Microsoft Surface Laptop 15" 7 Black 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max Silver 2024
The Surface Laptop 7 is for students and office workers who want a thin, light Windows machine with great battery life and don't need to render 8K footage or train local AI models.
Get the MacBook Pro M4 Max if you do heavy video editing, 3D rendering, or AI work and need desktop-class power in a laptop that doesn't break a sweat.
Key Differences
- The M4 Max's GPU benchmark score is 17,798 vs the Surface's 59. That's not a typo. If you do anything graphics-heavy, the MacBook is in a completely different universe.
- Storage and RAM: the MacBook can be configured up to 4TB and 128GB, while the Surface tops out at 1TB and 32GB. For creative pros, that's the difference between keeping your entire project library local vs juggling external drives.
- Display quality: the MacBook has a Mini-LED panel hitting 1600 nits brightness vs the Surface's IPS at 600 nits. HDR content looks dramatically better on the Mac, and it's actually usable outdoors.
- Price gap is massive. The MacBook Pro M4 Max starts at $3,099 while the Surface Laptop 7 runs around $1,000. You could buy three Surfaces for the price of one MacBook.
- The Surface actually wins on connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 vs the MacBook's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Not a huge deal today, but more future-proof if you keep laptops for 5+ years.
What Buyers Say
Microsoft Surface Laptop 15" 7 Black 2024
No customer feedback yet
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max Silver 2024
The MacBook Pro M4 Max is widely praised as a powerful workhorse, handling heavy photo and video editing tasks with ease. Users highlight its smooth performance, fast file processing, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem. Verified buyers consistently note excellent value, especially when opting for the Pro over the Max model, and commend B&H's customer service and shipping process.
Pros
- Powerful performance for heavy tasks
- Smooth handling of photo and video editing
- Fast file import and export
- Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- Excellent value for money
Cons
- No significant drawbacks mentioned
Scores
Specifications
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 15" 7 | Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Apple M4 Max★ |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | No data | |
| Cores | 12 | 16★ |
| Frequency | 3.4 GHz★ | — |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB★ | — |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | Qualcomm Adreno GPU | Apple (40-Core)★ |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | integrated | integrated |
| VRAM Type | Shared | System Shared |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Generation | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
| Storage 1 | 1 TB | 4 TB★ |
| Storage 1 Type | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Display | ||
| Size | 15" | 14.2" |
| Resolution | 2496 px | 3024 px★ |
| Panel | IPS | Mini-LED★ |
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 600 nits | 1600 nits★ |
| Color Gamut | sRGB | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 2 | 3★ |
| USB Ports | 1★ | — |
| Thunderbolt | USB4 | Thunderbolt 5 |
| HDMI | — | 1x HDMI Output |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7★ | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4★ | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 1.66 kg | 1.60 kg★ |
| Battery | — | 72 Wh★ |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS |
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Surface Laptop 15" 7 Black 2024
- Strong cpu (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong ram (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong screen (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong reliability (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Below average gpu (28th percentile)
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max Silver 2024
- Strong screen (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong storage (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong reliability (98th percentile)98th %ile
Verdict
Scores 99 overall, wins 8 of 8 usage categories and 12 of 28 specs.