The laptop review parade continues as the next laptop on my desk is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. This is one of the new Snapdragon X Elite laptops and probably the flagship of that platform, at least some would call it that. I’ve been on the hunt for the best laptop of 2024, and I’ve used several very amazing laptops already. The competition is heating up, and the battle between new chips is part of the reason Windows laptops are so hot this year. Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel all now have cracked the code to make not only a better performing system, but one that has fantastic battery life.
If you read any of my 2024 laptop reviews, you’ll see I’ve praised a few of them. In particular, I really enjoyed the ASUS Zenbook S 16 and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. But now I am typing on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and I took it on a road trip to Germany and have been using it extensively for a few weeks. Is this going to be the one? Is this the perfect MacBook killer? Well, let’s find out!
Oh, man! Where do I even start with this Quick Take? I’ve been using and reviewing new 2024 Windows laptops for the past few months, and what makes them all special are the new chipsets they sport. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 I have is packed with the new Snapdragon X Elite 12-Core X1E80100 paired with 64GB of RAM. This is basically the Microsoft Store Exclusive.
I’ve had a lot to say about the bevy of laptops that I’ve used in 2024, and before I started using this laptop, my two favorites were the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and the ASUS Zenbook S 16 AMD. So what am I looking for? Well. I’m looking for a MacBook Killer and frankly, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is almost the perfect MacBook Killer. It really only falls short in one area. So here’s what I like and dislike about this laptop.
- Things I liked:
- FANTASTIC build quality
- FANTASTIC materials used
- Lightweight and portable
- Excellent keyboard
- EXCEPTIONAL haptic trackpad that is just as good as the MacBook
- Bright display
- FANTASTIC battery life
- Magnetic charging cable like MagSafe
- FANTASTIC performance
- Things I didn’t like:
- The display is bright and beautiful, I just wish they would have made this an OLED display
- The price for this particular model is steep and most users should look at the entry-level versions
- ARM processor may not play nice with some apps, but in my testing, it’s really a non-issue
- The charging cable could use a redesign, I like it, but it can also be fiddly
Overall, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has a lot going for it to be the MacBook Killer. The biggest thing it has going for it is the new Snapdragon X Elite chipset. This processor has truly turned things around for Windows laptops. This thing is a performance beast and a battery champion, two things Windows laptops could not get to work together, until now.