After a decade of attempting to make Arm-based Windows laptops a thing, Microsoft has finally built something great.
Ever since Apple’s MacBooks transitioned to the company’s domestic M-series CPUs, Windows customers have wondered when a similar revolution might happen to their devices. To Microsoft’s credit, it hasn’t been for a lack of effort. Way back in 2012, the business debuted the Surface RT with an Arm-based CPU, which is the same architecture used in Apple’s hardware. Unfortunately, a short app library, poor performance and restricted program compatibility made using one full-time sort of unpleasant. Then in 2017, Microsoft revived its attempts with Windows on Snapdragon. This led to computers like the Surface Pro X, which had attractive hardware that was once again plagued by poor processing power and unreliable 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 starts and missteps, Microsoft has done it. By combining the strong Oryon cores in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus CPUs with its new Prism emulator, Microsoft has made the Surface Laptop 7 (and its sister, the Surface Pro 11) into a practically perfect productivity computer.
Design And Display: Premium From Top To Bottom
While the Surface Laptop 7 (or 7th Edition as Microsoft likes to call it) contains snazzy new hardware inside, not much has changed on the surface. But I’m not complaining. It boasts a sleek all-aluminum chassis with clean, minimalist lines, but doesn’t appear like a MacBook. Microsoft has also made a few subtle adjustments including the inclusion of softened edges on its display, a new haptic touchpad (similar to what’s on the Surface Laptop Studio 2) and a dedicated key for Copilot (more on that later).
Like previously, the Surface Laptop 7 is offered in two sizes. The smaller one offers a slightly larger 13.8-inch display than previously (up from 13.5) while the bigger model has stood still at 15 inches. There are also two USB 4 Type-C connectors, one USB-A 3.1 socket, a microSD card reader and Microsoft’s magnetic Surface Connect port. So nothing unique, but more than enough connectivity to handle most scenarios. 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 variants won’t add much more bulk to your luggage.
As for the display itself, the 15-inch PixelSense LCD display on our Surface Laptop 7 review model is top-notch. On top of its 120Hz refresh rate, it’s been color-calibrated to produce true hues while also having exceptional brightness (over 600 nits on a full white screen) and 10-point touch capability. It’s even coated with Gorilla Glass 5 to avoid scratches and abrasion. I simply wish there was the option to upgrade to an OLED panel as you can with the Surface Pro 11.
Performance And Compatibility: New Heights For Windows On Arm
The most remarkable thing about the Surface Laptop 7 is exactly how regular it feels. It’s highly responsive, has quick wake times and just generally seems really fast. But the greatest part is that you sometimes can’t even tell the difference between running native Arm software or when the laptop is utilizing Microsoft’s Prism emulator in the background to smoothly convert programs originally developed for x86 CPUs. It’s actually that slick.
In benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Elite processor delivers on Qualcomm’s ambitious performance expectations. For example, in Geekbench 6, the Surface Laptop 7 scored multicore scores of 14,400, which is greater than a similarly equipped Dell XPS 14 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU (11,920). In fact, the X Elite in the Surface even managed to exceed the Core Ultra 9 CPU inside an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16, which topped out at 12,798.
However, it's vital to note that the performance of the X Elite processor is reliant on how much power it gets. On the 15-inch Surface Laptop 7, Microsoft gives up to 30 watts to the CPU. But on the smaller 13-inch model, it limits out at 20 watts, so while it should still be quite quick, you will get greater performance on the larger version. And though the Surface Laptop 7 isn’t fanless like a MacBook Air, even under stress the notebook seldom climbed beyond a whisper quiet.
Finally, while most tools and applications just kind of function regardless of what architecture they were created for, with Windows PCs still relatively early in the move (at least this go around) to Arm-based systems, there are a few of significant programs that require a bit more time. Some of the big ones include Adobe software like Illustrator and InDesign, which won’t be accessible on Copilot+ PCs until sometime in July, while upgraded versions of After Effects and Premier Pro might not come until closer to the end of 2024.
