Microsoft Surface 7: ‘Arm’ the Future of Windows?

One of the best made laptops I have tried

Since the launch of Apple’s M4 series CPUs, I have been searching for a competitor in the Windows world. Despite my love for Apple products, Windows will always have a special place in my heart, as it was where my tech journey began in the early 2000s, building my own computers.

Life was simpler back then when choosing a computer, as Macs were niche products before they adopted Intel CPUs, which allowed broader software support and the ability to run Windows on a Mac! Microsoft aims to make a dent in Apple’s sales by partnering with Snapdragon to introduce new ARM-based CPUs in their Surface PCs.

What is an ARM based Windows Laptop :

There are two main types of computers in use today, X86, which are what Intel and AMD CPU’s run on and have traditionally been the main computers we use Windows on. In the past ARM CPU’s were used in lower powered smaller devices like tablets and smartphones. They didn’t used to provide enough graphics power for example to run larger computers, but all of this has changed in the past couple of years.

Apple and Windows for years, used Intel chips to power their machines, based on the X86 architecture. This enabled cross compatibility between the two platforms and also meant you could run Windows on a Mac, which is when Apple saw sales of Mac’s take off, because people no longer had to worry about compatibility issues. This all changed in 2021, when Apple launched the M1 CPU for Mac’s, which were based on an ARM architecture. Apple now had complete control of their software and hardware and going down the ARM route, meant they could build in the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), CPU (Central Processing Unit) and RAM into one chip. This would significantly improve performance as all the components could talk to each other much faster. The M1 chip took the world by storm and had impressive performance, whilst offering great battery and cooler running.

Microsoft have since been playing catch-up, partnering with Intel over the years to try and match Apple’s performance, whilst making thinner and lighter laptops. The first generations of the Surface laptop’s were often very hot running and didn’t match the M chips for performance. This forced Microsoft to go back to the drawing board and partnered with Snapdragon, to produce Windows on ARM. Snapdragon are well known for their smartphone CPU’s and make excellent performing chips. They then launched the Snapdragon X Elite for laptops, which was the first mainstream ARM chip for Windows laptops, designed to directly compete with Apple.

Now it hasn’t all been plain sailing, as it has meant software companies needed to create special ARM versions, of all the popular Windows software to run properly on this new platform. Software developers had similar issues with Apple, when they switched to ARM, but now this has all been sorted out and you can get most popular software on Mac’s.

The main hurdle Microsoft now faces, with their ARM powered PC’s and also other manufactures which have gone down the Snapdragon route, is that alot of X86 software has to be emulated to run. Emulation basically means the software is still designed for an X86 system and wont run on the ARM CPU, so Windows has to pretend to the software that it is running on an Intel/AMD CPU. This obviously affects performance as there is an extra step involved to emulated the software, meaning programs like Adobe Premier Pro wont run very well at all (as I found out). Adobe are working on bringing a dedicated ARM version to Windows, but this is still some months away.

Do the Snapdragon Elite laptops match Apple?:

Lovely HDR Touchscreen with Dolby Vision support

The main issue with Windows computers for video/graphics work has been the necessity of a dedicated GPU with Intel/AMD CPUs to match the performance of Mac’s M series lineup. However, after hearing positive reviews about ARM-based Windows computers, I decided to try one out. My first impressions were very good. The Surface Series 7, powered by the Snapdragon Elite X, is impressively thin and has excellent build quality (as it should for £2000).

The 15-inch, 2k, 120hz touch screen panel is exceptional. Although it doesn’t employ OLED or Mini-LED technology, the results are outstanding, and it’s an excellent panel for everyday use. I’ve never been a fan of touchscreen laptops, that don’t convert to tablets, as the angle is wrong for writing, and the screens get covered in fingerprints. Nonetheless, the touch screen is highly responsive and supports Dolby Vision, while the speakers support Dolby Atmos, making it excellent for movie watching. The Corning Gorilla Glass 5 ensures durability, and I haven’t encountered any issues during my month-long testing.

I won’t keep you in suspense—the Snapdragon Elite isn’t M4-beating from my experience, but it’s much better than any Intel/AMD laptops I’ve tested so far. The Surface model I picked up was £2000, with the top-tier Snapdragon Elite X CPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. Connectivity includes two USB-C 40GBPS ports, a USB-A port 10GBPS, a headphone jack, and Microsoft’s version of Magsafe, which charges at 65w. The 15” model also includes a MicroSD card reader, which is a nice addition, even if not essential.

I’m torn between comparing the Surface 7 to my MacBook Pro M4 or my MacBook Air M3. The MacBook Pro M4 is cheaper than both the Air M3 and the Surface 7 by a few hundred pounds and features a faster CPU. The MacBook Pro M4 also has more connectivity, with three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an SD card reader, HDMI, and a headphone jack. It has a 14” Mini-LED screen, a great audio system, and full Dolby Vision and Atmos support. The MacBook Air has the least connectivity, with just two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports. Despite the Surface 7's shortcomings with video work, it has performed better than the Asus S16 I reviewed recently.

