I general, I love my Surface Book 2. I have had a few issues, but those have been addressed by others.
My biggest challenge has been trying to figure out a dock/hub solution.
I didn’t go with the Surface Dock because of short non-removable/extendable proprietary cable and less power delivery. I wish Microsoft would fix both of those things and offer a simple option that didn’t involve figuring out all the separate pieces described below.
Other dock options are out there, but I couldn't find one that clearly supported 100w power delivery and 4k video at 60hz.
I decided to try connecting and charging my Surface Book 2 (15in) through a USB-C hub connected to a 4K TV/monitor. I have tried 4 different hubs, 8 USB-C extension cables, 3 USB-C to USB-C cables, 3 USB-C to HDMI cables, and 3 HDMI cables. I have tested each exhaustively to figure out what does and doesn’t work.
I am going to include what I finally found did work to hopefully save you the weeks of testing, frustration, and returns that I went through. If you are looking for a way to have one clean 3ft cable (so that the hub can be behind desk) that connects to the USB-C port on your Surface Book 2 and provides charging (95 to 100w) at same or better rate than the original charger, and connects to a 4k display at 60hz, and does not cause image or sound distortions, and allows connecting other USB peripherals to the hub, here is what works (links below):
- Anker Powerline II USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 3ft - This is the KEY PIECE! I fought through so many cables that were infuriatingly problematic and inconsistent. The Anker Powerline II worked perfectly as soon as I plugged it in and has continued to do so every time. I REALLY wish I had just found it first! It would have saved me hours and hours of frustration! If you can have the hub right next to your laptop and then a bunch of cables running out from there, then this cable is not necessary, but I needed a clean look with one cable from the laptop and then all the mess behind the monitor and desk.
- WBPINE USB C Hub HDMI 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter or Koopman Dex Station USB Type C 5-in-1 Hub - These appear to be the same product and manufacturer. I like the black case and green power light of the WBPINE. Koopman offers a better warranty. Both worked the same. One of the great things about these hubs—besides the rarity of supporting 4k at 60hz and 100w power—is that the 6in cable to connect to the laptop is removable. That makes it both more durable and possible to replace the short cable with a longer one rather than having to use as USB-C extension (male-to-female) cable which I found to be more problematic and harder to find with the right specs.
- Wacom 100w Power Adapter with 6ft “Mickey Mouse” AC Power Cord – This is expensive for just a power adapter. At the time, it was the only good option I could find to support 100w. Hopefully more 100w power adapters will come available at lower cost.
- High Speed HDMI Cable - I have tested several. They have all worked. I could not see any difference between 4ft and 6ft, but 4ft fit my application better. Just make sure it is rated for high speed. Don’t spend more than $10.
- TCL 55S423 55in TV - (From Costco) Great price. Supports Chroma 4:4:4. Has ports coming off the side rather than back. 55in is as big as I would want to go for comfortable monitor. The TCL 55S405 is similar, but I think it has the ports coming off the back which means it has to mount farther from the wall.
- As a side note, the Vivo Mount-VW03G is a great mount for a 55in screen that you need to be height-adjustable and rotatable and the Vivo Desk-V111VT makes a great rolling height-adjustable standing desk.
Now that I finally have the hub and cables figured out, I am loving my setup!!
Links:
WBPINE Hub: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JYR7HDW
Koopman Hub: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M5DMYKY
Wacom Power Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074HDZ3QP
Mickey Mouse Power Cord: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V9U7WY
Vivo Adjustable Mount: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0155N478M
Vivo Rolling Adjustable Desk: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGBHQQV
| Standing screen display size | 15 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 3260x2160 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.9 GHz Core_i7_860 |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 1866 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB SSD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 6 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11abg |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 13.5 Hours |
