Surface Pro 11 & Surface Laptop 7 Get Intel Chips and a Business Upgrade

Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7 now are available with Intel processors, offering enterprise-grade performance and connectivity.

Microsoft has launched Intel-based versions of its Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, designed specifically for business environments where reliability and legacy software compatibility are paramount.

The updated models now integrate Intel’s Lunar Lake processors in place of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series, directly addressing previous compatibility and performance challenges. It builds on the company’s earlier commitment to enterprise solutions, exemplified by the Surface Pro 11 with AI-powered upgrades introduced in May 2024. The Intel-based devices are scheduled for availability starting February 18, as confirmed in Microsoft’s official announcement.

Intel Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 Specs

The Surface Laptop 7 now features Intel Core Ultra 5 and Ultra 7 chips and is available in two sizes: 13.8-inch and 15-inch. While the battery life is modestly lower than that of the Snapdragon variants, the laptop supports configurations of up to 32GB of RAM (temporary storage for active processes) and 1TB of storage.

An upgrade to its USB-A port—from USB 3.1 to USB 3.2 — further improves connectivity. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 11 maintains its flexibility by offering both LCD and OLED screens along with dual USB-C ports equipped with Thunderbolt 4 support.

Business and Connectivity

Tailored for enterprise use, these Intel-powered devices now also incorporate NPUs (Neural Processing Units, specialized hardware designed to accelerate machine learning and artificial intelligence tasks) to enable Microsoft’s Copilot+ features, including the controversial Windows 11 Recall feature and enhanced search functionalities.

The Intel based hardware effectively mitigates compatibility issues that have affected ARM-based systems in business settings. Looking ahead, Microsoft intends to broaden its connectivity portfolio with a 5G variant of the Surface Laptop 7 later in 2025—5G representing the fifth generation of wireless technology that offers faster speeds and reduced latency, essential for mobile operations.

Additionally, a new USB4 dock is slated for release, supporting dual 4K displays (high-definition screens with approximately 4,000 horizontal pixels), accelerated data transfer, and efficient power delivery.

Render of Surface Dock in a top down angled view to show back with ports and cable (Image: Microsoft)

“At CES, we showcased Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) and partnered with Microsoft to ensure that it delivers exceptional performance, longer battery life and cutting-edge security for the Windows ecosystem. We’re excited to introduce new Surface for Business Copilot+ PCs and provide businesses with a wider range of AI-powered devices to enhance efficiency and productivity. Our partnership will continue to drive momentum in the category.” – Jim Johnson, Senior Vice President and Interim General Manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, stated about the release.

Enhanced Security Architecture and IT Management Tools

The Microsoft Pluton security processor—a secure, flexible, and updateable hardware foundation for Windows 11—now comes enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs like the Surface Pro 11 & Surface Laptop 7. Pluton operates on dedicated hardware embedded within the system-on-chip (SoC), isolating security functions from the main CPU cores to reduce attack surfaces.

This design ensures that sensitive assets, such as credentials and encryption keys, remain protected even under sophisticated attack scenarios. Detailed insights into Pluton’s architecture and evolving capabilities are available in Microsoft’s Understanding the Microsoft Pluton security processor article.

Complementing these hardware enhancements is Microsoft Security Copilot, a generative AI-powered assistant designed to streamline security and IT operations. Security Copilot consolidates vast data signals and provides actionable insights across identities, devices, and cloud services—enabling security teams to respond to cyberthreats with increased speed and accuracy.

As part of the broader Microsoft Security ecosystem, it integrates with products like Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel, providing organizations a unified, AI-based approach to threat management.

Repairability and Future Outlook

Design improvements extend beyond performance to address long-standing concerns about repairability. The new Surface models feature a more accessible internal layout that simplifies maintenance—a change that has been well received by experts.

iFixit commented about the ARM based models, “the Surface Laptop 7 is an astonishingly repair friendly device, almost the antithesis of the original Surface Laptop.”

They further noted, “A special mention should be made of how most components are accessible without the need to remove additional layers. Need to replace the battery? No problem, it’s just a few screws and a bracket. What if you need to clean the fan? Easy. Just peel back the Surflink cable and undo three screws.”

Their concluding assessment said, “Overall, we were extremely pleased with Microsoft’s continued commitment to repairability. The Surface line of devices have performed such a stunning and swift U-turn from unrepairable to very repairable that we can’t help but be impressed, even if they don’t score a perfect 10/10.”

Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus has been covering the tech industry for more than 15 years. He is holding a Master´s degree in International Economics and is the founder and managing editor of Winbuzzer.com.

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