If there's one word to describe Microsoft's new desktop, the Surface Studio - it's a monster. The Surface Studio is a beast when it comes to its specifications but is a beauty for its breathtaking design.
Design and Display
The Surface Studio is not only good for the eyes, it also feels great. PC World described the feeling of sliding one's fingers over the display as similar to the "deep satisfaction of sinking into the rich leather of a luxury automobile". It is also designed to take up as little space as possible which will definitely appeal to minimalists and is also great for users have limited space to work with.
The Microsoft Surface Studio boasts of a huge 28-inch 4.5K (4,500 x 3,000) PixelSense touchscreen which is the perfect medium for artists and designers, especially when the screen is glided down to an almost horizontal position.
Performance
The Surface Studio is powered by Intel Core i7-6820HQ with a speed of up to 3.6 GHz It also comes with 32GB DDR4, 2TB SSD, and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M GPU. The desktop also runs on Windows 10. While the processor and graphics chip are a bit outdated since new versions have recently been released, Tech Radar noted that the Surface Studio still performs as well as or even better than other all-in-one desktops in the current market.
Ports and Connectivity
The Surface Studio has a total of four USB-Type C ports along with an SD card reader, a mini DisplayPort, and thankfully, a headset jack. It connects via 802.11 ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Other Features and Accessories
The latest desktop from Microsoft comes with a 5 megapixel Windows Hello camera. The Surface Studio comes with a Surface Pen which is a useful tool in putting imaginative ideas into digital paper. The $99 Surface Dial is an optional accessory which can prove very useful when creating designs.
The Downsides
An iFixit teardown of the Surface Studio done late last year exposed one potential problem with the all-in-one device. The teardown revealed that the Surface Studio's storage can actually be upgraded but that's not the bad news. The potential problem with the desktop is that it is practically unrepairable. The iFixit team discovered that some of the components, particularly the processor, RAM, and GPU, are soldered directly to the motherboard. This means they cannot be replaced, repaired or updated. Furthermore, the speakers, front sensors, and buttons are embedded on the display which will be quite difficult when something goes wrong with them. The most logical solution that iFixit sees in this scenario is to replace the board completely. It saves the hassle of trying to pry out the broken components though it means spending more and rendering other components useless even if they aren't broken.
The only other issue with the Surface Studio is its price. However, its high price tag should be expected for such a device with premium specifications and high-end design. The Surface Studio sells for a minimum of$2,999.99 but goes up to about $4,199 each depending on the upgrades preferred.
