Microsoft operates Windows, so you'd think its Surface laptops would be the best representation of the desktop operating system, right? Well, these machines were innovative and feature-rich at the start, and the lineup has expanded from a standard laptop to a giant desktop. But Microsoft has stuck with minor spec bumps over the years, and Surface laptops don't feel as well regarded as they once were.
That changed in 2024, as it announced two new AI-powered Surface laptops, injecting some life into these computers—save from some gripes here and there. But with new devices in the lineup, it begs the question: what's the best Surface laptop to buy? Below, we break down our thoughts on the latest machines along with additional advice on the Surface lineup as a whole.
Be sure to read our other buying guides for more, including the Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best MacBooks, and our tips on how to choose a laptop.
Updated July 2024: We've added our thoughts on the new Surface Laptop (7th Edition) and Surface Pro (11th Edition).
- Best for Most People: Surface Laptop (7th Edition)
- Best 2-in-1: Surface Pro (11th Edition)
- Surface Devices to Avoid
- What About Older Models?
- What Are Copilot+ PC's?
- Things That May Annoy You
- Great Surface Accessories
- Look Into Surface All Access and Microsoft Complete
- Should You Wait to Buy?
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Best for Most People
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After years of incremental upgrades, Microsoft finally made some proper changes with its new Surface Laptop (7th Edition) (7/10, WIRED Recommends). You can get it in either a 13- or 15-inch screen size. The smaller size has a slightly larger display at 13.8 inches (up from 13.5 inches) with thinner bezels and rounder corners. It's brighter too and employs a 120-Hz screen refresh rate. Content looks vivid and sharp, even outdoors in broad daylight (but you'll have to crank it up to about full brightness under direct sunlight).
You get an upgraded 1080p camera that delivers sharp picture quality, though it struggled with lighting at times—in my testing, I noticed it would cast a dark shadow before adjusting back to normal. There's also a new haptic touchpad, with the option to customize the haptic intensity, and it's super satisfying to use.
It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, but you can save some cash and go with the Snapdragon X Plus (the 15-inch model only comes with the Elite). I tested the Elite, and the performance has been perfectly smooth no matter how many windows, tabs, and apps I have open. This is not a machine for graphics-intensive tasks, like video editing or gaming, but it's perfectly capable of powering all the usual kinds of tasks most people do on a laptop.
It's worth noting that these are ARM-based processors, meaning traditional Windows apps built for the x86 Intel architecture will require native ARM versions to be truly optimized for the system. There are tons of native ARM apps available already, including Microsoft's own suite of apps, Google Chrome, Spotify, and Zoom. If you use more niche Windows apps, check if there's an ARM version or if it will work with Microsoft's Prism translation layer, which allows these nonnative apps to run.
The native apps worked fine for the most part, though I had one hiccup with Zoom where I could only enter meetings through a direct link. Nonnative apps like Telegram and Slack also gave me no trouble. One of the benefits of ARM processors is battery life, and it's excellent here on the Surface Laptop. After about six to seven hours, at 50 percent brightness, I still had between 20 and 30 percent left.
The AI features aren't as innovative as Microsoft claims them to be. I found it tough to incorporate any into my daily workflow. Cocreator (which uses generative AI to deliver an enhanced image of your drawing) struggled to fully match the prompts I'd type in and feels awkward to use without a stylus; Live Captions, which gives instant real-time translation across video and audio calls as well as movies, was accurate for the most part but had a hard time keep up with quick dialog; Eye Contact via Windows Studio Effects, the AI-powered camera features, didn't work at all and instead made my pupils look weird. The most practical feature is Recall, which uses large language models to help pull up anything you've seen or done on your PC with a search query, but it's been delayed due to major privacy issues.
You shouldn't buy this laptop for any of those AI features. It's a solid machine if you're looking for a lightweight and reliable Windows PC with good battery life. It can get expensive though—the base model 13-inch Surface Laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite (with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage) starts at $1,400 and the highest configuration (with a Snapdragon X Elite, 64 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage) comes out to $2,400. If you don't need that much power, the model equipped with the Snapdragon X Plus model (along with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage) for $1,000 should be plenty for most.
