The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024), also known as the Microsoft Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC, is a 15-inch Windows ultraportable laptop. This model replaces the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) since the Surface Laptop 6 is only available to business customers, and it's the first Surface Laptop to sport an ARM SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. RAM and storage max out at 64GB and 1TB, respectively. It has a 2496 x 1664 IPS display, a 1080p webcam, an IR facial recognition camera, and Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity. Ports include one USB-A, two USB-Cs, a MicroSD card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Surface Connect charging port.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 isn't designed for gaming. While the CPU portion of its Snapdragon SoC is quite capable, its weak integrated GPU can't handle graphically demanding AAA games. Also, most games don't run natively on an ARM processor, so performance will vary significantly from one game to another, or they won't run at all. As for the display, it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which improves motion smoothness and input responsiveness, but its slow response time causes visible ghosting, and it doesn't support VRR to reduce screen tearing.
Comfortable keyboard, easy-to-use haptic touchpad.
- 120Hz display.
- Quiet fans under load.
- User-replaceable SSD.
- Integrated GPU can't handle demanding games.
- Performance varies since most games don't run natively on ARM.
- Display's slow response time causes visible ghosting.
- No VRR support.
- Soldered RAM.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is great for school and work. It feels remarkably well-built and is very compact for a 15-inch laptop, and its battery lasts around 17 hours of light use, making it an amazing choice if you travel often. You get a sharp, bright display that's big enough for split-screen multitasking, a comfortable keyboard, a large, easy-to-use haptic touchpad, and an excellent 1080p webcam. Like previous Surface devices, you also get a facial recognition camera for quick logins, which is great if you want to avoid typing in your password in public areas. Its Snapdragon SoC can easily handle general productivity tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and video playback. However, since it's an ARM processor, you need to ensure that the apps you use have a native ARM version or run well enough through emulation.
- Sturdy build, compact design.
- Battery lasts around 16 to 17 hours of light use or video playback.
- Sharp, bright display.
- Excellent 1080p webcam.
- Snapdragon SoC can handle some CPU-intensive tasks.
Display doesn't handle bright reflections well.
- Soldered RAM.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is very good for media consumption. It's very portable for a 15-inch laptop, thanks to its compact design, and its battery life is amazing, lasting around 16 hours of video playback. Its sharp, well-calibrated display gets bright enough to combat glare; however, it doesn't handle reflections all that well, and its taller 3:2 aspect ratio means you'll have black bars at the top and bottom in most content. Also, since it's an IPS panel with a relatively low contrast ratio, blacks will look gray in dim settings. The speakers get very loud with minimal compression, and while they sound clear and natural, they have very little bass.
- Sturdy build, compact design.
- Battery lasts around 16 to 17 hours of light use or video playback.
- Sharp, bright display.
Comfortable keyboard, easy-to-use haptic touchpad.
- Speakers get very loud with minimal compression.
- Speakers lack bass.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
Display doesn't handle bright reflections well.
While the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 isn't designed for use as a workstation, it can handle some CPU-intensive tasks, as its Snapdragon SoC is quite capable. However, its weak integrated GPU isn't suitable for graphically demanding workloads like 3D graphics, and it's only available with up to 64GB of RAM, which might not be enough for highly complex tasks. Also, most programs lack native support for Windows on ARM, so you'll have to ensure that the apps you use can run well enough through emulation to get your work done. The display is well-suited for color work, as it has full DCI-P3 coverage and excellent factory calibration. The keyboard deck gets a bit toasty under load, but thankfully, the fan is quiet.
- Snapdragon SoC can handle some CPU-intensive tasks.
- Display is suitable for color-critical work.
- Quiet fans under load.
- User-replaceable SSD.
- Integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- Some apps might not work or perform poorly through emulation.
- Soldered RAM.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) has outstanding battery life. It lasts around 17 hours of light use or 16 hours of video playback, meaning you can forget the charger on a weekend trip and still be okay.
- Battery lasts around 16 to 17 hours of light use or video playback.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has outstanding build quality. Its all-aluminum chassis feels rigid, with little to no flex in the lid or keyboard deck, though the finish picks up small scratches and fingerprints. The hinge is smooth and stable, and you can open the lid with one finger.
- Sturdy build, compact design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has poor graphics performance. Its integrated GPU handles video playback and older, lighter games at low settings, but it's too slow for demanding games and 3D work, and many games don't run on Windows on ARM at all.
- Performance varies since most games don't run natively on ARM.
- Integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- Some apps might not work or perform poorly through emulation.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has mediocre overall processing performance. Its Snapdragon X Elite is fast in everyday tasks and handles moderately demanding work like programming and photo editing well, but apps that run through emulation are slower, and CPU-heavy games run poorly or not at all.
- Snapdragon SoC can handle some CPU-intensive tasks.
- Integrated GPU can't handle demanding games.
- Some apps might not work or perform poorly through emulation.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Nov 06, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.0! This update adds several new verdict scores to the review, so it's easier to make a buying decision. Read the changelog for a full list of changes.
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Updated Oct 23, 2026:
We mention the newly reviewed Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026) in the Brightness section.
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Updated Aug 11, 2026:
We've added a link to the Dell XPS 13 (2026) in the Portability section.
- Updated Apr 09, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 0.9.1! This update changes the way we score the 'Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy' box. Read the changelog for more info.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite SoC, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Only the memory, storage, and color are configurable; the available options are in the table below.
| Screen |
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| SoC |
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| Memory |
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| Storage |
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| Color |
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See our unit's label.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is among the best ultraportable laptops on the market. It feels remarkably well-built and provides an amazing user experience with one of the brightest displays and the longest battery life we've seen so far. It also stands out for the quality of its keyboard, touchpad, and webcam. The biggest concern is app compatibility: most programs don't run natively on an ARM processor, so you need to ensure that the apps you use have a native ARM version or run well enough through emulation to get your work done.
See our recommendations for the best Windows laptops, the best business laptops, and the best laptops for college.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) and Dell XPS 13 (2026) are premium laptops designed for general productivity and web browsing. Both have excellent battery life, though the Microsoft lasts even longer overall. It's considerably larger and heavier, with a much bigger display, but it's available with up to 64GB of RAM, which can make it better-suited for heavy multitasking. However, its ARM-based Snapdragon processor can introduce compatibility issues with certain apps and peripherals. The Dell is considerably smaller and lighter, making it more portable overall. That said, it has far fewer configuration options and a maximum of only 16GB of RAM, making it less suitable for heavy multitasking.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) and the Framework Laptop 13 (2025) are Windows ultraportable laptops. The Framework is designed to be easily repairable and features unique modular I/O ports, while the Surface has soldered, non-upgradeable components. The latter is an ARM-based device, so app compatibility is a significant consideration. The Surface has an extremely premium, all-aluminum build, while the Framework is mostly aluminum with some plastic parts.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) are premium Windows ultraportables with sturdy aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboards, haptic touchpads, and 120Hz touchscreens. The newer family comes in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes with Snapdragon X2 Plus or X2 Elite processors, while the older 15-inch model uses a Snapdragon X Elite. Most people won't notice much difference between these processors. Differences matter more in demanding workloads, where the X2 Elite pulls ahead, but it's not a huge difference.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) is better than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) in most uses. The MacBook Pro has a significantly brighter Mini LED, better-sounding speakers, and more ports. It also has a lot more processing power to handle more demanding workloads, like programming, AI models, and video editing. The Surface Laptop isn't a bad device either; just remember that it runs on an ARM-based SoC, so make sure you check for app compatibility first, as many x86 programs might not run properly.
Test Results
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