Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Which Laptop Is Better?
Products
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Tested using Methodology v0.9
Updated Nov 27, 2025 02:04 PM
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Tested using Methodology v0.9
Updated Oct 31, 2025 08:00 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Size
15"
Operating System
Windows 11
Size
13.6"
Operating System
macOS
Our Verdict
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) are both premium ultraportables designed for general productivity. The choice comes down to what you care about most. The Surface Laptop has a brighter 120Hz display, a wider port selection, and longer battery life, while the MacBook Air has a larger touchpad and better-sounding speakers. If you're considering the Surface Laptop, know that it uses an ARM-based SoC, meaning some programs might not work or run poorly through emulation. Apple transitioned to its in-house SoC sooner, so app compatibility is typically better on the MacBook Air.
Variants
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYT-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHH-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHQ-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHI-00001) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/32GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYT-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYU-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHG-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHQ-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHP-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHH-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW133LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6C4LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW123LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0X3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC654LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0W3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6U4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6V4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6T4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW103LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6A4LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0Y3LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
Main Differences for
General Productivity
General Productivity
Threshold
General Productivity
8.5
8.6
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
17.0 hrs
12.3 hrs
Portability
8.3
9.1
Reflections
6.3
9.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.3
9.1
Dimensions Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Size
15"
13.6"
Thickness
0.7" (1.8 cm)
0.5" (1.3 cm)
Width
13.0" (33.1 cm)
12.0" (30.4 cm)
Depth
9.4" (24.0 cm)
8.5" (21.5 cm)
Volume
87.3 in³ (1,429.9 cm³)
51.9 in³ (849.7 cm³)
Weight
3.6 lbs (1.6 kg)
2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
Charger Size
7.1 in³ (116.0 cm³)
5.5 in³ (89.4 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
5.8
3.5
Internals Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Ease Of Access
7.5
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
1
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Resolution
2496 x 1664
2560 x 1664
Aspect Ratio
3:2
16:10
Pixel Density
200 PPI
224 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
Yes
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
88%
86%
Refresh Rate
8.7
5.9
Motion Blur
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Dynamic Refresh Rate
No
Contrast
7.5
7.6
Contrast Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Native Contrast
1,404 : 1
1,494 : 1
Brightness
9.1
8.4
Maximum Brightness
601 cd/m²
445 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
3 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
6.3
9.0
Reflections Photo Off
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Reflections Photo Max
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
5.79%
1.57%
Indirect Reflections
0.53%
0.24%
Calculated Direct Reflections
5.26%
1.33%
Black Uniformity
8.0
8.8
Black Uniformity Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.864%
0.680%
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
8.7
9.8
White Balance Screencap
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Gamma Curve Screencap
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Color Screencap
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Avg. White Balance dE
2.81
1.68
Avg. Gamma
2.14
2.25
Avg. Color dE
1.58
1.08
Avg. Color Temperature
6,411.9 K
6,767 K
Color Gamut
8.3
9.4
Gamut SDR
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
sRGB xy
98.35%
99.98%
sRGB uv
98.9%
99.94%
Adobe RGB xy
72.95%
87.95%
Adobe RGB uv
84.98%
93.47%
Gamut HDR
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
DCI-P3 xy
73.15%
99.44%
DCI-P3 uv
79.9%
99.45%
Rec. 2020 xy
52.48%
71.86%
Rec. 2020 uv
58.23%
73.27%
Flicker
10
9.0
Flicker Graph
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Flicker-Free
Yes
No
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
0%
100%
Interface
Keyboard
8.5
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Typing Quality
8.5
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
64 gf
61 gf
Actuation Force
31 gf
37 gf
Pre-Travel
0.96 mm
0.77 mm
Total Travel
1.37 mm
0.86 mm
Touchpad
8.8
9.2
Touchpad Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Tracking Quality
9.0
9.5
Size
14.9 in² (96.0 cm²)
15.8 in² (102.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
8.7
8.2
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
82 dB SPL
