Microsoft Surface Pro 8 may sport a minimum 8GB of RAM

Surface Pro 7
(Image credit: Future)

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 could pack a minimum of 8GB of RAM if this new leak is to be believed – and max out at 32GB.

The Surface Pro 8 lineup still starts with an Intel Core i3 chipset, but for the first time, will pack 8GB of RAM for its minimum spec, according to a leak by German tech outlet WinFuture. The rumored info includes a full lineup of configurations: that the i3 model packs 128GB of storage, while the i5 chipset models (both LTE and WiFi-only) pack either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.

Finally, the Intel Core i7 models will come in either 16GB and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage – or, for the max spec, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The latter tracks with a rumor we heard earlier, which also provided leaked photos that show little change from the Surface Pro 7.

What’s left to learn before the Surface 8 Pro launches?

We’ve heard a lot about the Surface 8 Pro, but there’s still more to know before the 2-in-1’s supposed launch in January 2021. 

The earlier spec leak was sourced to an alleged Surface 8 Pro up for online auction, which resurfaced later with claims that the machine will pack an 11th-gen Tiger Lake mobile CPU, RAM running at 4200MHz, and decent benchmarks – a Novabench test saw the device record a score of 2,180, with a CPU score of 1,273 and a GPU score of 411. Of course, the device didn’t come with asset tags or other identifying marks, so we can’t be sure of its authenticity, so we’re still waiting for more info to support these assertions of the Surface Pro 8’s eventual specs.

A bigger question might be about the Surface Pro 8’s future: earlier this month, a report emerged that Microsoft is investing in building its own silicon, but comments from Microsoft’s Frank Shaw and Intel itself suggest that these chipsets will make their way into data centers rather than Surface laptops. That said, Microsoft’s use of a custom Qualcomm ARM chip in the Surface Pro X means we could see the other models move away from Intel chips in the future – and if we hear more rumors supporting that still-theoretical possibility, you’ll read about it on TechRadar.

Via Hexus

David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.