total Score
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
240.5 Points +53%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, 128 GB NVMe
225.315 Points +43%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3, Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
166.424 Points +6%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
157.5 Points
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Adreno 680, SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
85.4 Points -46%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Adreno 685, SQ1, 256 GB NVMe
76.7 Points -51%
Speedometer 2.0 / Result
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, 128 GB NVMe
376 runs/min +151%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
261 runs/min +74%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
150 runs/min
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Adreno 680, SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
68.8 runs/min -54%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Adreno 685, SQ1, 256 GB NVMe
61.8 runs/min -59%
AIDA64 / Memory Copy
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
67017 MB/s +65%
Average of class Convertible
  (14439 - 95631, n=64, last 2 years)
57068 MB/s +41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (40599 - 42710, n=3)
41534 MB/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
41293 MB/s +2%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
40599 MB/s
AIDA64 / Memory Read
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
59579 MB/s +80%
Average of class Convertible
  (12706 - 86873, n=64, last 2 years)
54230 MB/s +64%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
33757 MB/s +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (33013 - 33757, n=3)
33440 MB/s +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
33013 MB/s
AIDA64 / Memory Write
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
62132 MB/s +25%
Average of class Convertible
  (10177 - 93451, n=64, last 2 years)
60050 MB/s +21%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
49815 MB/s
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (49100 - 49815, n=3)
49567 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
49100 MB/s -1%
AIDA64 / Memory Latency
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
101.2 ns * -892%
Average of class Convertible
  (10.2 - 260, n=61, last 2 years)
97.1 ns * -852%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
18.8 ns * -84%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
  (10.2 - 18.8, n=3)
13.1 ns * -28%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690
10.2 ns *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Solution

The compact M.2-2230 SSD comes from SK Hynix and offers a storage capacity of 256 GB, 180 GB of which are still available after running the device for the first time. The transfer rates of the PCIe 3.0 SSd are okay and sufficient in everyday operation, particularly considering the low CPU performance. In addition, the transfer rates remain constant even after longer loads. You can find additional SSD benchmarks here.

CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2968 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1640 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 79.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 187.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 27.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 45.5 MB/s
CDM 6 Write 4K Q8T8: 439 MB/s
CDM 6 Read 4K Q8T8: 714 MB/s
Drive Performance Rating - Percent
Average of class Convertible
 
93.4 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
79.9 pt
Global Average -3
 