Specs to look for: 13-inch, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB of RAM, 512-GB SSD
Best 2-in-1 Laptop
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The Surface Pro (11th Edition) (6/10, WIRED Review) features the original Surface design. The 13-inch 2-in-1 tablet and laptop hybrid comes with a built-in kickstand, though the keyboard remains a separate purchase. You get the same two USB-C connectors as before along with Microsoft's Surface Connect charging port. It's still awkward to use in a lap, but on a desk, the new Flex Keyboard is an excellent (and pricey) upgrade—you can use the keyboard and Surface separately, so you can space your setup out a little.
It comes equipped with a front-facing 12-MP camera with Windows Studio Effects along with a rear-facing 10-MP camera. WIRED contributor Chris Null encountered an issue with the trackpad, which would frequently stop working when the laptop woke up from sleep. Detaching and reattaching the keyboard from the screen helped, as well as using the touchscreen to select a field to type something into, but hopefully, a software update can fix this.
Depending on the configuration, you'll either get a Snapdragon X Plus or a Snapdragon X Elite chip—the latter comes with an OLED screen and you can hook it up to three 4K external monitors. Our review unit had a Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1-TB solid-state drive. Microsoft claims the new chip delivers double the performance at a third of the power, but we only saw a 6 percent performance improvement over the Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU. As for graphics, Null says the various graphics-based benchmarks he ran delivered results “in line with units featuring year-old, pre-Core Ultra Intel processors and integrated graphics.” It's just not designed to be a machine for graphics-specific tasks. It comes with the same AI features as the Surface Laptop (7th Edition) like Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects, and Live Captions.
Battery life is excellent. We hit more than 15 hours on a full-screen, full-brightness YouTube playback test, which is not only beyond Microsoft's claim of up to 14 hours but also more than double the battery life of the old Surface Pro X. Price, on the other hand, is a bit problematic. The configuration we tested comes out to a whopping $1,950 with the Flex Keyboard. You can opt for the entry-level Surface Pro for $1,000, but you'll lose out on the worthy upgrades like the OLED screen ($500) and the updated keyboard (up to $450), which make this device more appealing. Ultimately, the Surface Pro continues to be an option for a niche audience: those who not only want the versatility of both a tablet and laptop but also have the money to spend on such an expensive machine.
Specs to look for: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB of RAM, 512-GB SSD
Surface Devices to Avoid
Surface Laptop Studio 2 for $2,800: We had a great experience with the first-generation Laptop Studio (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but we can't say the same for the Laptop Studio 2 (6/10, WIRED Review). The second-generation version has worse battery life (4 hours on the Studio 2 versus 12 hours on its predecessor) and it runs super hot—despite a new heat-dissipation system and new “thermal capacity performance,” the device reached a whopping 109 degrees at one point). It's also too expensive (the high-end version will set you back $3,700).
Surface Studio 2+ for $4,000: This machine came out only two years ago, but its specs are slightly dated for $4,000—both the 11th-gen Intel Core i7 11370H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card came out in 2021. You're better off either saving your money and waiting until Microsoft launches the next-generation version (hopefully, with a more recent processor and graphics card) or finding a more powerful machine that's worth the high price.
Surface Laptop Go 3 for $780: We had high hopes for the Surface Laptop Go 3 (5/10, WIRED Review), but this one leaves much to be desired. The display's low resolution is noticeable when reading text (everything looks a bit fuzzy), battery life isn't great (we reached six hours whereas Microsoft claims 15 hours), the fingerprint sensor is finicky, and it has a grainy 720p webcam. Microsoft also nixed the 4 GB RAM and 128-SSD options, increasing the starting price by $100 more than previous versions. There are plenty of alternative budget laptops out there that offer more for this price point.
What About Older Models?
