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Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5-inch (2021)

79% External
Keywords: amdintelintel-corelaptopmicrosoftmicrosoft-surfaceryzentiger-lake

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Product Overview

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5 is a premium 13.5-inch laptop that bridges sleek design with professional minimalism. For the first time in Microsoft's Surface lineup, AMD Ryzen Zen 2 mobile processors are available alongside 11th-gen Intel Core ones.
Like before the Surface Laptop 4 comes with a full aluminum chassis, while Alcantara is available with some colors. Similarly, the laptop retains 10-point multi-touch despite its clamshell form factor.
Inside, the Surface Laptop 4 supports similar memory and storage options as the Surface Book 3, including up to 32GB LPDDR4x and 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.
To note, the AMD processors in the Surface Laptop 4 are Ryzen 4000-series Zen 2 unit rather than the latest Zen 3 CPUs. Still, they are more efficient and benchmark higher than Intel's Tiger Lake processors.
Naturally, Microsoft also markets a 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop 4.

Ratings

What we found**

Pros
  • Slim and light for a 15-inch laptop
  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad
  • AMD Ryzen 7 4980U is faster than Intel Core i7-1185G7
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • Uses previous generation AMD Ryzen processor

What external reviewers found***

External score 79% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
  • Great performance for work and school
  • Good keyboard
  • Great battery life
Cons
  • Lacks Thunderbolt 3
  • Not as sharp as competitors
  • No SD card reader
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port
  • No Thunderbolt 3
Read More
See Product Comparison

Price Comparison

Specifications

AMDIntel

Connectivity

Ports1x USB-A + 1x USB-C + 1x 3.5mm Audio jack + 1x Surface Connect ports
Wireless ConnectivityWiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0

Construction

Battery | Capacity47.4 Wh
Camera | Front720p HD f/2.0 camera with Windows Hello
ColorsIce Blue, Sandstone, Platinum, Matte Black
Form FactorClamshell laptop
MaterialAluminum chassis with optional Alcantara
MicrophoneDual far-field Studio Mics
SpeakersOmnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos9

Dimensions

Size | Depth223 mm / 8.8 inch
Size | Height14.5 mm / 0.57 inch
Size | Width308 mm / 12.1 inch
Weight1265 g / 2.79 lbs Platinum and Ice Blue Alcantara | 1288 g / 2.84 lbs Matte Black and Sandstone metal

Display

Aspect Ratio3:2
Contrast Ratio1600:1
Display Diagonal13.5 inch
Display TypeIPS
Pixel Density201 ppi
Resolution2256 x 1504

Function

GraphicsIntegrated AMD Radeon GraphicsIntegrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Keyboard BacklightYes
Operating SystemWindows 10
Processor11th-gen Intel Core i5-1135G7, i5-1145G7, i7-1185G7 or AMD Ryzen 5 4680U or Ryzen 7 4980U
SecurityHW TPM 2.0 chip, Windows Hello face sign-in
SensorAmbient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer
Touch Screen10 point multi-touch
TouchpadPrecision trackpad: 115 x 76.66 mm, glass

Performance

Battery LifeUp to 19 hoursUp to 17 hours
Key Travel1.3 mm
Memory | CapacityUp to 32 GB
Memory | TypeLPDDR4x 3733MHz
Power Supply65 W
StorageUp to 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD

Production

Debut2021-04-13
See Product Comparison

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Launch Comparison
Clear List

3rd-Party Review Videos

External Review Video qHqA6E7Ivoc for Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5-inch (2021)
External Review Video UqovTcyQqeI for Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5-inch (2021)

External Reviews

gizmodo[1]

Reviewer score 80%
Reviewers from gizmodo have found the following***:
Microsoft has improved battery life on its latest Surface laptop by nearly five hours. With that longer battery life, the Surface Laptop 4 is a better overall laptop for work and school. The graphics might be a little small on the 13.5-inch version, especially if you have the in-game ratio set to 16:9.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Great performance for work and school
  • Good battery life
  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port

digitaltrends[2]

Reviewer score 77%
Reviewers from digitaltrends have found the following***:
The Surface Laptop 4 has an excellent keyboard and touchpad. It's a spacious layout, and the keys have a long 1.3mm travel. Dolby Atmos adds some much-needed stereo separation. The screen hits 97% of the sRGB color space but only 73% of AdobeRGB.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous 2256 x 1504 screen
  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • Not as sharp as competitors
  • No fingerprint reader

laptopmag[3]

Reviewer score 80%
Reviewers from laptopmag have found the following***:
The 13.5-inch PixelSense display is both gorgeous and practical. The keyboard and touchpad are as good as they get in the ultra-thin class of laptops. The 720p webcam is a considerable step down from the 5MP snapper on the Surface Pro X. Despite those complaints, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Surface Laptop 4.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous 13.5-inch PixelSense display
  • Excellent battery life
  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad
Cons
  • Lacks Thunderbolt 3
  • No Thunderbolt 3

notebookcheck[4]

Reviewer score 73%
Reviewers from notebookcheck have found the following***:
The Core i7-1185G7 is equipped with the most powerful version of Intel's Xe Graphics G7. It has a slightly higher clock of 1350 MHz and is much faster than the old UHD Graphics. Despite the increased performance of the iGPU, the Surface Laptop 4 is only suited for older or less demanding tiles.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • High-quality aluminum case
  • Good battery life
  • Good keyboard
  • Good speakers
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3
  • No SD card reader

notebookcheck[5]

Reviewer score 75%
Reviewers from notebookcheck have found the following***:
The AMD model of the Surface Laptop 4 13.5 is an interesting alternative to the Intel SKU. The device is more affordable, the battery runtime is better, and the multi-core performance is superior to the most expensive Intel option. The entry-level version has a much better price-performance ratio and sufficient performance for everyday tasks. We do not understand the limitations of the configurations though.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Matte IPS screen
  • Good battery life
  • Good input devices
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3

tomsguide[6]

Reviewer score 83%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
The Surface Laptop 4 is a beautiful machine, and it truly does last quite a while on a single charge. But as good as it is, the laptop’s battery life doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Microsoft claims the AMD-equipped 13.5 Surface L laptop can last up to 19 hours on a charge.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek, lightweight design
  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
  • Excellent battery life
  • Great speakers
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3

tomsguide[7]

Reviewer score 88%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 runs on an 11th Gen Intel i7-1185G7 CPU with 16GB of RAM. The 13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504-pixel panel offers accurate touch input. Microsoft rates the Intel-based Surface L laptop as lasting up to 17 hours on a single charge.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous, ultra-wide display
  • Long battery life
  • Excellent keyboard
Cons
  • No 720p webcam
  • No Thunderbolt 3

User Reviews

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References

  1. ^ Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 Is Nearly Perfect. [gizmodo]. https://gizmodo.com/microsofts-surface-laptop-4-is-nearly-perfect-1846694212. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  2. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 review: Steps in the right direction. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-4-review/. 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  3. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (13-inch) review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-4. 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  4. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Laptop Review - Too expensive with Intel CPU?. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-Surface-Laptop-4-13-Laptop-Review-Too-expensive-with-Intel-CPU.539455.0.html. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Review: Is AMD's Ryzen held back on purpose?. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-Surface-Laptop-4-13-Review-Is-AMD-s-Ryzen-held-back-on-purpose.541475.0.html. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  6. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-4. 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  7. ^ Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 review (hands on). [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-4-review-hands-on. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-04-18.

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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.

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