Specs Appeal: Here is how Surface Studio 2+ compares to Studio 2 and original Studio

A woman working with the Surface Studio all-in-one

Despite being the most expensive, the largest, and arguably the most exciting computer Microsoft sells, the Surface Studio received the fewest upgrades over six years. The Surface Studio 2+ is only the third version of the computer that even Microsoft refuses to call "Studio 3" due to a small number of changes. Besides having a last-gen Intel processor, the Surface Studio 2+ features some notable downgrades compared to its predecessors, making the upgrade even more head-scratching. In this Specs Appeal article, we compare the Surface Studio 2+ to the outgoing model and its original version introduced in late 2016.

Of course, it is disappointing to see Microsoft opting for the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11370H instead of a 12th Gen processor with brand-new architecture. Such a decision is especially bewildering considering the fact that the Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Pro 9 come with 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. Still, the Intel Core i7-11370H is a significant performance jump compared to the processors found in the original and second-gen Surface Studio.

A better GPU is another reason some Surface Studio owners will consider upgrading to the Surface Studio 2+. Microsoft has swapped the old Nvidia GTX 1060 and 1070 in favor of a more modern and significantly more powerful RTX 3060 with 6GB of memory.

Unfortunately, the Surface Studio 2+ has nothing more to offer besides a new CPU+GPU combo, as all the other aspects of the computer remain unchanged. Moreover, you need to accept a few notable downgrades, such as only one SKU with no customization, no SD card slot (why, Microsoft), and no Xbox Wireless built-in. All this makes Surface Studio 2+ look like a placeholder device to fill the gap while Microsoft prepares a more significant upgrade.

Here are key changes summed up in a list:

Dolby Vision support and auto color management
11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor
Nvidia RTX 3060 6GB graphics card
No 16GB RAM option, only 32GB
No 2TB SSD option, only 1TB
Improved security with Windows 11 Secured-core PC
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support
Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports
No more built-in Xbox Wireless standard
No more full-sized SD card slot

	Surface Studio 2+	Surface Studio 2	Surface Studio 1
Display	28-inch 3:2 PixelSense 4500 x 3000 (192 ppi), 60Hz 10-point multi-touch 1 billion colors Auto Color Management sRGB and Vivid profile DCI-P3 Dolby Vision Gorilla Glass 3	28-inch 3:2 PixelSense 4500 x 3000 (192 ppi), 60Hz 10-point multi-touch sRGB and Vivid profile DCI-P3
OS	Windows 11	Windows 10 Windows 11	Windows 10
Colors	Platinum
Processor	Intel Core i7-11370H	Intel Core i7-7820HQ	Intel Core i5-6440HQ Intel Core i7-6820HQ
GPU	Nvidia RTX 3060 6GB	Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB Nvidia GTX 1070 8GB	Nvidia GTX 965M 2GB Nvidia GTX 980M 4GB
Memory	32GB DDR4	16GB, 32GB DDR4	8GB, 16GB, 32GB DDR4
Storage	1TB SSD	1TB, 2TB SSD	64GB SSD + 1 TB HDD 128GB SSD + 1 TB HDD 128 GB SSD + 2TB HDD
Security	TPM 2.0 Chip Windows Hello face sign-in Windows 11 Secured-core PC	TPM 2.0 Chip Windows Hello face sign-in	TPM Chip Windows Hello face sign-in
Network	Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 Gigabit Ethernet	Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 Xbox Wireless Gigabit Ethernet	Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.0 Xbox Wireless Gigabit Ethernet
Camera	Front-facing camera with 1080p video and Windows Hello
Ports	3x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4.0 2x USB-A 3.1 1x 3.5mm headphone jack 1x Gigabit Ethernet	4x USB-A 3.0 1x Full-size SDXC 1x USB-C 1x 3.5mm headphone jack 1x Gigabit Ethernet	4x USB-A 3.0 1x Full-size SDXC 1x Mini DisplayPort 1x 3.5mm headphone jack 1x Gigabit Ethernet
In the box	Surface Pen Surface Keyboard Surface Mouse
Price	$4,499	$3,000

True, the Surface Studio 2+ is much more capable than its predecessor, and wanting a more powerful CPU or graphics card is a solid reason to buy the new model. But does a soon-two-generation-old processor and a mid-range graphics card provide enough incentive to buy such an expensive computer with so few changes? It is a question we have a hard time answering.