“The Surface Book 3 is not for everyone, but it's a one-of-a-kind laptop that's a joy to use.”

Unique 2-in-1 design; Big; sharp display; Powerful graphics; Great video editing performance; Excellent keyboard

Limited processor performance; Very overpriced; Reduced battery life

I’ve been waiting for the Surface Book 3 for two and a half years. Microsoft’s 15-inch Surface Book 2 was largely just a refinement over the original model — released nearly five years ago — so I was really hoping the company was holding back some big changes for the Surface Book 3.

Great keyboard; 3:2 nearly 4K display; GPU performance

No Thunderbolt 3 support; Hinge detach and GPU reliability issues; Battery life underwhelming

With an advanced mechanical locking system for the keyboard base, powerful graphics processing, multiple cameras and batteries, and a brilliant near-4K display, the Surface Book 3 is an innovative, excellent detachable laptop.

Unique detachable design; Powerful graphics processor; Many configuration options; Comfortable keyboard; Dual 1080p cameras; Beautiful PixelSense display

Pricey; Keyboard base adds significant weight

The Surface Book 3 claims to be Microsoft’s performance-driven laptop. That can sometimes pose a problem for the 15-inch model, which has to compete against some of the best laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch. Those laptops use powerful eight-core Intel Core i9 processors, which promise excellent performance. But a powerful 13-inch laptop is more rare. That’s where this smaller Surface Book 3 has a chance to shine. My review configuration came with an Intel 10th-gen Core i7 CPU, a discrete Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card, and a whopping 32GB of RAM. The $2,500 price is high, no doubt, but based on the specs alone, this might be the most powerful 13-inch laptop ever made. The Surface Book 3 is a bit of a contradiction. On the one hand, it remains the most futuristic laptop on the market today, despite a design that’s identical to the Surface Book 2 released in late 2017. Pushing a button and tearing off the display is just as satisfyingly geeky as always — no...

Strong performance; Good battery life; Excellent input options; Sharp, high-contrast display;

Bulky chassis; Expensive;

If you need the power and detachable display, the Surface Book 3 is an excellent option

Excellent keyboard and trackpad, 3:2 aspect ratio continues to be the best, Powerful hardware on offer

Design needs a refresh, Quality issues like squeaky hinge and keys, Sporadic battery life

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 offers a lot of qualities for the smaller convertible model. The workmanship is excellent and the hinge is also unique in connection with the holding mechanism of the display.

high quality, stable docking mechanism, good SD card reader, a lot of hardware in the tablet part, quiet under load

short battery life, moderate CPU performance, high price, no maintenance options

Responsive touchscreen keyboard, sound system, crisp display

Price for specs, no stylist pen, screen ratio can distort games

If you're in the market for an all-powerful pro-spec 2-in-1 then the Surface Book 3 is hard to beat. But we know Microsoft has the potential to turn things up to 11 for a fourth-gen model - so if you're not in a rush you might want to wait for the goodness that brings.

Sumptuous screen resolution; Muscle-wire release system to separate base and screen; Distinctive & solid design; Full-size ports & USB-C

Big bezel starting to look dated; Big & heavy design; Pricier than ever; Screen is reflective & lacks ultra-wide colour gamut; No Thunderbolt 3 speed

The most ambitious hybrid laptop design around. A good buy if you don't mind a chunkier hybrid

Solid gaming performance; Great keyboard and touchpad feel; High-quality

Short tablet battery life; Heavier and thicker than most conventional hybrids; Expensive

Please Microsoft, just make a convertible