77 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.0 dB
5.9 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
-1.4
2.7
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
334 Hz
141 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
16 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
0.7 dB
2.6 dB
Webcam & Microphone
8.7
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.0
9.0
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
Yes
No
Connectivity
Ports
6.5
5.0
Ports Photo
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
USB-A Ports
1
0
USB-C Ports
2
2
Thunderbolt
No
Thunderbolt 4
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
No
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
MicroSD UHS 2
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Surface Connect
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.4
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Qualcomm
Apple
Model
Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100
M4
Core Count
12
10
Thread Count
12
10
GPU
Brand
Qualcomm
Apple
Model
Adreno GPU X1E80100
M4
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP)
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
16 GB
Modules
1 (Soldered)
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5x
LP-DDR5x
Speed
8,448 MHz
7,500 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
452 GB
211 GB
Drive 1
WD SDDPTQD-512G-1124
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
CPU/RAM Performance
7.8
8.1
Cinebench 2024 - Single Core
126 points
172 points
Cinebench 2024 - Multi Core
939 points
725 points
Geekbench 6 - Single Core
2,778
3,771
Geekbench 6 - Multi Core
14,239
15,137
Blender - CPU (Avg)
90 samples/min
72 samples/min
PassMark PT - CPU Mark
26,637
23,551
PassMark PT - Memory Mark
4,301
4,981
PassMark PT - Memory Mark (Android)
N/A
N/A
Mozilla Kraken
398 ms
276 ms
Low Tier Graphics
7.4
7.6
Geekbench 6 - GPU Compute
27,488
48,919
Basemark Web 3.0
1,746
2,061
PassMark PT - 2D Mark
424
N/A
PassMark PT - 2D Mark (Android)
N/A
N/A
PassMark PT - 3D Mark
3,519
N/A
PassMark PT - 3D Mark (Android)
N/A
N/A
Novabench 5 - GPU
164.0
157.0
mprep - Stress My GPU
23,046
9,186
High Tier Graphics
4.5
5.3
3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12)
499
N/A
3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal)
447
789
Basemark GPU (DX12)
30,820
N/A
Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal)
N/A
45,261
GFXBench - High Level Test (Vulkan/Metal)
3,637 Frames
3,769 Frames
Professional 3D (GPU Accelerated)
0.0
1.4
Blender - GPU (Avg)
N/A
360 samples/min
Cinebench 2024 - GPU
N/A
3,323 points
CPU-Intensive Game Performance
4.3
5.0
Civilization VII - AI
N/A
16.9 s/turn
Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg)
N/A
59.5 fps
Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low)
N/A
55.5 fps
Total War: Warhammer III (Avg)
14.5 fps
11.4 fps
Baldur's Gate 3 (Avg)
21.9 fps
26.1 fps
Baldur's Gate 3 (1% Low)
14.0 fps
15.7 fps
Previous Methodology Score
4.0
4.0
Previous Methodology Score Converted
3.5
3.5
GPU-Intensive Game Performance
2.5
3.0
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
12.3 fps
11.1 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
9.9 fps
9.6 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
N/A
N/A
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
N/A
N/A
GTA V (Avg)
26.4 fps
N/A
GTA V (1% Low)
17.8 fps
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
5 fps
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
5 fps
N/A
Resident Evil 4 (Avg)
12.1 fps
N/A
Resident Evil 4 (1% Low)
9.7 fps
N/A
Previous Methodology Score
3.4
4.8
Previous Methodology Score Converted
1.3
2.8
Ray Tracing Performance
0.0
1.2
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
N/A
9.6 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
N/A
5.3 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
N/A
N/A
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
N/A
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
N/A
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
N/A
N/A
Storage Drive Performance
9.0
9.3
Sequential Write Speed
1,363.6 MB/s
2,845.4 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
2,680.7 MB/s
2,863.3 MB/s
Random Write Speed
78.0 MB/s
46.3 MB/s
Random Read Speed
39.6 MB/s
68.1 MB/s
Battery
9.7
9.0
Capacity
66 Wh
54 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
17.0 hrs
12.3 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
16.4 hrs
11.9 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
3.5 hrs
3.2 hrs
Charge Time
2.1 hrs
2.8 hrs
Thermals And Noise
7.4
8.1
Keyboard Temps Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Keyboard Temp While Idle
29 °C (84 °F)
26 °C (79 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
49 °C (121 °F)
49 °C (121 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
39.5 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
0.0
7.3
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
N/A
91 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
N/A
6% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
N/A
81 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
N/A
11% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
macOS
Additional Software
None
None
Extra Features
Biometrics
Face Recognition
Fingerprint Sensor
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen Support
No Stylus Support
No Stylus Support
Secondary Display
No
No
To access
and
Become an Insider
unlimited full product reviews,
product prices
other exclusive site features
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Comments
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025): Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.