Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Which Copilot + PC is better for you?

The Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 were the first Copilot + PC. The Surface Laptop 7 had a remarkable battery life for boasting and brilliantly snappy performance, making it the first Windows notebook in a while to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

However, the Qualcomm-based Navigator + Computer wasn’t without problems. In our , we noted the show wasn’t as beautiful as we’d like and a deep keyboard that didn’t give nicely to a good typing experience.

Some Surface Laptop 7 users reported issues with Windows on Arm’s local app compatibility. Although this has improved since start, it’s also an issue for Snapdragon-powered PCs today. It’s also a main reason some people are considering buying one of machines instead.

This new Surface Laptop 7 model, powered by ‘s Core Ultra Series 2 ( Lunar Lake ) chipset, will be available to purchase starting February 18, 2025. It might be worthwhile to wait for the -based Surface Laptop 7 for those who have certain Windows applications that are only directly compatible with x86.

To help you decide on a computer that will help you with regular jobs for years, we’ll examine Intel—and Qualcomm-based Surface Laptop 7 products side by side, scrutinizing promised performance, battery life, and more.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Features compared

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Column 0 of the Header Cell Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, Intel Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, Qualcomm
Price $ 1, 499 starting $ 999 starting
Processor Intel Core Ultra 5 236V, Intel Core Ultra 5 238V, Intel Core Ultra 7 266V, Intel Core Ultra 7268V Qualcomm 12-core Chipset X Elite, Qualcomm 10-core Snapdragon X Plus
RAM Up to 32GB Up to 32GB
Storage Up to 1TB Up to 1TB
Display 13.8-inch ( 2304 x 1536 ) 120Hz touch display, 15-inch ( 2496 x 1664 ) 120Hz touch display 13.8-inch ( 2304 x 1536 ) 120Hz touch display, 15-inch ( 2496 x 1664 ) 120Hz touch display
Ports Surface Connect port, 2x USB-C ( 4 ) ports, audio jack, USB-A 3.2 Surface Connect port, 2x USB-C ( 4 ) ports, audio jack, USB-A 3.1
Battery living Up to 20/22 days video recording, up to 12/14 time engaged web usage Up to 20/22 days video recording, up to 13/15 time engaged web usage
Dimensions 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches ( 13.8-inch ), 12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches ( 15-inch ) 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches ( 13.8-inch ), 12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches ( 15-inch )
Weight 2.97 lbs ( 13.8-inch ), 3.66 lbs ( 15-inch ), 3.64 lbs ( 15-inch, w/ smart card reader ) 2.96 lbs ( 13.8-inch ), 3.67 lbs ( 15-inch )

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Price and availability

The Surface Laptop 7 has a significant cost difference between the Qualcomm and Intel varieties.

The Qualcomm-based, 13.8-inch model starts at$ 999, while its larger 15-inch sibling starts at$ 1, 299. Meanwhile, the Intel-based, 13.8-inch model starts at$ 1, 499—a staggering$ 500 more than its Qualcomm-based opponent. Although Microsoft didn’t provide a starting price for the larger 15-inch type, we’re assuming it’ll start at$ 1, 799.

A can now be purchased from Microsoft or other stores. However, if you want an , you’ll have to wait until February 18 to get it.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Display and style

By looking at them, it’ll be tough — if no nearly unthinkable — to tell the difference between an Intel-based Surface Laptop 7 and a Qualcomm-based one.

surface laptop 7 intel models

Microsoft’s Intel-based Surface Laptop 7 types. ( Image credit: Microsoft )

Both Surface Laptop 7 versions feature a smooth, MacBook-inspired search with the Microsoft brand centered on the top handle and a slim, lightweight framework. They also come equipped with the same amount of ships, though the Intel-based Surface Laptop 7 is gaining a USB-A 3.2 slot instead of the Qualcomm woman’s USB-A 3.1 interface.

Nothing fresh was said about the console, so we expect the browsing experience to become parallel between Intel- and Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7 versions.

Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)

The bottom support of Microsoft’s Qualcomm-based Surface Laptop 7. ( Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari )

The screen options are another similar feature to those on both devices. You’ll have a choice between a 13.8-inch ( 2304 x 1536 ) 120Hz touchscreen display and a 15-inch ( 2496 x 1664 ) 120Hz touchscreen display, whether you go with a processor from Qualcomm or Intel.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Performance

One of the biggest areas in which these two laptops will differ is in terms of performance, with one running on an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 ( Lunar Lake ) chip and the other using a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus chip.

The Surface Laptop 7 assessment system from Laptop Mag featured a Chipset X Elite X1E80100 processor with 32GB of RAM. The laptop received a remarkable multi-core score of 14, 426 when we ran the entire performance test for Geekbench 6.

Getting AI set with Surface Copilot + Computers powered by Intel- YouTubeGetting AI set with Surface Copilot + Computers powered by Intel- YouTube

We haven’t been able to test one of Microsoft’s new Intel-based, 7th-gen Surface Laptops however, so we don’t have our own Geekbench 6 results to examine. But, tested an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V computer in a and an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V computer in an S 14 and received multi-core scores of 11, 033 and 11, 125, respectively.

It’s not clear whether these devices were equipped with 16GB or 32GB of RAM, which could make a difference in multi-core results. However, given our limited understanding so much, it appears that Qualcomm has a better grasp of natural performance power than Intel.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Battery living

According to Microsoft, the 15-inch, Snapdragon X Elite-powered Surface Laptop 7 capabilities up to 22 hours of battery life for video recording. The smaller 13.8-inch model may last up to 20 days. models suggest equivalent video recording quotes.

Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)

( Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari )

The can last up to 12 hours on the 13. 8-inch design and up to 14 hours on the 15-inch design, according to battery life estimates from Microsoft based on “active online usage.” Alternatively, the can last up to 13 hours on the smaller model and up to 15 hours on the larger model.

In our , the laptop lasted 15 hours and 44 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous surfing through web pages over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness.

For comparison, ran a battery test on the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chip in a Dell XPS 13, which lasted 17 hours and 29 minutes. These aren’t identical laptops, and processors behave differently within unique configurations. Before we can put our hands on one of Intel’s new Lunar Lake chips to test, this information will help us understand how long the battery life will last.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: App compatibility

Since the first Copilot + PC was released in July 2024, we’ve come a long way in terms of app compatibility with Windows on Arm devices.

Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)

( Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari )

According to , 90 % of the time people spend on Copilot + PCs — which at the time were solely powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips— is spent in “native experiences including popular apps like , Zoom, Brave, Photoshop, Opera, Slack, Spotify, Private Internet Access, Surfshark, Windscribe, OpenVPN, and many others”.

There are numerous apps that can be used natively on Windows on Arm, but only is the one that isn’t listed on . So far, Valve hasn’t created a native app for Windows on Arm, and there’s no telling when it’ll be available or if it’s even in the works. Currently, there are emulation workaround solutions, but gaming on a laptop running Windows on Arm is more complicated than on an x86-based laptop.

With growing native app compatibility, there’s a good chance this won’t be a deciding factor for much longer when buying an x86-based, Intel-powered laptop vs. a Windows on Arm, Qualcomm-based laptop.

I’d suggest putting all the apps you use frequently on Windows on Arm in order to make sure they support native apps before purchasing, though, for the time being.

Surface Laptop 7 Intel vs. Qualcomm: Outlook

Ultimately, the battle between an Intel-powered and a Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7 is an extremely close one. Both processors are powerful enough to qualify the laptop as a Copilot + PC under Microsoft’s guidelines, and they’ll both feature better battery life than we’ve seen in years from Windows laptops.

We can’t say for sure whether one laptop will be better for most people until we can get a Surface Laptop 7 with a new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor. However, the Snapdragon X Elite-powered variants appear to have a slight advantage over Intel models based on battery life and performance estimates we’ve seen so far.

Qualcomm is quickly catching up, and the only area where Intel currently outperforms Qualcomm is in terms of native app compatibility. Additionally, nearly all of the apps users use on a regular basis could have native Windows on Arm versions in a year or two.

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