Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15 laptop review: New AMD processor and more endurance

Testing the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15. Test unit provided by Microsoft Germany.

The fourth generation of the Surface Laptop is really only a CPU upgrade with Intel Tiger Lake chips and the special AMD Ryzen processor. The latter is still based on the older 4000 series and already appears slightly outdated at the laptop’s introduction. While the performance largely corresponds to the regular Ryzen 7 4800U mobile processor, there are apparently some optimizations in the integrated video decoder, which also has a positive effect on the battery life. We are a bit disappointed about the fact that the larger 15-inch model offers no performance advantage over the smaller 13.5-inch Surface Laptop, since the TDP configuration is the same. The battery life is also identical, so the additional space in the case is completely wasted.

In terms of the choice between AMD and Intel, we recommend the more affordable AMD configuration. The multi-core performance is significantly higher and it also offers the better battery life. Even though the Intel i7 offers a higher single-core performance and also more graphics performance, this is still an iGPU, causing the gaming performance to be limited. Due to the lack of a Thunderbolt port, you cannot connect an external GPU.

The only additional upgrade is the faster Wi-Fi 6 module, but otherwise the Surface Laptop 4 limps significantly behind the competitors. Microsoft remains faithful to the impractical Surface Connect port and continues to shun faster connections such as Thunderbolt or USB 4. There is not even an option for a WWAN module. The 3:2 display is good overall, but its reflective surface limits its use in bright surroundings. A brighter panel would definitely help here. The old 720p webcam is also hardly able to convince.

A new processor, but otherwise mostly stagnation: In many areas, the Surface Laptop 4 remains behind the competitors. For the high purchase price, we expect state-of-the-art technology in 2021.

By itself, the Surface Laptop 4 15 is basically not a bad device, but for the high purchase price we also expect the current technology. Microsoft takes the easy way out with the fourth generation and continues to use the old case with the known limitations (few connections, a bad webcam, large display bezels). In addition, the space of the larger case is not used optimally, and there is no additional performance compared to the smaller 13.5-inch model. The competitors in this price and size range usually offer dedicated graphics cards with significantly more GPU performance. 

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