Microsoft gives entry-level Surface Book 2 a power boost

On Sunday Microsoft quietly made a change to its Surface Book 2 line. An entry-level 13.5-inch model now comes with a quad-core eighth-gen Intel i5 processor. 

This is a considerable power bump from the existing dual-core seventh-gen Intel i5 CPU but without any raise in price. The upgraded entry-level model starts at $1,499, while the older one has dropped $200 to $1,299. 

The change was first seen on Microsoft's own online store. Australian and UK editions of the store now feature an eighth-gen option, like the US store, but it can't be selected in the configuration menu. No price can be confirmed, though the current entry-level models sell for £1,499 and AU$2,199. 

A model with the previous seventh-gen chip and only 128GB of storage, as opposed to the 256GB offered in all of the above machines, sells for $1,149 (£1,149 or AU$1,799).

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Watch this: Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is bigger, better sequel

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We'll have to run the improved model through its paces to know for sure, but a jump from a dual-core seventh-gen to a quad-core eighth-gen processor should bring with it a solid improvement in power.

This isn't the last Surface news you'll hear this month, as Microsoft has a Surface event planned for April 17.