Here's how the PCs compare to help you keep track of new features, pricing, and what's best for your needs.

Surface Laptop for Business 8th Edition vs. Surface Laptop 7: Specifications

Here's a quick breakdown of the specs that go into the new Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) and 2024's Surface Laptop 7 for Business with Intel chips. I've also included specs for the regular Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Laptop 7 for Business with Qualcomm chips.

Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition): Pricing and availability

The new Surface Laptop 8 for Business starts at $1,949.99 for the 13.8-inch version; that's $500 more than last generation's starting price, suggesting that Microsoft is hoping to sell this PC to enterprise customers with deep pockets.

From the previous generation, the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 for Business with Snapdragon X chips starts at a more reasonable $1,449.99. The 15-inch model starts at $1,749.99.

If you're shopping for a Surface Laptop 7 for Business using Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) chips, you're looking at a starting price of $1,699.99 for the 13.8-inch model and $1,899.99 for the 15-inch model.

Why does the new Surface Laptop 8 for Business make its debut at a significantly higher price? As Microsoft explains, it's all about the ongoing RAM and storage crisis that's driving up costs for all PC manufacturers.

Beyond the component supply issues, the new Surface Laptop 8 for Business also comes with some notable upgrades that might help convince you that it's right for your needs. Let's explore.

Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) vs. Surface Laptop 7: What's new?

Aside from the updated performance hardware, which I'll tackle in the next section, the Surface Laptop 8 for Business has a few new features compared to its older siblings.

It's just slightly heavier (29 grams) than the Surface Laptop 7 with Snapdragon, yet it keeps the iconic design almost identical between generations.

👉 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review: This is the best laptop. Period.

Port selection hasn't really changed, unless you count an upgrade from USB-A 3.1 to USB-A 3.2. The larger 15-inch model still holds the best selection of ports, with the addition of a microSD card reader and an optional smart card reader.

The new Surface Laptop 8 retains its lauded haptic touchpad, and its keyboard is still just as good as ever.

Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) gets new display options

Perhaps the biggest change to the new Surface Laptop 8 is its display options.

The 13.8-inch model is now available with an optional integrated privacy screen with an anti-glare finish. If you're working in public and want to hide your info from passers-by, you hit one button, and it makes the screen impossible to see if you're not facing it directly.

The 13.8-inch display is otherwise the same as that from the previous generation, with a 2304x1536 resolution (201 PPI), touch functionality, Dolby Vision IQ support, and a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. If you don't opt for the privacy screen, it comes with an anti-reflective finish to further cut down on glare.

The 15-inch Surface Laptop 8 display saw some bigger display changes. It's now been bumped up to a 3270x2180 resolution (262 PPI) compared to the 2496x1664 resolution (201 PPI) from the previous generation.

Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino tested the 13.8-inch privacy display's color and brightness in his Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) review. He saw 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, and 100% P3 reproduction. Brightness hit about 500 nits, suggesting that you're not missing out on anything if you decide to go with the privacy screen.

Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) vs. Surface Laptop 7: Performance & battery

Aside from display changes, the new Surface Laptop 8 for Business is largely a performance upgrade.

Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino tested the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 8 with a "Panther Lake" Intel Core Ultra X7 368H processor inside. It's the top-tier chip available, boasting 16 cores and a boost frequency up to 5.0GHz.

It bests the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80) chip in Geekbench 6 tests, though it falls behind in Cinebench. As Rubino notes, "Intel is still a beast" when it comes to raw multi-threaded power.

Unfortunately, the chip comes in slightly behind the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80) chip found in the Surface Laptop 7 with Cinebench testing. ARM is great at sustained performance, and it shows here.

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One area where the new Surface Laptop 8 pulls ahead is in SSD speeds. It's practically twice as fast as the SSD found in the Surface Laptop 7, making the system feel overall more responsive. That's most important if you work with large files.

Has battery life improved in the Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition)?

Battery life in the new Surface Laptop 8 is one of the main complaints from Rubino's review, with the 13.8-inch model featuring a 54Wh battery only getting about 8 hours of real-world usage from a charge.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips still offer the best efficiency, and with Surface expected to launch Snapdragon X2 Surface models for consumers (non-business) later this year, that trend is expected to continue.

Is the new Surface Laptop for Business (8th Edition) right for you?

The new Surface Laptop 8 for Business is probably not the mainstream PC update you're hoping for. It's a specialized PC designed specifically for enterprise environments, with features and a price tag to match.

What I will say is that the new Surface Laptop 8 for Business privacy screen option will likely be the main attraction for anyone who was on the fence anyway. It's an invaluable tool if you often work on the road.

For everyone else, I recommend waiting for the consumer Snapdragon X2 models expected in the next couple of months.

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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than nine years of experience writing about PC gaming, Windows laptops, accessories, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.