Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.5" 4 vs Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.5" 4 2020, Core i5-1145G7, 16GB, 256GB SSD
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
Buy the Surface Laptop 4 if you just need a basic Windows machine for browsing, email, and light Office work and you can find one used for a few hundred bucks.
Buy the MacBook Pro M4 Max if you do heavy creative work, compile large codebases, or run local AI models and need 64GB of RAM with a 4TB NVMe SSD to back it up.
Key Differences
- The MacBook Pro M4 Max has 64GB of RAM and a 4TB NVMe SSD. The Surface Laptop 4 ships with 16GB and a 256GB SSD. That's 4x the memory and 16x the storage.
- The M4 Max scores 88 for AI and LLM workloads versus 13 for the Surface's i5-1145G. If you want to run local models, the Surface is basically a paperweight.
- The MacBook Pro M4 Max costs around $3,099+ while the Surface Laptop 4 can be found for $400-600 used. You could buy five Surfaces for the price of one MacBook.
- The MacBook scores 99 for students and business users, while the Surface lands at 42. Even for basic productivity, the MacBook's speed and battery life make it the better tool.
- Customer sentiment for the MacBook is 95/100 with zero significant complaints mentioned. The Surface has a 4.1/5 rating from just 4 reviews, which is too small a sample to trust.
What Buyers Say
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.5" 4 2020, Core i5-1145G7, 16GB, 256GB SSD
No customer feedback yet
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
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 13.5" 4 | Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Intel Core i5 1145G7 | Apple M4 Max★ |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 4 | 16★ |
| Frequency | 2.6 GHz★ | — |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB★ | — |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | — | Apple (40-Core)★ |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | — | integrated★ |
| VRAM Type | — | System Shared |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB★ |
| RAM Generation | — | LPDDR5★ |
| Storage 1 | 256 GB | 4 TB★ |
| Storage 1 Type | SSD | NVMe SSD★ |
| Display | ||
| Size | 13.5" | 14.2" |
| Resolution | — | 3024 px★ |
| Panel | — | Mini-LED★ |
| Refresh Rate | — | 120 Hz★ |
| Brightness | — | 1600 nits★ |
| Color Gamut | — | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | — | 3★ |
| Thunderbolt | — | Thunderbolt 5 |
| HDMI | — | 1x HDMI Output |
| Wi-Fi | — | Wi-Fi 6E★ |
| Bluetooth | — | Bluetooth 5.3★ |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | — | 1.60 kg★ |
| Battery | — | 72 Wh★ |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS |
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.5" 4 2020, Core i5-1145G7, 16GB, 256GB SSD
- Strong affordability (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong portability (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
- Strong reliability (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
- Below average port selection (4th percentile)4th %ile
- Below average storage (16th percentile)16th %ile
- Below average social proof (18th percentile)18th %ile
- Below average screen (20th percentile)20th %ile
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
- 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
- Below average affordability (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
Verdict
Scores 99 overall, wins 8 of 8 usage categories and 19 of 27 specs.