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Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Review
The newest Surface Laptop refines the concept to a fine edge
By Matthew S. Smith Matthew S. Smith Writer Beloit College Matthew S. Smith has been writing about consumer tech since 2007. Formerly the Lead Editor at Digital Trends, he's also written for PC Mag, TechHive, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 30, 2021 Tweet Share Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. 4.5 Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith What We Like Attractive, robust design Useful 3:2 aspect ratio Great day-to-day performance Respectable graphics performance Large, responsive touchpad Excellent audio What We Don't Like Limited connectivity Keyboard shows some flex Display could be brighter Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 fixes its predecessor’s flaws while retaining its strengths, and the result is an excellent Windows laptop. View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video 4.5 Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video in this article Expand Design Display Performance Productivity Audio Network Camera Battery Software Price What’s New Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 vs Apple MacBook Air Final Verdict Specs We purchased the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 so our reviewer could put it to the test. Keep reading for the full product review. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is a small but important step forward for this mid-range laptop, though you wouldn’t know it at a glance. Even Surface fans will be hard-pressed to spot any difference between the new model and its predecessor. The Laptop 4’s size, weight, and screen size are nearly identical to prior models. Inside, it’s a different story. The Surface Laptop 4 has new AMD and Intel processor options that promise not just a boost in performance, but also battery life. This should help the Laptop 4 compete with Dell’s XPS 13 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 line—but can it catch up to Apple’s MacBook Air? Design If it s not broken don t fix it
The Surface Laptop 4 is nearly identical not only to the prior Surface Laptop 3, but to the original Surface Laptop released in spring of 2017. Yet the Laptop 4 looks utterly modern. That’s the sign of great design. A tall 3:2 display aspect ratio defines the laptop’s boxy shape. This was the Surface Laptop’s most distinctive feature on its debut and had the benefit of providing more usable screen space. Many companies have since copied Microsoft’s decision: the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is one example. Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith Microsoft’s minimalist aesthetic has aged well, too. Clean, sharp lines and expanses of smooth, matte metal define the laptop, providing a luxurious yet professional look. It’s easy to forget the Surface Laptop 4, though not a budget laptop, undercuts the more luxurious pricing of ThinkPad and Dell XPS models. A tall 3:2 display aspect ratio defines the laptop’s boxy shape. This was the Surface Laptop’s most distinctive feature on its debut and had the benefit of providing more usable screen space. I love the fabric interior, which remains a unique design decision but is now optional. The fabric looks and feels more inviting than the metal used by competitors. If you’re worried about how it will hold up: don’t be. Speaking from experience, I can assure you the fabric holds up well. Yes, it will eventually show signs of wear, but it’s no worse than a typical plastic or metal laptop interior. Size is the Surface Laptop 4’s only downside. It has a 13.5-inch screen with large bezels, and it’s significantly larger than a typical 13.3-inch laptop with a 16:9 display aspect ratio. The Laptop 4 takes up more space than you’d expect in a bag or on your desk, and its overall footprint is closer to a 14-inch laptop. Display Pixel dense but mediocre
The 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 has a 3:2 display aspect ratio with a resolution of 2,496 by 1,664. That works out to 201 pixels per inch, which is less than the 220 pixels per inch that Apple shoots for with Retina displays, but I doubt you’ll notice a difference. The display looks crystal-clear when using Word or viewing 1440p video. Color performance is solid but not exceptional. The Surface Laptop 4 has a standard IPS panel and lacks special features, like Apple’s True Tone or HDR support, to help it stand out. The gap between the Surface Laptop 4 and superior competitors is most noticeable in movies or other high-quality streaming content. Video often looks plain or dull on the Laptop 4. Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith Brightness is an issue. The Surface Laptop 4’s maximum brightness on battery power is roughly 40 percent less than when connected to a wall socket. Many laptops reduce brightness on battery power, but this is more aggressive than usual. To make matters worse, the mirror-like screen does nothing to reduce reflections. Outdoors use is unpleasant and even a bright, sunlit window creates enough glare to be a distraction. Brightness is an issue. The Surface Laptop 4’s maximum brightness on battery power is roughly 40 percent less than when connected to a wall socket. The touchscreen is compatible with the Surface Pen. This isn’t especially useful given that the Surface Laptop 4 is, well, a laptop, but it’s nice to have the option. I often use the touchscreen as an alternative to the touchpad in casual use, like online shopping or watching YouTube. Performance AMD and Intel options hold their own
