The age-old question: Microsoft or Apple? We've done many such face-offs in the past, and it's safe to say that Apple won more than not. Will this turn out any different? Well, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition got itself some backup: the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 processor.
When Apple swapped over to a different chipset, the quality of MacBooks shot to the moon. Naturally, I was excited to see what Microsoft could do with that same spark of potential. It went down a few avenues I didn't expect. But how does it compare to the MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)?
Let's see what a Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3 matchup looks like.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Specs compared
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Price
You'd think that Apple would be the more expensive side of the fence. Well, Microsoft is doing its best Apple impression with this pricing, so we're getting Apple prices. But only one does it better.
For $1,999, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition offers a Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 13.8-inch, 2304 x 1536, 120Hz display.
For $1,599, the MacBook Pro 14 features an M3 chip, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964, 120Hz, Liquid Retina XDR display.
If you match Microsoft's $1,999 price, you can get Apple's M3 Pro model, which ups the RAM to 18GB. Because Apple handles its storage and RAM, the prices are a bit wonky. At $999, you can get the Surface with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, albeit with the lower-tier Snapdragon X Plus.
Pricing on both spirals out of control quickly, but at least you can get the Surface Laptop for a cheaper starting price with more RAM, arguably more important than storage in this context.
Winner: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Design
Everyone is trying to be a MacBook. Not to discount the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition's design, but it's remarkably similar to the MacBook Pro 14 M3.
They're aluminum, curvy, and compact. There's not much else to say in that department. However, while both come in black and silver, the Surface Laptop also features Sapphire and Dune color schemes. I'd give Microsoft more credit if those colors didn't become irrelevant at the lowest and highest configurations.
They do look similar, but they size up differently. The Surface Laptop comes in at 3.7 pounds and 11.9 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches, while the MacBook Pro stacks up to 3.4 pounds and 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches.
Microsoft manages a smaller width due to its 13.8-inch display. Apple supports a 14.2-inch display, so it's bigger. But ultimately, the MacBook Pro still came in thinner and lighter.
Winner: MacBook Pro 14 M3
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Display
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition and MacBook Pro 14 M3 support displays with unique resolutions. The former sports a 13.8-inch, 2304 x 1536, 120Hz panel, and the latter a 14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964, 120Hz, Liquid Retina XDR screen.
The MacBook's immediate advantage is its larger display and higher resolution. Let's see how the Surface Laptop does on benchmarks.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition covered 73.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 568 nits of brightness. The MacBook Pro 14 M3 covered 81.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 558 nits of brightness.
While one wins in color and the other in brightness, the ratio gap in color is wider than in brightness.
In addition to these differences, I also experienced ghosting on the Surface Laptop, essentially a slightly blurred trail behind objects in motion on the screen. While people have differing levels of sensitivity to this kind of thing, it's unquestionably a point against the Surface Laptop.
Winner: MacBook Pro 14 M3
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Performance
This is a critical moment for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition. We're about to find out just how its new Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 fares against the MacBook Pro's M3 chipset. This is what the numbers tell us.
On the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test, the Surface Laptop scored 14,426, while the MacBook Pro hit 11,968. Even if you outfitted the MacBook with the M3 Pro, the Surface Laptop beat the MacBook Pro, which landed 14,357
When the machines transcoded a 4K video to 1080p on our HandBrake benchmark, the Surface Laptop completed it in 5 minutes and 10 seconds, while the MacBook Pro finished in 5 minutes and 38 seconds.
The Surface's 1TB SSD scored a read/write speed of 1,880/2,118 megabytes per second on the BlackMagic test. The MacBook's 512GB SSD scored 2,956/3,359 MBps
Qualcomm brings the heat with its Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 processor. Overall performance goes to Microsoft, even though the company should work harder on its SSDs.
Winner: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition vs. MacBook Pro 14 M3: Battery life
When Apple made its own chipset, we saw a dramatic increase in battery life. It made the MacBook Pro 14 M3 the king of battery life, so this is going to be tough to top. Let's see what Qualcomm did for the Microsoft Surface Laptop's battery life.
On the Laptop Mag battery test — which continuously surfs through webpages over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness — the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition lasted 15 hours and 44 minutes. That's incredibly long, but it doesn't dethrone the king. The MacBook Pro 14 M3 lasted 17 hours and 16 minutes on our test.
Winner: MacBook Pro 14 M3
Overall winner: MacBook Pro 14 M3
You knew how this showdown was going to end when you saw the star ratings for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition and MacBook Pro 14 M3. Apple has added another jewel to its crown.
It may seem like a tight race, but the gaps between the MacBook Pro and Surface Laptop are too wide. The MacBook Pro's display is leagues better, and it doesn't suffer the same shortcomings of the Surface Laptop's keyboard and graphics.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a decent laptop, but it's hard to recommend over the MacBook Pro 14 M3. Unless you need a Windows laptop, get the MacBook Pro 14 M3.
Winner: MacBook Pro 14 M3
