Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8" 7 Black 2024 Review

The Snapdragon X Plus pushes this into the 95th CPU percentile — that's MacBook M3-beating territory. The screen, weight, and claimed battery life are all impressive. But real-world software incompatibility is a dealbreaker for creatives, so check your app list twice before buying.

The CPU inside this Surface Laptop is a beast, landing in the 95th percentile of all laptops we've tested. That Snapdragon X Plus chews through multi-threaded work faster than an M3 MacBook Air, and with 16GB of LPDDR5X, it feels snappy day-to-day. At 1.34kg and with a claimed 20-hour battery, Microsoft is clearly gunning for the ultrabook crown.

But the user buzz tells a different story. While the 4.4-star rating looks shiny, our sentiment analysis digs up a real sore spot: ARM processor incompatibility. Owners report Adobe apps freezing, printer drivers failing to install, and a general headache whenever they step outside Microsoft's walled garden. It's a Ferrari engine in a car that only likes one brand of fuel.

In raw compute, this thing is a standout. The 10-core Snapdragon X Plus puts it ahead of nearly every thin-and-light in our database, including the M3 MacBook Air in multi-threaded Cinebench runs. You'll fly through Excel macros, code compiles, and 4K video exports that would leave most ultrabooks sweating. The 16GB of RAM is solid, right at the median, so multitasking is smooth. But the integrated Qualcomm graphics land in the 37th percentile — don't expect any real gaming or GPU-heavy creative work. The 120Hz touchscreen is well above average though, making scrolling and inking feel great.

The price tag isn't fixed, and that's part of the story. Depending on where you shop, you'll see anywhere from $929 to $1630. At the low end, you're getting a CPU powerhouse and premium build for a steal. Push past $1300, and you're paying a Surface tax that's hard to justify against a ThinkPad X1 Carbon or MacBook Air. For students and office warriors living in Microsoft 365, the per-buck performance is fantastic. But if your job depends on Creative Cloud or niche software, that value evaporates fast.

Stacked against the MacBook Pro M5 Pro, the Surface narrowly outmuscles it on raw CPU but gets demolished in graphics and creative app stability. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 counters with legendary keyboard feel and no ARM compatibility worries, though it trails in processor grunt. The ASUS ROG Flow is a gaming beast in another league entirely. Really, the Surface's biggest fight is with itself: do you want a super-light, super-fast Windows machine that only runs certain apps? If yes, it's a gem. If not, those competitors are safer bets.

Skip this if you're a photographer, videographer, or anyone whose workflow touches Adobe Creative Suite. The ARM processor throws a wall up for specialized printers, older peripherals, and many non-Microsoft business apps. And gamers, just don't — the integrated graphics score an 8.6 out of 100, so even low-end titles will struggle.

This Surface Laptop will make you believe in the future of Windows on ARM — right up until you need Photoshop. The CPU is an absolute rocket, and the build quality is top tier. But the glowing 4.4-star rating masks a deep rift between what Microsoft promises and what owners actually experience with non-Microsoft software. For the right person, it's a brilliant machine. For everyone else, it's a gamble.