Microsoft Surface Laptop 4: A choice between AMD or Intel processors

Microsoft has just announced its latest laptop: the Surface Laptop 4. Given the ongoing AMD versus Intel debate, the company has decided to kill two birds with one stone, offering both 11th Gen processors and Ryzen 4000 series chips as part of the configurations. For the latter, do note that many newer laptops are now arriving with Ryzen 5000 series chips under the hood—which is probably why the AMD version of the Surface Laptop 4 retails at USD 300 (~RM1,238) cheaper than the Intel counterpart.

In any case, two sizes are available: 13.5″ and 15″ models. You get the Surface’s specialty finish, Alcantara, or you can opt for a more conventional metal finish with a number of colourways available. If you opt for the AMD version, you’re looking at integrated Radeon Graphics, while the Intel model comes with Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics. Other specs include up to 32GB of LPDDR4X RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and WiFi 6 support (and Bluetooth 5.0, obviously).

Ports are made up of a single USB-C port, 1x USB-A, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the good ol’ Surface Connect port. Up front, you’re looking at PixelSense touchscreen display pushing a resolution of 2256×1504 pixels on the 13.5″ model, or 2496×1664 pixels on the larger 15″ model. As is signature with Surface laptops, the display is set in a 3:2 aspect ratio, and you have 10-point multi-touch support for the Surface Pen—sold separately.

“With the 201 PPI, high-contrast touchscreen display, and Dolby® Atmos™ Omnisonic speakers, you’ll get a cinematic experience that immerses you in your favorite movies and shows from the comfort of anywhere. Whether through the vibrant touchscreen display, large trackpad with gesture support, or its industry-leading typing experience, Surface Laptop can adjust to your preferred workflow.” 

Battery life is very impressive. Microsoft promises up to 70 percent of an improvement over its predecessor, with the Surface Laptop 4 offering a rated battery life of 19 hours on a single charge for the AMD-powered 13.5″ version. On the 15″ AMD model, you’re looking at something like 17.5 hours, while the 15″ Intel model promises up to 16.5 hours of battery life. Finally, the Intel-powered 13.5″ variant is rated for 17 hours on a single charge.

If you’re keen, you might have to have a little bit of patience. The Surface Laptop 4 starts at USD 999.99 (~RM4,127), but orders are only open in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Shipments will begin on the 15th of April 2021. Meanwhile, the company also announced a couple of business-centric peripherals to improve virtual meetings, including the Surface Headphones 2+ for Business—read more about that here.

So, what do you think? Is this enough of an improvement over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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