Microsoft offers both AMD and Intel processors for the Surface Laptop 4. I tested the base model, which has AMD’s Ryzen 5 4680U six-core processor with nine AMD Radeon graphics cores. It also had 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. The choice of AMD processor received criticism after the Laptop 4’s announcement because it’s not part of the latest Ryzen 5000-series line. I doubt most buyers will care, though, as the Ryzen 5 4680U performs extremely well. GeekBench 5 turned out a single-core score of 1,047 and a multi-core score of 5,448, while PCMark 10 reached a score of 4,366. These results fall in line with more expensive configurations of competing devices like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga and Dell XPS 13 / 13 2-in-1. The Surface Laptop 4’s day-to-day performance is excellent for any laptop and a great value at the starting price of $1,000. The AMD processor includes nine Radeon Vega graphics cores. These led the Surface Laptop 4 to a 3DMark Fire Strike score of 2,681 and a GFX Bench Car Chase 2.0 result of 24.6 frames per second. These numbers are respectable but not outstanding. The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga and Dell XPS 13 can achieve better scores with Intel’s latest Iris Xe graphics. Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith Still, the Surface Laptop 4 can handle basic gaming needs. Titles like Minecraft and Fortnite are enjoyable at modest detail settings. Newer, demanding games like Metro Exodus are technically playable, but you’ll have to set detail to low and play at a reduced resolution. Even then, you may see hiccups and stutters while playing. Productivity A portable multitasking powerhouse
The 3:2 display aspect ratio not only dominates the Surface Laptop 4’s design, but also its functionality in day-to-day use. It offers 12 percent more screen space than a 13.3-inch with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Most 13-inch laptops can’t comfortably fit two documents side-by-side, but this works well on the Laptop 4. Microsoft pairs the useful display with a nice keyboard that provides crisp, taut feedback. You’ll find plenty of key travel and a bottoming action that’s refreshingly tactile. There is a flaw, though: there’s a lot of flex in the keyboard. You can see this while typing, and fast typists will notice a springy quality to the typing experience. Microsoft pairs the useful display with a nice keyboard that provides crisp, taut feedback. Keyboard backlighting is standard. It’s not bright enough to be obvious in a well-lit room but is effective in dark spaces. Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith The Surface Laptop 4’s touchpad is large, measuring four and a half inches wide by three inches deep. It’s responsive but doesn’t pick up unintended input. Multi-touch gestures work extremely well, helping you get the most out of Windows’ underrated multitasking touchpad shortcuts. Audio Going loud
The Surface Laptop 4 has punchy speakers with excellent volume. There’s great separation between lows, mids, and highs, which avoids the muddy sound that is common to many laptops as speaker volume nears maximum. There’s no subwoofer, so bass can sound flat, but the Laptop 4 provides some sense of depth without overwhelming the rest of the track you’re enjoying. The speakers are Dolby Atmos-certified and, for once, this has meaning. Movies and TV shows sound great. Dialogue is clear and crisp, yet explosions are impactful. Crisp dialogue also translates to great performance in podcasts. Ramping up volume to maximum let me listen to a podcast while moving around my house, something that normally isn’t possible with a laptop. Network Great Wi-Fi but can we get LTE
The Surface Laptop 4 supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Wi-Fi performance was strong in my testing. It can exceed speeds of 800Mbps near my Wi-Fi 6 router, which is true of nearly all compatible laptops. Performance remained great at range, hitting 103Mbps in a detached office. This easily defeats the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, which hit only 40Mbps in the same situation. 4G LTE cellular data is not available. That’s a bit disappointing, as LTE is available in some Surface Pro devices and in competitors like the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga and HP Spectre x360 13t. Optional LTE would be a match for the Surface Laptop 4’s productivity-first design. Camera An okay webcam with Windows Hello
The Surface Laptop 4 has a 720p front-facing camera that suffers all the shortcomings you’d expect from a laptop webcam. It looks ok in a bright room, but even a moderately dim setting will lead to grainy, soft video. The camera fails at proper exposure when lighting is uneven. An IR camera is standard, so Windows Hello facial recognition login is supported. This feature is easy to enable and extremely quick once set up. It works well in poor or uneven lighting. Battery It s good but don t believe the hype