72.7 pt
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
60.2 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
54.5 pt
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA -8!
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
53.5 pt
Microsoft Surface Pro X -8!
256 GB NVMe
46.1 pt
DiskSpd
seq read
Average of class Convertible
  (251 - 4494, n=62, last 2 years)
2540 MB/s +109%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
2492 (2463.73min - 2492.26max) MB/s +105%
Global Average -3
  (201 - 7045, n=1517)
2264 MB/s +86%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
2244 (2051.85min - 2244.37max) MB/s +85%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1216 (1188.74min - 1215.93max) MB/s
seq write
Global Average -3
  (56.3 - 9307, n=1517)
2288 MB/s +56%
Average of class Convertible
  (195.5 - 4440, n=62, last 2 years)
2249 MB/s +53%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
1954 (1874.02min - 1954.13max) MB/s +33%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1466 (1421.15min - 1466.12max) MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
1353 (1318.27min - 1353.29max) MB/s -8%
seq q8 t1 read
Average of class Convertible
  (272 - 7152, n=62, last 2 years)
4085 MB/s +56%
Global Average -3
  (200 - 16089, n=1517)
3789 MB/s +45%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
3499 (2732.17min - 3499.31max) MB/s +34%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
3095 (2836.41min - 3095.4max) MB/s +18%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
2620 (2449.47min - 2619.97max) MB/s
seq q8 t1 write
Average of class Convertible
  (215 - 5667, n=62, last 2 years)
2890 MB/s +78%
Global Average -3
  (57 - 14571, n=1517)
2830 MB/s +75%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
2410 (2398.51min - 2410.26max) MB/s +49%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
1734 (1475.35min - 1734.13max) MB/s +7%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1620 (1607.05min - 1619.51max) MB/s
4k q1 t1 read
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
79.7 (72.36min - 79.71max) MB/s +104%
Average of class Convertible
  (9.13 - 90.3, n=62, last 2 years)
59 MB/s +51%
Global Average -3
  (5.67 - 361, n=1517)
58.2 MB/s +49%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
39 (33.35min - 38.96max) MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
33.1 (32.28min - 33.05max) MB/s -15%
4k q1 t1 write
Global Average -3
  (13.8 - 429, n=1516)
164.8 MB/s +240%
Average of class Convertible
  (18.7 - 398, n=62, last 2 years)
151.3 MB/s +213%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
125.6 (122.85min - 125.61max) MB/s +160%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
66.7 (63.94min - 66.65max) MB/s +38%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
48.4 (39.33min - 48.35max) MB/s
4k q32 t16 read
Global Average -3
  (26 - 6172, n=1516)
1386 MB/s +79%
Average of class Convertible
  (48.8 - 3881, n=62, last 2 years)
1086 MB/s +40%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
967 (896.77min - 967.07max) MB/s +25%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
774 (729.42min - 773.82max) MB/s
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
665 (643min - 665.11max) MB/s -14%
4k q32 t16 write
Global Average -3
  (13.1 - 5015, n=1516)
1205 MB/s +225%
Average of class Convertible
  (17.4 - 3537, n=62, last 2 years)
795 MB/s +114%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
398 (311.17min - 397.76max) MB/s +7%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
371 (347.99min - 371.14max) MB/s
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
354 (346.58min - 354.16max) MB/s -5%
AS SSD
Score Total
Average of class Convertible
  (125 - 8167, n=61, last 2 years)
3697 Points +118%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
2783 Points +64%
Global Average -3
  (19 - 13854, n=3195)
2751 Points +62%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
1993 Points +17%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1699 Points
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
1685 Points -1%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
1371 Points -19%
Score Read
Average of class Convertible
  (54 - 3045, n=61, last 2 years)
1314 Points +176%
Global Average -3
  (6 - 26650, n=3196)
1080 Points +127%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
867 Points +82%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
841 Points +77%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
717 Points +51%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
639 Points +34%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
476 Points
Score Write
Average of class Convertible
  (45 - 3626, n=61, last 2 years)
1767 Points +73%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
1551 Points +52%
Global Average -3
  (4 - 7208, n=3196)
1160 Points +14%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1021 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
739 Points -28%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
672 Points -34%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
453 Points -56%
Seq Read
Average of class Convertible
  (226 - 5478, n=61, last 2 years)
3283 MB/s +42%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
2802 MB/s +21%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
2376 MB/s +3%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
2318 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
2291.46 MB/s -1%
Global Average -3
  (226 - 12763, n=3412)
1831 MB/s -21%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
1413 MB/s -39%
Seq Write
Average of class Convertible
  (162.8 - 4335, n=61, last 2 years)
1931 MB/s +57%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
1692 MB/s +37%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
1233 MB/s
Global Average -3
  (52.2 - 11316, n=3415)
1226 MB/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
998.17 MB/s -19%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
881 MB/s -29%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
393 MB/s -68%
4K Read
Average of class Convertible
  (7.89 - 82.4, n=61, last 2 years)
55.7 MB/s +63%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
51.17 MB/s +50%
Global Average -3
  (6.08 - 314, n=3405)
41 MB/s +20%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
36.3 MB/s +6%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
34.2 MB/s
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
25.86 MB/s -24%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
21.09 MB/s -38%
4K Write
Average of class Convertible
  (14 - 347, n=61, last 2 years)
160.6 MB/s +142%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
147.09 MB/s +122%
Global Average -3
  (13.5 - 512, n=3405)
108.1 MB/s +63%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
71.41 MB/s +8%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
66.4 MB/s
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
55.6 MB/s -16%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
49.85 MB/s -25%
4K-64 Read
Average of class Convertible
  (19.6 - 2446, n=61, last 2 years)
930 MB/s +343%
Global Average -3
  (13.1 - 3475, n=3404)
794 MB/s +278%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
601.19 MB/s +186%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
509.42 MB/s +143%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
477 MB/s +127%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
453.2 MB/s +116%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
210 MB/s
4K-64 Write
Average of class Convertible
  (15 - 3050, n=61, last 2 years)
1412 MB/s +70%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
1234.89 MB/s +48%
Global Average -3
  (13.7 - 5909, n=3402)
868 MB/s +4%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
832 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
568.01 MB/s -32%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
529 MB/s -36%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
363.5 MB/s -56%
Access Time Read
Global Average -3
  (0.012 - 33, n=3336)
0.66 ms * -965%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
0.148 ms * -139%
Average of class Convertible
  (0.021 - 0.27, n=60, last 2 years)
0.08725 ms * -41%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
0.087 ms * -40%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
0.062 ms *
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
0.05 ms * +19%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
0 ms * +100%
Access Time Write
Global Average -3
  (0.011 - 60.7, n=3378)
0.563 ms * -854%
Average of class Convertible
  (0.017 - 0.865, n=61, last 2 years)
0.1153 ms * -95%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
256 GB NVMe
0.076 ms * -29%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
0.07 ms * -19%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
 
