Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is a powerful laptop with a modular design, a touch display available in two sizes, and a high price. One way to save a bit of money at checkout is to dial back the size of your solid-state drive (SSD).
To add more storage after purchase, you can use a standard SD card, but it will stick out and run the risk of being damaged during everyday use. However, a special adapter allows you to tidily fit a microSD card into the Surface Book 2 without any risk of damage.
How to add storage to your Surface Book on the cheap
The BaseQi microSD adapter sits flush along the edge of your Surface Book 2, and there are sizes to fit either 13.5- or 15-inch configurations. Here's how to get everything set up.
- Slide the microSD card into the BaseQi adapter.
- Slide the card and adapter into the SD slot on the side of your Surface Book 2. It should sit flush against the edge of your laptop.
Before you remove the microSD card and adapter from the Surface Book 2, ensure you eject it properly to avoid corruption or data loss.
- Click the Show hidden icons button on your Surface Book 2.
- Click the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media button.
- Click Eject SDXC.
You now know how to add and remove additional storage from your Surface Book 2.
Our top equipment picks
Unfortunately, the BaseQi adapter can't take advantage of the UHS-II bus in the Surface Book 2, so it's recommended to stick with a UHS-I microSD card. Here's the gear we recommend for these steps.
Fast and reliable
This UHS-I microSD card offers read speeds up to 100MB/s and is plenty reliable. It's also relatively cheap, allowing you to add storage without hurting your wallet.
There are several size options to choose from when checking out — up to 512GB for about $150 — but the best value seems to be from the 256GB card, which costs about $45. You're not needlessly paying for UHS-II speeds, and the 100MB/s transfer rate here is good enough for everyday usage without running the risk of snapping off a full-sized SD card.
For a flush fit
This adapter is made specifically for both sizes of the Surface Book 2, and will even work with the older Surface Book and Surface Book with Performance Base.
Without this $25 accessory, you'll be stuck with added storage that sticks out the side of your Surface Book 2. This adapter offers a flush fit along the edge of your laptop, reducing the risk of damage, plus it simply looks way better if you plan on keeping the additional storage in your Surface Book 2 at all times.
