The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is available in two versions this year: one with an Intel 12th generation CPU and the other with a Microsoft SQ3 ARM processor. The first is for the Surface line, and the later model also includes a 5G connection.
The SQ3’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) offers enhanced audio and video functions designed to make video conferencing with others more enjoyable, as seen during the Microsoft Surface event. When someone is speaking, for instance, this feature intelligently mutes strong background noises. Another function gives the impression that you or the other person on the call is gazing into the front-facing camera.
Although we are still waiting for our complete Surface Pro 9 review, our lab has already run tests on both the Intel and ARM versions of Microsoft’s top model. The two machines differ in extremely noticeable and major ways, as you’ll see in the section below.
In a contrast to the entry-level $999 model with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, Microsoft sent us a more expensive $1,599 version of the Intel Surface Pro with a Core i7-1255U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
