Microsoft Surface Laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 - i7-1185G7 16GB RAM, Review

A sleek and portable business laptop with a great screen, but its older Intel CPU and small SSD are major drawbacks. Best for light office work and students. Not worth it if you need power.

The Surface Laptop 4 for Business is a sleek, portable machine that nails the basics for office work. It's got a sharp 13.5-inch touchscreen, a lightweight build, and solid WiFi 6 connectivity. But underneath that polished exterior, you're getting specs that are a few years behind the curve. The Intel 1185G7 CPU and 256GB SSD are middle of the pack, and the port selection is frankly underwhelming.

Performance is a mixed bag. For general business tasks like email, spreadsheets, and web browsing, the 16GB of RAM and Intel Iris Xe graphics are plenty. It scores well above average for GPU tasks, which is surprising for integrated graphics. But the CPU is a weak spot, landing in the disappointing 18th percentile. That means heavier multitasking or data processing will feel sluggish compared to newer laptops. And forget about gaming; our database gives it a 8.2/100 score there.

At a price hovering around $340-$397, the value proposition depends entirely on what you need. If your priority is a trustworthy, compact Windows laptop with a great screen for basic office work, it's a solid deal. But if you need processing power, storage, or modern ports, you're paying for style over substance. The older specs make it feel like a budget option dressed up in a premium suit.

Compared to the newer Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC, this older model lacks the AI chops and raw performance. The ASUS ProArt PX13, while more expensive, offers a stunning OLED screen and a much more powerful Ryzen AI 9 CPU for creative work. Against a Lenovo Legion gaming laptop, it's not even in the same conversation. For business users, the Apple MacBook Pro offers vastly better CPU performance and battery life, but you lose the touchscreen and enter a different ecosystem.

If you need processing power for data science, development, or video editing, skip this. The CPU is a real letdown. Also, if you're a digital hoarder who needs lots of local storage, the 256GB SSD will frustrate you immediately. Look for a laptop with a modern Ryzen or Core Ultra CPU and a 1TB SSD.

Buy this if you're a business user or student who values portability and a premium build above all else, and your workload is strictly light to medium. It's a reliable companion for presentations, note-taking, and commuting. But if your work involves data analysis, coding, or anything that taxes the CPU, you'll feel the age of this hardware quickly.