A Brief Word About Gaming
Microsoft has never stated that the Surface Laptop 7 is a gaming computer. But considering data from the ESA (Electronics Software Association) showing that 65 percent of Americans play some type of video game on a weekly basis, the laptop’s fragging powers are surely worth a note. Unfortunately, while the Snapdragon X Elite CPU offers great benchmarks, a number of titles that may otherwise be ideal choices for the Laptop 7 just don’t run. A few of these are competitive games like Fortnite and League of Legends, which have anti-cheat procedures that haven’t been upgraded to function on Arm-based processors. It’s particularly aggravating because in the instance of LoL, the game downloads correctly and doesn’t display any warnings other than Riot’s Vanguard system urging you to reboot your PC before playing the game. But no matter how many times you do, the game never boots up.
That said, it’s not a completely lost cause. I’ve found that casual 2D titles like Into the Breach and Vampire Survivor work fine, so you still have some alternatives. And if you want to play more demanding titles, there’s always streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, which by nature aren’t restricted by architecture or OS limits.
Copilot+ Ai Features: More Of A Bonus Than Actual Essentials
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One of the key selling points for this new breed of Copilot+ PCs was intended to be Microsoft’s built-in AI functions. But in actuality, they're more like occasionally beneficial extras. The tool with the most potential is Recall, which captures images of your desktop so that AI can help you discover items later. Unfortunately, due to worries about its security, the function will initially only be available to Windows Insiders before it’s formally published later in the future.
Meanwhile, other Copilot+ AI features feel fairly limited in scope. The Image Creator feature in the Photos app lets you produce photos based on word suggestions and it mainly delivers. But results still aren’t as comprehensive or realistic as what you receive from more sophisticated cloud-based systems like Midjourney. But hey, it’s free. To make matters more confusing, in Paint, there’s another button likewise titled Image Creator, but it’s actually a totally separate tool witha restricted number of applications and outcomes that aren’t quite as nice as the similarly named one in Photos.
Ultimately, the most helpful AI capabilities are Live Captions and the Restyle Image tool under Photos. The former utilizes AI to artistically modify or adapt current photos, allowing you to change the style of a picture into something that appears like anime or an impressionistic painting, while the letter delivers real-time translation for films, podcasts and more. And even while Microsoft’s captioning might be a touch more precise, it’s often good enough for you to catch the concept of whatever you’re viewing or listening to. You may also read this: AI Helper on ASUS Laptops Can Simplify Your Life
Battery Life: More Than All-day Longevity
Even while simulating software built for x86 processors can require a bit more power, the Surface Laptop 7 has more than enough battery life to go around. Though our regular rundown test hasn’t been updated for Arm-based CPUs yet, when I streamed a 1080p film over Wi-Fi, the device lasted 17 hours and 38 minutes, which is several hours more than I typically get from some comparably equipped Intel and AMD-powered rivals. And in regular usage, it often felt like the Laptop 7 performed even better, usually ending a day with about 50 percent battery.
Another advantage of the Snapdragon X CPUs is that there’s nearly minimal battery loss when the system is asleep, which I ascribe to Qualcomm’s experience in producing efficient smartphone processors. I discovered that the Surface Laptop 7 would lose barely one or two percent of life overnight, which gives you the confidence to keep it unplugged for days at a time.
For charging, you may either utilize the magnetic Surface Connect connector with the provided power brick. But another advantage is that the Surface Laptop 7 now supports charging via USB-C, so if you want to travel light and use a universal converter to keep this and a number of other electronics topped up, you absolutely can.
Wrap-up
While the route here was marred with bumps and potholes, the Surface Laptop 7 has arrived ready to compete. And it isn’t simply a strong challenger to the MacBook Air, it’s establishing a new way forward for Windows PCs. It’s speedy, quiet, has amazing battery life and plays nicely with most of your apps. Sure, a few large apps still require extra support and you may run into troubles while attempting to play games or installing specialist software. And when you spec it up, it may get a bit pricy too. The 15-inch model starts at $1,300, while our review version with a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD costs for $2,100. Still, for general work, the Surface Laptop 7 and its Snapdragon X Elite CPU are a revelation and a revolutionary step forward for Windows as we know it.
