Microsoft Surface Pro 9: Intel Alder Lake-P series and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processors headed to next-generation 2-in-1 convertibles

[Redaktion]

According to reports, Microsoft has settled on powerful Alder Lake-P series processors for the Intel version of the Surface Pro 9. By contrast, the Surface Pro 9 5G, the Surface Pro X's successor, will arrive with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, an SoC with four ARM Cortex-X1 performance cores. Both models should feature 120 Hz displays too, unlike the current Surface Pro X.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-9-Intel-Alder-Lake-P-series-and-Qualcomm-Snapdragon-8cx-Gen-3-processors-headed-to-next-generation-2-in-1-convertibles.651223.0.html

[mrf]

will wait for more details... maybe some nonreflective coating, etc., but if they decided to go with P-series processors then it's definitely not a fanless device and most likely it will be more audible than previous version, which is on sale now.

[RobertJasiek]

Qualcomm with Windows on ARM is useless. Alder Lake P means loud and short battery life. 1230U or below would have been the obvious very good choice. Microsoft fails again. Will it fail similarly for the Surface Go as to CPU  and mirror displays?

[heffeque]

No AMD version... Maybe Surface Pro 10 will have AMD?

[Dorby]

AMD cancelled their U9 series, U15 Ryzen 6000 supply is sorely lacking, so Ryzen 5000 is the only option - 5625U and 5825U, both of which are difficult to be properly tuned for a detachable laptop form-factor because they have a much smaller headroom for power limit and TDP range compared to Intel 12th Gen-U lineup.

It would be fantastic if AMD could update and mass produce Aerith chips (7W) inside Steam Deck, but the reality is they can barely keep up its supply for just ONE device.

[Cooe]

AMD cancelled their U9 series, U15 Ryzen 6000 supply is sorely lacking, so Ryzen 5000 is the only option - 5625U and 5825U, both of which are difficult to be properly tuned for a detachable laptop form-factor because they have a much smaller headroom for power limit and TDP range compared to Intel 12th Gen-U lineup.

It would be fantastic if AMD could update and mass produce Aerith chips (7W) inside Steam Deck, but the reality is they can barely keep up its supply for just ONE device.

15W Ryzen 6000 is plenty low power for a Surface Pro. Microsoft has been using 15W TDP chips since the very start for everything but a few ultra low power base models. And Microsoft has enough brand muscle that they could get EASILY get enough supply if they wanted it, even with the current crazy shortages. AMD would be scrambling over themselves to tell someone like Acer to f**k off if they were given the option tp use some of their 6800U supply on a flagship Microsoft device instead.

I don't buy for a SECOND that it was a logistics reason Microsoft didn't choose AMD. Intel gave them a better price. End of story.

[Russel]

AMD cancelled their U9 series, U15 Ryzen 6000 supply is sorely lacking, so Ryzen 5000 is the only option - 5625U and 5825U, both of which are difficult to be properly tuned for a detachable laptop form-factor because they have a much smaller headroom for power limit and TDP range compared to Intel 12th Gen-U lineup.

It would be fantastic if AMD could update and mass produce Aerith chips (7W) inside Steam Deck, but the reality is they can barely keep up its supply for just ONE device.

15W Ryzen 6000 is plenty low power for a Surface Pro. Microsoft has been using 15W TDP chips since the very start for everything but a few ultra low power base models. And Microsoft has enough brand muscle that they could get EASILY get enough supply if they wanted it, even with the current crazy shortages. AMD would be scrambling over themselves to tell someone like Acer to f**k off if they were given the option tp use some of their 6800U supply on a flagship Microsoft device instead.

I don't buy for a SECOND that it was a logistics reason Microsoft didn't choose AMD. Intel gave them a better price. End of story.

There should be more to it than money.

Remember how Xbox was co-designed by amd and just because of a call from someone the device was unveiled with intel chips?
(Tweet by Seamus Blackley:

 As we approach @Xbox 20th, I feel a need, once again, to apologize for the literal last second, @AMD engineers-who-helped-us-make-the-prototype-boxes-sitting-in-the-front-row-for-the-announcement switch to an Intel CPU. It was Andy calling Bill. Not me. @LisaSu. I beg mercy.

I was standing there on the stage for the announcement, with BillG, and there they were right there, front row, looking so sad. I'll never forget it. They had helped so much with the prototypes. Prototypes that were literally running the launch announcement demos ON AMD HARDWARE.

I felt like such an a**.)

(BillG= Bill Gates, Andy = intel CEO at that time, Andrew Grove)


Billy's doing a lot of philanthropic work to ease the guilt he's supposed to feel, but he really was a scumbag back when he actually did business.