Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review: Copilot+ personified

In the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, we find an AI PC in its natural habitat.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
(Image: © Future/Ian Evenden)

Our Verdict

With the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, Microsoft needed to show the world that Copilot+ and the new Snapdragon processors weren’t just a load of hot air. And it has managed it. The MacBook Air is no longer the only ARM-powered productivity laptop we can recommend, but while Copilot+ PCs wait for software support to fully catch up with their impressive technology, it’s worth looking before you leap into this particular computing revolution.

For

  • Snapdragon X Elite is plenty fast
  • Looks great
  • Sharp, bright screen

Against

  • Integrated GPU
  • Imperfect software support

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The Snapdragon processor and the Copilot+ designation have made it to the Microsoft Surface Laptop, and this new iteration of the machine is a serious challenger to the MacBooks, Lenovos and Dells of this world to be a laptop that’s all things to all people. When it comes to creative apps, like the best graphic design laptops, there's plenty of processing power here, but it brings with it quality-of-life enhancements such as a long battery life and a well-put-together chassis as well as the inevitable AI apps that every software company is currently desperate for you to use.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Key specifications

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Specs as tested

CPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (12-core)

GPU

Adreno integrated (4.6TFLOPS)

NPU

Qualcomm Hexagon (45TOPS)

RAM

32GB LPDDR5x

Screen size

15in

Resolution

2496 x 1664 px (3:2 aspect ratio)

Refresh rate

Variable, 120Hz max

Storage

1TB SSD, MicroSD

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 2x USB 4 Type-C, 1x USB 3.1 Type-A, Surface Connect, 3.5mm audio

Dimensions

329 x 239.3 x 18.3mm

Weight

1.66kg

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Cinebench 2024

Row 0 - Cell 1

CPU multi-core

841

CPU single-core

100

GPU

Not compatible

Geekbench 6

Row 4 - Cell 1

CPU multi-core

13295

CPU single-core

2291

GPU OpenCL

18918

PCMark 10

Row 8 - Cell 1

Applications test

18918

Battery life

9h 21m

Handbrake

4:42, 68.4fps

MacBook Air M3

MacBook Air M3

A close competitor for the Surface Laptop 7, especially once it gets the inevitable M4 update, but without the touchscreen.

ASUS ProArt P16

ASUS ProArt P16

A step up in both power and price, the ProArt P16 is mighty.

MSI Prestige 16 AI

MSI Prestige 16 AI

Features an Intel Core Ultra processor and an Nvidia GPU for a potent creative mix

The Verdict
8.5

out of 10

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition

With the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, Microsoft needed to show the world that Copilot+ and the new Snapdragon processors weren’t just a load of hot air. And it has managed it. The MacBook Air is no longer the only ARM-powered productivity laptop we can recommend, but while Copilot+ PCs wait for software support to fully catch up with their impressive technology, it’s worth looking before you leap into this particular computing revolution.

Ian Evenden
Freelance writer

Ian Evenden has been a journalist for over 20 years, starting in the days of QuarkXpress 4 and Photoshop 5. He now mainly works in Creative Cloud and Google Docs, but can always find a use for a powerful laptop or two. When not sweating over page layout or photo editing, you can find him peering at the stars or growing vegetables.