For instance, Adobe Premiere Pro, my main editing software, requires using an emulated version on the Surface since Adobe hasn’t released an ARM-supported version. This might be a common issue with Windows on ARM, as ARM CPUs on Windows have only recently gained traction. However, many software developers like Adobe are working on ARM-based versions, which should enhance performance. Premiere Pro on the Surface 7 doesn’t run smoothly, even with the Snapdragon CPU and 32GB RAM. The timeline stutters, making editing difficult.

To be fair to the Surface, I tried DaVinci Resolve, which has an ARM version. It performed better most of the time but still struggled with 4k 60fps on the timeline (I have since installed new GPU drivers and it is now working much better), an issue not present on my Mac M3 and M4. Lowering the timeline resolution to 1080p in DaVinci Resolve helped, and rendering the project in 4K 60fps took about 30 minutes for a 20-minute video. The Mac M4 rendered the same project in 20 minutes and handled multiple 4k 60fps streams on the timeline without stuttering.

The Surface excels in office-based work, but should you spend £2000 on an ARM-based Windows laptop with limited GPU performance for gaming/video work? While the Surface is well-built and has an excellent screen, it’s let down by the Adreno GPU’s performance (Snapdragons ARM GPU). However, I’m optimistic that as more ARM software becomes available, performance will improve. The Surface feels Mac-like in start-up times, and I believe Windows on ARM is the future due to its cooler CPU and better battery life.

Apple is still ahead of Snapdragon/Microsoft in terms of creative performance. However, this shouldn’t deter you from buying this laptop. If you need a thin, lightweight laptop with enough power for office work and basic 3D graphics, the Surface Pro 7 is a great choice. The build quality is stellar, as is the screen. I would recommend the entry-level or mid-range model, as you can get the same Snapdragon Elite X CPU with 512GB storage and 16GB RAM for £1432. This model offers better value than the £2000 version I chose. I don’t think more than 16GB RAM is necessary for this laptop, as it isn’t designed for gaming.

The MacBook Air and Pro still offer better value for money if you can switch to Mac OS. The M2 Air, priced at £999, is more powerful in some ways and has no fan. The base model MacBook Pro M4, with a slightly smaller screen and no touchscreen, will outperform the Surface with its M4 integrated GPU for content.

Snapdragon Elite AI and Co-Pilot:

Keyboard and Track Pad are both excellent sizes and easy to use

One of the main selling points, Snapdragon and Microsoft have been pushing on their new Surface laptop’s is how good they are at AI. The processor has a new NPU unit, which is meant to be super power at processing AI instructions. I tried out Co-Pilot and it works really well, just like Chat GPT does. I found it really useful and I use it everyday and I think its better than the new Siri. On some devices you do need to pay for Co-Pilot and Google do the same with their Gemini Plus, which I am not sure is worth it at the moment, because Chat GPT free version is do good!

Windows Studio Effects is pretty good and one good example of freeing up the GPU to run graphics AI on the NPU engine, specifically built into these new Snapdragon CPU’s

Mac-Beating Battery Life?

One of the main goals of supporting ARM-based CPUs in Windows computers is to increase battery life, an area where Apple has consistently outperformed Microsoft. The quoted battery life for the 15” model is 22 hours of video playback, which is comparable to MacBook territory. I focus on real-world use rather than formal battery tests. Using the Surface all day instead of my MacBook Pro M4, it lasted about 8 hours running video editing programs. I am confident it would last all day with basic apps like Word, though still short of the quoted 22 hours. For comparison, my MacBook Pro M4 runs for about 20 hours, even with video work.

Final thoughts and should you buy a Windows ARM computer right now?

Right from unboxing the Surface 7th edition, I have really enjoyed using the laptop and I will say now, in my opinion it is a stellar effort from Microsoft to offer an alternative to Apple. I am a big Apple fan, but I also love their to be alternatives as I don’t like to see the market dominated by one manufacturer and I think its important their is healthy competition, to encourage innovation.

As this is only Snapdragon and Microsoft’s first attempt at a ARM based Windows PC, I think its a great effort, but its still not quite there yet. If you look at the Apple M series and think how far they have come over the past 4 years, I think the future of Windows Snapdragon ARM laptops is really exciting and should definitely worry Intel and AMD. The laptop runs quietly even under load, has excellent battery life, great build quality, a really nice keyboard and trackpad etc.

Because I enjoyed my time with this machine so much I don’t want to say don’t buy it. I do need to say though that if you are a content creator like me, you will struggle to use this laptop as your main editing machine, because of the limited GPU performance on the editing side. This may well improve over the next few months as more and more apps, like Premier Pro gain ARM support, so watch this space. These laptops aren’t cheap, but they do offer the ability to work all day on the move without a charger (like a Mac) and run office applications very well, whilst also being occasionally able to run some graphics work. I would understand if you aren’t ready yet to make the jump into the ARM world, but if you do, I think you will be pleasantly surprised (most of the time).