0.059 ms *
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
0.052 ms * +12%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
0.03 ms * +49%

* ... smaller is better

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

01452904355807258701015116013051450159517401885203021752320246526102755Tooltip
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM: Ø2746 (2540.12-2818.15)

Graphics Card

The graphics computations are handled by the integrated Adreno-690 GPU of the processor, which is able to reproduce high-resolution videos in everyday operation without any problems. Looking at the pure performance, we see an advantage of around 25% compared to the old Adreno 680, but the dusty aged Iris Xe Graphics G7 of the Intel CPUs is still significantly more powerful. The M2 GPU of the current iPad Pro 12.9 plays in a completely different league anyways.

The Surface Pro 9 ARM is hardly suited for gaming, since many regular games hardly run or don't start at all. Instead, you should limit yourself to very simple games from the Windows Store (such as card games, chess, or Mahjong). But at least the graphics performance of the Adreno 690 remains stable in battery operation as well as under longer load. You can find additional GPU benchmarks here.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Convertible
  (471 - 40768, n=65, last 2 years)
7603 Points +162%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1255U
6251 Points +116%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
2979 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Adreno 690
  (2898 - 2979, n=3)
2930 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
2898 Points
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Qualcomm Adreno 680, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G
2278 Points -21%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Qualcomm Adreno 685, Microsoft SQ1
1927 Points -34%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Convertible
  (2965 - 154219, n=50, last 2 years)
31444 Points +60%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
19647 Points
Average Qualcomm Adreno 690
  (13768 - 19647, n=2)
16708 Points -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
13768 Points -30%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Convertible
  (365 - 29684, n=65, last 2 years)
5731 Points +89%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1255U
5517 Points +82%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3028 Points
Average Qualcomm Adreno 690
  (2837 - 3028, n=2)
2933 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
2837 Points -6%
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Apple M2 10-Core GPU, Apple M2
6909 Points +125%
Average of class Convertible
  (2276 - 15020, n=11, last 2 years)
4976 Points +62%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1255U
3692 Points +20%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3067 Points
Average Qualcomm Adreno 690
 
3067 Points 0%
Wild Life Extreme
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Apple M2 10-Core GPU, Apple M2
6919 Points +127%
Average of class Convertible
  (2191 - 15282, n=9, last 2 years)
5053 Points +66%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1255U
3812 Points +25%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Adreno 690, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
3045 Points
Average Qualcomm Adreno 690
 
3045 Points 0%
3DMark 11 Performance
3077 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8602 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2911 points
Help
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 35
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 57.1 54.5 47 40.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 20.7 18 16.3

Emissions and Power Management

Noise Levels

As already with the other ARM devices in the comparison group, the passive cooling is of course an advantage, since the operation of the convertible always remains completely silent. We did not detect any other electronic noises either.

Temperatures

In everyday operation, the convertible practically doesn't heat up at all. Only if you really increase the demands on the processor does the heat become noticeable, due to the metal case at times even feeling uncomfortably warm when holding the convertible in the hands. For example, we measure surface temperatures up to 44 °C (111 °F) at the back. We just have to ask, why the ARM processor is run at such high power here.

