14 DAY TRIAL // Surface Book 3 is currently Microsoft’s latest and greatest in terms of Surface PCs, and the new firmware update that the company rolls out regularly come to further refine users’ experience with the device.
The most recent firmware update received the go-ahead only a few days ago as part of the September rollout, and needless to say, it comes with further improvements and new driver updates.
First and foremost, there are several refinements for the audio experience, as Microsoft has included new drivers in the firmware update to resolve various issues.
For example, the following new versions are part of the September firmware update:
- Intel Corporation - System - 1.0.1287.0: Detection Verification - System devices - Improves audio reliability.
- Dolby - Extension - 5.224.130.56 - (13 Inch - Dolby Device Extension) - no Device Manager notes - Fixes low volume output from internal speakers and improves audio reliability.
- Dolby - Extension - 5.224.132.1 - (15 Inch - Dolby Device Extension) - no Device Manager notes - Fixes low volume output from internal speakers and improves audio reliability.
Users who previously experienced issues with the Surface Dock 2 are getting several fixes too. Sadly, no improvements for the original Surface Dock, as plenty of users, including me, hit a random disconnect problem that occurs even with the most recent firmware update.
In the case of the Surface Dock 2, Microsoft says this firmware update improved system reliability and resolves some BSOD errors that were experienced on certain devices.
- Surface - Extension - 1.58.137.0 – (Surface Book Base v3 Firmware Update) - no Device Manager notes -
- Improves Surface Dock 2 reliability and addresses system bugcheck.
- Surface - System - 6.83.139.0 - Surface Integration Service Device - System devices - Improves Surface Dock 2 reliability.
Needless to say, the new firmware update also brings updated drivers, as the company has included the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 26.21.14.4292 version for the Surface Book 3.
You can check out the full changelog in the box after the jump.
As it happens every month, the firmware update can’t be uninstalled and a system reboot is required to complete the installation. Microsoft warns on its firmware update page for the Surface Book 3:
“Firmware updates can’t be uninstalled or reverted to an earlier version. When you install the latest update, you'll also get all the previous updates if your Surface doesn't have them already. Only updates that apply to Surface will be downloaded and installed. After the updates are installed, restart your device to complete the installation process.”
Like feature updates for Windows 10, firmware updates for Surface devices are released in stages, which means that not everyone gets them on day one. So technically, while the go-ahead has already been given for this new firmware version, it could take a while until it shows up on Windows Update on your device, so if it’s not there, just come back and check for updates at a later time.
What you need to know is that the firmware update is only available for Surface Book 3 units that are running Windows 10 version 1903 or later. So technically, if you’re already running Windows 10 May 2020 Update, or version 2004, you should be good to go, as this is currently the newest version of the operating system.
The good news is that the new firmware update comes with no known issues, and this means that everything should install and work correctly on all devices. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for reports of problems after the firmware update and let you known with follow-up posts if we come across such issues.