Ice Lake Microsoft Surface device powered by an Intel Core i5-1035G1, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD spotted on UserBenchmark

Plenty of probable upcoming Surface devices have appeared on popular benchmarking websites in the last few weeks, including the Surface Go 2 and Surface Book 3. Now, another has passed through UserBenchmark, listed as the OEMQN EV1. Its presence has piqued our interest somewhat, as it is unclear quite would Surface device it could be.

On the one hand, we would be surprised if it were a Surface Go 2. The device, brought to our attention by @_rogame, features an Ice Lake processor. Previous Surface Go 2 benchmark listings suggest that Microsoft is planning a modest upgrade for its smallest Surface 2-in-1, and these plans do not include equipping it with a 15 W processor.

Additionally, @_rogame has identified that it is not a Surface Pro 7 or a Surface Laptop 3, as Microsoft is yet to release a Core i5-1035G1 version of either device. It would be unlikely for the company to do so this late in their product cycles, either. Likewise, we are looking at an x86 machine, eliminating the Surface Pro X.

That leaves the Surface Book 3, a new Surface Pro, a revised Surface Studio or a new product category altogether. Seeing as Petri and Thurrott have already confirmed that the Surface Book 3 will feature Ice Lake-U processors, then this would make it a good candidate for the new UserBenchmark listing. The Core i5-1035G1 and lack of a dedicated GPU would likely make it the entry-level model, though.

However, the 16 GB of dual-channel RAM and 512 GB SSD does not smack of the device being an entry-level SKU. Hence, we would not rule this being a new Surface Pro. According to the listing, the device has a HFM512GDGTNG-87A0A SSD, the same one that Microsoft uses in the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X. Additionally, the listing reports the device as having Intel Iris Plus Graphics, rather than the UHD Graphics G1 that the Core i5-1035G1 features. This could be a sign that Microsoft is using a custom version of the Core i5-1035G1. More likely, however, it is just a misprint.

We are still expecting Microsoft to release new hardware sometime this quarter, albeit potentially without a physical launch. Microsoft only refreshed the Surface Pro lineup late last year, making us unsure how this Core i5-1035G1-powered Surface fits into the company's upcoming product roadmap.