Surface Pro 4 has a better i7 CPU than Surface Book.

[bootster]

I haven't seen this discussed anywhere so forgive me if this is redundant. I was comparing the SP4 to the SB, and I realized that the SP4 uses a 6th Gen 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-6650U processor with Intel Iris graphics 54, while the SB uses a 6th Gen 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7-6600U processor with Intel HD graphics 520.

What this means is that you are getting a "better" CPU with the i7 version of the SP4 vs. a SB i7 CPU. The graphics processor is better, I would venture to say, by far, than the one in the SB. That being said, it is widely known that you can get the dedicated graphics in the SB, that's unavailable in the SP4. The Iris 540 graphics is just slightly behind the performance of the dedicated nvidia graphics processor in the SB, however, when the keyboards are detached from both units, the SP4 uses a 540 Iris graphics processor, while the SB reverts to the 520 HD processor that is the exact same one that's in the i5 CPU.

To make a long story short, if you are using the SP4 and the SB as tablets, you are better off with the SP4 as it has a more powerful processor and graphics processor than the more expensive SB. I believe that most graphics artists are using the tablet form of the units to do their drawing and sketches on, so the SP4 comes out ahead of the SB in graphics performance power. The screen is larger on the SB however, so there is that.

I don't know why the designers at Microsoft did that, but it is currently the case.

 

[GreyFox7]

Yep. it is what it is. Perhaps they thought nobody would buy the dGPU model if they used the higher spec CPU. Regardless I haven't seen anyone making a big deal over it.

 

[bootster]

I did. I made the deal to buy the SP4. I would have given a better look at the SB, but it didn't have the same processor, in fact, I expected it to have a "better" processor, as it's larger and could dissipate more heat. From my understanding, heat is a huge factor in selecting a dual core over a quad in the form factor of the SP4.

 

[hughlle]

remember that the screen can be flipped on the SB meaning it is still a tablet essentially, and you'll get far superior battery life than the sp4, and a bigger screen. GPU/CPU isn't the sole criteria for an artist using a mobile device.

And I would hazard a guess. the designers did this because if the integrated graphics on the surface book were only "just slightly behind" the performance of the dGPU, then why would anyone pay extra for the dGPU model. The surface book might as well not have the option and then it loses one of it's key selling points and all you really have is a surface pro with a power cover with a nice keyboard. It is common practice for a company to intentionally "cripple" the base model to make the next model up seem that much more appealing

 

[bootster]

That's a great point, about the larger screen and the battery life. The added processor power doesn't come into play when you are just drawing or sketching. I still used the practice of lessening the processor in the SB over the SP4 as a criteria "for me". I would want to have the same or better capability when converting it to a "desktop unit" if I were to spring for the premium of the SB. It just didn't sit right. I may have gone for the SB if I had seen the same, or upgraded processor, but that's just me. A lot of people don't "do their homework" like I do before assessing products.

You reinforced my point here with the "dumbing down" the processor to make it seem like the dGPU was a lot better than it really is. That may go past some people, but I caught it right away. The practice of "crippling" products in the scheme of marketing is highly known. I am a hobbiest photographer, and the camera market is rampant with this practice.