The best Microsoft Surface PCs encompass a rather wide range of hardware designed to accommodate plenty of users and workloads. Surface hardware has long been the standard for other laptop makers when it comes to design and functionality, and many people see no reason to shop outside of the Surface brand.
There are classic clamshell laptops for those who want a traditional PC, there are nimble and versatile 2-in-1 PCs with removable keyboards (and optional 5G connectivity), and there are more powerful laptops with ingenious designs made for creators and designers.
My top pick is the Surface Pro 11 Copilot+ PC, but its Surface Laptop 7 sibling comes in at a close second for anyone who prefers a notebook design. With prices starting at about $1,000 for the Pro 11, you can get a great PC without really overspending. There are more Surface PCs to consider, so let's dig in.
October 2, 2024: I updated this guide with new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips. — Cale Hunt
The quick list
The most versatile Surface PC is also one of the best Copilot+ PCs on the market thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X ARM64 chips, powerful NPU, OLED touch display, and countless premium features.
The Surface Laptop 7 is the best alternative to the Pro 11 for anyone who wants a Copilot+ PC in a notebook form factor. It's available in two sizes, and it's never been better in terms of design and features.
With a unique pull-forward display design, 13th Gen Intel Core H-series CPUs, and NVIDIA RTX discrete laptop graphics (up to an RTX 4060 or RTX 2000 Ada), the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a versatile and powerful PC built for creators. Recent discounts make it more attractive than ever.
The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a compact 12-inch laptop with the usual Surface design quality. It's powered by 12th Gen Intel Core U-series CPUs, it has a comfortable keyboard and touchpad, and it's more affordable than its siblings even without a discount.
The Surface Go 3 is a miniaturized version of the regular Pro lineup, with a 10.5-inch touch display and a sleek 2-in-1 design with a detachable keyboard. It's ultra-portable, and the best part is that it's almost always discounted due to its age. It should be a great pick for casual users.
Mr. Windows himself, Zac has a decade of experience testing, reviewing, and writing about Surface PCs. If there's one person to trust on the subject of the best Surface PCs, it's Zac.
I've been using Surface PCs for ten years, and I have a clear idea of which models are the best for certain users. It's not just the latest PCs in this list; I've also considered older models still available for those who want the best deal possible.
The best Surface PCs in 2024
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If the quick list above doesn't have the info you need to make a final decision, we'll now get into a more detailed breakdown of each of the best Surface PCs available in 2024. We have years of experience with all of Microsoft's Surface PCs, and we've reviewed multiple generations of each option listed here. This helps us offer informed buying advice no matter how you plan on using your PC.
Best overall
When Copilot+ PCs were announced, the Surface Pro 11 was the first to be shown off. Hotly anticipated up to its release in July, it's now considered the best Surface PC. Not only does it have the awesome performance and battery life from Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC), but it also features an optional OLED display and an updated attachable keyboard.
Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino reviewed the Surface Pro 11, noting:
"Having witnessed the evolution of every Surface Pro version and yearning for a device that excels in performance and battery life akin to the best Windows laptops (and even MacBooks), Microsoft has undeniably nailed it with the Surface Pro 11, making it a strong recommendation."
Testing a model with a Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80) chip inside, Rubino saw outstanding performance on and off of AC power, with an average of about 10 hours of battery runtime. That's really not bad for a Surface, especially with an OLED touch display with high resolution and refresh rate.
The 12MP webcam is outstanding (it's joined by a world-facing camera), the dual speakers with Dolby Atmos pump out quality sound, and Wi-Fi 7 is included for modern connectivity. Now available is optional 5G connectivity for times when you're not in a hotspot.
Adding versatility is the 2-in-1 design that incorporates a built-in stand on the back of the tablet. The new Pro Flex keyboard and Slim Pen 2, sold separately, turn the Pro 11 into a notebook PC. The new keyboard now has Bluetooth, allowing you to use it when disconnected from the tablet.
Microsoft has many different configurations available, but prices start at about $1,000 for a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and an LCD touch display.
Read our full Surface Pro 11 review
🔎 Further analysis: Surface Pro 11 vs. ProArt PZ13: Microsoft's 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC isn't bested, but ASUS makes a strong argument with a lower cost
Runner-up
The Surface Laptop 7 is also a Copilot+ PC, but it comes in a more traditional form factor. There aren't any removable keyboards or kickstands, and instead, it focuses on delivering an exceptional notebook experience. Microsoft has 13.8- and 15-inch models available, with some key differences in battery capacity, touch display resolution, and ports.
The smaller model tops out at a 2304x1536 resolution, but its 201 pixel-per-inch is actually the same as the 2496x1664 resolution in the 15-inch display. Both screens have a 3:2 aspect ratio, 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and Dolby Vision support. The 15-inch model adds a microSD card reader for removable storage, and it has a larger 66Wh battery capacity.
Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden, in his Surface Laptop 7 review, said:
"It's basically perfect. It's peak clamshell form factor. Of course, some minor areas could still be improved, but those are more subjective changes rather than objective ones. Things like adding an OLED screen is something that sounds like an upgrade on paper, but the IPS panel in here is already excellent and doesn't run the risk of any burn-in."
