6 Best Surface Laptops for Business

The Surface Laptop 4 provides a solid mix of power, portability and impressive battery life in an ultraportable package. With an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, you can run several apps at once, stream 4K videos and have many browser tabs open simultaneously without any noticeable slowdown. RAM is a modest 8 GB but it’s upgradable to 16 GB.

It shares the same dimensions as its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 3, at 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.6” and 2.8lbs but has the added benefit of the newest Intel CPU, additional battery life, and a range of colors to choose from. The Surface Laptop 4 comes in Ice Blue, Sandstone, Platinum and Matte Black. The keyboard is exceptionally springy, responsive and comfortable, accompanied by a large trackpad.

You’ll find the Surface Connector on the right side of the laptop for charging with a USB-A, USB-C and headphone jack on the left. The USB-C port does not support Thunderbolt speeds, however. The screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio which provides a generous addition screen length which makes for less scrolling. The Dolby Atmos speakers have dynamic, bassy sound that will please the most discerning audiophiles.

• Processor: Intel Core i7 1185G7
• Graphics: Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Win 11 Pro
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Display: 15" touchscreen
• Resolution: 2496 x 1664px
• RAM: 8 GB RAM
• Weight: 2.8lbs
• Battery life: Up to 16.5 hours

The Surface Laptop Go provides a budget-friendly yet capable alternative to the Surface Laptop 4. This model has upgraded RAM (16 GB vs. 8 GB in the base model), which is helpful if you’re looking to run several apps concurrently and/or stream 4K video without a hitch. Be sure to read our article if you’re trying to decide if CPU or RAM is more important to you.

The Surface Laptop Go doesn’t have “Go” in it’s name for nothing—it’s extremely light at a mere 2.45 lbs and 0.62 inches thick. If you’re a frequent traveler or like to coffeehouse hop, this laptop is an excellent choice to keep your bag light. However, build quality is not sacrificed in the process: the bottom is plastic but the keyboard and display casing is aluminum, giving it a durable feel expected in laptops twice as expensive.

It has the exact same ports as the Surface Laptop 4 (USB-A, USB-C and headphone jack) and a similarly comfy keyboard and large trackpad. The resolution is less than the Surface Laptop 4 as is the capabilities of the GPU and CPU, but the Surface Laptop Go is still an excellent purchase for a budget-minded individual not in need of the top-of-the-line components or heavy content creation capabilities.

• Processor: Core i5 1035G1
• Graphics: UHD Graphics
• OS: Win 10 Pro
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Display: 12.4" touchscreen 
• Resolution: 1536 x 1024px
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Weight: 2.45lbs
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours

This is a variation of the first Surface Laptop 4 we listed, with upgraded RAM. If you’re someone who likes to have many open tabs or programs at once (you know who you are!) or perhaps you’re a frequent user of the Adobe Creative Cloud, this could be a game-changing upgrade.

The Surface Laptop 4 stays cool under pressure. The only time it tends to produce noticeable heat on its underside is when running graphically intense games or other particularly demanding applications.

The webcam is 720p and meets expectation for your video chatting and selfie taking needs. The IR camera assists in the Windows Hello biometric authentication, making for lightning-quick and secure logins. The TPM 2.0 chip provides additional protection by encrypting inbound and outbound data.

• Processor: Intel Core i7 1185G7
• Graphics: Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Win 11 Pro
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Display: 15" touchscreen 
• Resolution: 2496 x 1664px
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Weight: 2.8lbs
• Battery life: Up to 16.5 hours

Yet another variation of the Surface Laptop 4, the most significant difference between this model and the last two listed here is the smaller screen size, lesser resolution, and less RAM/storage. This also comes with significant cost savings, with this iteration of the Surface Laptop 4 being much less expensive with many of the same benefits, including the GPU, strong battery life and great Dolby Atmos speakers.

If you’re a professional copywriter or mostly using your laptop to put together PowerPoint presentations and browse the web mostly, you simply don’t need a laptop with the same horsepower as a data wizard whipping through dense Excel spreadsheets with macros or video editors cutting and splicing in compute-intensive video editing software. Need to think more about your laptop needs? Check out our laptop buying guide, where we lay out different buyer personas and what is most vital in the laptop you decide to purchase.

• Processor: Intel Core i5 1145G7
• Graphics: Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Win 11 Pro
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Display: 13.5" touchscreen 
• Resolution: 2256 x 1504px
• RAM: 8 GB RAM
• Weight: 2.8lbs
• Battery life: Up to 17 hours

Released in Q4 2021, the Surface Laptop Studio is the newcomer to the Microsoft Surface Laptop family and Microsoft’s champion high-end hybrid laptop. At first glance, it appears to have a classic clamshell design with a conventional keyboard.

However, the Surface Laptop Studio is anything but conventional: it has a woven fabric hinge that allows you to shift the screen into “stage mode” for easier doodling and media viewing. The tented screen is then anchored in place by magnets that sit just beyond the keyboard. You can flatten the screen completely into “studio mode”, which is great for sketching and those seeking to use it more as a traditional tablet.

Most convertibles have detachable keyboards, and are more like tablets with keyboards, like the Surface Pro series. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio is a true convertible laptop with attached keyboard. The transition from laptop to studio mode is seamless and does not require pressing any buttons or pausing any applications.

This is the mid-range model in terms of CPU, storage and RAM and can easily handle everything from design and photo-processing software to modern gaming titles. The battery life will carry you through the day. An additional boon to this device is the 120Hz refresh rate, making penning and scrolling on the device smooth and natural.

The Surface Laptop Studio is rather minimalist in ports offered with two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support, the Surface Connect port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It pairs well with the Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately), which can be stored magnetically and charged underneath the front lip of the laptop.

• Processor: Intel Core i5 11300H
• Graphics: Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Win 11 Pro
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Display: 14.4" touchscreen 
• Resolution: 2400 x 1600px
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Weight: 3.84 lbs
• Battery life: Up to 19 hours

If you’re one for cloud storage options like OneDrive or have an external hard drive you’re dying to use, this is a great alternative to the last Surface Laptop Studio we listed and can save you more than $100.

The SSD storage of the Surface Laptop Studio can be removed and upgraded but Microsoft advises that only a technician should do this. Within the top bezel is a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello so you can log in with facial recognition rather than a password. While the Surface Laptop Studio does not have a USB-A port, the device’s AC adapter has a USB-A port that can deliver power to your phone or other USB-A compatible device. However, it is unable to connect to the Studio itself.

Want to compare the Surface Laptop Studio to the Surface Go 2, Pro 7/Pro 7+, Pro X and Surface Book series? Be sure to read our article for an overview of Microsoft Surface devices to see if these laptops and 2-in-1s would be better suited for your needs.

• Processor: Intel Core i5 11300H
• Graphics: Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Win 11 Pro
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Display: 14.4" touchscreen 
• Resolution: 2400 x 1600px
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Weight: 3.84 lbs
• Battery life: Up to 19 hours