Versus Engine
MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max against Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
Starts about $2,000 lower.
Rated higher
MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max
9.6 vs 9.2 on our design scale.
Standout
MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max
Unrivaled performance-per-watt
MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max
The M4 Max mobile workstation — the same argument as the M3 Max, executed further.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Unrivaled performance-per-watt
- Stunning Mini-LED display
- Exceptional thermal management
Cons
- Extremely expensive memory upgrades
- Not suited for most AAA PC gaming
- Heavy frame
Specifications
- connectivity—
- coresUp to 36-core CPU with 12 super cores and 24 performance cores
- cpu_cores—
- display—
- fabrication_process—
- gpuUp to 80-core GPU
- key—
- key_features16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, M4 Max 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, up to 128GB RAM
- memory—
- memory_bandwidth1.2TB/s memory bandwidth
- neural_engine32-core Neural Engine
- npu—
- soc—
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
The vanguard of Copilot+ PCs, introducing Windows on ARM that finally competes with Apple Silicon. The Snapdragon X Elite integrates a massive 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU, delivering ultra-low latency for local on-device AI tasks.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Class-leading 45 TOPS NPU for instant local AI inference
- Stunning fanless-like thermal efficiency and battery life
- Premium haptic touchpad and aluminum unibody build
Cons
- x86 emulation overhead for legacy specialized software
- Gaming performance is limited by driver compatibility
Specifications
- connectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- cores—
- cpu_cores12-core Qualcomm Oryon (up to 3.4GHz, 4.0GHz boost)
- display13.8 or 15-inch PixelSense Flow (120Hz)
- fabrication_process4nm (TSMC)
- gpu—
- keyvalue
- key_features—
- memory16GB or 32GB LPDDR5x (8448 MT/s)
- memory_bandwidth—
- neural_engine—
- npuQualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)
- socQualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100)