Image used with permission by copyright holderThe Windows detachable tablet is probably the most flexible PC around. You can use it on a desktop like a laptop or like a tablet while lying in bed — just tear off the keyboard and you’re holding real PC power in a (usually) very thin and light machine. Usually, that means that performance is limited to mere productivity levels, but Acer has a trick up its sleeve with its Switch 7 Black Edition tablet — a discrete GPU that offers light gaming capabilities.

　　Contents

　　DesignPerformancePortabilityConclusion

　　Microsoft’s Surface Pro is the standard-bearer for the tablet 2-in-1 market, and so we pitted it against the Switch 7 Black Edition to see if the latter’s more powerful graphics give it the edge.

　　Recommended Videos

　　

Design

Image used with permission by copyright holderThe Surface Pro sports Microsoft’s iconic Surface aesthetic and build, meaning it’s a flat silver-grey color thanks to a magnesium alloy chassis that’s thin, light, and very robust. Overall, it’s a solid-looking and -feeling tablet that’s modern and elegant. You’ll notice a row of vents along the edges for moving in and out for cooling, which is passive in the lower-end Core i5 versions and fan-based in the faster Core i7 models. Connectivity is at a minimum with the Surface Pro, with just a single USB-A 3.0 port and a mini-DisplayPort to go with the usual Surface Connect port for power and docking.

　　Related

　　Should you buy the Surface Pro 9, or wait for the Surface Pro 10? Microsoft Surface Pro 9 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i: which 2-in-1 is best? Microsoft Surface event 2022: Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and more

　　The Switch 7 Black Edition is a different beast entirely. Its aluminum chassis is all-black (hence the name), with only the stainless-steel kickstand’s chrome accent breaking up the stealthy aesthetic. It’s more rounded than the Surface Pro, making it comfortable to hold (although check out the portability section for the downside here), and it’s completely sealed thanks to a liquid cooling system and zero fans.