MacBook Air M3 vs Surface Laptop 7
The MacBook Air M3 and the Surface Laptop 7 are direct rivals in the ultraportable laptop class, one from Apple and one from Microsoft. The MacBook Air M3 is up against it here: the Surface Laptop 7 wins 4 of the 5 areas on our scorecard, with memory & storage as its standout.
At a glance
- Display Surface Laptop 7 wins
- Performance Surface Laptop 7 wins
- Memory & Storage Surface Laptop 7 wins
- Battery Life & Charging Surface Laptop 7 wins
- Ports & Connectivity Tie
- Price Surface Laptop 7 wins
- Display2.9
- Battery Life & Charging2.6
- Display6.7
- Battery Life & Charging10.0
Spec scores (0 to 10) are calculated from manufacturer specs against other models in the same class. See how the formula works. They are not reviews or user ratings.
Key Differences
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The Surface Laptop 7 has 8 GB more base memory
Not a close call. The Surface Laptop 7 lists 16 GB and the MacBook Air M3 lists 8 GB. That’s a substantial gap. More base memory lets you keep more browser tabs and big apps open without slowdowns.
-
The Surface Laptop 7 has a 120 Hz display instead of 60 Hz
Among all the differences on this page, 120 Hz against 60 Hz is one of the most meaningful, and it favors the Surface Laptop 7. A higher refresh rate makes scrolling, cursor movement and games look smoother.
-
The Surface Laptop 7 has 2 more CPU cores
If everything else were equal, this small edge would favor the Surface Laptop 7: 10 against 8. More CPU cores help with heavy multitasking and work that splits well across cores, like code compiling, video export and rendering.
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The Surface Laptop 7 has 2 h more rated battery life
Not a big gap, but a consistent one. The Surface Laptop 7’s 20 h beats the MacBook Air M3’s 18 h. More rated hours suggest the Surface Laptop 7 is the safer bet for a full workday without a charger.
-
The MacBook Air M3 has a 0.22 lb lighter build
The MacBook Air M3 wins this narrowly, 2.73 lb against 2.95 lb, which makes it more of a bonus than a reason to buy. The MacBook Air M3 is easier on your shoulders during a long commute.
Design & Size
- MacBook Air M3 11.97 in × 8.46 in × 0.44 in
- Surface Laptop 7 11.85 in × 8.66 in × 0.69 in
The official dimensions put the MacBook Air M3 and the Surface Laptop 7 within a whisker of each other. The Surface Laptop 7 is 0.22 lb heavier than the MacBook Air M3. The Surface Laptop 7 adds 0.24 in of depth.
Design & Build
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 11.97 in | 11.85 in |
| Depth | 8.46 in | 8.66 in |
| Thickness | 0.44 in (winner) | 0.69 in Thickest in class |
| Weight | 2.73 lb (winner) | 2.95 lb Heaviest in class |
Display
Surface Laptop 7 leads
Here the Surface Laptop 7 opens up one of its biggest leads in the comparison. In its favor, the Surface Laptop 7 has a 120 Hz display instead of 60 Hz. For gaming, the Surface Laptop 7’s faster panel is a clear advantage; for office work, it’s a pleasant extra. The MacBook Air M3 makes its case with 11% higher pixel density. Anyone shopping mainly on display should start with the Surface Laptop 7.
Refresh rate
MacBook Air M3: 60 Hz Surface Laptop 7: 120 Hz You only get the full benefit if the laptop can produce enough frames, so it matters most with a capable GPU.
Pixel density
MacBook Air M3: 224 ppi Surface Laptop 7: 201 ppi Higher pixel density makes text sharper, which you’ll appreciate during long reading and writing sessions.
Performance
Surface Laptop 7 leads
It’s a narrow one, but the performance round goes to the Surface Laptop 7. The Surface Laptop 7 takes this one with 2 more CPU cores. Core types and clock speeds differ between chips, so core count is one indicator among several. That makes the Surface Laptop 7 the natural choice for buyers focused on performance.
CPU cores
MacBook Air M3: 8 Surface Laptop 7: 10 For email and browsing, you won’t notice the gap; for demanding workloads, the Surface Laptop 7 has more muscle.
Memory & Storage
Surface Laptop 7 leads
The Surface Laptop 7 wins the memory & storage section decisively. The Surface Laptop 7 brings 8 GB more base memory. Memory is often hard or impossible to upgrade later, so the Surface Laptop 7’s higher starting amount matters for the long run. Net result: the Surface Laptop 7 leads this part of the comparison.
Base memory
MacBook Air M3: 8 GB Surface Laptop 7: 16 GB Pro workloads like photo and video editing or virtual machines benefit most from the extra memory.
Battery Life & Charging
Surface Laptop 7 leads
The Surface Laptop 7 does a little better in the battery life & charging section, though nothing here is a deal-breaker for the MacBook Air M3. The Surface Laptop 7 adds 2 h more rated battery life. Real-world results depend heavily on brightness and workload, but the ranking between two laptops tends to hold up. If battery life & charging is your priority, the Surface Laptop 7 is the laptop to pick.
