Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 delivers broader CPU choice

Microsoft started to offer an AMD-powered Surface Laptop 3, alongside its Intel alternatives, back in 2019. However, it held back from letting users select AMD or Intel for the full range of Surface Laptop 3 offerings: if you wanted an AMD processor you had to go with the 15-inch model.

In April, reports WinFuture, Microsoft will widen the CPU options available for new Surface Laptop 4 purchasers. Again Microsoft will be trotting out 13.5- and 15-inch Surface Laptop models but this time both screen size models will have accompanying AMD or Intel CPU choices. It is good to see Microsoft expand the configuration options with the latest AMD mobile processors in favour with many other laptop makers.

According to the report, Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 models won't offer the latest AMD CPU technology. WinFuture says that again Microsoft has worked closely with AMD and come up with special 'Surface Edition' processors for this laptop range. Going by the processor codenames, AMD Ryzen 5-4680U and Ryzen 7 4980U, these will use 'outdated' Zen 2 cores. A little more info is provided about the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U – it is said to have a base clock of 2.0GHz and a boost clock of 4.4GHz.

While the Surface Laptop 4 upgrades its AMD CPU choices with 'last gen' APUs, the updated Intel models offer fully up to date Tiger Lake Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs with Iris Plus Graphics 950. It looks like Intel will still be the pricier premium option for the Surface Laptop 4, as Microsoft is only giving Intel users the choice of a 32GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD – AMD configuration max RAM/storage is half that.

Other than the above considerations, there seems to be little new in the Surface Laptop 4 design. We shall have to wait and see for any surprises as well as full official specs, availability, and pricing. WinFuture's specs table is reproduced below, and while the site has a good track record, the specs might contain errors or things could easily change between now and launch.