- Surface Pro 9 for $998: The Surface Pro 9 doesn't differ much from its predecessor, apart from an updated processor and a new 5G option. It packs a 12th-generation Intel chip (the 5G model is powered by a Microsoft SQ 3 chip from Qualcomm) and a document-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio, with the option to set it with a 120-Hz refresh rate. Our only complaint is the short battery life. Microsoft claims the same 15.5 hours of battery with the Wi-Fi model, while the 5G version will last 19 hours. However, we hit only 7.5 hours on the 5G model. We recommend waiting until it's on sale for $800 or less. If you want your Pro to be a true hybrid tablet/ laptop, you’ll also need to buy the essential Microsoft Type Cover keyboard (it’s not included).
- Surface Laptop 5 (15-inch) for $675: Microsoft made incremental changes to the Surface Laptop 5. As usual, you can choose between a 13.5-inch and a 15-inch model. Even though it has a nice keyboard and stylish outer design, it has a stale design (thick bezels included)—making it tough to justify paying full price. The Surface Laptop (7th Edition) received a bit of a makeover (with thin bezels and rounded edges), but if you don't want an ARM processor, this is still a solid option. We only recommend it if you can find it on sale for $800 or less.
- Surface Pro 8 for $798 (With Type Cover): The 2021 Pro 8 packs a majority of the same features as the Pro 9. It's still an excellent choice if you don't need the latest processor (the 11th-gen Intel is still plenty powerful) or 5G connectivity. Try and find it on sale.
- Surface Go 2 for $690 (Intel Core m3): The Go 2 was a fun little machine and got better battery life than its successor. That said, the battery life is the only thing it has going for it versus the newer model. Wait to find it on sale.
- Surface Laptop 4 for $595: The Surface Laptop 4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has a gorgeous 13.5-inch high-resolution display (if you want a larger display, there's also the 15-inch version), a lovely keyboard, stellar glass trackpad, and a slim case. Our only grip is the lack of ports—you'll get a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and a magnetic charging port. It's available with either an AMD Ryzen chip or an Intel processor, both of which will easily handle most workloads and apps. We only recommend spending $475 or less.
- Surface Laptop Go 2 for $479: The Surface Laptop Go 2 (8/10, WIRED Review) won't wow, but it is portable and stylish. Battery life could be better (we reached close to 7 hours on average—far from the 13.5 hours that Microsoft claims) and the screen is subpar (it's not even at HD resolution, so text can appear slightly pixelated). It's an OK choice if you like the portability of the Surface Go hybrid but want the more traditional clamshell design.
- Surface Go 3 for $489: This is the smallest member of the Surface lineup (6/10, WIRED Review). The 10.5-inch screen is ideal if your needs are minimal. With a Type Cover, it's a good, tiny, tablet and laptop hybrid. The Surface Pen also makes it convenient for note-taking. However, it does lack all-day battery life, and the smaller, slower storage drive coupled with limited RAM could make multitasking and demanding apps feel slower. We only recommend waiting until it's on sale for $500 or less.
- Older Surfaces: We do not recommend Surface laptops or 2-in-1s older than these.
What Is Copilot+ PC?
At its Surface Hardware event in May, Microsoft announced a new product category called Copilot+ PC, specifically designed to power artificial intelligence features. The first wave of these—which includes laptops from brands like Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Microsoft itself—pack Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. In addition to supposedly helping to optimize performance and battery life, these chips also power new AI capabilities like Live Translations, Windows Studio Effects, and Cocreator, which you can read more about here. These are currently only available on Qualcomm-powered devices but will be available to future Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs.
While Microsoft isn't making custom chips, switching to Qualcomm exclusively rather than working with Intel (its longtime partner) marks the start of a new era for Windows laptops. It also means that developers need to optimize their apps to run natively on the processors. As a temporary loophole, while developers catch up, Microsoft has new emulation software called Prism. Similar to Apple's Rosetta 2 technology, this allows Intel apps to run on ARM-based laptops even if a native version isn't available.
Microsoft already has a host of native ARM versions of certain apps built for the Snapdragon X series. This includes Microsoft 365 apps (like Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and One Drive), Google Chrome, Spotify, Zoom, WhatsApp, Blender, Affinity Suite, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and more. Slack will arrive later this year. Expect more apps to be supported quickly since Apple's M1 chipsets forced many developers to create ARM versions of their apps for the MacBook.
