Review: The Chuwi Surbook

I’ve had the Chuwi Surbook for almost a month now, and I think I’ve figured it all out, the good and the bad.

Now, I am not going to do a typical review by breaking down every bit of component of the Surbook, but rather keep it simple, telling you instead about what I liked about the Chuwi Surbook, and what I didn’t like.

Let’s keep things simple bah. I’m also pretty sure you just want to know those two things when it comes to a device.

THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CHUWI SURBOOK

Let’s start with the bad of the Chuwi Surbook. For starters, the processor is under-powered as it is just a Celeron Lake processor.

Sure, Chuwi did claim it could play games and support Photoshop and all, which is true, but not without pulling out all its resources.

Heavy graphic requirement games won’t be playable on the Surbook, and even if they could be played, you’d not be satisfied because there would be lags.

The Chuwi Hi13 Pen also isn’t as responsive as I expected, with drawing lines on the Surbook having slight delays appearing.

While we are talking about the screen, the screen isn’t made of Gorilla Glass and is easily scratched if you are not careful.

Then there’s the auto off and on which seems to take some time. My Asus laptop powers on to the start screen almost instantly when I open the computer lid, but the Surbook doesn’t, showing a black screen instead for quite sometime.

Often, I end up accidentally restarting the Surbook from the boot screen instead. Starting the tablet from a proper shut down also needs a bit longer, like 5 – 10 seconds longer.

Another problem I noticed is the power adapter. Sure, the adapter is using the USB-C port, but that does not mean it can be charged with your typical power bank, which to me was disappointing. This meant you would need to carry the tablet adapter around if you are worried you’d run out of juice.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CHUWI SURBOOK

Despite the disadvantages I must admit the Chuwi Surbook is quite a looker. The whole body is made of aluminium and this is really great because it meant it looked sturdy and expensive.

The aluminum body also meant the Surbook would not get damaged if you happen to drop it.

The weight of the Surbook is another thing worth mentioning. At only a bit above 1kg, it’s really light compared to laptops, making it a perfect fit for those constantly travelling, like bloggers and businessman.

I also loved the keyboard which was very responsive and nicely arranged, and the 6GB RAM made multitasking a breeze.

When it comes to battery life, the Chuwi Surbook battery can last quite a bit, having an amazing week long standby life, and at least four hours on use.

Of course, last but not least, the Chuwi Surbook is so much cheaper compared to its rivals with it’s official store on AliExpress selling it at USD479 (RM2,200) without accessories, while Lazada Malaysia is putting it out at RM2,600 without accessories.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THE CHUWI SURBOOK?

If you are just going to do office work, the Chuwi Surbook is made for you.  However, if you are thinking of playing games, do graphic editing or even video making, you should avoid buying the Surbook, and prepare to fork out money to get the some other laptops with better processor.

I’m actually in the later, seeking a replacement for my laptop, and hence why I am considering to sell off my Chuwi Surbook in the near future.

It’s not that the Surbook isn’t good, it’s just that I need more than it can provide.  Anyway, if your budget is tight, the Surbook should be something you can consider regardless usage needs.