Windows PCs are entering a new era with the latest Microsoft Surface Laptop that uses Qualcomm chips instead of Intel and AMD hardware. This move allows for strong performance and impressive battery life in a thin and light laptop. The Surface Laptop is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, offering up to 12 CPU cores and Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics.
In terms of specs, the Surface Laptop comes with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 13.8-inch 120Hz IPS-LED touchscreen display. While the laptop is well-equipped, the price can go up significantly with these upgrades.
Design-wise, the Surface Laptop maintains its sleek aluminum body with a minimalist look. The display bezels are smaller, the edges are more tapered, and the laptop feels thinner in-hand. The keyboard, however, falls short of expectations with a mushy key feel and vague feedback. The touchpad, on the other hand, is smooth and responsive.
The display of the Surface Laptop, with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2304×1536 resolution, falls slightly behind competitors with OLED displays in terms of image quality. The 120Hz touchscreen, while snappy, may not be ideal for gaming due to the laptop’s performance limitations in that area.
The Surface Laptop’s webcam, microphone, and biometrics features are solid, providing decent video quality, clear audio, and reliable facial recognition. In terms of connectivity, the laptop offers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, but lacks dedicated video-out ports and wired Ethernet.
Performance-wise, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip delivers good CPU performance, especially when running native Arm software. While gaming performance may not be the best, productivity tasks and content creation work well on the Surface Laptop. The laptop’s battery life is a standout feature, offering up to 20 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Overall, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is a solid choice for users looking for a portable device with strong performance and exceptional battery life. While not ideal for gaming, the laptop excels in productivity tasks and provides a reliable user experience.