Like the Pro 11, the only real downsides are a lack of anti-reflective display finish and a lack of human presence detection capabilities. If you'd like to enjoy the new Copilot+ AI features in Windows 11 on a premium notebook PC, this is the way to go. Prices start at about $1,200 for a model with Snapdragon X Plus SoC, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
Read our full Surface Laptop 7 review
🔎 Further analysis: Surface Laptop 7 vs. MacBook Air M3: The "best clamshell laptop" goes up against Apple's slim sensation
Best performance
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a mash-up between the Surface Studio and Surface Book, delivering a clamshell laptop with a pull-forward touch display and plenty of performance hardware inside.
As mentioned by Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino in our Surface Laptop Studio 2 review:
"The pull-it-forward functionality is elegantly straightforward. Initially, you can use Surface Laptop Studio 2 as a regular workstation laptop. But with a simple flick, the screen gracefully moves forward ("stage mode") while the keyboard is hidden, leaving only the touchpad accessible for navigation (in addition to the touch screen)."
The 14.4-inch screen has a 2400x1600 resolution, a boxy 3:2 aspect ratio, and its refresh rate hits 120Hz for a smooth picture. There's even HDR support and Dolby Vision IQ. The Surface Slim Pen 2 even supports haptic feedback for a more natural feel when inking. The only major drawback to the display is a glossy finish.
Combine the design and display with an outstanding keyboard, haptic touchpad, and lots of performance potential, and you have a versatile and mobile PC for creators and designers. The 13th Gen Intel Core H-series CPUs provide plenty of power, and they can be paired with up to an NVIDIA RTX 4060 or RTX 2000 Ada Laptop GPU. Models usually start at about $2,400.
Read our full Surface Laptop Studio 2 review
Best for students
In our Surface Laptop Go 3 review, Senior Editor Zac Bowden called it "an easy 'on the go' machine for when you need to travel because it's just so light and fits so well into any backpack."
That's the focus point here. The Laptop Go 3 isn't the most powerful or most premium Surface PC, but it does make a strong case for students thanks to its portability, affordability, and premium design.
The keyboard is excellent if you're typing all day (though it does lack a backlight), there's a decent selection of ports, and the overall build quality is second to none. And while the 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U is starting to show its age, it can certainly keep up with web browsing, email, word processing, and other productivity.
Battery life is excellent, and it comes in a variety of colors to better stand out at school. Prices usually start at around $800, but frequent discounts regularly drop it by hundreds to make it an even better deal for cash-strapped students.
Read our full Surface Laptop Go 3 review
Best value
If you're on a budget, the Surface Go 3 is still your best choice even if it's no longer sold straight from Microsoft. Third-party retailers still have listings for the Go 3, and you can often find a refurbished model for somewhere around $400. New models complete with LTE connectivity are also available for about $799.
Even though it's showing its age in terms of performance, Surface Go 3 is a quintessential Surface experience. It's a 2-in-1 tablet that can also act as a laptop, just like the Surface Pro, but at a fraction of the cost. It's also the smallest Surface PC available today, featuring a 10.5-inch display.
It's not plastic, with cheap materials making the PC look and feel budget. Instead, Microsoft has essentially shrunk down the Surface Pro from a design perspective, meaning this thing looks and feels premium.
The Pentium Gold configuration is passable for those who do only light computing, which involves nothing more than browsing the web, checking email, and writing documents in Word or creating a simple PowerPoint presentation. Anything more than that, and you'll want to splash out for the 8GB RAM option or spend a little more than that for the Intel Core m3 variant.
Surface Go 3 features one USB-C port, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack in addition to the Surface Connect port for charging. It's also the first Surface Go to be available in black!
Read our full Surface Go 2 (previous model) review
How to choose the best Surface PC for you
With the release of awesome Copilot+ PCs in May 2024, Microsoft's flagship Surface PCs shot to the forefront of Windows-based AI tools. Equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips, the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are easily the two best Surface PCs on the market today for most people.
The Surface Pro 11 is the right choice for anyone who prefers the versatility of a 2-in-1 PC with a built-in stand and removable keyboard. Creators, designers, students, professionals, and beyond can take advantage of the Pro 11's features, and it now even has optional 5G connectivity.
The Surface Laptop 7, available in two sizes, should be the go-to choice for those who prefer a more traditional notebook PC. It's also powered by Qualcomm's SoCs, with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of up to 45 TOPS for Copilot+ tools. It lacks an OLED display and optional 5G connectivity; nevertheless, it's the best Surface Laptop that Microsoft has ever created.
And if you need the most performance possible from a Surface PC, the Laptop Studio 2 comes with 13th Gen Intel Core H-series chips and up to an NVIDIA RTX 4060 or RTX 2000 Ada Laptop GPU. The Laptop Studio 2 features a rare pull-forward design that allows the 14.4-inch touch display to sit forward on the base, making it a dream for creators and designers.
Do you really need an AI PC?
Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are both considered some of the best AI laptops on the market today. But do you really need an AI PC?
They're designed to include an NPU for localized AI acceleration, but the uses outside of Copilot+ are still limited in many cases. Even then, you might not see a need for tools like Windows Recall, Live Captions, advanced Windows Studio Effects, Cocreator, and more.
Buying a Surface Pro 11 or Surface Laptop 7 doesn't mean you need to use the AI capabilities. What's even more important is the awesome power and battery life afforded by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips, and you really just need to be comfortable using Windows on ARM. ARM64 limitations are shrinking all the time, and the vast majority of PC users won't have any issues.
