The 256GB SSD in Microsoft's detachable transferred about 5GB of files at a decent 267MB per second, again trumping the Pro 6 (203) but falling behind the Dell's 512GB SSD (463). That's a big bump from last year's 8th Gen Core i5-powered Pro 6 (13,761) and roughly on a par with the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. The Pro 7 performed similarly well on benchmarks, scoring a strong 17,225 on the Geekbench 4 general performance test. Microsoft's 2-in-1 endured through just 7 hours and 52 minutes of Wi-Fi web surfing on our battery test, which is down significantly from last year's Surface Pro 6 (9:20). Due to their overall low volume and lack of low end, the Pro 7's speakers completely dulled the powerful metal-pop of Issues' 'Tapping Out.' While the guitars and vocals came through cleanly, there wasn't enough bass or drums to make me want to bang my head. The Surface Pro 7's speakers are fine for a short YouTube or Netflix binge, but they're too quiet to help you get immersed in your favorite music and movies.

Our Pro 7 color tests told a similar story, as it reproduced a solid 97% of the sRGB color gamut but failed to top the Pro 6 (136%) or the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (113%). The Surface Pro 7 notched 395 nits of brightness on our light meter, which is better than the average laptop but behind last year's Surface Pro 6 (408 nits) and the iPad Pro (484 nits). I could make out every tiny detail on the Falcon during a space battle scene, and I could clearly see every reflection emanating from C-3PO's gold body as he delivered some heartbreaking dialogue. In the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer, the red and blue of Kylo Ren and Rey's lightsabers popped nicely on the Surface Pro 7's panel, and a group shot of the Resistance crew gathering in the Millennium Falcon looked sharp and colorful (if a bit oversaturated).

Surface pro 7 vs surface go 3