Max. Load
 39.9 °C
104 F
40 °C
104 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
 39 °C
102 F
40.8 °C
105 F
38.1 °C
101 F
 
 36.1 °C
97 F
36.4 °C
98 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 40.8 °C = 105 F
Average: 38.1 °C = 101 F
41.2 °C
106 F
43.4 °C
110 F
43 °C
109 F
39.7 °C
103 F
43.3 °C
110 F
42.9 °C
109 F
37.2 °C
99 F
38.9 °C
102 F
39.4 °C
103 F
Maximum: 43.4 °C = 110 F
Average: 41 °C = 106 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.6 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.4 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36.4 °C / 97.5 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-8.3 °C / -14.9 F).
Stress test surface temperatures (front)
Stress test surface temperatures (front)
Stress test surface temperatures (back)
Stress test surface temperatures (back)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 690
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Microsoft SQ1, Qualcomm Adreno 685
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 690
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G, Qualcomm Adreno 680
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
Apple M2, Apple M2 10-Core GPU
Heat
-9%
-9%
-32%
3%
-11%
Maximum Upper Side *
40.8
44.6
-9%
41.8
-2%
59
-45%
34.3
16%
36.9
10%
Maximum Bottom *
43.4
45.9
-6%
45.7
-5%
64.4
-48%
35.4
18%
37.6
13%
Idle Upper Side *
23.2
24.8
-7%
26.3
-13%
26.5
-14%
25.7
-11%
31.9
-38%
Idle Bottom *
22.6
25.3
-12%
25.8
-14%
26.8
-19%
25.1
-11%
29.4
-30%

* ... smaller is better

Power Consumption

39-Watt charger without the additional USB-A connection
39-Watt charger without the additional USB-A connection

The idle measurements are slightly high overall for an ARM device, but this might be due to a bug. Even though we were able to switch the 120-Hz mode of the display to 60 Hz, this had no effect (the display also did not briefly turn black, as is usually the case when switching). Under load, the device pulls a maximum of 40 watts from the outlet, so it makes full use of the included 39-Watt charger. We would have preferred if it had included the 60-Watt charger of the Intel version, which also offers an additional USB-A connection for charging.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.31 / 0.41 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.8 / 6.8 / 8.1 Watt
Load midlight 23.8 / 40.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV
Microsoft Surface Pro X
Adreno 685, SQ1, 256 GB NVMe
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
Adreno 690, SD 8cx Gen 3, Lenovo UMIS AM630 RPJTJ512MGE1QDQ
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
Adreno 680, SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2 10-Core GPU, M2, 128 GB NVMe
Power Consumption
-67%
-0%
11%
36%
1%
Idle Minimum *
2.8
5.1
-82%
3.2
-14%
2.6
7%
2.3
18%
2.54
9%
Idle Average *
6.8
9.8
-44%
8.5
-25%
4.9
28%
3.7
46%
11.24
-65%
Idle Maximum *
8.1
11.3
-40%
9.6
-19%
5.2
36%
5.6
31%
11.48
-42%
Load Average *
23.8
47.5
-100%
19.8
17%
21.5
10%
13
45%
12.97
46%
Load Maximum *
40.2
68.5
-70%
24.7
39%
49.8
-24%
25
38%
16.6
59%
Witcher 3 ultra *
36

* ... smaller is better

Power Consumption The Witcher 3 / Stress Test

0510152025303540Tooltip
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; 1280x720 Prime95 28.10 and Furmark 1.25: Ø39.9 (39.4-40.2)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø3.9 (3.68-4.44)

Power Consumption with External Monitor

0510152025303540Tooltip
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Prime95 V2810 Stress (external Monitor): Ø37.9 (35.2-40.4)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor): Ø33.2 (31.3-35.2)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Cinebench R23 Single (external Monitor): Ø9.11 (7.42-15.3)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Cinebench R23 Multi (external Monitor): Ø32 (29.1-33.8)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; 1280x720 FurMark 1.19 GPU Stress Test (external Monitor): Ø17 (12.3-19.2)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM; Idle 1min (external Monitor): Ø3.6 (2.72-4.61)