Rated battery life
MacBook Air M3: 18 h Surface Laptop 7: 20 h Rated battery life reflects the whole system (chip, screen and battery) under the manufacturer’s own conditions.
Ports & Connectivity
Too close to call
You can skip ahead if ports & connectivity was your deciding factor: the two are evenly matched here. If ports & connectivity was going to be your tiebreaker, you’ll need a different one.
Full Specifications
Display
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.6 in | 13.8 in |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | PixelSense Flow LCD touchscreen |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2304 x 1536 |
| Pixel density | 224 ppi (winner) | 201 ppi Lowest pixel density |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz (winner) Smoothest display in class |
| Peak brightness (SDR) | 500 nits | N/A (not specified) |
Performance
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus |
| CPU cores | 8 | 10 (winner) |
| Graphics | Apple M3 GPU (8-core) | Qualcomm Adreno |
| GPU cores | 8 | N/A (not specified) |
| Cooling | Fanless (passive) | Active (fan) |
Memory & Storage
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Base memory | 8 GB | 16 GB (winner) |
| Max memory | 24 GB | N/A (not specified) |
| Base storage | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Max storage | 2 TB | N/A (not specified) |
Battery Life & Charging
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 52.6 Wh | 54 Wh Biggest battery in class |
| Rated battery lifeManufacturer rating | 18 h | 20 h (winner) Longest rated battery life |
| Included charger | 30 W | N/A (not specified) |
Ports & Connectivity
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| USB-C / Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 2 |
| Other ports | MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack | USB4; USB-A, Surface Connect, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p Surface Studio Camera |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home (Copilot+ PC) |
Design & Build
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 11.97 in | 11.85 in |
| Depth | 8.46 in | 8.66 in |
| Thickness | 0.44 in (winner) | 0.69 in Thickest in class |
| Weight | 2.73 lb (winner) | 2.95 lb Heaviest in class |
Price
| Spec | MacBook Air M3 | Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1,099 | $1,000 (winner) |
“N/A” means the manufacturer does not specify the value or we could not confirm it. Figures marked “manufacturer rating” are the maker’s own claims, not our measurements.
Price & Value
The launch price difference is small: $99, favoring the Surface Laptop 7. The Surface Laptop 7 delivers more for less: $99 less, to be exact.
Prices shown are US launch prices as of June 2024. Retail prices change often, so it’s worth checking current offers.
Which One Should You Buy?
Choose the MacBook Air M3 if…
- you want the lighter laptop (2.73 lb vs 2.95 lb)
- you want the slimmer laptop (0.44 in vs 0.69 in)
- you want the sharper screen (224 ppi vs 201 ppi)
Choose the Surface Laptop 7 if…
- you keep dozens of tabs and big apps open (16 GB vs 8 GB base memory)
- you play games or simply like fluid scrolling (120 Hz vs 60 Hz)
- you compile code, render or run heavy multitasking (10 vs 8 CPU cores)
- you work from cafés, trains and planes (20 h vs 18 h rated)
- you’d rather keep $99 in your pocket
Also Compared
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for most people, the MacBook Air M3 or the Surface Laptop 7?
The Surface Laptop 7 wins more of the areas we compared, so it’s the safer pick unless you care more about a 0.22 lb lighter build than anything else.
Does the MacBook Air M3 last longer on a charge than the Surface Laptop 7?
The Surface Laptop 7 does better here. It lists 20 h for rated battery life, while the MacBook Air M3 lists 18 h.
Is the MacBook Air M3 bigger than the Surface Laptop 7?
Neither by much. The MacBook Air M3 and the Surface Laptop 7 have nearly identical dimensions.
Does the MacBook Air M3 perform better than the Surface Laptop 7?
Going by the specs, the Surface Laptop 7 comes out ahead: it offers 2 more CPU cores.
Which has the better screen, the MacBook Air M3 or the Surface Laptop 7?
The Surface Laptop 7 has the edge here, offering a 120 Hz display instead of 60 Hz.
Which costs less, the MacBook Air M3 or the Surface Laptop 7?
Going by launch prices, the Surface Laptop 7 costs $99 less than the MacBook Air M3. Prices as of June 2024; current offers may differ.
Executive Summary
On paper, the MacBook Air M3 and the Surface Laptop 7 chase the same buyer. In the details, Apple and Microsoft made different calls. The Surface Laptop 7 wins me over with 8 GB more base memory. Add a 120 Hz display instead of 60 Hz to the list, and the Surface Laptop 7 looks even better. Credit where it’s due: the MacBook Air M3 offers a 0.22 lb lighter build.
I think of the MacBook Air M3 as the one for portability and the Surface Laptop 7 as the one for display.
My pick: I think most people will be happier with the Surface Laptop 7, unless your top priority is a 0.22 lb lighter build.
Personal opinion based on the data above. Your priorities may differ.