Microsoft says the Surface Laptop 4 will last up to 19 hours on a charge. The laptop might be capable of hitting that number, but it’s misleading. Real-world battery life is much less than Microsoft’s ads would have you believe. Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith Despite that, the Surface Laptop 4’s battery life is good for the category. I saw 7-9 hours of battery life while using the Surface Laptop 4 for web browsing, writing, and basic photo editing. It can outlast the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, a 2-in-1 that’s similar in size and performance. You can drain the battery more quickly, however. I used the laptop for an hour-long session of heavier photo editing in GIMP and chewed through about 20 percent of the battery. This is a downside of the laptop’s fast six-core processor. Software Keep It Stock
The Surface Laptop 4 ships with Windows 10 Home installed. There’s otherwise not much to say about the software which, for most people, will be good news. The Laptop 4’s stock Windows installation has zero bloatware. Price It s not cheap but it s good value
I tested the entry-level Surface Laptop 4 with an AMD Ryzen 5 Surface Edition processor. This model starts at $1,000 with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. Intel models start at $1,300 for a Core i5 processor with the same RAM and storage. Microsoft’s pricing feels spot-on. It’s expensive, but not so expensive that it’s unobtainable, and you get a lot for your money. Even the base Laptop 4, which I reviewed, has an acceptable amount of storage and RAM with a fast AMD processor. This is similar to Apple’s approach with the MacBook Air; even the base model is great. Dell’s XPS 13 is a different story. It starts at $1,000, but the base model has a lackluster Intel Core i3 processor. Upgrading to the Intel Core i5 sets you back another $100. What s New A small useful upgrade
The 13.5-inch models of the Surface Laptop 3 and Laptop 4 are nearly identical in design, connectivity, display, keyboard, and touchpad. Most changes are under the hood, as the Laptop 4 receives new AMD and Intel processors. These extend battery life and provide a small boost in performance. Microsoft sells the Laptop 3 starting at $800. Seems like a deal, right? But here’s the thing: the base Laptop 3 has a 128GB solid-state drive, while the base Laptop 4 has a 256GB drive. The real difference is only $100 because the Laptop 3’s price jumps to $900 with the storage upgrade. I think most buyers will be happy with either laptop, but the Laptop 4’s performance feels worth the extra $100. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 vs Apple MacBook Air
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 and Apple MacBook Air are both portable laptops that start at $999. Microsoft’s option is larger and heavier with a more useful screen, while the MacBook Air has a smaller but more attractive display. AMD’s Ryzen processor with Radeon Vega graphics leads the Surface Laptop 4 to strong performance in both CPU and GPU tests, but Apple’s incredible M1 chip can outrun it, and it does so in a fanless design. The Surface Laptop 4 is fast for a Windows device but just can’t compare to Apple’s MacBook line. The same is true for battery life. Lifewire’s Jeremy Laukkonen saw about 12 hours of life while testing the MacBook Air. I saw a maximum of nine hours from the Surface Laptop 4. I like the Surface Laptop 4: it’s a wonderful Windows laptop. Still, the Apple MacBook Air is the better choice for most people. It’s faster yet also more portable, and that’s a hard combination to beat. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020) Review: Apple’s Impressive M1 Chip Rises To New Heights Final Verdict One of the best Windows laptops you can get. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 is one of the best Windows laptops available today. Its design is attractive, yet functional, and it delivers great performance for the price. The Surface Laptop 4 can’t overcome Apple’s competing MacBooks, but it’s a great pick if you want to stick with Windows. Similar Products We' ve Reviewed
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Product Name Surface Laptop 4 Product Brand Microsoft MPN 5PB-00001 Price $999.99 Release Date April 2021 Weight 2.79 lbs. Product Dimensions 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 in. Color Ice Blue, Matte Black, Platinum, Sandstone Warranty 1-year limited warranty Platform Windows 10 Processor AMD Ryzen 5 4680U Microsoft Surface Edition RAM 8GB Storage 256GB Camera 720p with IR camera Battery Capacity 47 watt-hours Ports 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 3.5mm combo headphone/microphone, Surface power adapter Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 Shows That the Future Is ARM, Not Intel The 9 Best Laptops of 2022 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Review: A 2-in-1 For ThinkPad Superfans The 8 Best 2-in-1 Laptop Tablets, Tested by Experts Which Microsoft Surface Is Best for You? The Next Microsoft Surface Event: Date, News, Announcements, Rumors, and More Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Review: A Lightweight Laptop Option Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Review: A Little Workhorse With a Beautiful Display Dell XPS 13 (9370) Review: This Little Laptop Makes a Big Impression The 9 Best Laptops for College Students of 2022 The 9 Best Lightweight Laptops of 2022 LG Gram 15.6-inch (2018) Review: A Big, Incredibly Light Laptop that Lasts and Lasts Expert Tested: The 8 Best Windows Laptops in 2022 Acer Predator Triton 300 SE Review: Small Laptop, Big Value Apple MacBook Air (2018) Review: A Long-Awaited Ultraportable Upgrade The 9 Best Tablets in 2022, Tested by Lifewire Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies