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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Display
- Interface
- Connectivity
- Configuration
- Performance
- Additional Features And Software
- Comments
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.3
Updated May 02, 2025 02:47 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8.3
Updated May 02, 2025 03:06 PM
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Amazon.com
Size15"
Operating SystemWindows 11
Size13.6"
Operating SystemmacOS
Variants
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYT-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHH-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHQ-00026) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHI-00001) (Black - Snapdragon X Elite/32GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYT-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZYU-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHG-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHQ-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHP-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (ZHH-00001) (Platinum - Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW133LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6C4LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW123LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0X3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC654LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0W3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6U4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6V4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6T4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW103LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MC6A4LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MW0Y3LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
Our Verdict
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) are both premium ultraportables designed for general productivity. The choice comes down to what you care about most. The Surface Laptop has a brighter 120Hz display, a wider port selection, and longer battery life, while the MacBook Air has a larger touchpad and better-sounding speakers. If you're considering the Surface Laptop, know that it uses an ARM-based SoC, meaning some programs might not work or run poorly through emulation. Apple transitioned to its in-house SoC sooner, so app compatibility is typically better on the MacBook Air.
Main Differences forSchool
School
Threshold
School
8.8
8.8
Battery
9.7
9.0
Portability
8.3
9.1
Reflections
6.3
9.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.3
9.1
Dimensions Photo
Size
15"
13.6"
Thickness
0.7" (1.8 cm)
0.5" (1.3 cm)
Width
13.0" (33.1 cm)
12.0" (30.4 cm)
Depth
9.4" (24.0 cm)
8.5" (21.5 cm)
Volume
87.3 in³ (1,429.9 cm³)
51.9 in³ (849.7 cm³)
Weight
3.6 lbs (1.6 kg)
2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
Charger Size
7.1 in³ (116.0 cm³)
5.5 in³ (89.4 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
5.8
3.5
Internals Photo
Ease Of Access
7.5
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
1
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
2496 x 1664
2560 x 1664
Aspect Ratio
3:2
16:10
Pixel Density
200 PPI
224 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
Yes
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
88%
86%
Refresh Rate
8.7
5.9
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Dynamic Refresh Rate
No
Contrast
7.5
7.6
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
1,404 : 1
1,494 : 1
Brightness
9.1
8.4
Maximum Brightness
601 cd/m²
445 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
3 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
6.3
9.0
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
5.79%
1.57%
Indirect Reflections
0.53%
0.24%
Calculated Direct Reflections
5.26%
1.33%
Black Uniformity
8.0
8.8
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.864%
0.680%
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
8.7
9.8
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
2.81
1.68
Avg. Gamma
2.14
2.25
Avg. Color dE
1.58
1.08
Avg. Color Temperature
6,411.9 K
6,767 K
Color Gamut
8.3
9.4
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
98.35%
99.98%
sRGB uv
98.9%
99.94%
Adobe RGB xy
72.95%
87.95%
Adobe RGB uv
84.98%
93.47%
Gamut HDR
DCI P3 xy
73.15%
99.44%
DCI P3 uv
79.9%
99.45%
Rec. 2020 xy
52.48%
71.86%
Rec. 2020 uv
58.23%
73.27%
Flicker
10
9.0
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Yes
No
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
0%
100%
Interface
Keyboard
8.5
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
8.5
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
64 gf
61 gf
Actuation Force
31 gf
37 gf
Pre-Travel
0.96 mm
0.77 mm
Total Travel
1.37 mm
0.86 mm
Touchpad
8.8
9.2
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
9.0
9.5
Size
14.9 in² (96.0 cm²)
15.8 in² (102.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
8.7
8.2
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
82 dB SPL
77 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.0 dB
5.9 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
-1.4
2.7
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
334 Hz
141 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
16 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
0.7 dB
2.6 dB
Webcam & Microphone
8.7
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.0
9.0
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
Yes
No
Connectivity
Ports
6.5
5.0
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
1
0
USB-C Ports
2
2
Thunderbolt
No
Thunderbolt 4
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
No
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
MicroSD UHS 2
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Surface Connect
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.4
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Qualcomm
Apple
Model
Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100
M4
Core Count
12
10
Thread Count
12
10
GPU
Brand
Qualcomm
Apple
Model
Adreno GPU X1E80100
M4
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP)
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
16 GB
Modules
1 (Soldered)
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5x
LP-DDR5x
Speed
8,448 MHz
7,500 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
452 GB
211 GB
Drive 1
WD SDDPTQD-512G-1124
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
9.9
9.4
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
1,562 points
2,653 points
CPU Multi-Thread
13,719 points
12,873 points
GPU Compute
N/A
35,474 points
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
8.7
9.8
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
1,092 points
2,156 points
Multi-Thread
9,316 points
10,494 points
Blender (3D Rendering)
7.7
9.1
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
4.6 min
2.9 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
0.6 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
N/A
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
6.2
7.4
Basemark Image
Overall Score
27,539
44,722
Storage Drive Performance
9.0
9.3
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
1,363.6 MB/s
2,845.4 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
2,680.7 MB/s
2,863.3 MB/s
Random Write Speed
78.0 MB/s
46.3 MB/s
Random Read Speed
39.6 MB/s
68.1 MB/s
Battery
9.7
9.0
Capacity
66 Wh
54 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
17.0 hrs
12.3 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
16.4 hrs
11.9 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
3.5 hrs
3.2 hrs
Charge Time
2.1 hrs
2.8 hrs
Borderlands 3
3.4
3.7
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
22 fps
23 fps
1% Low
12 fps
15 fps
0.1% Low
6 fps
9 fps
1% Low Delta
39 ms
24 ms
0.1% Low Delta
121 ms
63 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
45 fps
43 fps
Civilization VI
3.8
6.6
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
18 fps
42 fps
1% Low
12 fps
29 fps
0.1% Low
12 fps
28 fps
1% Low Delta
25 ms
10 ms
0.1% Low Delta
28 ms
12 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
56 fps
112 fps
Avg. Turn Time
8.68 s
7.3 s
Counter-Strike 2
4.3
0.0
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
33fps
N/A
1% Low
9fps
N/A
0.1% Low
2fps
N/A
1% Low Delta
77 ms
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
409 ms
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
46fps
N/A
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
3.4
5.1
Avg. FPS
22 fps
37 fps
1% Low
11 fps
22 fps
0.1% Low
8 fps
16 fps
1% Low Delta
48 ms
18 ms
0.1% Low Delta
78 ms
35 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
34 fps
59 fps
Thermals And Noise
7.4
8.1
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
29 °C (84 °F)
26 °C (79 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
49 °C (121 °F)
49 °C (121 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
39.5 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
0.0
7.3
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
N/A
91 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
N/A
6% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
N/A
81 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
N/A
11% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
macOS
Additional Software
None
None
Extra Features
Biometrics
Face Recognition
Fingerprint Sensor
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen Support
No Stylus Support
No Stylus Support
Secondary Display
No
No
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)
Comments
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025): Main Discussion
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