Battery Life

The battery life also suffers from the 120-Hz bug, turning out a bit short overall. Even though the Intel model of the Surface Pro 9 is surpassed, the disadvantage behind the ThinkPad X13s with the same Snapdragon SoC is still significant. We measure 10 hours in the WLAN test at 150 cd/m² brightness, and only about 6 hours at full display brightness. Under load, it lasts for 140 minutes. In the 60-Hz mode, a longer battery life should be possible.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 110)
10h 03min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 110)
6h 07min
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Adreno 680, 46 Wh
874 min +45%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690, 49.5 Wh
848 min +41%
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2022
M2, M2 10-Core GPU, 40.88 Wh
671 min +11%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690, 47.7 Wh
603 min
Average of class Convertible
  (329 - 876, n=64, last 2 years)
557 min -8%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
SQ1, Adreno 685, 38.2 Wh
469 min -22%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 47.7 Wh
451 min -25%
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA
SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Adreno 680, 46 Wh
757 min +106%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Gen 1 21BX000QGE
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690, 49.5 Wh
614 min +67%
Average of class Convertible
  (314 - 566, n=23, last 2 years)
412 min +12%
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM
SD 8cx Gen 3, Adreno 690, 47.7 Wh
367 min
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U
i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 47.7 Wh
314 min -14%
Microsoft Surface Pro X
SQ1, Adreno 685, 38.2 Wh
286 min -22%

Pros

+ high-quality case
+ good display with 120-Hz mode
+ 5G & Wi-Fi 6E
+ replaceable SSD
+ optional keyboard cover with integrated pen

Cons

- high case temperatures under load and while gaming
- relatively short battery life
- limited compatibility with 64-bit apps
- significantly weaker performance than Intel model
- 3.5-mm audio was removed
- no SD card reader
- only a one-year warranty

Verdict - The ARM model of the Surface Pro 9 doesn't get a recommendation

Testing the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ARM. Test unit provided by Microsoft Germany.
Testing the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ARM. Test unit provided by Microsoft Germany.

The ARM model of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 offers two clear advantages compared to the Intel version. The first advantage is the passive cooling, ensuring always silent operation of the convertible. On the other hand, we also have to say that the performance overall is at a low level. The second advantage is the integrated 5G modem, but we also find it extremely unfortunate that Microsoft forces the customers to get the ARM version here, by not also offering an Intel model with LTE/5G as has been the case in the past.

We think that it is a mistake to now offer the ARM model under the label Surface Pro 9. With this, Microsoft suggests a similar level product, but this is simply not the case in everyday operation (despite its higher price compared to the Core-i5 model).

Overall, there is surely a good reason for the Surface Pro with ARM processor to exist, and thanks to the improved 64-bit emulation, now significantly more apps can run. However, it still isn't a full-fledged alternative to the models with x86 processors. In everyday operation, the device is simply not as fast, and there continue to be some smaller stutters or delays, even during simple tasks. Those who expect the performance of an Apple MacBook with ARM SoC will definitely be disappointed here. In this context, we also think that Microsoft's decision to offer the ARM version now simply as Surface Pro 9 is problematic. In addition, customers are forced to get the ARM model if they want an integrated LTE/5G modem. 

Despite the improved compatibility with 64-bit applications, the Surface Pro 9 with the ARM processor is still not a full-fledged Windows device, since not all applications are compatible. It does not fulfill the demands that users connect with the Surface "Pro" label. 

The ARM model also offers a stable case, a good display, and good speakers. Looking just at that by itself, it is a good device, but considering the high price, we have difficulties recommending the ARM model compared to the Intel version of the Surface Pro 9. Of course, the SP9 with the Qualcomm SoC is also suited for simple tasks, but that also goes for the Apple iPad Pro 12.9, which has advantages in almost all areas with its M2 SoC. 

Price and Availability

The Surface Pro 9 ARM is available from the Microsoft Store starting from $1,169.99, including the keyboard and input pen. Amazon lists models starting from $1,299.99.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM - 03/04/2023 v7
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
91 / 98 → 92%
Keyboard
87%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
59 / 75 → 78%
Weight
77 / 20-75 → 100%
Battery
88%
Display
90%
Games Performance
38 / 78 → 48%
Application Performance
54 / 85 → 64%
Temperature
81%
Noise
100%
Audio
81 / 91 → 89%
Camera
63 / 85 → 74%
Average
77%
87%
Convertible - Weighted Average

Transparency

The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ARM review - The high-end ARM convertible disappoints
Andreas Osthoff, 2023-03- 5 (Update: 2023-03- 5)