Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review: Success at last

Ever since Apple’s MacBooks switched to the company’s M-series production chips, Windows users have been wondering when a similar revolution would happen to their machines. To Microsoft’s credit, it hasn’t been for lack of trying. In 2012, the company released the Arm-based single-core processor, which is the same architecture used in Apple’s silicon. Unfortunately, a small application library, slow performance, and limited software compatibility made using a frustrating type of full-time. Then in 2017, Microsoft renewed its efforts with . This led to systems like , which had great hardware that was once again marred by poor processing power and poor software support.

But as the old saying goes: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And after more than a decade of ups and downs, Microsoft has done it. By combining Qualcomm’s powerful Oryon cores with its new, Microsoft has turned the Surface Laptop 7 (and its sibling, ) into an almost ideal productivity machine.

Design and display: Premium from top to bottom

While the Surface Laptop 7 (or 7th Edition as Microsoft likes to call it) features fancy new silicon on the inside, not much has changed on the outside. But I’m not complaining. It has a sleek all-aluminum chassis with clean, minimalist lines, but it doesn’t look like a MacBook. Microsoft has also made some small changes like adding rounded corners to its screen, a new touchpad (similar to the one on ) and a dedicated key for Copilot (more on that later).

As before, the Surface Laptop 7 is available in two sizes. The smaller model features a slightly larger 13.8-inch screen than before (up from 13.5) while the larger model has stayed at 15 inches. There are also two USB 4 Type-C slots, a USB-A 3.1 slot, a microSD card reader and Microsoft’s Surface Connect magnetic port. So nothing out of the ordinary, but more than enough connectivity to handle most situations. And with the 13-inch model weighing just under three pounds (2.96 lb) and the 15-inch option coming in at 3.6 pounds, both versions won’t add much extra weight to your bag.

As for the display itself, the 15-inch PixelSense LCD display on our Surface Laptop 7 review unit is top notch. In addition to its 120Hz refresh rate, it’s color calibrated to deliver accurate hues while also offering great brightness (over 600 nits on a pure white screen) and 10-point touch support. It’s even covered by Gorilla Glass 5 to prevent scratches and scuffs. I just wish there was the option to upgrade to an OLED panel like you can on the Surface Pro 11.

Performance and Compatibility: New Heights for Windows on Arm

The most impressive thing about the Surface Laptop 7 is how normal it feels. It’s super responsive, has instant wake-up times, and generally feels incredibly fast. But the best part is that you often can’t even tell the difference between running native Arm software or when the laptop uses Microsoft’s Prism emulator in the background to seamlessly render applications originally built for x86 chips. It really is so peaceful.

In benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Elite chip lives up to Qualcomm’s lofty performance claims. For example, on Geekbench 6, the Surface Laptop 7 posted a multi-core score of 14,400, which is higher than one similarly equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip (11,920). In fact, the X Elite in the Surface even managed to out-perform the Core Ultra 9 CPU in one, which clocked in at 12,798.

However, it is important to note that the performance of the X Elite chip is based on the amount of juice it receives. In the Surface 7 15-inch laptop, Microsoft tunes the processor up to 30 watts. But on the smaller 13-inch model, it draws 20 watts, so while it should still be plenty fast, you’ll get better performance on the larger option. And while the Surface Laptop 7 isn’t as fanless as a MacBook Air, even under load, the laptop rarely reached a whisper quiet.

Finally, while most tools and applications work no matter what architecture they’re built for, with Windows PCs still relatively early in the transition (at least that goes around) to Arm-based systems, there is a small of the main applications that take a little more time. Some of the biggest ones are Adobe products like Illustrator and InDesign, while updated versions of After Effects and Premier Pro may not arrive until late 2024.

A quick word about the games

Microsoft has never said that the Surface Laptop 7 is a gaming machine. But considering the (Electronic Software Association) shows that 65 percent of Americans play some form of video game on a weekly basis, the laptop’s hacking capabilities are probably worth noting. Unfortunately, while the Snapdragon X Elite chip boasts good benchmarks, many titles that might otherwise be a good fit for the Laptop 7 just don’t work. A number of them are competitive games like Fortnite AND League of Legends, which contain anti-cheat protocols that have not been updated to work on Arm-based chips. It is doubly frustrating because in the case of lol, the game installs normally and shows no warning other than Riot’s Vanguard system prompting you to reboot your system before starting the game. But no matter how many times you do it, the game never starts.

That said, it’s not a completely lost cause. I found that random 2D titles like In Violation AND The Vampire Survivor to run smoothly, so you still have a few options. And if you want to play more demanding titles, there’s always streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, which are inherently unaffected by architecture or operating system limitations.

Copilot+ AI Features: More of a bonus than true essentials

One of the big selling points for this new breed was supposed to be Microsoft’s built-in artificial intelligence features. But in reality, they’re more like useful rewards every now and then. The tool with the most potential is Recall, which takes screenshots of your desktop so AI can help you find things later. Unfortunately, due to concerns about its security, the feature will initially only be available before it is officially released sometime in the future.

Meanwhile, Copilot+ AI’s other tools feel quite limited in scope. The Image Maker button in the Photos app allows you to create images based on word prompts and largely delivers. But the results still aren’t as detailed or realistic as what you get from more powerful cloud-based services like Midjourney. But hey, it’s free. To make things more confusing, in Paint, there is another button also labeled “Image Creator”, but it’s actually a completely different feature with a limited number of uses and results that aren’t as good as the option similarly named in Photos.

Ultimately, AI’s most useful features are Live Captions and the Restyle Image tool in Photos. The former uses AI to creatively edit or transform existing photos, allowing you to restyle a photo into something that looks like anime or an impressionist painting, while Paper offers real-time translation for videos, podcasts and more. Although Microsoft’s subtitles could be a little more accurate, it’s generally good enough for you to get the gist of whatever you’re watching or listening to.

Battery life: More than all-day life

Although emulation applications intended for x86 processors may use a little more juice, the Surface Laptop 7 has more than enough battery life to use. Although our usual benchmark test hasn’t been updated yet for arm-based chips, when I streamed a 1080p video over Wi-Fi, the device lasted 17 hours and 38 minutes, which is several hours longer than I usually get from some similar devices. Rivals of Intel and AMD. And in general use, it often felt like the Laptop 7 was even better, often ending a day with around 50 percent charge.

Another advantage of Snapdragon X chips is that there is almost zero battery drain when the system is asleep, which I attribute to Qualcomm’s experience in making efficient smartphone processors. I noticed that the Surface Laptop 7 would only lose a percent or two of battery overnight, which gives you confidence to leave it unplugged for days.

For charging, you can use Surface Connect’s magnetic port with the included power brick. But another bonus is that the Surface Laptop 7 also supports charging via USB-C, so if you want to travel light and use a universal adapter to keep this and a host of other devices charged, you totally can.

cONcluSiON

While the road here was beset with bumps and potholes, the Surface Laptop 7 has arrived ready to compete. And it’s not just a formidable rival to the MacBook Air, it’s paving a new way forward for Windows PCs. It’s fast, quiet, has great battery life, and plays well with most of your apps. Of course, some core programs still need additional support, and you may encounter problems when trying to play games or install special software. And when you specify it, it can get a little pricey too. The 15-inch model starts at $1,300, but our review unit with a Snapdragon X Elite chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD costs $2,100. However, for overall productivity, the Surface Laptop 7 and its Snapdragon X Elite chip are a breakthrough and a revolutionary step forward for Windows as we know it.