Things That May Annoy You
Microsoft has made Surface devices for nearly a decade now, but there are still imperfections that may impact your enjoyment. You may start to get annoyed from the moment you add a device to your cart and order it. If you're grabbing a Surface and hoping to use the famous, fabulous Surface Pens with it, you'll need to buy those separately. In years past, the Surface Pro and the Surface Book included the Pen, but that's no longer the case.
Ports are another mixed bag for Surface devices. You'll find USB-C ports throughout the Surface line, and the newest versions support Thunderbolt 4. Despite the USB-C ports, Microsoft stuck with its magnetic Surface Connect charger. (Confusingly, you can charge with USB-C too.) This may not be a bad thing, but it feels strange with the Thunderbolt support there as well.
Great Surface Accessories
You’ll have to purchase these accessories separately (unless they’re available as a bundle)—on top of shelling out money for the device itself. Below, we break down some of those aforementioned add-ons from Microsoft, as well as more affordable third-party options.
Surface Pro Flex Keyboard for $350: Microsoft redesigned its signature keyboard cover for the new Surface Pro (11th Edition). It's detachable, so you can position it anywhere you'd like while using the tablet. The touchpad is also larger this time around. There's a bold key option too, to assist people with low vision and reduce eye strain. We like that it allows you to space out the tablet and keyboard on your desk, for a more comfortable experience.
Surface Pro Type Cover for $125: This Type Cover is one of our favorite accessories. The cover is easy to attach, the clicky keys feel satisfying to type on, and it’s the least expensive option for the Surface Pro lineup. It’s compatible with the Surface Pro 8 and earlier. There’s a similar Type Cover for the Surface Go line that also costs $130.
Surface Pen for $65: The Surface Pen is compatible with myriad Surface devices, so it’s useful if you’re always switching between Microsoft's laptop and tablet. It packs precision ink—with tilt for shading—along with thousands of pressure points and virtually zero lag. Unlike the Slim Pen, which supports wireless charging, the Surface Pen runs on batteries.
Surface Slim Pen 2 for $87: With the second-generation Slim Pen, Microsoft added haptic feedback and lower latency (sketching and writing should feel more responsive). We liked using it with the Surface Pro 8, but it’s also compatible with a variety of other Surface devices. It’s an ideal accessory if you rely on your tablet for taking notes or drawing.
Logitech K380 Wireless Keyboard for $35: If you want a cheap Bluetooth keyboard to use with your Surface device, we like Logitech’s K380 Wireless Keyboard. It’s inexpensive, offers a nice typing experience, and is compact. It also comes in a super cute pink color.
Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: Ports can be scarce on Surface devices. This hub from Twelve South comes with a USB-A port, an HDMI, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port for pass-through charging. You can either plug it into the device or extend it with the included cord.
Microsoft Adaptive Accessories ($15 to $45): Microsoft offers a range of PC hardware for people with limited mobility including a programmable button, adaptive mouse, and a hub to connect them to a PC wirelessly.
Protect Your Surface With Microsoft Complete
If you’re rough on your gadgets, get the Microsoft Complete extended warranty. Starting at $99, it gives you additional warranty coverage, plus two accidental damage claims with a $49 deductible. Microsoft will provide up to four years of coverage for Surface devices specifically and will cover things like cracked screens, drops, and spills.
You can get Microsoft Complete in a few different ways. You can add it in real-time when buying a Surface device. But if you're not sure whether you need it, you can either book an appointment with a Microsoft product expert, add it directly through the Surface App, or contact Microsoft Store Support. However, it's worth noting you'll have up to 45 days after purchase to add a protection plan.
Should You Wait to Buy?
No. Back in September, Microsoft launched the next-gen Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Laptop Go 3. There's also a new Surface Go 4, but the refresh is strictly for enterprise consumers. More recently, Microsoft announced a new Surface Pro (11th edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition). These are successors to the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5, but the company no longer follows a numerical naming structure—instead, it's going by “editions.”
We're still waiting on the Surface Studio 3 (the all-in-one desktop). The last version was released in October 2022. Microsoft has yet to release any details on a next-gen model.
