Microsoft Surface Book 2 Power Issue Explained

by Vinay Patel / Nov 23, 2017 05:01 AM EST

The recently-released Microsoft Surface Book 2 is not sparred from flaws as gaming seem to drain the device's battery even when connected to power supply.

Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is designed to sweep graphic pros off their feet, but packed with a robust NVIDIA 1060 GPU, it's likely to grab the attention of avid PC gamers as well. While the 2-in-1 PC has the potential to be an appealing gaming machine, gaming drains its battery in no time.

Touted as the most powerful Surface device yet, the Surface Book 2 is plagued with a power issue that reduces the device's battery even when connected to power supply. The Redmond-based software giant confirmed the glitch in a media statement.

The Surface Book 2 features a Power Mode Slider that can be set to the best performance option; however, this option allows the device to use up battery even when it is connected to the power supply. Apparently, the power stemming from the battery is consumed in some intensified, long gaming sequence in a bid to make optimum utilization of the available resources, The Verge reported citing a statement given by a Microsoft spokesperson.

The flaw was first identified by The Verge's Tom Warren while reviewing the new Surface device. Warren noticed that the base battery discharges rather quickly even with the supplied charger. In other words, the Nvidia card, which is placed in the base, will cut off in the midst of a long gaming session even when plugged in when the Power Mode Slider is set to maximum performance.

Basically, lengthy use of Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics leads to high battery consumption on the Surface Book 2. The notebook features two different battery packs, one of which is located within the device's keyboard base and the other is placed on the screen. The batteries receive power from a 102-watt charger, capable of supplying 95 watts of current to the hardware.

The Surface Book 2's processor consumes 25 watts when the device is set on the high-power mode. The Nvidia GPU, on the other hand, requires 70 watts of power. This leads to a shortage of power supply via the available charger, Gadgets 360 reported.

According to the Surface Book 2's official listing, the device can deliver almost 7 hours of video playback on just a single charge. Prior reviews showed that it lasts up to 10 hours despite the mixed usage of productivity apps, but without gaming. Although the device seems to be an ideal competitor against Google Pixelbook and Apple MacBook Pro, the report advises gamers to not rely on its battery.

The Surface Book 2 was launched in October as the successor to the original Surface Book that was launched in 2015. The latest iteration of the Surface series notebook has 6GB of VRAM, coupled with up to 1TB SSD. The device packs up to eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processors. The base version sports a 13-inch display and bears a starting price of $1,499. The 15-inch version sells for $2,499.