Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5″ Higher-End Ultraportable with Touchscreen

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is a popular 13.5-inch ultraportable laptop. The 2.8-pound 0.57″ thin Surface Laptop 3 features a very sharp 2256-by-1504-pixel display with touch and active pen input support (pen sold separately), IPS wide viewing angles, and 3:2 aspect ratio, optimized for document editing and productivity.

The Surface Laptop 3 is available in four design variants: Platinum and Cobalt Blue with soft-touch Alcantara palm rest and Matte Black and Sandstone with metal palm rest. The display lids are metal on all variants.

As the main upgrade over the Surface Laptop 2, the Surface Laptop 3 packs the 10th Generation Intel Core processor options instead of 8th Gen. Namely, the 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G7 and Core i7-1065G7. These processors are very fast, delivering completely smooth operation when it comes to the daily computing tasks and some good potential for demanding tasks like video editing. The processors feature the Intel Iris Plus G7 integrated graphics. It offers improved gaming performance over the regular integrated graphics processors such as the Intel UHD series. But, as expected, it still can’t compete with the full-blown gaming video cards like the Nvidia GTX or RTX series.

The system memory (RAM) size can be either 8GB or 16GB, which are both great for multitasking. The laptop comes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1-Terabyte of fast solid state drive storage.

Another important change over the previous version of the Surface Laptop is addition of a USB-C port besides the standard-size USB and removal of the mini DisplayPort. The USB-C on Surface Laptop 3 supports video output besides data transfers.

According to Microsoft, the battery of the Surface Laptop 3 can provide “up to 11.5 hours” of “typical” device usage.

Besides the 13.5-incher, Microsoft has in its Surface lineup a larger 15″ version of the laptop.

Specifications of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

Here are the specs of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.

Brand	Microsoft
Laptop Type	Standard non-convertible laptop This laptop features a clamshell-only design, without ability to convert itself into a tablet. Ultraportable (small laptop) The light weight and small dimensions make this ultraportable laptop easy to carry around or travel with. Premium-class laptop It belongs to the laptop maker's premium-class lineup.
Performance	Mid-range performance The mid-range performance of this laptop allows you to easily complete your daily home and office computing tasks. It additionally has some potential for heavier duties like professional photo and video editing. However, if you regularly do these tasks, a high-performance laptop is recommended. More info about performance of the laptop can be found in the CPU, GPU, RAM, and Storage sections below.
Screen Size	13.5-inch This is a small display size, typical for ultraportable laptops. There are however laptops with even smaller screens, with diagonals of 12.5" or less.
Screen Resolution	2256x1504 pixels (very good sharpness) This screen resolution provides a decent image sharpness and a lot of space on the display for the user interface and programs. It's slightly better than the popular Full HD. However, these resolutions aren't as good as the premium-class 4K Ultra HD and similar.
Touchscreen	Finger multi-touch input The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures. Active digitizer pen input The screen supports active digitizer pen input, besides the common finger multi-touch input. In comparison to simple capacitive pens you can use on any touchscreen, active digitizer pen input provides advanced features like pressure sensitivity. Check with the laptop seller whether the active pen is included in the package.
Other Display Specs	IPS type Displays based on IPS technology provide much wider viewing angles than the budget-class TN screens.
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core i5-1035G7 10th Gen (decent for heavier tasks, besides enabling effortless daily computing) Intel Core i7-1065G7 10th Gen (decent for heavier tasks, besides enabling effortless daily computing)
Graphics (GPU)	Intel Iris Plus G7 integrated graphics of 10 Gen Core i5, i7 G7 (for light gaming, but with improved smoothness)
System Memory (RAM) Size	8GB RAM The 8GB RAM size is the standard one in 2023. It provides comfortable multi-tasking for the most home and office users. 16GB RAM 16GB and greater RAM sizes are recommended for heavy multitasking, gaming, and specialized programs that require a lot of RAM.
Data Storage	128GB SSD 128GB is a relatively small storage space. However, it is usable if you don't store a lot of large files like movies and don't install a lot of programs. 256GB SSD 256GB is a decent capacity. If you tend to download and store a lot of large files like movies and install many programs, 512GB or more is a better choice. 512GB SSD 512GB storage capacity is recommended if you store a lot of large files and install many programs. 1000GB (1TB) SSD 1TB is an excellent storage capacity. The sizes above 512GB, including 1TB, are recommended for those who store a lot of large files.
DVD Optical Drive	None
Keyboard & Input	Backlit keyboard without dedicated number pad The keyboard has backlit keys for easier typing in the dark. There's no separate numeric pad you can typically find on the right side of the keyboard on many laptop models. Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons. Touchscreen Active digitizer pen (optional)
Speakers & Audio	Stereo speakers As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers.
Camera	Front-facing web camera Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception. HD 720p resolution This is the most common web camera resolution in laptops. However, it's low in comparison to camera resolutions of modern smartphones, so it can't produce as sharp picture. Face-recognition camera The dedicated infra-red face recognition cameras in laptops are used for Windows Hello log-ins, without password typing.
Wi-Fi Wireless	802.11AX The 802.11AX is the latest Wi-Fi wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 6. When connected to 802.11AX-compatible routers, the 802.11AX modules in laptops bring improvements over the older standards in terms of data transfer speeds and multi-device connectivity.
Ethernet Network Port	No This laptop has no Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity.
Bluetooth	Yes This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices.
USB Ports	1 x USB 3.0 A standard full-size USB port. 1 x USB-C A compact type of USB port, commonly found in modern laptops and phones.
Video Output Ports	Video out via USB-C The laptop can deliver digital video output via USB-C.
Media Card Reader	None The laptop has no SD card slots. For reading from and writing to SD and microSD memory cards, you'll have to use a separately sold memory card reader via a USB cable.
Other Features	Surface Connect port A proprietary Microsoft Surface port for charging, docking, and compatible accessories.
Battery	"Up to 11.5 hours" of battery life
Weight	2.8 pounds
Height	0.6"
Width	12.1"
Depth	8.8"
Casing Material	Aluminum Soft-touch palm rest (optional)
Casing Color	Black Gray Gold Blue
Windows Version	Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home is aimed at the regular home and office computer users. Only select business users need the Professional edition. Windows 10 Home users are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Home. Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Pro version adds some business-specific features in comparison to the standard Windows Home. Windows 10 Pro upgradeable to the latest Windows 11 Pro for free.
Warranty	1-year A typical laptop warranty.
Year of Release	2019