Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Review (Comparison & Testing)

The release of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 comes at a curious time when a pandemic around the world has forced many individuals to work from home. This and other Ultrabooks have historically shone in the realm of commuting. Thus they’ve somewhat lost their sparkle. Lockdowns are fortunately temporary for the Surface Laptop 4.

Many people will undoubtedly go to a more hybrid work style where they divide their week between home and workplace. Therefore, having something that is both powerful and long-lasting while also being light and portable will be essential. And at that point, the incredibly light and potent Surface Laptop 4 will truly shine.

The stunning PixelSense display and one of the most comfortable keyboards we’ve ever used make the Surface Laptop tiny and portable while yet being powerful enough to handle most daily tasks. When that becomes possible, it is the laptop we envision taking to the office. Like this, SAMSUNG 15.6” Galaxy Book 2 is also a good option to choose from.

It might not be the most affordable; you would pay almost the same for a Dell XPS 13 with a similar configuration, even if it lacks the Ryzen processor. Furthermore, the Surface Laptop 4 is a pleasure to use; its technical capabilities are virtually incidental, especially if most of your work involves word processing and email. That’s how our workload looks, and it’s a huge reason why this laptop is currently one of our favorites.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Design

The Surface Laptop 4 is as beautiful as ever. The 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 we reviewed is one of the lightest and thinnest laptops yet comfortable to type on.

We got Platinum. The Platinum Surface Laptop 4’s lid is platinum, with a chrome Microsoft logo in the middle. The laptop’s bottom and keyboard tray are identical colors. The laptop measures 0.57 inches thick and 2.79 pounds (1.3 kg), making it easy to carry. Despite being tiny, the Surface Laptop 4 feels solid. 

Aluminum is the primary material for the lid, which is impervious to flex. When you poke at the screen, the hinge is so sturdy that you don’t have to readjust your screen or brace it with your other hand, unlike many other touchscreen laptops. The touchscreen is now much more usable and less of a novelty; other powerful laptop manufacturers may take note of this.

However, despite the laptop’s sturdy top, comfort is the main focus of the keyboard deck. The keyboard and trackpad are encircled by a beautiful, velvety Alcantara material (a suede-like microfiber pile), as is now customary with the Surface Laptop. Because it is lovely and soft instead of this hard metal like you get with other comparable laptops, typing is considerably more comfortable right away.

The Surface Laptop 4 features the finest laptop keyboard we have ever used, which brings us back to writing. This laptop makes writing a breeze, and despite having an incredibly slim body, it has plenty of mobility. Even the keyboard on the MacBook Pro, which was our preferred laptop keyboard before utilizing this one, is incomparable.

The fact that the speakers are located there makes the keyboard’s deep travel all the more unexpected. Microsoft’s design philosophy stipulates that there shouldn’t be any obvious gaps (that aren’t ports, at least). The speakers are also good. These speakers can play music just fine even though they are by no means a media consumption device.

Even recordings with many basses, like Flamboyant by Dorian Electra, sound fantastic, despite minor shortcomings. However, the huge bezels prevent the laptop’s design from being truly flawless. They appear to be from a laptop five or six years old.

The bezels don’t ruin the experience in any way, but they might make this laptop appear a little dated compared to, for example, the Dell XPS 13.

Performance

With an Intel Core i7-1185G7 and 16GB of RAM, the Surface Laptop 4 we examined here can easily handle whatever we throw at it. The Surface Laptop 4 doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, not even when we filled it up with literally dozens of Chrome tabs while streaming music from YouTube and conversing on Slack and Discord.

The Surface Laptop 4 is impressive since it can perform all those tasks without slowing down while using battery power, which is something that most modern laptops should achieve. We don’t have to worry about the laptop locking up or shocking our roommates with the power wire as we work while lounging on the couch.

Additionally, the laptops’ performance when plugged in speaks for itself. The Surface Laptop 4 scored a respectable 4,998 points in Cinebench R23, which is approximately what we anticipate from this chip. Similarly, the Surface Laptop 4 received a single-core score of 1,356 points and a multi-core score of 4,918 in Geekbench 5. The Surface Laptop 4 can do the job if you’re looking for a super-portable laptop that can handle some work.

Additionally, despite not being designed for gaming, the Surface Laptop 4 scored a respectable 5,151 points in 3DMark Fire Strike, indicating that it should be able to play some of the best independent games. Remember that Cyberpunk 2077 cannot be run at its highest settings. 

Product Comparison

Our longest-lasting battery in the Galaxy Book2 Pro allows for long periods between charges, and a universal fast charger restores 40% of the battery’s original power in just 30 minutes. 2022 Newest HP 15.6 is lightweight and best for home use.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 comes up to 70% more speed than before, and with an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, you can accomplish your goals. Elegant, slim design available in two sizes: a portable, lightweight 13.5″ or a bigger 15″ that is ideal for split-screen multitasking.

How Did I Test This Machine?

Microsoft’s claim that the Surface Laptop 4’s battery life may last up to 19 hours would be very impressive. Unfortunately, we discovered that it was more like 11–13 hours. That still isn’t anything to be proud of.

The Surface Laptop 4 lasts 13 hours and 20 minutes in the PC Mark 10 Home Office battery test, simulating various activities from word processing to video chatting. Even though it falls short of the promised 19 hours, Microsoft, you can still get through all but the longest international trips in that amount of time.

In our movie playback test, the Surface Laptop 4 performs a little worse, lasting 11 hours and 2 minutes. However, it’s still not bad, and the Surface Laptop 4 should last you through a substantial Netflix binge.

Final Summary

I’ve used it, and I adore how comfortable the keyboard is for using other apps and typing. It is a nice laptop; however, keep in mind that it can get hot.

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