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Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8" specifications and in-depth review

Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8"

Manufacturer: Microsoft

The Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is a productivity-oriented laptop built around a 13.8-inch touchscreen display with a 2304 x 1536 resolution, 201 ppi pixel density, and a 120Hz refresh rate capable of reaching 600 nits of brightness. Covered by Gorilla Glass 5, the screen delivers a 1400:1 contrast ratio, making it well-suited for extended daily use. The machine weighs 1,340 g and measures 17 mm thick, with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint scanner included as standard.

Under the hood, the Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is equipped with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD, supported by a 12-core processor clocked at 3.4 GHz with a turbo frequency of 4 GHz and a 23W TDP. Graphics are handled by an integrated Adreno X1 GPU running at up to 1,200 MHz with 1,536 shading units. Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4, while cellular connectivity is available through integrated LTE and 5G support. Battery life is rated at 20 hours, and the system supports up to three external displays.

Pros
  • The 13.8-inch touchscreen runs at 120Hz with a 2304x1536 resolution and 600 nits of brightness, making it well-suited for detailed work in well-lit environments
  • Two Thunderbolt 4 ports supporting USB 4 at 40Gbps provide fast data transfer and flexible external display connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 7 support alongside integrated 5G and LTE means the laptop can maintain fast wireless connections in a wide range of environments
  • A rated battery life of 20 hours reduces dependence on frequent recharging during long working days
  • 32GB of DDR5 RAM across 8 memory channels with up to 135 GB/s bandwidth handles demanding multitasking workloads effectively
  • The 1TB NVMe SSD on PCIe 4 offers substantial local storage with fast read and write access
Cons
  • No HDMI or DisplayPort outputs mean wired display connections require adapters through the Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • The absence of an RJ45 port rules out wired Ethernet without an external adapter, which may affect reliability in network-critical environments
  • No anti-reflection coating on the display may cause glare issues in bright or outdoor settings
  • The laptop is not weather-sealed or rugged, limiting its suitability for use in demanding or unpredictable physical environments
  • Only one USB Type-A port is available, which restricts the simultaneous connection of legacy peripherals
  • There is no external memory card slot, so expanding storage requires external USB-connected devices
Who is this for?

This laptop is a strong fit for professionals who spend long hours working on documents, data, or creative tasks and need a display that keeps up — the 120Hz touchscreen at 2304x1536 resolution with 600 nits of brightness handles both detail-oriented work and extended use with ease. The 20-hour rated battery life and integrated 5G and LTE connectivity make it particularly well-suited for mobile professionals and frequent travelers who need reliable performance away from a fixed desk. With 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, it also serves users who regularly work with large files, external displays, or fast storage peripherals.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who depend on a wide range of wired peripherals or legacy connections will find the port selection limiting, as there is no HDMI, no RJ45, and only a single USB Type-A port, making it a poor fit for desktop-replacement setups that rely on direct wired display or network connections. The lack of ray tracing support and DLSS, combined with an integrated GPU, means it is not suited for gaming or GPU-intensive rendering workflows. Similarly, users working in physically demanding or outdoor environments will find the non-rugged, non-weather-sealed construction inadequate for field use or harsh conditions.

Design:

Type Productivity
weight 1340 g
Uses a fanless design ✕
Has a backlit keyboard ✓
warranty period 1 years
volume 1125.74 cm³
width 301 mm
height 220 mm
thickness 17 mm
is weather-sealed (splashproof) ✕
has a rugged build ✕

The Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is classified as a productivity laptop with a weight of 1,340 g and a compact footprint of 301 × 220 mm at just 17 mm thick, giving it a total volume of 1,125.74 cm³. It features a backlit keyboard for comfortable low-light use and ships with a one-year warranty. The design does not incorporate a fanless build, a rugged construction, or weather sealing, so it is intended for standard indoor working environments.

Display:

screen size 13.8"
resolution 2304 x 1536 px
pixel density 201 ppi
has a touch screen ✓
brightness (typical) 600 nits
refresh rate 120Hz
contrast ratio 1400:1
has anti-reflection coating ✕
supported displays 3
Gorilla Glass version Gorilla Glass 5

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ features a 13.8-inch touchscreen display with a 2304 x 1536 resolution at 201 ppi, protected by Gorilla Glass 5. It delivers a typical brightness of 600 nits, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 1400:1 contrast ratio, while supporting up to three external displays simultaneously. The panel does not include an anti-reflection coating.

