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The largest tablets › 15-inch tablets › Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch

Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch: specs, size and price

A 2020 Windows laptop whose 15-inch 3:2 screen detaches as a tablet

Microsoft Surface Book 3

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch. Image: Microsoft

Screen Size Rank
Size Rank
#8
of Letter Paper Size
of Letter Size
111%

Key specifications

  • Screen15.0″ IPS LCD
  • Aspect ratio3:2 (1.50)between video and paper formats: good for documents and the web
  • Resolution3240 × 2160 pixelsvery sharp (260 ppi)
  • Brightness428 nits measuredfine indoors, too dim outdoors in summer
  • Screen area670 cm² · 111 % of a Letter sheet
  • SystemWindows 11 (shipped with Windows 10)
  • ProcessorIntel Core i7-1065G7 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q (in the keyboard base)
  • Weight815 g
  • Penoptional
  • Keyboardincluded
  • Statusolder model

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Overview

The Surface Book 3 15-inch (May 2020) is a Windows laptop whose screen detaches and works alone as a large tablet. Reviewers praised its build and keyboard but called it a small, expensive update with a dated design; Notebookcheck gave it 88 %. It is now sold only refurbished or used.

The 15-inch screen has about 28 % more area than the 13-inch iPad Pro. Its 3:2 format is taller than 16:10 and closer to a sheet of paper, better for documents and sheet music. With 3240 × 2160 pixels (260 ppi) it is sharp. Notebookcheck measured 428 nits and Laptop Mag 402 nits: fine indoors, but Android Authority found it hard to read outside. The glossy screen flickers (PWM, 250 Hz) at 50 % brightness and below (Notebookcheck).

Reviewers found the quad-core Intel Core i7 slow for the price and no faster than in the Surface Book 2. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti in the base handles games well, but the screen alone has only Intel graphics, and Notebookcheck found games unplayable. There are 16 or 32 GB of RAM and 256 GB to 2 TB of storage. Windows 11 is supported, but Microsoft ended driver and firmware updates on April 1, 2025.

The keyboard and touchpad are excellent (Engadget, Laptop Mag); the Surface Pen costs extra. With the base, the battery lasted 11 to 12.5 hours in tests by Laptop Mag and Engadget, but the screen alone only 3 hours 27 minutes (Laptop Mag). It weighs 1,905 g with the base (23 mm thick) and about 815 g without (SmartWorld). The base has two USB-A ports, one USB-C (no Thunderbolt) and an SD card reader; the screen alone has only a headphone jack and a charging port.

Launch prices ranged from $2,299.99 (16 GB, 256 GB) to $3,399.99 (32 GB, 2 TB) (PCWorld). Smaller 13.5-inch and business (NVIDIA Quadro) versions also exist.

Pros

  • Detachable 15-inch screen: laptop and tablet in one
  • Sharp 3:2 screen (3240 × 2160, 260 ppi)
  • Long battery life with the base (11–12.5 hours measured)
  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad
  • GeForce GTX 1660 Ti in the base for games and creative apps
  • USB-A, USB-C and full-size SD card reader in the base

Cons

  • Screen alone lasts only about 3.5 hours (Laptop Mag)
  • Screen alone loses the NVIDIA GPU and almost all ports
  • Middling quad-core processor for the price
  • Heavy and thick with the base (1.9 kg, 23 mm)
  • No Thunderbolt; Surface Pen sold separately
  • Older model (2020): refurbished or used only, no driver updates since April 2025

Performance

Microsoft Surface Book 3 15″: Performance

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch is powered by the relatively old Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, released in 2019 and built on a 10 nm process. It is a mid-range chip, fast enough for multitasking, drawing apps and most games; only the most demanding games and video editing will push it to its limits. Compared with other large tablets:

  • The Apple M5 in the Apple iPad Pro 13″ (M5) is about 3 times faster.
  • The Intel Core i7-1165G7 in the Huion Kamvas Studio 16 is about 10 % faster.
  • The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch is about 3 times faster than the Meswao MES-B3 (Pro) and its MediaTek Helio G99.

Brightness

Microsoft Surface Book 3 15″: Maximum brightness

The screen of the Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch reaches 428 nits measured by Notebookcheck, which is enough indoors, but not for outdoor use in the summer (600 nits is the minimum).

Size compared with the iPad Pro and a sheet of paper

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch drawn to scale with the 13-inch iPad Pro and a Letter sheet.

  • Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch
    12.5 × 8.3 in
  • iPad Pro 13″
    10.4 × 7.8 in
  • Letter sheet
    11.0 × 8.5 in

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-inch drawn to scale with the 13-inch iPad Pro and a Letter sheet.

Full specifications

Display
Screen size 15.0 inches
Screen area 103.8 in² · 670 cm² · 111 % of a Letter sheet · 128 % of the 13″ iPad Pro
Resolution 3240 × 2160
Pixel density 260 ppi
Aspect ratio 3:2 (1.50)
Panel IPS LCD (PixelSense)
Max brightness (measured) 428 cd/m² (Notebookcheck (center))
Min brightness (measured) 3.8 cd/m² (Notebookcheck)
Surface glossy
Performance and software
Operating system Windows 11 (shipped with Windows 10)
Processor Intel Core i7-1065G7 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q (in the keyboard base) (10 nm)
Class mid-range
RAM 16 GB / 32 GB
Storage 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB (PCIe SSD)
microSD yes (full-size SDXC card reader [in the keyboard base])
Pen and keyboard
Pen optional — Surface Pen
Keyboard included — Surface Book 3 keyboard base (with the NVIDIA GPU)
Built-in kickstand no
Design and battery
Weight (tablet) 815 g (1.80 lb)
Weight with keyboard 1,905 g
Charging 127 W
Battery life 3.5 h (Laptop Mag battery test, screen alone (11 h 10 min with the keyboard base), Laptop Mag)
Ports Base: 2 × USB-A (3.1 Gen 2), 1 × USB-C (3.1 Gen 2, USB PD 3.0), full-size SDXC card reader, Surface Connect; tablet: Surface Connect; 3.5 mm headphone jack
Headphone jack yes
Speakers 2
Cameras 8 MP rear (autofocus), 5 MP front (Windows Hello face sign-in)
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, none
Colours Platinum
Price and availability
List price (manufacturer) $2,299 · €2,599
Status older model
Released May 2020
Sold in USA, Canada, Europe

Specifications checked on October 2, 2026. Prices are the manufacturers’ list prices (not Amazon prices) and change often.