Performance:

RAM 32GB
Uses flash storage ✓
internal storage 1024GB
CPU speed 12 x 3.4 GHz
CPU threads 12 threads
Is an NVMe SSD ✓
DirectX version DirectX 12
GPU clock speed 500 MHz
uses multithreading ✓
maximum memory amount 64GB
DDR memory version 5
turbo clock speed 4GHz
GPU turbo 1200 MHz
PCI Express (PCIe) version 4
semiconductor size 4 nm
has XeSS (XMX) ✕
Supports 64-bit ✓

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is powered by a 12-core, 12-thread 64-bit processor built on a 4 nm semiconductor process, running at a base speed of 3.4 GHz with a turbo frequency of 4 GHz, and supports multithreading for handling parallel workloads. It comes with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, expandable up to 64GB, paired with a 1TB NVMe SSD using PCIe 4 and flash storage technology. The integrated GPU operates at 500 MHz with a turbo of 1,200 MHz and supports DirectX 12, though XeSS (XMX) acceleration is not available.

Benchmarks:

Geekbench 6 result (multi) 14584
Geekbench 6 result (single) 2792
PassMark result 23265
PassMark result (single) 3452

In standardized benchmark testing, the Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ achieved a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 14,584 and a single-core score of 2,792, reflecting its multi-threaded and per-core processing capabilities respectively. On the PassMark suite, it recorded an overall score of 23,265 alongside a single-thread PassMark score of 3,452.

Connectivity:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) 0
USB 4 20Gbps ports 0
USB 4 40Gbps ports 2
Thunderbolt 4 ports 2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A) 1
Thunderbolt 3 ports 0
has an HDMI output ✕
Has USB Type-C ✓
supports Wi-Fi ✓
Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
has an external memory slot ✕
Bluetooth version 5.4
RJ45 ports 0
HDMI ports 0
DisplayPort outputs 0
USB 2.0 ports 0
has AirPlay ✓
mini DisplayPort outputs 0
has a VGA connector ✕

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ offers a focused port selection built around two Thunderbolt 4 ports that also function as USB 4 40Gbps connections, complemented by a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. There are no HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, RJ45, VGA, or external memory slot options, so wired display and network connectivity relies on the Thunderbolt 4 ports. On the wireless side, the laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) along with Wi-Fi 6E, 6, 5, and 4, paired with Bluetooth 5.4, and also includes AirPlay support.

Battery:

Battery life 20 hours
Has sleep-and-charge USB ports ✓
Has a MagSafe power adapter ✕

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is rated for 20 hours of battery life and includes sleep-and-charge USB ports, allowing connected devices to be charged even when the laptop is not in active use. It does not use a MagSafe power adapter.

Features:

has stereo speakers ✓
has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack ✓
supports ray tracing ✕
supports DLSS ✕
has Dolby Atmos ✓
Stylus included ✕
Has a fingerprint scanner ✓
number of microphones 2
Uses 3D facial recognition ✕
has voice commands ✕
has a front camera ✓
Has S/PDIF Out port ✕
has a gyroscope ✕
has GPS ✕
has an accelerometer ✕
has a compass ✕
Has an optical disc drive ✕

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ includes stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, a 3.5 mm headset jack, and a dual-microphone setup, covering the essentials for both audio playback and voice capture. A front camera and a fingerprint scanner are built in for login and video calls, though 3D facial recognition, voice commands, and an S/PDIF output are not available. On the sensor and motion side, the laptop does not include a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, or GPS, and there is no stylus in the box, no optical disc drive, and no support for ray tracing or DLSS.

Miscellaneous:

clock multiplier 34
upload speed 3500 MBits/s
download speed 10000 MBits/s
GPU name Adreno X1
has 5G support ✓
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 23W
Has TrustZone ✓
Has NX bit ✓
Has integrated LTE ✓
maximum memory bandwidth 135 GB/s
memory channels 8
L2 cache 12 MB
Uses big.LITTLE technology ✕
render output units (ROPs) 6
shading units 1536
Has integrated graphics ✓

The Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is equipped with an integrated Adreno X1 GPU featuring 1,536 shading units, 6 render output units (ROPs), and a clock multiplier of 34, operating within a 23W TDP envelope. The processor draws on 8 memory channels delivering up to 135 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 12 MB of L2 cache, without using big.LITTLE technology. Cellular connectivity is covered by integrated LTE and 5G support, with upload speeds reaching 3,500 Mbits/s and download speeds up to 10,000 Mbits/s. Security features include TrustZone and NX bit support, rounding out a platform that also carries integrated graphics as standard.

Final Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ is a well-defined productivity machine built around a compelling combination of a high-resolution 120Hz touchscreen, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 20-hour rated battery life that collectively make a strong case for professionals who prioritize sustained, mobile performance. Its integrated 5G and LTE connectivity, fast NVMe storage, and Thunderbolt 4 ports reinforce its position as a capable daily driver for on-the-go work, though users with demanding wired connectivity needs or GPU-intensive workloads will encounter its boundaries fairly quickly. For the professional who spends most of their time in productivity applications and values a sharp, responsive display alongside genuine all-day battery endurance, the Surface Laptop (2024) 13.8″ delivers a cohesive and purposeful package.